State Fair food & Q

I have been attending the North Carolina State Fair for at least 25 years straight and to my recollection I have never eaten a barbecue sandwich there. I know. Weird, right?

Maybe it's because I always eat the same foods every year while I am there and I enjoy our traditional "March of the Midway Munchies," so throwing something new into the mix could set off a chain reaction of epic proportions. The oceans may rise. The stars may fall. My beloved Wolfpack may get back to the NCAA tournament. No one know what chaos would ensue.

But this visit to the fair was already thrown by our letting the boys head off on their own to explore the wonders before them. For the first time in 13 years the wife and I were on our own, free to do what we wanted. Without the limitations of the children in tow we set off on our usual jaunt, fully intent on keeping our dining tradition.

First was Al's Fries. A little spritz of malted vinegar and a cup of ketchup cooled the just out of the fryer super hot strings of tater matter. We snacked while "enjoying" a ventriloquist entertain the families encircling his sidewalk stage.

Second was the wonderful Howling Cow ice cream from NC State. I shot my usual pix in the back of the students dipping the creamy frozen goodness while Sarah waited in line with the other 50 or so devotees. The line moved quickly and before I was finished shooting she had her cup of Wolf Tracks in hand, spoon dug in deeply.

We always tend to follow the salty-sweet-salty rule, so next in line was the roasted corn. That has always been one of our favorites. Even though I grill a pretty decent ear of corn at home, there's something about the roasted flavor of a State Fair ear that makes it just that much more scrumptious. Maybe it's the sounds and smells. Maybe it's sitting in the shade of the giant oaks by the Holshouser Building. Maybe it's the butter running down my arm and slight char of a few rows of kernels. It's just that special.

At this point in our dietary walk of shame, we will scanarf another sweetie - usually an elephant ear, but this year (and trying to keep somewhat to the diet), we elected to tour an area of the fair we'd never visited: the gardens. Wow! What we have been missing! It's an oasis of serenity among the State Fair madness. We enjoyed finding a shady spot beside a waterfall, relaxing and getting in some serious people watching. We stayed there an hour or so before we got the call that the boys were out of cash and ready to head home. Time to head back to reality and leave the peaceful gardens.

One thing I had wanted to try new was a barbecue sandwich. Having downloaded the State Fair app to my iPhone I searched for BBQ on the route back to meet the kids. There are about a dozen locations offering barbecue but most, if not almost all, specialize in other grilled goodies. Hot dogs. Italian sausages. Ham biscuits. Piiiiiiiiiiie. Only one place had BBQ as the featured act: NC Pork Council's Pork Chop Shop.

From the outset the BBQ sandwich I got looked perfect. The meat appeared moist, chopped perfectly and piled high (reminded me of some good old Buck Overton's BBQ back in the day). The slaw, green and creamy, was just like mom's. I was even more pleased to see that the sandwich was a traditional Eastern NC style barbecue and slaw. No ketchup or mustard anywhere. Yes! (But does this mean that the NC Pork Council endorses Eastern BBQ as THE official barbecue? Hmmmmm.)

Taking a big first bite, I enjoyed that initial burst of flavors. Equal parts bun, Q and slaw, the mouthful was quite delicious. The slaw was just sweet enough to not overpower the barbecue. While the flavor of the Q could have a tad more heat, it's understandable that they attempt to please a wide palate by offering a milder taste. Not my favorite BBQ ever and not the worst I have ever had - right in the middle I guess, but maybe on the better side of the fence.

(On a side note, my semi-vegetarian wife thought the sandwich looked so good that she asked to have a bite and did so. She liked it, but declared it not worth the guilt of eating meat. I am still thrown by her even thinking about taking a bite, much less than actually taking one.)

I did not get my First United Methodist Church of Cary ham biscuit. I did not get my Santillo's Italian sausage. No elephant ear. No peanuts nor kettle corn. Passed on the fried onion. I did a good job of sorta, kinda sticking to my diet - but still enjoyed my State Fair faves and added a new one in the form of a rather tasty barbecue sandwich.

Grill simple, my friends...