Hundreds of fair food enthusiasts gathered at Fair Park on Sunday, August 27 for the 13th annual Big Tex Choice Awards. Ten dishes went head-to-head for three awards: “Best Taste (Sweet),” “Best Taste (Savory),” and “Most Creative.”
The winners were determined by a panel of judges which included Michelle Rodriguez (New Country 96.3 KSCS, midday on-air personality), Adam Medrano (deputy mayor pro tem and Dallas city council member, district 2), Casey Donahew (musician), Jack Perkins (restaurateur), Lisa Taylor (99.5 The Wolf, on-air personality), Rocky “ROCK-T” Turner (national radio and TV personality), and a 10-year-old girl named Cali who was randomly selected from the crowd.
The winning dishes:
Best Savory and Most Creative
Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger by Tom Grace and Edna Sutton : Two funnel cake “buns.” The first bun is topped with a burger patty, crispy bacon, and queso. The second is dusted with powdered sugar.
Best Sweet
Gulf Coast Fish Bowl by Clint Probst: A boozy “drinkable aquarium” with blue punch, Nerds candy pebbles, and Swedish fish.
My personal favorite dishes, for anybody who cares, were the Deep Fried Chicken Noodle Soup on a Stick, Surfin’ Turfin’ Tator Boat, and Fat Smooth.
The State Fair of Texas runs September 29 through October 22. You can get your tickets here.
