Pocket Guide to the Best Tasting 2014 State Fair of Texas Fried Foods

If you're going to take the calorie hit to try several fried foods at the State Fair of Texas, you don't want to waste those calories on something that tastes just okay. You want to be wowed! You also don't want to spend a whole fair coupon sheet on food that tastes too funky to finish (anyone remember Fried Beer?)

Lucky for you (and me), I tasted all eight fried food finalists at the Big Tex Choice Awards official judging event. I photographed, reviewed, and ranked them all into this handy, single-image pocket guide, the "2014 Best Tasting Fried Foods at the 2014 State Fair of Texas":

The Cheap Foodie Challenge

Today starts a week I am dubbing "The Cheap Foodie Challenge", wherein I will attempt to eat like a foodie for no more than $15 per day. That amount must cover lunch and dinner (I don't normally eat breakfast) in a town where I often spend more than $15 on just one meal.

To "eat like a foodie" means I won't be crutching on fast food chains, trying food I've never had before just because it's cheap, or compromising on fruits, veggies, and proteins— like I did when I ate nothing but free and half-off food for a whole week in 2011 and discovered it was mostly nutrition-less carb fillers and/or tiny portions of healthy food. I am also limiting myself to no more than two each of taco and burger joints because you could do nothing but visit all the best ones in Dallas and that'd be more than a week of cheap meals. I don't have any comped media events this week, so you'll be able to get the same values I'm getting. The goal here is to find a filling quantity and variety of delicious food at a great value. Can it be done?

Review: Fried Foods at 2013 State Fair of Texas

Almost every fried food I ate this year ranged from quite tasty to downright outstanding! With so many award-winning fried foods and so-so fried foods from past years still available, plus 23 new fried foods in 2013, deciding which fried foods to eat can be overwhelming. That's where experience comes in—not just my own years of fair food tasting experiences, but everything I hear and read about other people's opinions. With all those things considered, I scouted out the fried foods I felt might be the best tasting this year and complied the lists and commentary below, plus this heavenly collage:

The 9 best fried foods I ate at the State Fair of Texas in 2013.

All 23 New Fried Foods at 2103 State Fair of Texas

There are two big secrets about the fried food at the State Fair of Texas that I never hear other media outlets talking about, so I'm going to let you in on what I know:

1. Most of the best selling (and hence, best tasting) winners and competitors from previous years' fried food contests are still there! I highly recommend the Deep Fried Butter (2009 Best Taste winner), Fried Grilled Cheese, and Deep Fried Jambalaya (2012 Best Taste winner), if you can find them again this year.

2. Every year there is a long list of brand new fried foods that didn't make someone's cut to be in the Final 8 for awards judging, but that doesn't mean these foods aren't also delicious. Some of them sound amazing to me! I never see other publications mention these fried foods, I couldn't find the list on BigTex.com, and their PR rep didn't have a digital copy to email me, so this might be the only website where you'll find this list. I received it as an old-fashioned printout in my media packet at the Big Tex Choice Awards judging, so I have it photographed below for your food planning pleasure. Click to read the pages at full size. I've already starred the ones I want to try!

And, drumroll... I need someone to go to the fair with me and taste test as many of these fried foods as possible! I have a free admission ticket for you (thanks to the State Fair of Texas), but I would like to split the food and food costs with someone. This is a serious foodie challenge! Last year my mom was in town, and we managed to share nine fried foods in one visit. We arrived strategically starving and spent almost the whole time hunting for our food (booths). I'd like to go on the evening of Thursday, October 3 or Friday, October 4. If you're available and up for this delicious quest, comment below or in one of my social media profiles and let me know you qualify. I'll start looking for a winner on Saturday morning.

Best Burgers in Dallas 2012

2012 marks my third annual Best Burgers in Dallas list. Each year, I am surprised how many more great burgers are added to the DFW area, but I am certainly not complaining about that! I am constantly seeking the best burger in Dallas and listening to other people's opinions on the best burger in Dallas, so I welcome your feedback in the comments section.

The best burger in Dallas has become so competitive that I've decided to split burgers into two classes: Diner Burgers and Restaurant Burgers. Roughly classified, restaurant burgers are more expensive (around $10) and are made from higher quality ingredients, like actual steak and local farm tomatoes. I find it difficult to compare a delicious, $3 greasy diner burger to a $14 steakhouse burger. This means a list of greasy burger deliciousness is slated for 2013. For now I give you the best Dallas restaurant burgers of 2012.

Belmont Burger (with goat cheese) at Company Cafe

2012 Guide to the Best Fried Foods at State Fair of Texas

I've tried at least 21 fried foods at the State Fair of Texas, including all eight of the 2012 Big Tex Choice Awards fried food finalists. I've posted my photos and commentary in real-time all over the socialsphere, but I thought I'd pull all the links and comments together in one detailed page so you can choose which social site to drool, read, and share your favorites or create your own list of fried foods to try. Scroll down for Facebook, Foursquare, and Pinterest photo links. Up first are descriptions of this compilation photo…

30 Days of the Best Foods in Dallas

If you follow one of my daily food photo social media networks, you may have noticed I've been eating amazing food more often than normal. It was all in the name of research! I couldn't just write a list of 30 of the best foods I've eaten in Dallas without double-checking the worthiness of some items or getting a better photo that more accurately portrayed its extreme deliciousness. This list took weeks of re-evaluating, polling trusted foodie friends, and reviewing my food photo archives, and now my list of 30 of the best foods in Dallas is complete.

For each day in September I will add one dish with a review and photo below. I will also make it easy for you to find these foods and follow the daily updates by adding the hashtag "#BestFoodDallas" to my original Instagram post of that food and every tweet update, plus I have created a Foursquare list, Foodspotting guide, Facebook photo album, and Pinterest board that you can follow.

The Rigging of "Best of" Food Contests

Is it right that a restaurant is bribing fans to vote for them in Dallas Morning News' "Best Burger in Dallas-Ft. Worth" contest? Check out Mooyah's Facebook Page timeline-highlighted, full-width post from April 4:

100 Foods to Eat Before You Die

This list of 100 foods to eat before you die comes from a Facebook app, where the creators claim that most people have only tried about 20 of these foods. Challenge accepted!

#35. Fresh spring rolls
(at Pho Colonial in downtown Dallas, TX)

The Best Hot Chocolate in Dallas

I wrote a new feature article for ILiveinDallas.com today!

"As the weather gets colder and coffee shops get warmer, there is one drink on the beverage menu that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves— hot chocolate. As someone who has never liked coffee and didn't become a tea drinker until several years ago, I've drank a lot of hot chocolate in my life. The richness, viscosity, and presentation can vary greatly, so first, let's take a look at what makes a good cup."

Read the full article on ILiveinDallas.com.

The 6 Best Restaurants I Ate in Las Vegas

Reflecting back on my nine days dining out in Las Vegas, there were a few dishes and restaurants that really stood out above the rest, regardless of price point. Below is a recap for anyone who is looking to eat well in Las Vegas, complete with Dallas restaurant comparisons.

In order of what I'd recommend:

1. Nobhill Tavern by Chef Michael Mina, inside MGM Grand
Dallas restaurant equivalent in price, ambiance, service, and creative cuisine: Stephan Pyles
Dallas restaurant equivalent for creative, fresh cocktails: Bolsa

This is the only restaurant I ate at in Vegas where EVERYTHING TASTED AMAZING and the service was perfection, so I'm going to detail what I ate here more than I will the other restaurants.

A fellow Dallas foodie in Vegas told me this restaurant has the best cocktails in Vegas, and that the $14 Nobhill Cablecar was their best one. I was blown away by the creativity and fresh flavors…

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Saturday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Saturday is a lot like Sunday in terms of free food—there really isn't any in restaurants and bars. Instead, you have to hunt for free taste samples at EatZi's, Whole Foods, Central Market, or local farmer's markets. Luckily, the selections there are best on the weekend anyway!

Dallas Farmer's Market

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Friday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Friday is not a one of the better free food nights of the week. As far as I could tell, the options are limited to the restaurants that offer the same free food deal Monday–Friday: Blue Mesa Grill, and reportedly, Campisi's.

Blue Mesa Grill
I think every location of Blue Mesa Grill has been offering this deal since the beginning of time, A.K.A. when I arrived in Dallas four years ago. The deal is every weekday from 4-6PM (note the early end time), their bar features a self-serve chips & salsa station and a grill station with mini-quesadillas cooked-to-order.

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Thursday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Thursday is a bit of an iffy day for free food in Dallas. None of the deals I found are really advertised in writing, but if you know where to go, you can find something decent to eat. This is where Nick & Sam's Grill comes in.

Nick & Sam's Grill

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Wednesday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Wednesday is probably the best quality free food of the week: sushi! Steel restaurant is the kind of highly acclaimed sushi place that you might go to for a nice Saturday night date, but not for a Wednesday happy hour; and thus, we get free sushi happy hour Wednesdays!

Steel's Wednesday night free sushi happy hour has been going on for the past two years or longer. I haven't been since sometime in 2010, and the gig has definitely changed. Overall I think the changes are for the better, but there are some changes that could be construed for the worse.

What Hasn't Changed:

1. Unlimited Sushi: The servers literally (borderline rudely) shove plates of sushi in your face without you asking for more, sometimes before you're even done with the previous plate. You will definitely leave here full!

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Tuesday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Tuesdays don't have many options for free food, but Frankie's Sports Bar & Grill covers the evening well in free pizza with the purchase of a drink. This freebie stands out from the others in a few ways… 

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on Monday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week". Editor's note: Trece closed on Monday, August 1, 2011.

Monday is the best free food night of the week. Not only are there lots of restaurants with food specials, but there are two restaurants offering totally free, two-course dinners, with no purchase required! Check out my receipt showing "Monday Dinner" discount at -$47.95 in free food for two people! My friend wanted to buy wine, so that plus tip was our only expense.

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas on a Sunday

This article is part of my weeklong food blog series, "How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week".

Sunday is tied with Saturday for the worst day of the week to eat free food in Dallas. This makes logical business sense because people eat out on the weekends anyway, so there's no need to entice them with free food (although there are a lot of alcoholic drink specials on Sundays). Since I couldn't find any restaurants or bars offering free food on Sundays, that leaves only the grocery-type places where you can get free taste samples, and Dallas has some pretty good ones.

EatZi's

How to Eat Free Food in Dallas Every Day of the Week

Dallas is a restaurant mecca. We have some great food here, and there are some times when this food is actually FREE. I want to know if it is possible to eat free in Dallas at least once a day for a whole week. Starting Sunday, July 24, 2011, I will investigate what you need to do to get the free food and let you know how good it tastes. Every day I'll update the list below with a link to the daily report on where I went, but I'm keeping the spots a secret until I go!

Let me first establish what qualifies for this "free food". Mainly, I want you to be able to follow in my footsteps, so although it'd be fairly easy to eat free for a week with one-time deals like coupons, contests, and events, I'm not going be taking advantage of them unless they occur on a regular repeating basis. Also, I'm not going to be wearing the T-shirt I use to do yard work to get served at a soup kitchen or church function, and I won't be buying a SMU hoodie to sneak into a club meeting with free pizza. I'm just going to be an average person, walking into the right restaurant, bar, or food venue at the right time, and I'm going to eat real, free food.

Where to Get Mavs Championship Deals on Food & Drinks in Dallas

And now, let the slew of local discounts in honor of the Maverick's win begin! Here's the skinny on restaurants and bars that I know are offering specials in honor of the Mavs NBA Championship.

If you know of more, please add them in the comments and I will update this article.