What does a Sandia slushie with Takis and a watermelon taco have in common? Watermelon and a summer pairing that celebrates the array of food and drink at the Alameda County Fair.
The Pleasanton fair hosts new food and beverages in diverse ways. Never-tasted-before creations may range from marshmallow corn dogs to watermelon tacos. Trending flavors such as hot honey sauce smother chicken fries. Newer regional specialties like dirty sodas pop up at a Utah family’s stand.
This year, new attractions like the King XXL Midway thriller or hot air balloon rides may be no match for eating at the fair. “When we ask our guests why they attend, food always tops the list,” said Angel Moore, COO of the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
Fair-goers bold enough to munch on Cajun octopus on a stick and then tear into caramel, apple pie cinnamon rolls can vote among the 25 new items in the Foodie’s Choice Awards program.
Several Foodie’s Choice items cost $16 or more. Yet many culinary options are economical. On Throwback Thursdays when fair admission is $11, Food Bites are offered for $3 from 1-5 p.m.
Several bites such as feta and oregano topped fries at The Sleek Greek stand are generous, but Foodie Choice new items are not featured in the contest. Daily food demos by concessionaires and local chefs offer free, small samples.
The Winery of the Day program presents free tastings in the Wine Garden, and the free Brewery of the Day tastes are found on the “Yellow Brick Road” — aka along the Wine Garden wall.
The fair invited local media to vote for Critic’s Choice among the new items before opening day. The group chose the non-alcoholic Blue Lagoon for top billing. Since the name refers to a sweeter-style cocktail and is sold at the Sweet Tea booths, we expected the drink to possess sweetness but found it refreshing and light.
At the booth, I discovered the drink is made with Rockstar Zero, a sugar-free energy drink loaded with caffeine, blue syrup, and blue gummy worms.
I asked Joe Orlando of Lafayette for a food pairing with the Blue Lagoon. He proposed the Critic’s third-place choice, buffalo chicken fries from Aaron’s Chicken Shack. On a recent Thursday, I also liked the drink with the fries accompanied by my idea of the perfectly sized deep-fried Oreo Food Bite.
Another top Critic’s Choice was the Cajun octopus on a stick. I slowly chewed on a piece. Meanwhile, Joseph Rojas, a photographer from San Jose, told me it would pair well with a French Chablis wine or a 7-Up.
The marshmallow corn dog looked daunting. I took a bite and liked the textural contrast between the gooey cubes with the crunchy savory coating. Chase Hunter of Oakland thought it was crazy yet edible and pairable with lemonade.
With pickles trending in the food world, the elevated cucumbers occupy two Foodie’s Choice spots. The pickle dog pretzel twists up interest at Grandma Herzberg’s Pretzels.
Bacon and pickle pizza slices with mozzarella overflow the plate at Papa Gino’s Pizza. The clerk there acknowledged that pepperoni continues to outsell all pizzas.
To pair with the pizza, I selected a spicy watermelon mango with chamoy and Tajin from the Slush booth and then waited in line for another Critic’s Choice, the thick and soft carnival cookie, at the new Dough Show booth.
During the media review, I eyed the large-size plastic cup of Dubai chocolate, a riff on the social media “it” candy bar featuring chocolate and pistachio. Later I saw the head-turning wall depiction of the luxurious, $18 mix of strawberries, chocolate sauce and pistachio sauce at the Sweets by J booth.
On a hot day after watching the trapeze show or cheering for Porkchop or Strawberry at the All Alaskan pig race, fair-goers may yearn for the air-conditioned, sit-down ambiance of the Farmhouse Restaurant and Bar. Owned by the Fairgrounds, the restaurant features birria tacos, long-beloved P-town burgers, and a full bar featuring Cadillac margaritas.
Open in the evenings, Hussong’s Cantina, a new venue with live music, is an American offshoot of the Ensenada, Mexico cantina that allegedly invented the margarita. The Twisted Cocktail George Dickel Honky Tonk Saloon is an outside, walk-up bar. Despite no creative “twists” on classic cocktails, the $14 Pepsi with George Dickel whiskey is a popular call.
Along with caloric overload, sampling fair specialties highlight food as a cultural phenomenon. Booths serve up Mexican, Greek, German and Asian food, local and international wine and beer, plus innumerable American goodies.
For Hawaiian specialties paired with piña coladas, alcoholic or not, visit the Pineapple Grill. This year, the Utah-based family owners of the grill opened the new Iced booth with iced cinnamon buns and dirty sodas.
According to owner Melissa Miladelaroca, the most popular dirty soda at Iced is the Texas Tab with Dr. Pepper, coconut cream and raspberry syrup. Now we know.
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