The time has come once again to behold the outer limits and astounding innovations of fried culinary creation. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Fair announced the finalists for the Sporkies and the Drinkies, its annual contest celebrating wild and inventive dishes and drinks from its vendors.
Every year, the Sporkies present a wild lineup, ranging from the astoundingly bizarre to the questionably concocted to the shockingly delicious. (We tried all of last year’s in one sitting and still haven’t quite recovered.) This year’s lineup is no exception. The eight Sporkies finalists were selected from 29 entires; the four Drinkies from 24. On Tuesday, Aug. 4, before the Fair begins, a panel of as-yet-unannounced celebrity judges will sample each one and bestow a Golden Spork and Golden Cup on the winners.
Every finalist will be available for purchase at this year’s Fair, Aug. 6-16.
Architects, interior designers, renovators and landscapers: Submit your best work for consideration!
The Sporkies Finalists
Bayou Crunch Cup (Exotic Meat Grill)
Woah, goodness. We are off the races this year, aren’t we? This Sporkie is describes as a “towering cup of southern comfort.” We’re talking ‘gator nuggets, Cajun slaw, sidewinder fries, crawfish bites, pickled okra and a whole crawfish on top. Question: Does the clear plastic cup qualify this as a potential Drinkie as well? Just, like … a very crunchy one?
Cream City Cone (WürstBar)
OK, so this is not ice cream. This is a brat with sautéed onions and mushrooms, melted cheddar, dill pickle mustard and a breaded white cheddar cheese curd – in cone form. There might be some sensory disturbance when one bites into something that appears to be an ice cream cone and is in fact meat, but that is a disturbance one must be willing to face for the joy of Sporkie goodness.
Tinga Tango Chicharrones (Blue Moon Tavern at the Park)
This is billed as a “dish created to be the ultimate sweet-heat showstopper.” If it looks like an overwhelming amount of ingredients that is because it is: house–made honey-habanero pork rinds topped with smoky chicken tinga, pickled red onions, queso fresco, cotija cheese, candied jalapeños, fresh cilantro and a drizzle of cilantro-lime crema.
Porky Puff (Bud Pavillion)
A classic genre in the world of Sporkies is the “Thing Filled With Unexpected Other Things.” This is far from the only finalist in that particular vein this year, but it’s one of the boldest. We’re talking puff pastry filled with pulled pork, peach filling, creamy garlic and herb cheese, drizzled with hot honey and mustard seeds.
Deep-Fried Horchata Balls (Badger Bites)
The Sporkies wouldn’t be complete without an insanely sweet dessert. These suckers are dusted in cinnamon sugar, drizzled with dulce de leche and chocolate sauce, and topped with chocolate chips, toasted coconut and fried plantain chips.
Sweet Lemon Berry Cheese Curds (Saz’s BBQ)
When it comes to making cheese curds weird, us Wisconsinites have seen a million variations. (Lakefront Brewery, we’re looking at you.) But Saz’s is coming through with another swing this year. These white cheddar curds are coated in a cinnamon-sugar mix with sweet raspberry sauce and a side of lemon zest cream whip.
Al Pastor Pizza (Charlie’s Pizza)
This slice is a fairly straightforward translation of an al pastor taco into pizza form – al pastor pork, mozzarella cheese and pineapple finished with cilantro, onion, lime and “signature special sauce.”
Birria Flamin’ Bombs (Fiesta Grill & Cantina)
These “bombs” are filled with beef birria, cilantro, onion and melted mozzarella cheese, then coated in breadcrumb blend, served with a side of birria consommé and creamy chipotle aioli.
The Drinkies Finalists
Hot Honey Chicken Lemonade (Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick)
You’ve heard of lemonade, but have you heard of chicken lemonade?! Well, this fresh-squeezed son of a biscuit is sweetened with Mike’s Hot Honey and garnished with two chicken nuggets.
Tilt-a-Spritz (Old Fashioned Sipper Club)
Ruby grapefruit and key lime juice combine with ginger beer in this drink, which is a “playful nod to the State Fair’s iconic SpinCity.” The drink is also “sealed in a smoke box with hickory and torched rosemary,” which sounds suitably weird.
Color-Changing Swamp Juice (All Things Jerky)
Many have said that a drink is always incomplete unless it comes with a syringe on the side. Well, this swamp juice comes fresh with a string full of blue raspberry lemonade that, once injected into the otherwise green concoction, will have it changing colors. This one also includes gummy gators, candy frogs, and Pop Rocks rim.
Cookie Butter Coffee Float (Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts)
You might have thought the swamp juice filled with candy was the sweetest Drinkie you were getting, but you would be wrong. This float has vanilla ice cream, cookie butter-infused iced coffee, cookie crumbles on the rim, cookie butter drizzle on top and a Biscoff cookie plopped inside.
