Munching on the midway

By JAY CRIDLIN, Times Staff Writer
Published February 8, 2008

Lo and behold the almighty deep fried bratwurst that Jay Cridlin shows off at the Florida State Fair. Grade: B View slide show of Jay's day at the fair
	[Carrie Pratt | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Carrie Pratt | Times] A heavy plastic foam carton full of Cedar Key steamed clams in their shells sitting on a 25-cent massage chair. Grade: B [Carrie Pratt | Times] Walking tacos are fun-size bags of Fritos or Doritos with beef and taco fixings dumped inside. Grade: A-minus [Carrie Pratt | Times] The deep-fried cookie dough were gooey and messy, and without the chocolate chips, there wouldn't be much of a taste at all. Grade: B-minus

They call me the Brass Belly. Ol' Ironguts. The Food Lion.

Okay, fine, they don't really call me those things. Not to my face, at least.

On Day One of the Florida State Fair, I set out to taste-test, in four hours, as many of this year's new concoctions as I could lay my greasy mitts on.

Here is my report.

Deep-fried bratwurst

Picture a corn dog strutting around the gym like he just worked his pecs, and you've got a good sense of what the deep-fried bratwurst ($3) is all about. It tasted like a corn dog - maybe spicier, with a hint of cheese.

Grade: B

Cedar Key steamed clams

I don't know what I was expecting for my $6, but what I got was a heavy plastic foam carton full of clams in their shells. I ate mine sitting on a 25-cent massage chair. It was definitely one of the weirdest places I've ever eaten steamed clams.

Grade: B

Walking tacos

In the Pantheon of Lazy Ideas, there should be a plaque honoring these fun-size bags of Fritos or Doritos with beef and taco fixings dumped inside. My walking taco ($3) tasted quite good. The texture reminded me of cereal. Meat cereal.

Grade: A-minus

Deep-fried cookie dough

Cookie dough tastes terrific cold or fully cooked. But these batter-dipped gobs ($4 for four) just tasted like not-quite-done cookies. They were gooey and messy, and without the chocolate chips, there wouldn't be much of a taste at all.

Grade: B-minus

[Last modified February 7, 2008, 23:08:43]