Hippie Chips are vying for top food honors at the State Fair this year. (Courtesy photos)
Foodie Fridays is serving up the dish on restaurant and food news, trends, events and specials.
Ten finalists compete for Big Tex Choice Awards
Earlier this week, the State Fair of Texas presented the finalists for the 20th Annual Big Tex Choice Awards.The winners will be crowned in three categories on Aug. 22 for Best Taste – Savory, Best Taste – Sweet and Most Creative. Starting with 65 entries back in June, these 10 finalists are vying for top State Fair food honors.
Here are the finalists:
Savory
Dominican Fritura Dog (Justin Martinez). This dish starts with fritura cheese and Dominican salami then double deep fried in corn dog batter. Split open and topped with garlic plantain chips, top-secret Dominican sauce, and cilantro, the Dominican Fritura Dog will bring a salty and sweet explosion of Dominican flavor. “Hopefully, we’re opening another avenue for people at the State Fair to try something they don’t normally try. That’s what the State Fair is about,” Martinez, creator of the Dominican Fritura Dog, said.
Drowning Taquitos (Tony and Terry Bednar). Served in a cup, these fresh, hand-rolled corn tortillas are stuffed with tender shredded chicken and then deep-fried. The taquitos are then “drowned” with a tangy cream sauce, jalapeño, guacamole salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatillo, pico and Cotija cheese.
Hippie Chips (Rose and Tom Deschenes), pictured. These wavy potato chip nachos deliver “every flavor profile” with a choice of either zesty homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, topped with bacon bits, fresh green onions and a tangy drizzle of sriracha. You can add blue cheese crumbles for extra punch.
Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers (Palmer and Amanda Fortune). Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese are rolled into a ball, dunked into pancake batter, and fried to a golden brown, then topped with a drizzle of Sriracha honey and a sprinkle of Nashville hot powdered sugar.
Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs (Nick and Vera Bert). These bombs take brisket wrapped with shredded potatoes, bacon and cheese, deep fry it, and top it with a raspberry chipotle barbeque glaze drizzled to add a touch of sweetness.
Sweet
Texas Sugar Rush Pickles
Nevins Nutty Bar-laska (Tami Nevins Mayes and Josey Mayes). This sweet treat takes the classic nutty bar and adds toasted marshmallow, two Oreos, strawberry sauce and freeze-dried strawberry pieces. “It’s on a stick! What’s more Fair food than that,” Nevins-Mayes, co-creator of the Nevins Nutty Bar-laska, said.
Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick (Isaac Rousso). This combination of sweet and savory flavors comes to life with the Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick—a thick, 12-inch piece of bacon cooked to perfection with a cotton candy glaze on top. The bacon is spun inside a cotton candy machine and torched to caramelize the center and lock in that sweet flavor.
Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle (Justin Martinez). This sweet treat is a combination of a fluffy beignet and a crispy waffle topped with homemade strawberry filling, a sweet vanilla icing drizzle, fresh whipped cream and garnished with colorful sprinkles.
Texas Sugar Rush Pickles (Heather Perkins), pictured. These cotton-candy-flavored pickle slices are coated in three cereal varieties—Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, and Cap’n Crunch —and then layered in cotton candy, cotton candy sugar crystals and powdered sugar before being drizzled with strawberry sundae syrup. Then they are served with a helping of vanilla ice cream.
Tropical Two-Step Punch (Binh Tran). This punch marinates fruits like citrus, passionfruit and mango overnight to create a crisp cooler that’s tangy, sweet, sour and spicy. Available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
The Big Tex Choice Awards is not open to the public, but can be followed on all social media platforms at @StateFairofTX.
The 2024 State Fair opens Friday, Sept. 27-Oct. 20.
Shiner Light Now available in slim cans
Shiner just got lighter. Brewed with the highest quality two-row barley and choice aroma hops, Shiner Light Blonde is a flavorful beer with a crisp, clean finish at just 4.2% ABV. First brewed in 2011, the label is now available year-round in bottles, on draft and in new slim cans. The product is available now at all major beer retailers.
Hattie B’s closed in Deep Ellum but still on track for Oak Lawn spot
The first Dallas Hattie B’s is on Main St. closed in early August. (Courtesy photo)
In case you missed it, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, the family owned-and-operated fast casual eatery, announced its permanent closure at 3000 Main St. last Friday.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to operate in Deep Ellum,” Hattie B’s Vice President of Operations Jonathan Carothers said ina press release. “While we’ve made the difficult decision to close this restaurant and focus efforts on opening in Oak Lawn this fall, we’re thankful to the community and our staff, most of whom will continue to serve our Dallas guests in a few short months.”
Hattie B’s, renowned nationally for its Nashville hot chicken, previously announced opening at 3827 Lemmon Ave. earlier this year in March.
This stand-alone location, originally built as an IHOP restaurant, is currently being renovated with significant changes to the overall design and will open in fall 2024.
Hattie B’s management informed staff at their Deep Ellum restaurant of the closing earlier this week and the opportunity to work at the forthcoming Oak Lawn location.
The new restaurant will seat 75 people, with outdoor seating for 46 guests. A separate entrance is being created for to-go and delivery pickups and will have more than 30 on-site parking spaces.
— Compiled by Rich Lopez