Sep. 9—What is the allure of the Washington State Fair, and can you understand it if you didn't grow up with it?

News Tribune food writer Kristine Sherred arrived to the region just after the last full-blown Fall Fair in 2019. So we sent her to the Fairgrounds this week to explore one of the event's biggest draws — the food — with Pierce County native Aspen Shumpert, currently The News Tribune's Gig Harbor reporter. Photographer Cheyenne Boone tagged along to capture their reactions.

Are the scones as awesome as everyone seems to fondly recall? Should you really spend money on a massive turkey leg? Is the new stuff worth trying?

We answer these questions and more.

Kristine: Let's meet at the Orange Gate?

Aspen: I personally think the Blue Gate is better and easier to get in and out of.

Kristine: Blue works! (Then I arrived from the wrong direction and had to turn around to enter the lane to access the lot. Didn't anticipate traffic on a weekday afternoon, but the City of Puyallup feels like a different place during the Fair.) I've mapped out some of the things we must try — Fisher Scones, Krusty Pups, etc. — and then a few items from new vendors. You've been to the Fair, right?

Aspen: Many, many times, haha. I also just went on Sunday.

Kristine: (looking at my list, to which Aspen had added a few dishes) OMG I forgot about the turkey leg!

Aspen: The turkey leg (smirk emoji times two). I would do anything for Fair food. I live for it.

Kristine: Well glad I'm rolling with you because I have no idea what to expect. My only frame of reference is a little old amusement park near my hometown where we got hand-cut fries that honestly were soggy.

Aspen: Can't wait for your mind to be blown.

Aspen: I had this burger the other day, and it tasted completely different. It needs something — pickles, lettuce, tomato? All I taste is meat.

Kristine: I agree. It needs some acid, some special sauce or something. The bacon is almost too much, too thick-cut. You want thin, crispy bacon on a burger. The meat is also just kind of bland with a mild char-broil flavor. I like the poppyseed bun — very McDonald's, which is a good thing in this case. Definitely a massive burger; how could you possibly add a patty? (You can, for another $4.50.)

Aspen: Not worth the price!

Kristine: I mostly appreciate the onions. Plenty of them, but I wish they were hotter. I wish the whole thing were hotter. Could you see them grilling the patties? (Aspen ordered here while I was at another vendor.)

Aspen: No, I couldn't see anything! Like I could barely see over the counter.

Kristine: That's weird. Isn't that the point of Fair food?

Aspen: Diet Coke is a necessity to tackle eating all the foods.

— Brisket mac and cheese, sub pulled pork!, $8.50 for half-pint

Aspen: OK if I put barbecue sauce on this?

Cheyenne: (who needs to eat, too!) Absolutely.

Kristine: I'm gonna get some spicy barbecue sauce on the side, maybe for the turkey leg?

Aspen: (mixing up the meat with the mac) Hot tip that Brank's will let you sub pulled pork for brisket.

Kristine: Yeah, I would order this again. It needs the sauce, though. Mac itself is overcooked, too soft, but not a deal breaker. (looking over at our neighbor's full size) Half-pint is the way to go — looks like you get the same amount of meat in the full.

Aspen: I personally think that, yeah. Here you get an almost equal mac-to-meat ratio.

Kristine: (moving onto the turkey leg) Look at this thing! What kind of turkey's leg is this size? Like, what happened to that turkey? What did we do to him?

Aspen: Don't think about that.

Kristine: I don't know what to do here. You go first.

Aspen: I haven't had one of these in years. (digs in) The turkey leg is not as juicy as I remember, and this one was definitely harder to eat than the ones I've had in the past. But ... I can still appreciate it and love it. Even if it might not be perfect.

Kristine: There's a lot of dark meat in there. OK, how do I ...? (I attempt to pick this thing up, feeling like I'm holding it like corn on the cob instead of a gargantuan turkey leg I thought were only served as a joke at Medieval Times, where blessedly I've only been once in my life, on a middle-school field trip.)

Aspen: You just nosh into it.

Kristine: The skin has a good flavor to it. It's very chewy, though. (I say this as I attempt to chew a chunk I tore off with my teeth. After what feels like two minutes of chewing with no fibers seeming to crack under the weight of my molars, I give up.) I don't think this is for me. It's kind of grossing me out actually. It almost doesn't taste like turkey. I don't know what it tastes like but it ain't Thanksgiving turkey.

Do you want to try it, Cheyenne? (She looks at it, shrugs and says, "Nah, I'm good.")

Aspen: I love it. (tears off more meat)

Kristine: So what should we do with the rest of it?

Aspen: I think we did pretty good — I mean, I did pretty good. Look, that's bone!

— Classic scone with raspberry jam, $3

Kristine: Let's get a scone while we're at the Fair Food Court. Should I just get one?

Aspen: I had a dozen on Sunday. I couldn't even wait until I got home to enjoy one. I ripped into my bag in the car. When I eat this, it's truly my definition of "melt in your mouth" type of goodness.

Kristine: It doesn't look like a scone. Why is it so smooth? It doesn't quite taste like a scone, more like strawberry shortcake. It's reminding me of something really specific, but I can't put my finger on what exactly. Buttery like a Pillsbury crescent roll, addictive like a Bisquick biscuit, heavy on the baking powder?

(Later, upon reviewing photos of Fisher Scones over the years, from the Fair and baked in other settings, I'm still not sure why the Fair version is so smooth. Maybe how staff shapes and bakes off more than a million every September requires some sort of mechanization? Scones are enticing in part because of their imperfect, lumpy nature. These were almost too tabular. I also sense the size has shrunk, but it's still one of the cheapest foods you can buy here at just $3.)

Aspen: That's so funny because to me this is what I think of when I think of scones. I've been eating them since I was 3. There is no way I can leave the Fair without taking home these scones to enjoy the following days.

Kristine: So if you got a "scone" from another bakery, do you think, "This is not a scone?"

Kristine: Maybe my favorite thing today. Texturally unlike any scone I've ever had, but it has this sort of haunting flavor of nostalgia. I can see why families return to the Fair again and again, and always stop for scones. (I say this as I notice a family toting at least three dozen scones, packed with blue-checkered tissue into branded Fisher bags.)

Watching the girls behind the counter mash that thick, raspberry jam, though — that was not so appealing. They said they have to scrape it out of buckets and then mash it down into this stainless steel vat on the counter.

Have you ever bought the mix to bake them at home, Aspen?

Aspen: No, never. It's just part of my Fair experience. You have to get them ready to eat, here at the Fair!

NEW FOODS AT THE FAIR

Kristine: (looking at what I just ordered at this new vendor from Impact Concessions) Well, this isn't really a po'boy. It needs more than just coleslaw and fried fish to be a po'boy, notably remoulade lathered on the roll, which this doesn't have.

Aspen: So it's just a catfish sandwich.

Aspen: Mmm, I like it though! I like the coleslaw, and the pickles. I was a little skeptical about getting fish at the fair, but I'm glad we did because this is tasty!

Kristine: A worthy alternative. Like the burger, wish the meat were hotter. Seems like it wasn't made fresh. The coleslaw adds nice acidity, as it should. It's a little small by po'boy standards.

— Nashville hot chicken waffle sandwich, $17

Kristine: I have no idea how you're supposed to eat this. Doesn't look like actual Nashville hot, which should have the heat baked into the breading. (I picked the whole thing up, attempting to take at least one bite with everything in it, but landed only waffle. Cutting it in half made it more manageable, but a sticky mess is inevitable.)

Aspen: I thought this was going to be a very, very heavy item to take down. Even though it's HUGE, it actually sits nice in the stomach. I would've liked some syrup on the side maybe, to get a sweeter bite if i wanted it.

Kristine: Now that's a good idea! I'm pleasantly surprised. Not the best actual fried chicken, more of a tender situation, but the waffle has a really nice crunch, especially on the edges, almost like this spicy syrup has soaked into it. Stoked it has pickles.

Aspen: A little sweet'n'spicy'n'salty — one of my favorite combos. It's very superior.

— Classic & Flaming Hot Cheetos, $10 each

Aspen: Corn is a must right now. I am very excited to devour this.

Kristine: Juicy, warm, love that they shuck it fresh. A great snack. A little pricey for elotes, which you can get for like $3 most everywhere else, but when at the Fair!

Aspen: Worth every penny in my book. Best item of the trip. The mayo was light, but just enough to hold the cheese on the classic one and the Cheetos crumbs on the other.

— Raspberry Scone Ale by Narrows Brewing Company, $11

Aspen: So it's like a beer that tastes like the scones?

Kristine: Apparently! (takes a sip) Oh, it's tart! Very refreshing. I'd have another. Glad we ventured to the beer garden because the Village Rooftop Bar, while offering a cool vantage point of the park, did not have this beer on tap.

Aspen: WOW. OK, yeah. This is not super sweet at all, which is what I was expecting.

Kristine: I knew the Fair was vast, but I didn't realize you could have such different experiences depending on your age, your group, your interests.

Aspen: Oh yeah. There is something here for everyone. Food, rides, concerts, multiple barns, shopping booths and trade-show stands. There used to be a petting zoo, but I don't think we can touch the animals with new regulations in the last few years.

Kristine: The magic of the Fair! What are the "Agricultural and Horticultural Displays"? (We decide to venture through Barn J — Aspen's first time here, too.) Look at this swirling produce design! These award-winning carrots! This plate of hops!

Aspen: Look at this watermelon, 97 pounds! And this massive pumpkin!

Kristine: Whoops, I didn't try a Krusty Pup. Is that bad?

Aspen: Meh. They're never that good. The dough is always too soft, like undercooked. I can get down with a good corn dog, but in my opinion, when I'm here I've been disappointed in the Krusty Pups more than three times.

Kristine: I don't feel so bad then. Next time, perhaps.

This story was originally published September 9, 2022 2:30 PM.

(c)2022 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

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