Roadfood Digest

Bill Cosby eats free.  All others pay cash.  Mr. Cosby told the Washington Post about Ben’s Chili Bowl half-smokes: “You can describe it the same way a wine connoisseur would be able to tell difference between a pinot noir and a merlot."  Ben’s Chili Bowl celebrated 50 years of half-smokes this week with a show Thursday night at the Lincoln Theatre in D.C. featuring Mr. Cosby and Roberta Flack.  And yesterday, there was a block party celebration in front of Ben’s with Mayor Fenty and Ben’s founder Ben Ali.  Read all about Ben’s Chili Bowl in The Washington Post.  Here’s a companion piece in the Post.  And here’s a Washington Post photo gallery of Ben’s.  And Aamer Madhani here writes a post-block party ode to Ben’s for The Swamp, the Chicago Tribune’s Washington blog.

See the Roadfood.com reviews of Ben’s Chili Bowl.

 

Yakisoba noodles are big at the Oregon State Fair in Salem.  How big?  Last year, over 14,000 pounds of the noodles were sold to the 357,000 people that attended the fair!  This being Oregon, local wines and microbrews also take center stage, at the Beer Garden and the Oregon Wine Patio, where local cheeses are also available.  Don’t miss the stand operated by the Oregon Dairy Women, where you can enjoy their famous thick, rich, soft-serve ice cream.  They are said to make some kick-ass shakes, too. More...

The 139th Nebraska State Fair begins today (Friday, August 22nd) in Lincoln, and will run through Labor Day.  Some of the food-themed events that caught our eye: Jim Victor will be making sculptures out of 250-pound blocks of cheese (!); the UNL Food Products exhibition will showcase Nebraska foods; there will be a fiberglass milking cow; contests: corn-shucking, and watermelon, pie, and Jell-O eating competitions.  The most interesting-sounding things to eat include chocolate milk and strawberry milk from Legacy Dairy; Runzas; prime rib, roast beef, and beef hot dogs from the Nebraska Cattlemans Beef Pit; and homemade pie from the United Methodist Ministries.

The music’s all free (with paid fair admission) at the Nebraska State Fair, and there’s plenty of car racing, bull riding, monster trucks, and demolition derbies.  See the fair website for all the details.

Colorado green chile, Indian fry bread, menudo, burritos, barbecue, corn-on-the-cob, pork chops on a stick, nori rolls, margaritas: these are just a few of the Colorado and Southwest delicacies you can sample at this year's Colorado State Fair in Pueblo.  Show off your cooking skills in the Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust Pie Baking Championship, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship, Hidden Valley Dressings Recipe Contest, or the SPAM recipe contest. More...

After hearing that there were over 30 foods-on-a-stick at the ISF, we considered strict adherence to a stick-only rule. However, after risking splinters with 3 or 4 items, we felt constrained culinarily, and decided to sample freely…and often. Our stand-out favorite was the corn dog from Campbell’s Concessions, with a thick and crunchy batter encasing a soft and juicy hot dog. For the full scoop on our fair feast, check out our trip report!

Michigan is said to have held America’s first state fair, in 1849.  That fair was held in Detroit.  The site has bounced around since that first fair, but it's been in Detroit since 1947.  Food-wise, the Polish Kitchen is always a big hit, with kapusta, dill pickle soup, pierogi, kielbasa, and golumpki.  We'd make a beeline on arrival for the dairy building, where 50 cents buys all-you-can-drink chocolate milk.  If that doesn't satisfy your chocolate tooth you can always head to Ryba's for some Mackinac Island chocolate pecan fudge.

Lots of eating contests: cherry pie, corn, spaghetti, donuts.  You can see the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions, or a bull-riding competition, or ride an elephant at the Anastasini Circus.  See the fair website for more information.

The first Maryland State Fair was held in Timonium in 1878.  This year’s fair, still held in Timonium, kicks off tomorrow (Friday, August 22nd) and runs through Labor Day.  Some of the Maryland food favorites that will be available include crab cakes, catfish sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob, pit beef, smoked ham, barbecued chicken, peach sundaes, and Maryland wine.  The fair site is also home to the Timonium Race Track, where you can see live thoroughbred racing during the festival.  The concert schedule is headlined by Foreigner and Travis Tritt.  Of course, there will be plenty of horse, livestock, home arts, and farm & garden competitions.  See the fair website for details.

Rutabagas are no longer grown in the town of Askov, Minnesota, which was founded by Danish immigrants in the early 1900’s.  But that’s no reason to stop the annual Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival.  Who knew the rutabaga was so versatile?  Have you ever tried rutabaga spice cake, rutabaga souffle, or rutabaga pudding?  You may well have had pasties, which are probably rutabagas’ biggest claim to fame in the U.S.  We don’t know if you can get these dishes at the festival, but recipes for these and more can be found at the festival’s website.

The festival schedule notes: “Æbleskiver & Rutabaga Sausage serving begins” at 1:00 pm Friday and 8:00 am Saturday. Æbleskiver are spherically shaped pancakes about the size of a cue ball.  The rest of that listing, we’re not so sure about.  Is there really such a thing as rutabaga sausage?  Or are they saying that they will be serving rutabaga and sausage?  You’ll have to go to find out.  We hear that a cafe in town also whips up a mean rutabaga malt.

What else goes on at the fest?  Music, bingo, the crowning of Miss Askov (formerly Miss Rutabaga), a parade, dancing, fireworks, a pancake and sausage breakfast, and more.  See the festival website for info.

Houlton’s 49th Annual Potato Feast happens Friday and Saturday.  Enter the Potato Salad Contest, or the Ladies Potato Peeling Contest; or if you’re under 10, the Mr. Potato Head Decorating Contest, using a real potato.  The pie and ice cream social is at 11:00 am Saturday; we doubt that includes potatoes.  There will also be a parade, quilt show, car show, road rally, and arts and craft fair.  See their website for more information.

 

About an hour north of Anchorage, near the town of Palmer: that’s the site of the 2008 Alaska State Fair, beginning this Thursday, August 21st, and running through Labor Day, September 1st.  Alaska food is big here: dine on fried halibut, fresh peach pie, peach waffles, slow-cooked barbeque, cream puffs with mixed berries, popcorn halibut, Alaskan crab cakes, Alaskan scallops, Alaskan king crab bisque, pork chop on a stick, fried cheese curds, fresh baked cookies and ice cold milk, reindeer polish dogs, buffalo bratwurst, caribou steak sandwiches, steamed clams, oysters, steamed mussels, handmade tamales, grilled Bristol Bay salmon, halibut tacos, and bison burgers.

Entertainment will include a lumberjack show, rodeos, horse shows, and a concert lineup featuring Tracy Lawrence, Kansas, Ralph Stanley, Sean Kingston, and the Gin Blossoms.  See the fair website for more info.