Oh, you could check out the animals and displays, appreciating all the hard work put in by the kids. You might consider a turn on the tilt-a-whirl or one of the other rides.
Of course, that’s if you can resist the siren call of funnel cakes.
The nation’s county and state fairs exist to develop and showcase agricultural capacity, sure. Carnival rides bring the summer to a close in a swirl of light and sound. But the food — that’s what people talk about, long after the other amusements have faded from memory.
Deep fried butter, deep fries Oreos, chicken fried bacon, deep fried nachos and other wonders from the Texas State Fair made national headlines. This year, the massive fair’s menu includes the bacon-tilla, with strips woven into tortilla shape and — what else? — fried, along with the physics-defying deep fried chicken noodle soup on a stick.
OK, so vendors at the Lake County Fair are a little more timid. Still, there is a certain spell cast by funnel cakes and corn dogs. And this year it reached all the way to one of Lake County’s best kitchens.
“A lot of people go to the fair for the food,” said chef John Arslanian. “I, unfortunately, will be working. So I brought the fair here.”
For two days — today and Friday — the menu at Fresh & Bangin’ Eatery in Lucerne features fair-inspired items. That means corn dogs with an herbal batter; pretzels with beer cheese for dipping; a donut burger, fried Twinkies and fried cheesecake.
And if deep fried sweets seem a bit too hard on the aorta, one can opt for a cotton candy crème brûlé.
“I picked my favorite things,” Arslanian said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Of course, the crew at Fresh & Bangin’ prepares everything from scratch. And they can’t resist a few upscale culinary twists. The fried cheesecake, for example, is topped by local strawberries and drizzled with a little Meyer lemon olive oil from Chacewater.
Fresh berries lend a brisk, cleaving aspect that glides over the heavier cake. The rich, citric bite of the oil counters, elevating earthy notes in the crust.
Arslanian worked with Susie Q’s in Lakeport to bring together the donut burger. The mildly sweet bun frames swarthy meat, sharp cheddar and a serano chili aioli.
“You need to balance sweetness with spice,” the chef explained.
For the crème brûlé, Arslanian blends cotton candy mix into the custard. He finishes by scorching spun candy into a crackling shell.
The chef strained over a few of the dishes, adding more sage to the corn dog recipe after the first try.
“The crème brûlé took forever,” Arslanian said.
Well, the culinary cutting edge is never easy. That’s why funnel cakes and fried butter only come around at fair time.
The fair starts today — at the fairgrounds and at Fresh & Bangin’.
“We’re excited,” he said.
