Foodie goes to the fair:
Day 4 of the Foodie trek

[August 10, 2016]  As I continued on my trek of fair food, I decided it might be time to ease up on the main courses. By no means am I trying to paint an image that I ate all of my food for this series in one setting. I may be a big eater trapped in a small body, but I’m not that crazy. But I felt like it was time to give my stomach a break from bigger portions and move on to something smaller.

Naturally, I settled for a stop at what is arguably my favorite place at the fairgrounds: Culler’s Fries. Anyone who has ever been to the county fair or the state fair later in the year is likely nodding along as they’re reading right now. But for those of you uninitiated on the subject, I say two things. First; I envy the amount of willpower you apparently possess, as I’m surprised it took me this long to write on just how delicious these French fries are.
Second; allow me to inform you on what a trip to Culler’s is all about.

First, there is almost always a line, unless you go in the early hours around lunch time. But the line does move fast, as they only serve one thing, and there a constant flow of fries being loaded into the fryers. The fries are served in little paper cone cups, and there is salt and vinegar available for seasoning, which you do yourself. I imagine that most people had a similar experience that I had as a child, when my father handed me a cup of Culler’s French fries, proceeded to douse in vinegar, and then let me eat. But it’s not just the vinegar that does the trick. It’s the fact that, unlike fast food fries, these actually taste like potatoes, and have just enough skin left on them. Finally, maybe it’s just me, but the vinegar that settles at the bottom soaks the last few fries in the cup. Some people may twist their faces at it, but I love the last bit. It’s like the last few chips in a bag that absorb all of the seasoning.

If there is a downside, it’s that they give you just enough of a serving to make you want more. It’s inevitable to find oneself returning to the stand later in the week. Overall, a trip to Culler’s is always in order when going to the fair. (Author’s note- I took a picture of my fries, but only after I had already eaten half of them. Trust me- the cup was overflowing when I got it. I have no regrets as to burning my tongue as I ate the first half).

To make up for eating lighter, I stopped at Country Fryer for a drink to wash down my fries. I had caught a glimpse of a sign advertising peach raspberry tea on their window, and it just so happened to sound like a good idea. That, and as much as I love Culler’s, potatoes dry out the throat, and it was quite warm out. I heard someone else order it as well, so if I didn’t like it, I could at least blame peer pressure.

It wasn’t a long wait, and the young man took my order and handed me my tea with a smile. I had it sweetened, and perhaps there could have been a touch more sugar. I don’t have much else I can say on it, really, other than it was refreshing during a warmer portion of the day. French fries and tea made for a great duo before wrapping up my trek and heading home to fall into a food coma.

[Derek Hurley]