Fairgoers can’t get enough of the newest fair delicacy.
Forget the turkey legs, the cheese curds, the pork chops on sticks — this year’s hottest concession item is clearly the deep fried butter. With a line of curious newcomers and repeat enthusiasts stretched past the vendors next door, the buzz surrounding Fyfe Concessions was contagious on the fair’s opening day last Thursday.
While a group of busy workers struggle to keep up with the demand inside the food trailer (which ran out of butter three times during the hour we visited), outside, people tap on shoulders and ask, “Are you getting the fried butter? Have you had it before? What’s it like?”
The fried fat has created a sense of camaraderie among fairgoers. When the butter is set in the paper tray and handed over to the patron, everyone in line watches the first bite, and waits for the verdict: “It’s actually good!” Or: “It’s like a heavenly cinnamon pancake!”
Owner Larry Fyfe, who watched the chaos nearby, said they make the treat by first mixing together two different batters with honey and cinnamon in them. Then they fry one-eighth of a stick of butter and drizzle a honey glaze on top.
“I can’t believe how much hype it’s created,” Fyfe said. “The fair manager said this would probably be a one-year deal, but by the looks of it, I don’t think it will.” Fyfe said the Travel Channel is planning a visit to the stand Wednesday.
Here are what a few readers had to say about the newest food-on-a-stick:
Josh Werning, 26: “It tastes like a fried cinnamon donut. It’s good, but probably not good for you. I definitely think it’s worth the $4. It’s just as good as all the other fried foods at the fair.”
Mannie Vasquez, 29: “I was very apprehensive when I ordered it, but surprisingly, it’s good. I came all the way from Austin, Texas, so I wasn’t going to leave without giving it a try.”
Summer Anderson, 34: “It’s really good. Yum. It’s like a hot cinnamon roll with a lot of butter on it. It’s very messy — you definitely need a fork to eat it — but it’s delicious and fun.”
Deep fried butter-on-a-stick
Find it: Fyfe Concessions, located on the north side of the Triangle at the east end of the Grand Concourse.
Cost: $4
Calories: Why ruin a good thing?
