An Eater's Guide to the CNE: 10 Over-the-Top Treats You Need to Try
Get your napkins ready for these glorious (and mostly deep-fried) creations
Get your napkins ready for these glorious (and mostly deep-fried) creations
Some visit the Canadian National Exhibition (August 18 to September 4) for the rides, others for the midway games. But almost everyone is lured to challenge their taste buds with the buffet of unique eats created each year. CAA Magazine attended the preview this week and rounded up our top 10 picks to sample for 2017.
It’s like a giant meatball—sans the meat. These whoppers from Fritta are mixed with breadcrumbs, Italian herbs and Parmesan before hitting the deep fryer. The result is a crunchy exterior and al dente noodle interior dunked in tomato sauce.
Mess factor: Medium
The King of Curds brings this Minnesota state fair fave to the CNE for the first time. Try them three ways: deep-fried with a dipping sauce; Potato-Less Poutine–style with the curds dunked in gravy; or The Great Canadian sweet version, served with pure maple syrup.
Mess factor: Medium
Talk about a belly buster. San Francesco’s Italian Sandwiches upped the ante of its famous veal sandwich by adding a—whole—pulled pork panzerotto, bed of coleslaw, jalapeños and sweet barbecue sauce. Two deep-fried brownies on a skewer top it off.
Mess factor: High
Here’s a hybrid of gourmet and midway cuisine by Farm to Fryer. The crispy frog legs are dusted in a simple flour batter, while the cod tongue (not the actual fish’s tongue, but the flesh from the throat) is tender with a denser bread coating. Tartar sauce is the ideal accompaniment.
Mess factor: Low
Philthy Philly’s gives the classic Philly steak sandwich a dessert twist that happily marries sweet and salty flavours together. Set on a doughnut bun, the succulent steak strips and provolone cheese filling gets a sweet touch of strawberry sauce and icing sugar.
Mess factor: High
“It’s like dim sum at the CNE,” exclaimed digital editor Chloe Tse. Mounted on a stick, it’s the perfect snack-on-the-go. And it’s all texture—the first bite is met with crisp resistance before your teeth sink into the gelatinous inside.
Mess factor: Low
Take this name literally. Cake Shack has revolutionized hand-held desserts with this gravity-defying combination of a brownie topped with a scoop of cheesecake, a white-chocolate dipped sugar cone, confetti doughnut and cotton candy. Hello, sugar high!
Mess factor: High
Kids of all ages are going to love this crepe-wrapped (chocolate or vanilla) ice cream stick from Eative that’s dipped in liquid nitrogen before it’s handed over to you. The result is a fog-like gas you can blow through your nose and mouth, which explains the fun name.
Mess factor: Low
Here’s a new take on ice cream toppings: chocolate-roasted crickets thanks to Bug Bistro. It’s a great, albeit crunchy, way to dress plain ol’ vanilla ice cream along with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. You won’t even taste the bugs, we promise.
Mess factor: Low
Ice cream sandwiches are the quintessential summer treat. Chloe’s Doughnut Ice Cream’s The Captain comes on a California-style churro bun with multi-hued Cyclone ice cream, which is rolled in—wait for it—crushed Cap’n Crunch cereal.
Mess factor: High
If you still have room in your belly, try a bite (or sip) of these goodies as well.
Sawdust City Brewing Co. owner Sam Corbeil says this ale has a doughy flavour with notes of maple and caramel. He suggests pairing a pint with deep-fried cheese curds (mentioned above) from The King of Curds, located just by the brewery’s stall.
Fran’s Restaurant has paired plenty of complementary flavours in this treat thanks to the sweet dough, salty peanut butter and gentle heat of the hot sauce. A drizzle of chocolate syrup ties them all together with a hint of sweetness.
An all-in-one breakfast, this is a new item on Bacon Nation’s menu, featuring a buttermilk pancake “taco” loaded with fried and scrambled eggs, topped with tomato, green pepper, onion and maple bacon strips, and finished with chipotle syrup.
This isn’t just your regular hamburger. Sandwiched between ramen noodle buns, this combination from Yatai (an offshoot of local haunt Kanpai Snack Bar) nestles a juicy all-beef burger, crunchy chicken katsu and special ninja sauce.
For more creative, delicious eats, hit the road in search of the best food trucks in Ontario.
And don’t forget to visit the CAA booths at the CNE, where you can enter for your chance to win gas for a year, take advantage of CAA Membership specials or challenge yourself to a digital trivia game.
Image credit: Chloe Tse