I’m a sucker for the New York State Fair.
I didn’t go very often as a kid, as a teenager, or even as an adult living in Syracuse. But three or four years ago, I started going to The Fair to make videos, and I’ve been in love with it ever since.
This year, I’m spending even more time there than I ever have.
I love going around to the different bars, grabbing cold cans of beer and hanging out with the staff. This year, you’re almost certain to find me at either the Empire Room or the Tully’s Drafthouse with a drink in hand.
And obviously, I love the crazy, wildly unhealthy Fair foods.
A bucket of tater tots with cheese and bacon? Yes, please.
Deep-fried dough covered in sugar? Of course.
A triple cheeseburger with apples, bacon and cheese? Why the hell not?
But I also love the more “normal” foods.
The Pickle Barrel steak tips are among my favorite things at the Fair — not just because they’re delicious, but because they’re just normal food. After a few days of fried potatoes, sugar and dough, it’s nice to have something like that to fall back on.
So I’m always looking for vendors selling those more grounded foods.
When I saw a vendor selling whole squid, I got genuinely excited. Especially once I saw it was coming from one of the vendors in the Asian Village (which is only at The Fair through Monday, August 31), because I figured it would be unique and packed with interesting flavor.
So Friday, I made my way down there.
I went mainly for the Crab Rangoon Nachos from my friends at Vietnamese Noodle House, but the line was so long I couldn’t wait. I had to leave The Fair for a meeting.
So instead, I stopped at the squid booth, where there wasn’t much of a line at all. I ordered the $20 whole squid and asked for it spicy.
An older gentleman worked a small flat top facing the customers, pressing and flattening the squid on skewers as it cooked. It took a little while, but eventually I got my order: a whole skewered squid laid out in a boat, coated on one side in what looked like a spicy dry rub.
I took a bite. And immediately regretted both the bite and the $20.
The spice was dry and gritty with no real heat behind it — I’d put it at barely a one out of ten. The squid itself was rubbery and tough to bite through, with an overly fishy taste.
And maybe the most disappointing part? It was practically lukewarm, even though it had just come off the flat top.
I don’t say this often about Fair food, but not everything can be a winner.
There might be someone out there who genuinely loves the flavor and texture. It just wasn’t for me, and that’s coming from someone who’s usually a pretty adventurous eater and willing to try just about anything.
As I was walking out of The Fair, a woman stopped to say hello and told me she watches my videos.
Her first question?
“Have you tried that squid? I really wanted to, but I wanted to see if you’d try it first.”
Well, I tried it. And unfortunately, I told her to save her $20.
