Amid the sea
of funnel cakes, deep-fried candy bars and corn dogs at the State Fair of
Virginia, a vendor out of Florida has assembled a list of new offerings that
makes deep-fried butter sound passé.
With its
menu, advertised on giant banners above the tent-based operation, D&J
Concessions makes clear that it intends to win the annual battle of one-upmanship
that dominates the fair food scene. And, for the most part, it does.
D&J’s best
new offering by far is the deep-fried ham biscuit ($4). It takes
Pillsbury-style, tubed biscuit dough, wraps it around a piece of smoked ham and
throws it in the deep fryer — no batter necessary. The result is crispy,
doughy and yes, very greasy. The simplicity (only two ingredients) makes it
almost like eating real food.
Then there’s
the Twinx: a Twinkie that’s been stuffed with a Twix
bar, and then is wrapped in bacon before being batter-dipped and deep-fried
($7). The finished product is dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with
chocolate syrup. It’s a monstrosity, but surprisingly good. The bacon adds a
salty, meaty chew that manages to complement the Twinkie. But the whole thing
could do without the Twix, which has a crunchy cookie center that only gets in
the way of the confection’s pleasant, spongy texture.
Food
innovation has its limits, and the sloppy Joe served on a Krispy Kreme doughnut
crosses all of them ($7). The presentation is nice: The doughnut’s glaze
glistens after a short ride on a flattop grill and a sprinkle of cheese adds
color. Otherwise it’s just as gross as it sounds. Canned sauce does nothing to
complement the pastry’s sweetness. The meat topping is too heavy for the
makeshift bun, instantly turning it into a weird, soggy mess.
This might
not surprise anyone, but I left Meadow Event Park with serious heartburn. So if
you go to sample the culinary offerings, bring plenty of your favorite antacid
to ensure a pleasant ride back to Richmond. D&J is located on the festival
loop across from the BMX stunt show. The fair runs through Oct. 5. statefairva.org .
