The Orange County Fair predates the L.A. County Fair by 32 years, and still retains a folksy-flavored vibe exuding more local charm than its larger and more famous cousin.
Like other fairs, they like to keep up with the “Joneses” in terms of rides, vendors, new technology and fair food. But when does “Keeping Up With The Joneses” cross that line into “Barfing With The Joneses? I think that time is now.
“Chicken Charlie” Boghosian is considered the fair food czar of everything deep fried in most of the nation as he travels from county fair to county fair. So much so, that he has opened a brick and mortar restaurant in San Diego where you can get his nicely seasoned barbecued ribs and chicken as well as deep fried frog legs and deep fried pizza. I don’t think the salty-sweet monstrosity that debuted at the O.C.Fair on July 17th, National Caviar Day, will make it to that dessert menu along side deep fried banana splits and Oreos.
Like “Field Of Dreams,” Charlie knows if you fry it they will come, and even if you are too timid to try the Caviar Twinkie, or too broke to do so ($125.00 a pop), he knows that the smokey wood used for the Pulled Pork Sandwich or the Teriyaki Shrimp in a hollowed-out pineapple will suck you in. 90% of the people who come to gawk at the Twinkie will leave with something from the opposite side of the spectrum with items like The Deep Fried Klondike Bar. And for those on a diet, there is the Deep Fried Slim Fast Bar.
Charlie may not be the best chef at the fair, but his marketing skills are dead on point. Part mad genius, part satire, the Caviar Twinkie has an extra perk going for it that you won’t find at any other vendor at the fair. All $125.00 of the purchase of this iconic snack food slathered in fish eggs goes to the Children’s Hospital Of Orange County. This way Charles can afford to be generous without the danger of higher taxes.
Charlie does have his share of competition this year. Deep Fried Starbucks will no doubt be a hit, with long jittery lines. I can barely resist Kool-inducing carnival rides and potent barnyard smells do nothing to dampen the appetite, let alone challenge it every year.
On Thursday, August 6th, Thursday, August 13th, Friday August 7th, and Friday August 14th, from the hours of noon until three on Thursdays and noon until four on Fridays, You can enjoy “A Taste Of The Fair” where you can get $2.00 samples on dozens of goody shops including Chicken Charlie’s Deep Fried Oreos, which delights and clogs the arteries with two of them per two-dollar order. My gal and I took advantage of this deal last year and I can stand behind Charlie’s version of this classic fair indulgence. Rides are $2.00 as well during these hours and dates.
One final note on the Twinkie. When I described it to my chef girlfriend, she exclaimed, “F*ck That Sh*t! Scrape off the caviar, eat it with crackers, and save the Twinkie for dessert.” Hold the powdered sugar, please. The Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa Continues through August 16th
Photo property of Food Beast and Chicken Charlies.
