October in North Carolina means several things: Scarowinds, pumpkin patches and the North Carolina State Fair, to name a few.
The State Fair brings carnival rides, bright lights, fireworks and deep fried food to Raleigh every year and is always debuting new enticements. This review will focus on five of the 80-plus new foods that arrived this year, replacing last year’s trend of Dubai chocolate with this year’s internet sensation: Biscoff.
Cookie Butter Cheesecake Donut – Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts
Overall score: 7/10
Usually when I think of donuts at the fair, I picture fall flavors. What I got instead was a giant classic Fluffy’s donut slathered with cream cheese icing, caked with Biscoff crumble, drizzled with cookie butter syrup and topped with a Biscoff cookie.
Overall, it could’ve been done better. The presentation was subpar and the donut was cold, but the icing was creamy while the crumble provided a nice crunch to even things out.
Side note: Since the donut was massive, I didn’t finish it at the fair. I reheated it for breakfast the next morning, which confirmed what I already knew; it’s better when it’s warm.
Biscoff ‘Nana Puddin’ – Tropical Delights
Overall score: 8/10
I’ve never considered banana pudding to be a fair food, but it is a Southern staple, so I guess it works. That being said, the name of this dessert is a little deceiving. It’s not actually banana pudding, rather banana pudding flavored soft-serve. The ice cream alternates layers with Biscoff crumble and drizzled cookie butter syrup, and is topped with two Biscoff cookies, a few banana slices and a tiny umbrella.
Since I didn’t realize it wasn’t a true pudding, I was a little disappointed when I had my first bite. The taste of the banana was very faint, but the presentation was wonderful and it was a delicious treat. While this pudding won the “Media’s Best Sweet New Food” category, I’d argue that the next dish is more deserving of the title.
Strawberry Cheesecake Churro Nachos – Mike Nice Empandas
Overall score: 9/10
I had no clue what churro nachos would look like, but I’m so glad I took the leap because this ended up being my favorite dish. Cheesecake mousse topped with a strawberry compote, graham cracker crumble, white chocolate sauce and whipped cream on the side, all over a bed of cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.
The creamy mousse provided the perfect contrast to the crunch of the nachos and the compote added just the right amount of berry goodness. The presentation was phenomenal, and I was in love from the first bite. It’s a little pricey at $17.99, but so worth it.
Deep Fried Kunafa Crunch – Urban Olive Mediterranean
Overall score: 8/10
I was super excited to see how the traditional Arab dessert transformed into a fair food. They followed the classic recipe of phyllo dough filled with cheese and soaked in sweet syrup, with an added twist of deep frying it for the perfect crunch, drizzling it with cookie butter and pistachio syrup before finishing it off with a sprinkle of Biscoff crumble.
This was an awesome take on the traditional kunafa and a great way to bring more culture into the fair. It also made for a great cheese pull.
Princess Peach Shimmer Lemonade – Quench
Overall score: 10/10
All these sweet treats required a good drink to wash them down, and Quench has a lot of great options. I had to go with a peach lemonade — this is the South after all. The edible glitter mixed into the drink was mesmerizing and as soon as I took a sip, I knew I made the right choice.
The sweetness of the peach balanced the sour of the lemon without overpowering it, which is rare with flavored lemonades. I couldn’t have ended the night on a better note.
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Dining and Cooking