Where else would a Native Texan end up on her first weekend back to the Lone Star state in over three years? The State Fair, of course! Back in September, I was chowing down at the State Fair within 48 hours of landing in the US.

I had a very lofty goal of trying as many of this year’s finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards for food. I guess three of eight isn’t too bad. Fletcher’s corny dog wasn’t on Tex’s list, but it was on mine! It was a great day spent with even better company.

Fried Sweet Texas 3 desserts in one. This amazing, but not-too-sweet treat consisted of pie dough filled with pecan pie, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie that was then deep fried. What else to serve alongside a ‘slice of pie’ than Texas’ own Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream? Yum.

Funnel Cake Ale An English style summer ale, both toasty and sweet, with subtle notes of vanilla. Served with or without a powdered sugar rim. I opted for the latter & it was delicious!

Fletcher’s Corny Dog This is the place to get a corny dog at the State Fair of Texas. Serving up hand-dipped dogs since 1942, this year’s special was a jalapeño cheddar corny dog, which I happily devoured.

Fried Sriracha Balls What do you get when you combine shredded chicken, corn, green chiles, tomatoes and Sriracha hot sauce? You get a ball of goodness that is then rolled in tortilla strips and fried to a golden brown. If that wasn’t spicy enough, you could order it with more Sriracha for dipping. Spicy and amazing!