The New Mexico State Fair opens today, and as a food lover and new resident, I'm excited to see what kinds of unique New Mexican food items I can find during my first time at this event. Luckily, Erin Thompson with the State Fair sent me a sneak peek of what to expect.
The fair runs from September 10-21, so technically, you could ease guilt by visiting a few times, spreading the calories out over a number of days. Or, you could do it all in one visit, falling into a blissful food coma - I highly recommend a friend to split dishes with and maybe someone to drive you home, should you choose this option.
So, put on your stretchy pants and take a look at what you can sample at the New Mexico State Fair!
Dessert
Let's do dessert first, shall we? If you want to pretend like a Bacon Pecan Pie Caramel Apple counts as a fruit serving for the day, visit What the Fudge! They are rolling apples in caramel sauce and rolling them in crushed pecan brittle and sweet maple bacon. If you're not even trying to pretend, head straight to Native Café, where they are serving Deep Fried Carmel Ice Cream wrapped in Fry Bread. Fried on fried...sounds like a state fair staple to me!
Meaty Dishes
Now, let's get to the meaty main dishes. I love a good green chile cheeseburger, and Quesada's is taking it up a notch by adding bacon and frying the whole thing. Over at Mary Lou, they're also having fun with bacon. Their Bacon Corndog features pieces of bacon in the batter. And, Rex's Hamburgers is taking calzones to the next level, by frying them, of course. Their Deep Fried Carne Adovada Calzone features slow cooked pulled pork in a red chile sauce, potatoes and cheese, all folded into a delicious pizza dough. Finally, if you'd like a little German influence in your New Mexico State Fair experience, stop by German Specialty Foods for a Southwestern Schnitzel Sandwich, which takes the traditional and adds chipotle sauce, pepper jack cheese, ancho chiles, deep fried onion and green peppers.
If you're feeling adventurous, grab a "bite" at Funnel Frenzy. It's actually an Alligator Bite. I heard it tastes like chicken - can someone try for me and let me know?
Drinks
Had your fill? How about a little palate cleanser on your way out? Try Just Squeezed's Red Chile Chocolate Limeade - a sweet and spicy concoction guaranteed to top off your food day at the fair on a high note.
For all activities happening at the New Mexico State Fair this year - food and otherwise - visit www.exponm.com. Find a fun list of all of the unique food being featured this year here.
What are you going to try at the fair this year?
Photos courtesy of Kim Jew Sports for the New Mexico State Fair. Top Image: Local news personalities sample unique foods at the New Mexico State Fair. Bottom Image: Kim Tobin of KOB feasts on delicious State Fair Fare
