Fun food a State Fair staple

A Krispy Kreme cheeseburger — a burger that's sandwiched between sliced glazed doughnuts — is the big food attraction at this year's Kansas State Fair.

Who are we kidding? It's the big attraction, period.

One of the joys of the fair each year is learning what novelty food the vendors have come up with this time.

They've already done fried Oreos, fried Twinkies, deep-fried Coca-Cola, pickle pops and jumbo turkey gizzards.

This year, it's the Krispy Kreme burger (also available with chicken), which will be served at the new Carousel Cafe on Fort Riley Boulevard.

It's actually pretty good, says Sue Stoecklein, the fair's, commercial exhibits director, and it features the same sweet-and-salty flavor profile that's made foods such as the McDonald's McGriddle a success.

"They're delivering 70 dozen that first Friday," Stoecklein said of the Krispy Kreme doughnuts. "He's serious about it."

Here are a few of the fair's other edible attractions this year:

* Carousel Cafe: In addition to the Krispy Kreme cheeseburger and Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, the Carousel Cafe will offer a baked-potato bar, lettuce-wedge salads and roasted artichokes. The cafe, which occupies the former Johnny's Place space, also will feature the fair's first ever LED menu board.

* Turtle funnel cakes: How can a funnel cake be better than a funnel cake? If it's a funnel cake topped with chocolate, nuts and caramel. The Griffin's funnel cake booth near the Ye Old Mill ride will be selling such a treat.

* Walking tacos: Jaffles still are available at their traditional booth on Grandstand Avenue, but the Jaffle folks sold their second location inside Cottonwood Court. Now you can get a creation there called Walking Tacos, which basically are tacos all wrapped up and ready for portable eating.

* Blooming onions: They're fairly standard fried fare, but bloomin' onions — breaded and deep-fried onion blossoms — haven't been available at the fair for a few years. This year, a vendor near the corner of Cottonwood Avenue and Fort Riley Boulevard will bring the blooms back.

* Upgraded nachos: In place of the former Mining Company game on Fort Riley Boulevard is a new food vendor selling upgraded nachos, made with fresh ingredients, including tortilla chips, guacamole and pico de gallo.

* Old favorites: The fair also will bring back lots of strange favorites, from pickle pops to fried Coke, as well as food standards such as chicken and noodles and Pronto Pups.

This story was originally published September 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Fun food a State Fair staple."