This year’s Great Allentown Fair will, as every other fair in years past, be a destination for foodies — fair food regularly ups the ante with even more outlandish offerings year in and year out.
This year, Fair President Daryl G. Urmy is issuing a challenge to the fair’s concession vendors: no guts, no glory. Each vendor has been tasked with coming up with a new food to vie against the other vendors’ offerings, and fair-goers can vote for their favorite. The winner will receive a prize from Urmy.
Location-map ballots are available inside the fair’s main exhibition building Agri-Plex and at both information booths, as well as at participating food stands. Completed ballots can be dropped off at any of the fair’s entrances.
With the fair still a day away -- it kicks off Wednesday and runs through Labor Day -- the public hasn’t had a chance to try these foods. But they have been announced, thanks to a release from the Great Allentown Fair, replete with descriptions and pictures.
So, armed with only those aforementioned descriptions and pictures, what do we think will be the frontrunner? Just because we haven’t tasted them doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t rank them. We can, and we did:
Brussels Sprouts from Rose ConcessionsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
12. Brussels Sprouts (Rose Concessions): “Brussel sprouts fried to perfection!”
I’m sure they’re great Brussels sprouts, but they’re also still just Brussels sprouts.
Birthday Cake Kettle Corn from Hoff's Kettle CornCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
11. Birthday Cake Kettle Corn (Hoff’s Kettle Corn): “Birthday cake flavored kettle corn with sprinkles.”
I’m a little skeptical. Cake-flavored kettle corn has a low floor but a high ceiling.
Banana Ball Blitz from Cals ConcessionsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
10. Banana Ball Blitz (Cals Concessions): “Deep-fried banana balls served with a topping choice (chocolate syrup, peanut butter sauce, caramel, or strawberry) with whipped cream and a cherry on top!”
I bet this will be a real winner for big banana fans, but I simply can’t reward a company whose slogan is “Taste our balls.”
Redneck Mac Bowl from Holy MacaroniCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
9. Redneck Mac Bowl (Holy Macaroni): “Infused cavatelli noodles, 6-cheeses, pulled pork and bacon, topped with extra cheese, BBQ sauce, bacon and biscuit crumbles.”
This macaroni bowl is almost assuredly worth the heartburn.
Raspberry & Peach Dumpling from Bissinger Catering & ConcessionsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
8. Raspberry and Peach Dumpling (Bissinger Catering & Concessions): “A fresh peach dumpling with raspberries.”
Based on the description, this seems like it’ll be pretty down-the-middle. Peaches. Raspberries. A dumpling. It’ll taste good.
Guilty Pleasure Burger from RK Mobile FoodsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
7. Guilty Pleasure Burger (RK Mobile Foods): “A 5-ounce burger with hash brown patties as a bun, bacon, over easy egg and cheese.”
There’s some high potential here for breakfast-lovers, however the hash brown patty bun seems like a questionable choice to hold all this together. It could end up falling apart before your first bite, in which case the dish more or less becomes regular breakfast (not a bad thing).
Smores Funnel Cake on a Stick from Fired Up ConcessionsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
6. Smores Funnel Cake on a Stick (Fired Up Concession): “Funnel cake on a stick, dipped in marshmallow fluff, rolled in graham cracker and drizzled with chocolate”
This looks and sounds delicious, my only concern is that it’s perhaps a little small.
Guava Jelly BBQ Chicken from 3 L CateringCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
5. Guava Jelly BBQ Chicken (3 L Catering): “Guava jelly BBQ chicken is a savory and sweet combination of island flavors. The sauce is made with fresh guava and guava jam with a melody of herbs and lemon juice.”
I just know that this is going to be so messy to eat, and that’ll only add to its enjoyment. Color me intrigued.
Cheesesteak Dumplings from Humpty's Food GroupCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
4. Cheesesteak Dumplings (Humpty’s Food Group): “Deep fried dumplings are a riff on a classic Philly cheesesteak. The dumplings are filled with chip steak, American cheese and ample seasonings then baked in dough and fried to crispy golden perfection. Try them dipped in ranch ketchup or their secret recipe Hof sauce, or let their cheesy goodness stand out by itself.”
That’s a really long description for something that could be easily summed up as “hell yeah, brother.”
Strawberry Funnel Cake Taco from Danny's Fine FoodsCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
3. Strawberry Funnel Cake Taco (Danny’s Fine Foods): “A dessert taco filled with pieces of funnel cake topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.”
We’re verging on too sweet here, but I’ll toe that line for a taco-shaped funnel cake with more funnel cake inside (and strawberries, obviously).
Le Jefa from the Puerto Rican Culture PreservationCourtesy of the Great Allentown Fair
2. La Jefa (Puerto Rican Culture Preservation): “Pastelillo made out of skirt steak and mashed fried plantains.”
I don’t care what vehicle they come in, steak and fried plantains together is magic, and so this will almost assuredly be one of the favorites.
1. Jamaican Jerk Pork on CoCo Bread (Caribbean Island Cuisine): “Pork marinated in their own special blend of island spices and liquids creating an authentic jerk marinade. Baked to perfection and served on a soft fresh made CoCo Bread.”
Ironically, our winner is one that doesn’t have a photo. Perhaps that allows our imagination to run wild, but it’s pretty easy to picture how good this can be. Jerk pork rocks, we all know that. But slapping it on the coconut sweetness of a CoCo Bread roll? That’s a winning combination.
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Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
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