The tastiest time of the year is here! The culmination of hard work, sweat, and oil in creating the most appetizing Fair foods. The 20th Annual Big Tex® Choice Awards was one to be remembered. After tasting all 10 foods and evaluating each time, the all-star panel of judges tallied their scores and made their decisions. Without further ado… the winners are: “Best Taste – Savory” goes to theDominican Fritura Dog by Justin Martinez, “Best Taste – Sweet” goes to Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick by Isaac Rousso, and Texas Sugar Rush Pickles, Heather Perkins takes home “Most Creative”.
Best Taste – Savory
Dominican Fritura Dog, Justin MartinezThis savory dish brings an explosion of flavor that starts with fritura cheese and Dominican salami. Taking classic Fair food up a notch, this dish is then double deep fried with their famous corn dog batter! Split open and topped with garlic plantain chips, top-secret Dominican sauce, and cilantro, the Dominican Fritura Dog will bring you the best of salty and sweet with an 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,” said Justin Martinez, creator of the Dominican Fritura Dog.
Best Taste – Sweet
Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick, Isaac RoussoThis masterful 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.
Most Creative
Texas Sugar Rush Pickles, Heather PerkinsThese 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. As if that wasn’t enough, these dressed-up pickles are served with a helping of vanilla ice cream, adding a perfectly cool touch to this crazy concoction!
Every year, the judges of the Big Tex Choice Awards face the tough yet tasty task of selecting the winning Fair foods – the task at hand this year was not easy; the field was especially competitive. Despite not taking home one of the titles today, the other delicious 2024 finalists include:The Drowning Taquitos by Tony & Terry Bednar, Hippie Chips by Rose &Tom Deschenes, Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers by Palmer & Amanda Fortune, Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs by Nick Bert, Nevins Nutty Bar-laska by Tami Nevins Mayes & Josey Mayes, Strawberry Pop-Tarts® Beignettfle by Justin Martinez, and Tropical Two-Step Punch by Binh Tran.This year’s panel of celebrity judges was comprised of Brad Batson – Co-Founder, Karbach Brewing Company; Leslie Brenner — Food and Beverage Personality; Calvin Golden — Franchise Expert & Business Consultant; Donovan Lewis — 96.7SportsRadio/1310 The Ticket Host; Nikky Phinyawatana — Founder of Asian Mint Restaurant Group and ChefNikky.com.
About the State Fair of TexasSince its inception in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. The State Fair of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with proceeds helping to preserve and improve our home, Fair Park; underwrite museums, community initiatives, and scholarship programs to support students throughout the Lone Star State pursuing higher education; and help improve State Fair operations. The 2024 exposition runs from September 27 through October 20 in Fair Park. Visit BigTex.com for more information.