MARSHFIELD — Food Row is located in the center of the fairgrounds, winding around the grandstand and wafting sweet and savory aromas over the throngs of visitors. At this year’s Marshfield Fair, the menu ranges from simple to exotic and has two basic headings: fried and skewered.
On opening day, The Patriot Ledger toured the fairgrounds, taking stock and talking to the folks preparing and eating age-old classics and culinary novelties. The following survey, while not exhaustive, offers a taste of what the Marshfield Fair has to offer this year.
New products: Donut bags and barbecue in a cup
Dan and Sharon Waite came from Lake George, New York, to watch their grandson compete in the truck pulling competition. While they waited for the horsepower show, the couple treated themselves to some refreshments.
“The food at the fair is the best there is,” said Sharon, sitting at one of the many picnic tables in the heart of the food line.
To confirm his wife’s claim, Dan swished a large portion of ice cream served in a warm cinnamon sugar waffle doughnut with chocolate sauce dripping over the edge.
“I have a sweet tooth,” he said with a smile.
The man rolling the doughnuts into bags adds to the novelty and appealing presentation of the fried, frozen treat.
Brad Herrick of West Bridgewater forms his whiskers into a handlebar, offering a glimpse into the world of mustache-grooming contests in which the facially haired animals try to outdo each other in the size, shape and quantity of the loops sprouting from their upper lips.
“You want to present yourself well,” said Herrick. “Everything has to be first class.”
Nearby, sweet, rich smoke filled the air around Sarcastic Swine’s food truck. This year, the Abington-based barbecue restaurant is undoubtedly offering the best barbecue-in-a-mug menu available at the Marshfield Fair.
For $17, you can take most of the menu to go in a clear plastic cup: pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese—all drizzled with a honey barbecue sauce.
Staple food: Italian sausage, fried or on a stick
The staple of American fairground fare, fried dough, is as impossible to miss as the giant Ferris wheel that towers over the fairgrounds. It costs $10, and you can order fruit and sauces for an additional $1 to $3. Toppings include cinnamon sugar, apples, cherries and chocolate sauce.
Food sticks include cotton candy ($8-$13), candied apples ($8 plus $1 for topping) and corn dogs ($8). Huge turkey legs are also in abundance for $20 each.
If you’re looking to make some extra money at the fair, you could do worse than Buchino’s Italian sausage stand. Paul Buchino of Charlestown took over the five-generation family business from his father. Today, he and his two grown sons work at fairs from Maine to Connecticut.
“It’s a good price and a good product,” Buchino said.
The sausages, served with peppers and onions, cost $7. You can eat right at the stand, which has a counter with built-in wooden stools.
“I have a deal with the guy who makes the sausage,” Buchino said.
Fun: fried Oreos and Twinkies
Once a novelty, now a staple: fried sweets are sold at a stall with a huge, garish facade in the middle of the food line.
Shae Lucido, 10, and her stepsister Ella Mycko, 9, of Duxbury, sat at a picnic table and sampled deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies.
With the refined palate of an experienced food critic, Shae found that the thick coating of fried dough masks the flavor of the cookie.
“You really can’t taste the Oreo,” she said. “But it’s sweet.”
Ella preferred the Twinkie, figuring that because of its size, the golden sponge cake and creamy filling would bring out its flavor more than the Oreo.
“I can taste the Twinkie better,” she said. “It’s bigger.”
The Oreos and Twinkies are $10 each, which is also the price of deep-fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Deep-fried Three Musketeers, Milky Ways and Snickers are $8 each, and a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich is $12.
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Reach Peter Blandino at [email protected].
