I’ve been going to the fair for more than 20 years, and one thing remains constant: the foods are monstrous, whimsical, outrageous — and somehow — comforting.

Where else can you get battered and fried octopus on a stick, funnel cake made from a mound of churros slathered in whipped cream and a lasagna sandwich?

Yes, the fair has tacos, chow mein (new this year), cotton candy, burgers, hot dogs and snow cones.

But, concessionaires at the OC Fair, at least the ones with imagination, often go beyond conventional fast food. And, that’s what makes the fair addictive: It’s fun to savor foods you’ll never get any other time of the year. It’s the ultimate fast food adventure.

During the first weekend of the fair, I spotted preschoolers, Millennials and 40-something men and women enthusiastically eating a pillowy “unicorn” cotton candy treat, a 5-pound pig’s leg, a Krispy Kreme burger and a corn dog slathered in hot Cheetos.

Now, those are my kind of people.

Cinnamon Roll Sundae uses patented flour for the made-from-scratch dough and sprinkles it with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top completes the sweet. (CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER )

Bacon Chicken Legs with Fries: There’s nothing better than a great piece of fried chicken. At Chicken Charlie’s, the fried battered chicken leg is made even more enticing because it is wrapped in bacon. Chicken Charlie’s booths are spread out throughout the fair with locations near the green and blue gates. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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This Pineapple Pina Colada Bomb is cored pineapple, filled with a blend of crushed fresh pineapple and coconut, can be found at Country Fair Smoothies. ( CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER )

The deep fried butter is like breakfast in one bite. Butter balls are covered in pastry battery, and deep fried. Each tray (four balls) comes with maple syrup on the side. Drizzle over, bite and be ready for euphoria. Grab plenty of napkins as melted butter might drip down your chin. It’s like eating a pancake ball. The Fried A Fair booth is in the midway. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Australian Battered Potatoes: If you can’t tell by now, I really like fried potatoes. Outside of Tasti Chips, my next favorite deep-fried carbs are the Aussie potatoes. Get them with the new spicy chipotle sauce or with nacho cheese and bacon (shown). (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Deep Fried Nachos at the Texas Tater Twisters booth. This is out of body experience, and a must-try for anyone who loves nachos. It is mashed up tortilla and Doritos chips molded together with jalapeno juice and nacho cheese and jack cheeese. The “masa” like ball is then deep fried and topped with more nacho cheese. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Unicorn Leg is a 5-pound custom butchered pig leg smoked for 10 hours then grilled. If you like pork, over turkey, then this is for you. Once you get passed the crispy skin, you'll find savory and delicious fall of the bone meat. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chili Relleno Pretzel Cheeseburger: There’s a reason why this massive burger is a two-time champ at the OC Fair. It’s been judged as “best in show” at the fair in 2014 and 2016 because it represents everything that’s fun about fair food. It’s a ginormous flavor bomb worth the caloric intake. The burger is served on a pretzel bun and contains a chorizo patty, jalapeno jam, and a chile relleno. It can be found at the Tasti Burger booth, the sister booth to Tasti Chips. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register, SCNG)

The Pineapple Express booth sells halved pineappls filled with pineapple chunks, white rice and grilled shrimp or chicken. The healthier fare booth is by the same operators of Chicken Charlie’s. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Smoked Sausage: At Biggys Meat Market, you can find colossal-size meats. My favorite is the 2-foot long pecan-wood smoked sausage. You can also get it dipped in corn dog batter and deep fried. This year, you can get crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos drizzled on a corn dog, on corn on the cob or corn served in a cup. I don’t like this option, because those Cheetos are way too spicy for my palate. It overpowers the corn and the sausage, which are both very good options at Biggy’s. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)



At Biggys Meat Market, fair vendor Dominic Palmieri has introduced Flamin Hot Cheetos as a 2017 accouterment. You can get crushed fiery hot Cheetos drizzled on a corn dog, on corn on the cob or corn served in a cup (shown). I tried the latter and I have to say it wasn’t for me. But, I don’t like spicy hot Cheetos. If you’re a Flamin’ fan, you’ll eat these new dishes with gusto. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fried peanut butter meatballs: Lesson learned. Don’t knock something until you try it. I was grossed out when I heard Chicken Charlie’s. was serving these. Turns out, the peanut butter is harmless. I thought it was going to be mixed in the beef, then fried. Instead, it is drizzled on the top of a battered and fried Italian-style meatball. The seasoning of the meatball is excellent. The peanut butter doesn’t add anything to the meatball. I say keep this rookie dish on the menu for next year, just drop the peanut butter. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Parmesan Garlic chips at Tasti Chips are one of my all-time favorite items to buy at the OC Fair. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts at the Bacon A-Fair booth. The veggie dish is part of the booth’s new “farm to grill” menu. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bacon Back Ribs are fall off the bone delicious. Find this new item at the Bacon A-Fair booth near the Green Gate entrance. The St. Louis ribs are covered in fried bacon crumbles. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register)



Mexican funnel cake is a popular fair item. (Courtesy OC Fair)



Corn in a cup with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is one new option at Biggy’s. I prefer the sausage.. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Australian Battered Potatoes booth is run by an Australian family. The booth is found near the Hangar arena, in the center of the OC Fair. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Biggys Meat Market is the midway area of the fair. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Mike Peterson of the OC Fair. He came up with the idea of selling a roasted pig leg after volunteering in El Salvador last year. The locals liked to roast pigs. (Courtesy OC Fair)

County Fair Cinnamon Roll booth pours cinnamon sugar over cinnamon roll dough to make its Cinnamon Roll Sundae which is topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top. ( CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER )

Still, looks can be deceiving. Not every dish tastes as good as it looks, and vice versa. Based on years of eating both classics, as well as colossally crazy fair foods, here are my all-time favorite treats and eats.

Tasti Chips: I love crunchy, salty potato chips. I stop at Tasti Chips every year to satisfy my addiction for freshly made chips, sliced daily from white rose San Jacinto potatoes. Each paper boat overflows with seasoned chips that are equal to about four potatoes. My favorite is Parmesan garlic flavor, but you can’t go wrong with any of the others. Make sure to order a dipping sauce, preferably the bacon cheddar.

Mexican Funnel Cake: I’ve tried nearly every funnel cake sold at the OC Fair and they essentially taste all the same. But the booth that does it right, Mexican Funnel Cake, takes an unconventional approach by using churros. The jumbo version of the dessert is 60 feet of snaking churros topped with whipped cream and strawberries. The fresh cream does not melt atop the hot winding churros, making every bite luscious. (Canned cream always melts on standard funnel cake, causing a soggy mess.) The booth is near the livestock entrance, next to Tasti Chips.

Bacon Chicken Legs with Fries: There’s nothing better than a great piece of fried chicken. At Chicken Charlie’s, the fried battered chicken leg is made even more enticing because it is wrapped in bacon. Chicken Charlie’s booths are spread out throughout the fair with locations near the green and blue gates.

Naked Shrimp: Chicken Charlie’s is known for its deep-fried creations. About 5 years ago, owner Charlie Boghosian made a genius move to come up with a lighter fare menu, a line of pineapple rice bowls. The bowls are served in cored halved pineapples and filled with pineapple chunks, white rice and grilled shrimp. You can also get grilled chicken. The meal is a refreshing change of pace on a sweltering day. Find them at the Pineapple Express booth near the Hangar arena.

Chili Relleno Pretzel Cheeseburger: There’s a reason this massive burger is a two-time champ at the OC Fair. It’s been judged as “best in show” at the fair in 2014 and 2016 because it represents everything that’s fun about fair food. It’s a ginormous flavor bomb worth the caloric intake. The burger is served on a pretzel bun and contains a chorizo patty, jalapeno jam, and a chile relleno. It can be found at the Tasti Burger booth, the sister booth to Tasti Chips.

Australian Battered Potatoes: If you can’t tell by now, I really like fried potatoes. Outside of Tasti Chips, my next favorite deep-fried carbs are the Aussie potatoes. The long scallop potatoes are lightly battered, then fried and served with various toppings. I’m a fan of the bacon, cheese and ranch sauce. This year the booth introduced a new spicy chipotle sauce to celebrate its 30th year at the fair. The sauce is fantastic, and not overly spicy. The booth can be found near the Hangar arena.

Pineapple Pina Colada Smoothie: On a blazing hot day, I don’t mind drinking my calories. The drink that hits the spot is the Pineapple Pina Colada Smoothie at the Country Fair Smoothies. It is a cored pineapple filled with a blend of crushed fresh pineapple and coconut. The tropical drink, served with an umbrella and a pineapple ring dangling over the rim, makes you feel like you’re at a Hawaiian resort. The booth is near the livestock entrance.

Cinnamon Rolls and Cinnamon Roll Sundae: If you’re a fair regular, don’t be fooled by the long lines at the cinnamon roll shop inside the Carnival of Products. I’m not sure how that stand got such a big rep, but the real deal dessert can be found at Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls near Tasti Chips. (By the way, I’m beginning to see a clustering pattern here. The booths near the Livestock entrance are serious flavor kings.) I don’t stop at the classic square cinnamon rolls, which are made from scratch daily. I go big here, ordering the insanely addictive cinnamon roll sundae. It is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, crushed walnuts, chocolate drizzle and a cherry. It is one of the best desserts at the park.

Deep Fried Nachos: I was afraid of this dish when I first sampled it last year at the Texas Tater Twisters. After one bite, I discovered it was like the Willy Wonka of nachos. Everything you love about nachos (chips and various cheese) are rolled into a ball and fried. Each ball is made of mashed tortilla chips and Doritos. The crumbles are mixed with jalapeño juice, nacho and pepper jack cheese to form a ball. Each ball is deep-fried, creating a golden crunchy exterior. The fried nuggets are covered with more nacho cheese sauce and served with sliced jalapeños. The booth is in the midway.

Smoked Sausage: At Biggy’s Meat Market, you can find colossal-size meats. My favorite is the 2-foot long pecan-wood smoked sausage. You can also get it dipped in corn dog batter and deep fried. This year, fair vendor Dominic Palmieri has introduced Flamin’ Hot Cheetos as a 2017 accoutrement. You can get crushed fiery hot Cheetos drizzled on a corn dog, on corn on the cob or corn served in a cup. I tried the latter and I have to say it wasn’t for me. But, I don’t like spicy hot Cheetos. If you’re a Flamin’ fan, you’ll eat these new dishes with gusto.

Deep-fried butter, deep-fried cookie dough: There are many deep-fried stuffed pastry balls found throughout the fair. My favorites are the deep-fried butter found at the Fried A Fair booth, and the deep-fried cookie dough found at Chicken Charlie’s. Charlie is the King of Battered and Deep Fried Foods. The cookie dough is simple yet completely satisfying. The deep fried butter is like breakfast in one bite. Butter balls are covered in pastry batter, and deep fried. Each tray (four balls) comes with maple syrup on the side. Drizzle the syrup over the ball, bite and be ready for euphoria. Grab plenty of napkins as melted butter might drip down your chin. It’s like eating a pancake ball. The Fried A Fair booth is in the midway.

Fried peanut butter meatballs: Lesson learned. Don’t knock something until you try it. As I stated last week in my preview, I was grossed out when I heard Charlie was serving fried peanut butter meatballs. But, I decided to give a try anyway. Turns out, the peanut butter is harmless. I thought it was going to be mixed in the beef, then fried. Instead, it is drizzled on top of a battered and fried Italian-style meatball. The seasoning of the meatball is excellent, and thinly battered shell adds to the meatball’s decadence. The peanut butter is really a gimmick and doesn’t add any culinary value to the meatball. I say keep this rookie dish on the menu for next year, just drop the peanut butter.

Bacon Back Ribs, Unicorn Leg, Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts: Mike Peterson of the Bacon A-Fair booth makes food that he likes to eat. Thankfully he has a great palate. Every year he delivers a home run with new pork-centric dishes. This year, he’s got multiple new standouts. The Unicorn Leg is a 5-pound pork leg slow smoked for 10 hours.

It’s like lechón on a stick, with the leg bone acting like the stick. I spotted several couples and families sharing everything from the tender fall-off-the-bone meat to the crispy chicharron-tasting skin. I enjoyed it, but couldn’t finish it on my own.

Something just as flavorful, and much easier to eat are Peterson’s new St. Louis ribs covered in fried bacon crumbles. The bacon-wrapped Brussels Sprouts are also a must try from the new “farm to grill” menu.