Kaitlyn and Kalama eat nearly everything at the Eastern Idaho State Fair
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IDAHO FALLS – Hey, everybody! It’s Kaitlyn from East Idaho News, and my fellow reporter, Kalama Hines, and I got the amazing opportunity to judge the new fair food competition for this years 120th Eastern Idaho State Fair!
As I’m writing this, I feel as if I may have to go pants shopping after work, because we had a TON of amazing food. Let’s start at the beginning.
For scientific purposes, Kalama and I took a before-and-after photo to show everyone the physical effects of eating fair food literally all day.
Here is the before:
We’ll get to the after, so you can see the progression of all of this insanely delicious food and what it did to us in the 90-degree heat. But it was worth it!
The first thing we tried was Spicy Pork Boy from Blackhawk BBQ.
This thing was ginormous. The epitome of fair food. So much so, that it won third place in the entree competition! Congratulations!
It was a little on the messier side, and Kalama and I agreed that it probably needed a sturdier tortilla, but the mac and cheese was soft and cheesy, and the pork was cooked and seasoned to perfection.
Next, we tried the Outlaw Country Fries from Outlaw Catering.
These fries could not have been any better. They were so good in fact, that Kalama later went and found the owners of Outlaw Catering to ask for their batter recipe! The country gravy was to die for, and the parsley on top was my favorite part. It’s not something I would imagine on top of a pretty heavy dish, but it was fresh and pulled the whole thing together.
Next, was the Smoked Salmon Bagel from C.R. Fish N Things.
This dish won first prize in the fairest of them all contest! Congratulations!
This win was 100% well deserved. The soft bagel was topped with a thick, creamy dill cream cheese, and then smoked salmon seasoned with all of the right stuff was put on top. This was in my top two favorite things for sure, and Kalama and I raved about it all day to anyone that would listen.
Next was the infamous Pig Slop from Smokin B.
This dish had gotten quite a bit of attention because of its … interesting name. There was even a news release about it! But I’m here to say that despite the name, it was pretty dang good.
This dish starts with french fries, covered in mac and cheese that is mixed with bacon, and then another piece of — dare I say it — perfectly cooked bacon is placed on top. A heart-stopper for sure, but also a must-try.
Next we tried my personal favorite (and Kalama’s if I’m not mistaken), the Mexican Sweet Fire Crazy Corn by Mexican Crazy Corn!
This thing was insane. I don’t know who came up with mixing corn and cotija cheese, let alone hot Cheetos and lime, but I want to hug them. And give them a prize. But wait, they already got one!
Crazy corn won first place in the entree round and second place in the fairest of them all competition! Congratulations!
Next was the Nacho Meat Monster from LaCasita Mexican Food.
The title is right — this thing is a monster. I’m not sure how much of it you can see in that photo, but these homemade corn tortilla chips are topped with guacamole, carne asada, ground beef, bacon, sour cream, onions and cilantro.
The chips alone were delicious, and put all of that other stuff in there, you have me running back for more.
Next was a twist on a fair food favorite, the Garlic Truffle Tortatoe from Tortatoes.
This is a classic. You simply cannot come to the Eastern Idaho State Fair without getting a ribbon-cut, fried Idaho potato on a stick, ESPECIALLY one that is covered in garlic aioli.
This one rated pretty high on my favorites list, and won second place in the entrees competition! Congratulations!!
Lastly, as our bellies were reaching critical fullness, we tried the Bullseye Brunch Burger from Outlaw Catering Company.
This is one of those dishes that you think about when you think of a state fair, but with a breakfast twist.
The bun is a donut, and in between is an egg, a sausage patty, a slice of bacon and country gravy. In case you weren’t already calling your cardiologist, they’ve added a side of country gravy as well.
This was one of Kalama’s favorites, for sure. Last year, this dish was on Outlaw’s “secret menu,” but was so popular it brought it on full-time! If you’re trying to decide between sweet and savory at the fair, this is the dish for you.
Finally, here is the after photo of Kalama and me after eating our weight and more in fair food:
We weren’t able to try everything due to our stomachs refusing to expand anymore, but that doesn’t mean we won’t come back this weekend to try everything we missed out on!!
All in all, it was a great experience, and I would 100% recommend the Mexican Sweet Fire Crazy Corn, the Smoked Salmon Bagel, and the Outlaw Country Fries, although everything we had was delicious.
The Eastern Idaho State Fair goes from Friday through Sept. 10.
Read the full list of winners below, and we hope to see you at the fair!
Winners
2022 Best New Sweet Winners:
- 1st – Razza Coloda Cake & Shake – Creamy Creations
- 2nd – Huckleberry Dream Churro – CR Fish N Things
- 3rd – Hawaiian Shave Ice – Big E’s Hawaiian Shave Ice
2022 Best New Entree Winners:
- 1st – Sweet Fire Crazy Corn – Mexican Crazy Corn
- 2nd – Garlic Truffle Tortoate – Tortatoes
- 3rd – Spicy Pork Boy – Blackhawk BBQ
2022 Sweetest of Them All Winners:
- 1st – Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownie – Creamy Creations
- 2nd – Peach Temptation – Sweet Temptations
- 3rd – Caramel Apple – Fazackerley’s Fudge
2022 Fairest of Them All Entree Winners
- 1st – Smoked Salmon on a Bagel – CR Fish N Things
- 2nd – Mexican Crazy Corn Nachos – Mexican Crazy Corn
- 3rd – The Warhawk – Blawkhawk BBQ