By Charly SHELTON

The county fair is in town again and that means one thing: fried everything. Fried pickles, fried bacon, fried cheese, fried Oreos, fried peanut butter and jelly, fried hotdogs and, most importantly, fried Twinkies. Twinkies were dead but have been resurrected just in time for the fair because what is a fair without fried Twinkies?

When it comes to fair food, Chicken Charlie is the king. Specializing in fried awesome everything, they debut a new food every year adding to an already mind boggling menu. Last year’s surprise was the fried Dodger Dog. The year before it was deep fried ribs. But this year tops them all. Introducing the Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joe sandwich and sliders. Two mini Krispy Kreme donuts are buns for the best little Sloppy Joe you can imagine. For the more traditional American tastebuds, two mini Krispy Kreme donuts are wrapped around a mini hamburger patty. You don’t need any fixings because what can be better than a donut? This is something not to be missed.

Another fair classic that has become popular in the past few years is Ten Pound Buns sourdough pizza. My 13-year-old sister hates pizza with a fiery passion and even she liked these pizzas. Baked on a special sourdough crust and overloaded with cheese and toppings, these pizzas range from traditional pepperoni to barbecue chicken or Nutella bacon pizza. And yes – one full sourdough loaf really does weigh 10 pounds. A full slice of sourdough pizza is a huge serving, definitely enough to share with two or more.

Of course there are the beers that cost almost as much as a movie ticket, the deep fried onion straws coated in ranch dressing, and turkey legs so big that they look like something that Godzilla once fought. But if you want something that offers a new flair on an old fair flavor, try Tasti Chips. Super thin cut potato chips are fried in peanut oil for a lighter feel then, if you want, are smothered in cheese sauce and jalapeños or shredded beef and chipotle sauce. If your face doesn’t melt off just from ordering that, you can eat them as a side dish or a main course.

And what can complement this meal of kings better than a good fair beer?  Unfortunately, the fair is in September when L.A. is about ¼ mile from the surface of the sun, so you will want something light and summery that isn’t too dark and won’t weigh you down. Go for an Angry Orchard apple ale. It’s a hard cider that drinks like a beer. And when you have to sell a kidney to afford the beer, make sure it’s the perfect beer. Angry Orchard is the one for any meal at the fair.

There is a lot more where this came from at the L.A County Fair. The fair runs now through Sept. 29 at the Fairplex in Pomona, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Ticket prices range from $8 during the week for children under 12 to $19 for adults on the weekends. Tickets give access to exhibits, activities and entertainment. There is a fee for parking.

For more information, visit www.lacountyfair.com or call (909) 623-3111.

  Charly Shelton