Along with saltwater taffy, this year’s Kansas State Fair will introduce waffle cheese curds covered with syrup, a Krispy Kreme donut topped with fried chicken and bacon, and a mix of whipped cream-topped funnel cakes.
With 120 food vendors, fairgoers can find a variety of delectable and sometimes over-the-top goodies.
Fried chicken, bacon on a Krispy Kreme donut
Hutchinson-based Hall Family Foods is introducing new mouth-watering foods at two of its seven trailers—- the OMG Chicken Sandwich and the Cookie Dough Explosion funnel cake.
Matthew Hall is a third-generation food fair vendor and the owner of Hall Family Foods, which includes Chicken City and Family Foods Cheese Curds.
“I just want people to come out and have a good time,” said Hall. “We are trying to take the state fair experience and make it an outdoor dining experience.”
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Having grown up in the business, he continues to outdo himself year after year. Just finishing up at the Iowa and Nebraska state fairs, he is looking forward to introducing his new items at this hometown state fair.
Hall cooked up a fantastical deep-fried chicken meal—the OMG Chicken Sandwich.
“We take an all-white meat chicken breast, beat it and then coat it with frosted flakes,” he said.
And when it comes out of the fryer, it gets placed on a Krispy Kreme donut, topped with bacon and maple syrup.
In addition to his Wisconsin cheese curds with ranch, ranch, garlic and Cajun flavors, Hall runs fried vegetables, stuffed cucumber and funnel cake trailers.
This year, Hall is introducing Cookie Dough Explosion — a traditional funnel cake with an added special ingredient.
“It is decadent, and it is delicious,” Hall said. “It’s incredible. It’s winning awards everywhere we go.”
On Sept. 12, Hall will donate 1/4 of his sales to the Cancer Council of Reno County.
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Burnt end burgers and fries
This year, the Original Beer Garden, which is under new ownership, is introducing burnt end burgers and waffle cheese curds with syrup.
“We completely redid it,” said Carrie Thatcher, the Original Beer Garden’s new owner.
In addition to painting the ceiling black and walls gray, Thatcher boosted the menu items to include high-stakes entrees.
Burnt end burgers are premium steak burgers topped with corn queso chili, fried onions and burnt ends. As for the burnt end French fries, they are fries with burnt ends mixed in.
In addition, the restaurant is serving waffle cheese curds with hot honey “drizzled over-the-top like sauce,” Thatcher said. “We just wanted to have something new, something a little bit different.”
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New desserts at the Kansas State Fair
For desserts, there’s lots to choose from. A new vendor, Sandy’s Candy, is offering saltwater taffy, peanut brittle, caramel and sugar-free morsels.
Changing it up just a little, a 40-year central Kansas funnel cake tradition — Connie’s Funnel Cakes, now run by her grandson, David Kavanagh — is placing whipped cream and chocolate drizzle toppings on many of their classic and gourmet funnel cakes, including apple , cherry, cream cheese and pumpkin spice.
Many of their recipes date back to Kavanagh’s grandmother, who at 86 still comes to the fair, tasting how well her nephew fries up the funnel cakes and makes the homemade lemonade and limeade.
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“She does have the best recipes for funnel cakes, lemonade and limeade — all freshly made,” said Deb Brock, Kavanagh’s aunt. The stand is at Cottonwood and Fort Riley.
As for serving others at the fair, all the vendors are looking forward to the people.
“It’s a way to let loose and have fun,” said Hall, the owner of seven fair food entities. “If we can be a part of that, its truly rewarding for us.”
