Deep fried pickles, cauliflower, peppers and more can be found at the fried vegetable truck operated by mother-son duo Lisa and Jay Goodman.
Their best-sellers, according to Lisa, are “probably the blooming onions and fried green tomatoes.” All the vegetables are cooked to order, and the blooming onion is served with a homemade Cajun sauce.
“But my favorite is the fried green pepper” said Lisa, who has been operating the fried veggie truck for 21 years, with two years at the Montgomery County Fair.
With over 30 food vendors, fans of all kinds of fair food will find everything they’re looking for and more. Fatty Daddyz operates a finger food truck, a sub sandwich truck, and a coffee truck to suit several tastes. Across all three stands, they said they sell a ton of lemonade, which people can get half-priced refills for in specialty cups.
Montgomery County fairgoers seem to favor chicken fingers, according to truck operator Brad Schafer. However, in Darke County, the truck sells “cheese curds all day long.”
If you’re looking for a healthier option at the county fair, or at least an option that hasn’t been deep-fried, there are still plenty of places to go. Board Wok Noodles, for example, offers rice and noodle bowls, and has seen “pretty good” reception from fairgoers.
“It may not be traditional,” said David Crawford, who works at the stand, “but people enjoy it.”
Board Wok Noodles is operated by CW Concessions, a which also runs a neighboring stand selling pizza, meatball subs, and spaghetti dinners.
Crawford considers the stand’s offerings to be more “modern” than typical fair food, and his isn’t the only stand trying to separate itself from the rest of the fair. Amy Shenkle of Amy’s Melt Bar tries to offer an “alternative” to deep fried fair food at her grilled cheese and mac and cheese truck.
“I really feed a lot of farm families all week, that’s kind of where my focus is” said Shenkle. “I’m an old 4-H kid myself.”
Shenkle has been in business for over eight years and operates out of Belle Center. This is her first year at the Montgomery County Fair, but fairgoers are already walking the grounds with her mac and cheese bowls and specialty sandwiches.
Vicci Jackle had a pulled pork mac and cheese from Amy’s Melt Bar. Jackle said she had never tried it before, but “really liked it.” She still prefers more classic fair food, though.
“Geez, I like corn dogs.” said Jackle, “but they’re so old school.”
Whether you prefer you fair food deep fried, stir fried, or ice cold, you’ll have the opportunity to try every kind of fair food for one more day. The fair is running from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at 645 Infirmary Rd. in Jefferson Twp., just south of U.S. 35. Admission is $10 per person before 4 p.m. and $15 per person after 4 p.m.
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