Fair visitor's legacy: Six decades, one corn dog
The thought struck Susanne Lankin out of nowhere about a week ago.
Six decades on this planet and "I've never had a corn dog in my life," she told her husband Dan.
So, on Thursday, the Wheaton couple came to the DuPage County Fair to rectify this gap in Susanne's culinary experiences.
"My husband said, 'Today, we're going to buy you a corn dog.'" And not just any corn dog, but one of Bill McKinney's hand-dipped, jumbo corn dogs with the extra sugar in the batter.
"I never expected a sweet batter," said Lankin, 64. "It's not greasy and the meat is excellent. I like it."
Not exactly a health food, but "if I have one a year at the fair, what's the big to-do?" Lankin said.
Exactly. What's the big to-do about indulging once a year in your favorite county fair food fantasy, whether it's fried cheese curds, cream puffs, steak on a stick, kettle corn, pineapple whips or a barbecued turkey leg almost as big as your head?
"He saw someone walking by and said, 'I want one of those,'" said Julie O'Brien of Carol Stream, watching as her 12-year-old son, Ricky, worked on one of the wildly popular Tammy's Turkey Legs. Each leg weighs between 11/2 and 2 pounds.
"It's very salty," Ricky said between bites, "but very good."
This year's fair - which runs through Sunday at 2015 W. Manchester Road - features more than 30 stands offering all the old standbys as well as interesting new fare, from mostaccioli with vodka sauce to fresh strawberry crepes.
Newcomers to the fair include:
• Little Jimmy's Italian Ice. Seventeen flavors of Italian ice, with eight featured each day. Lemon is the top seller, said owner Brad McAvoy of Bolingbrook, but unusual flavors include green apple, bubble gum, mango and root beer. At 90 calories for a six-ounce serving, it's the fair's most guilt-free treat.
• Zeppe's. Spaghetti with "our famous sauce," mostaccioli with vodka sauce, homemade meatballs, Italian beef, cannoli and other Italian specialties. Owner Joe Gambino owns Zeppe's Italian Market in Oswego and Zeppe's Italian Grill in North Aurora.
• J and J Parks Concessions. A generous serving of Alaskan cod, lightly coated in seasoned breading and cooked to order, served on bread with homemade tartar sauce.
Looking for a bargain? Everything is $2 at the DuPage County Marine Corps League's booth, including sweet corn and roasted sweet potatoes topped with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.
The Knights of Columbus are back, too, with their popular cream puffs. The delicate pastries are filled to order with whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar and vanilla. "We can't give you the recipe, it's a top secret," said Len Restis.
The group is also running the cafe at the fair, which offers air-conditioned dining, including breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. and a traditional fish fry at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Down in the lower food court, Hillbilly Home Brew sells homemade soft drinks, including root beer, sarsaparilla, ginger beer, birch beer and Mountain Lightning, which owner Donna Conner of Florida describes as "like Mountain Dew, but better." Buy a big cup for $6 and refills are just $2.
Susanne Lankin had just one beef about her first corn dog: Its size.
"I don't know if I'm going to eat the whole thing," she said doubtfully.
"I'll finish it for you," said her husband, who was already almost done with his own.
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