OC Fair serves up new eats and classic fair food opening weekend
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The OC Fair is in full swing in Costa Mesa with this year’s theme, “Your Adventure Awaits.” For local foodies, the experience awaiting them is an adventure with countless treats and deep-fried fare available.
During opening weekend, some snacks proved to be more popular than others.
“I’m hearing that the chicken shawarma cone at Chicken Charlie’s is a can’t miss,” said Michele Capps, chief business development officer for OC Fair & Event Center. “Bring a friend, because it’s big enough to share, but every ingredient is made from scratch right here.”
Chicken Charlie’s is a popular vendor at the OC Fair that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Founded by two brothers who started the business by selling fried chicken at a county fair, the fried food empire has since grown into a local favorite that serves the Orange County Fair, along with the county fairs in Los Angeles, San Diego and Fresno. The company also operates a brick and mortar restaurant in San Diego called Chicken Charlie’s Table.
While Chicken Charlie’s has earned a reputation for show-stopping snacks like frog legs, deep-fried Oreos and Maui chicken pineapple bowls, the vendor makes sure to bring something new to the table each year.
Aside from the chicken shawarma cone, Chicken Charlie’s has introduced a Parmesan garlic fry cone and fried mangonada. An OC Fair exclusive this year is deep fried tiramisu, served as bite-sized balls that are drizzled with chocolate syrup and dusted with powdered sugar.
In honor of their 30th anniversary, Chicken Charlie’s is also offering a special $30 anniversary meal that includes an entrée, French fries, fried Oreos and a drink.
Another new OC Fair exclusive this year is the Croffle from Mom’s Bakeshoppe. Inspired by the South Korean food trend, the Croffle is a buttery croissant pressed in a waffle iron, making the crispy, flaky pastry a vehicle for vanilla ice cream.
A French onion 10-pound bun from Ten Pound Buns is another treat one can only find at the OC Fair. It consists of whipped butter, garlic, mozzarella, cheddar and caramelized onions layered on an over-sized bread bun.
At Planet Popcorn, the gooey maple butter popcorn cone is another OC Fair exclusive, with warm maple butter popcorn served in a cone and topped with optional chopped nuts.
If a 10-pound bun or a waffle topped with ice cream sound like a bit too much for your stomach, especially before a spin on the Cyclone, OC Fair has brought back its $5 Taste of Fair deal.
“Everyone comes to the fair to try something new, but with hundreds of items and concessionaires to choose from it’s impossible to try everything,” Capps said. “$5 Taste of Fair was our way of creating a program to make that a little easier. Every vendor participates with a smaller portion of their specialty item for just $5.”
Most $5 menu options are mini or half-order versions of some of the fair’s most popular items. At Corn Star, for example, $5 will get you a mini version of the popular street corn baked potato, filled with buttered sweet corn kernels, chipotle mayo, fresh jalapeños and chili lemon pepper seasoning.
Some vendors even change their offerings during the week, so Every Day Passport holders can try something different alongside other fair favorites. At Noel’s Mexican Food, $5 can score diners a half order of carne asada fries topped with nacho cheese sauce and pickled jalapeños or other $5 choices, like a half order of deluxe nachos, two taquitos or a 16 oz. aqua fresca.
As a special treat, the $5 Taste of Fair program is extended until 5 p.m. each day, longer than last year.
“As popular as this program has been, the No. 1 complaint last year was that five hours wasn’t long enough. So we listened to our guests and increased the hours,” Capps said.
The OC Fair is open Wednesdays through Sundays until Aug. 16 and tickets must be purchased online. Capps recommends arriving hungry.
“The food is the best part of the fair,” she said.
For details on $5 Taste of Fair, visit ocfair.com.
