1. Deep-Fried Wisconsin Fish Fry
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
Back in 2021, one of the Sporkies was a deep-fried Wisconsin fish fry. My oh my, this was a treat. I wondered to myself, what would a deep-fried fish fry actually be? Isn’t a fish fry already fried? Yes, but this was fish, cole slaw and other elements of the fish fry all fried together into a delicious bite. It was incredible and every year since I’ve wished it’d make a return.
2. Cool Ranch Doritos Pickle
JONATHAN JOSEPH, EDITORIAL INTERN
It has to be the Cool Ranch Doritos Pickle from this year’s Sporkies. … It was simply wrong.
3. Deep-Fried Lemonade Bites
BIANCA CABRAL, EDITORIAL DESIGNER
I don’t consider myself an adventurous eater, but curiosity won me over on our MilMag work outing to the fair this year, when associate publisher Katie Williams brought deep fried lemonade bites to the table. How do you deep fry lemonade!? It was a pleasant and refreshing surprise on a hot day, and I would definitely get them again.
4. Peño Pretzel Popper Brat
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
This may not be the strangest thing the State Fair has ever served (did you see the Cool Ranch Doritos pickle thing Jonathan ate?!), but it was quite an ordeal for me. Having the palate of a small child raised on milk and oats, I do not handle spicy foods well at all – and yet, in 2022, I thought that I would try this jalapeño cheddar brat, encased in a pretzel and topped with even more jalapeños. In my eternal wisdom, I then decided that I needed to devour the entire gigantic, fiery thing in order to, I dunno, prove my manhood or something. It left me stuttering and sweating like a fool, a victim of its spicy popper ways.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
5. Hot Ham & Glazers
OLIVIA PATEL, EDITORIAL INTERN
The Sporkies I tried this year definitely take the cake for weirdest thing I’ve eaten at the State Fair; in particular, the Hot Ham & Glazers. Ham and Swiss just do not belong on (or should I say in between) a donut.
6. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Pickle Pizza
SOPHIE YUFA, EDITORIAL DESIGNER
I definitely would not call this “weird” by any means (uncommon maybe?), but I’d say the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos pickle pizza from Rick’s Pizza. It was absolutely delightful. Everything I could have hoped for and more. Why do pizza places not have this all the time? Ian’s, I’m looking at you.
7. Strawberry Cheesecake Milk
MAGGIE ZALE, EDITORIAL INTERN
I’m not sure if I’ve been living under a rock my whole life, but this year was first time I tried (or even heard of) the $1 milk at the State Fair. Of all the milk flavors they had, the strawberry cheesecake milk definitely threw me off the most.
