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Ohio’s Biggest Fair Ends Saturday in Darke County

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Huge Pieces of Fried Dough or as we call it “Pizza Frite”

The Great Darke County Fair ends a week long array of festivities this Saturday, so there is still time to get your fair groove up near the Greenville / Arcanum area.  It is about a 40 minute trip to the Darke County fairgrounds, but oh is it worth the drive.

Rides and and more rides, food and more food, and of course livestock to make your experience farm filled fun.

We have literally been having Food Adventures at this fair since the early 1970’s.  The Big Ragu has memories of his grandfather John Miller, who was born in Arcanum, taking the whole family from Centerville to Greenville.  So you could say we have 40+ years of expertise on this subject.

Cheese Curds from a Wisconsin Vendor

First of all, a NON-FOOD TIP

  1. Hit the Horse Races Friday night 5:30pm – 9pm.  The environment is a throwback like you wont experience at other racetracks.
  2. Hit the Demolition Derby on Saturday 6:30pm.  It’s like a Wal-Mart parking lot out there and maybe someone will give somebody the “Malachi Crunch” like in Happy Days.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Address of the Great Darke County Fair is 800 Sweitzer St, Greenville, OH 45331

So many food vendors, so little room in our stomachs

— OPEN 7pm – MIDNIGHT both Friday and Saturday – enough time to get your grit on… but the FAIR ENDS SATURDAY!

— Admission is $7.00,  people watching is free

 

So here we go with our often imitated never duplicated trademark…  “Must Eats.”

Here is the result of decades of studies…..

MUST EATS at THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR:

— THE FOOTLONG HOT DOG & ROOT BEER from the THE DOG N SUDS TRAILER:  The pride of Champagne, Illinois, you NEVER get to eat this stuff.  You may see their root beer plastic

Lots of rides

bottles in stores, but “aint nothing like the real thing baby.”

— THE CHEESE CURDS from MIKE’S CHEESE SHACK:  These cheeseheads are from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and every year they kill it at the fair.  And every year we load up and chow down.

— THE “LOADED RIBBON FRIES” or “TORNADO POTATOES”:  Ribbon cut potato chips, deep fried and topped with cheese, chives and bacon.  We love this stuff.  Eat them and devour them one string at a time.  People will stare as you lower the pinwheels of potatoes into your mouth.  That’s just jealousy.

Pulled Pork from Hog Wild

— THE TROLLEY BURGER WITH CANDIED BACON from KC CONCESSION’S TROLLEY CART: We eat it all, we know our stuff.  This burger is perfect for a browsing Food Adventure.  It is not too big and the candied bacon is definitely a nice attraction.  Chew on friends….

— DEEP FRIED ALLIGATOR MEAT ON A STICK from CRACKERBILLIES: Exotic, yet familiar, these nuggets on a stick had a great taste.  All the way from Cape Coral, Florida to your mouth!  We went back for seconds.

— BEEF BRISKET from GRUMPY’S BBQ: Cooked low and slow by Grumpy himself, this old farmer not only has a badass disposition but his brisket is just a s bad.  Actually , Grumpy is a pretty nice guy, we got him to smile  … once….

Ohio’s Largest County Fair

— THE HOT BROWN from FARMER BROWN’S FOOD STAND:  The restaurant that is a legend in Arcanum, is a hot spot at the fair with their food stand.  Farmer Brown’s serves up not a Hot Carl.. but the Hot Brown – which is a shaved top round sandwich, with provolone, lettuce, special sauce and mushrooms.  If that isnt enough they slap it on a grilled buttered bun.  You might call it a Hot Brown, we love to refer to it as an “Arcanum Cheesesteak.”

— PULLED PORK SANDWICH from HOG WILD SMOKE HOUSE:  Homemade sauce in huge squirt jars meant we loaded it up for a finger lickin, lip smackin helluva good ‘sammich’ (when its so good you can’t talk).  We went hog wild for sure.  These

— DEEP FRIED PECAN PIE from the PIE ON THE FLY:  This is frickin’ sinful.  The pies are “Wicks Pies” from Winchester, Indiana.  It makes the deep

Deep Fried Pecan Pie

fried snickers look like child’s play.  This is a piece of frickin pie deep fried in batter.  The pecan pie is the one to get, and it is AMAZING.  We actually had to sit down afterwards to take in the whole experience.  INSANE yet so logical….

— FRIED DOUGH from FISKE CONCESSIONS:  One of the deep fried candy bar booths has a treat we have enjoyed as kids.  It is called “pizza frite” or fried dough.  But this is the biggest slab of dough we have ever seen.  Our moms and grandmas never made it that large.  It is fried dough, with powdered sugar and it is the tick tick tick .. bomb!  This vendor is from Brookville, Florida.

Ribbon Fries or Potato Tornados

Honorable Mention:  The Deep Fried Mushrooms from Chuck’s Foods and the Deep Fried Twinkies from Fiske Concessions.

 

TWO MORE FOOD ADVENTURE TIPS:
— Use this chance to hit MAID-RITE HAMBURGERS down the street, on the way home… a loose meat sandwich that has a secret recipe that will keep you guessing and eating.  We will grab a sack and love the snack.
— Stop at KENNEDY VINEYARDS on the way home in New Madison.  Wine off the vine and we love the sweet, to the blush to the dry.  15 Minutes from the fair, you will fall in love with this place.

Alligator Meat on a Stick

Open til 10pm this Saturday, and we will see you there!

 

That’s it – the FULL BLOWN story on the biggest county fair in Ohio….  See you next week with another foodie filled story!

Check out Food Adventures on Facebook and see the difference.  This is not our job, it is our passion…..

 

Suds n Dogs !

Farmer Browns portable patio

The Farmer Brown “Hot Brown” sandwich or what we like to call the “Arcanum Cheesesteak”

Deep fried friggin pies

Grillin and we walkin

Lawwwd look at dem Baby Backs !

Sweating more than Ludlow Falls

Yo we got a tip in the third race for youse

Crackerbillies

Grilled Turkey Legs

Oreo Sundae Funnel Cake

Trolley Burger with Candied Bacon

More Darke Meat

The infamous bottle game

Cheese Curds from Wisconsin

kids whippin pigs butts

Fried and more fried

Favorite Treat as a kid

Dusk and Darke

Hog Wild Squirt a sauce

This cheese head

The Grumpy owner of Grumpys BBQ

Light up the sky

Best fried mushrooms in town

Son of a brisket

Deep fried twinkie

Coils of sausage

Big Ragu versus a footlong dog

Love the alligator chunks on a stick

Brisket from Grumpys BBQ

Pulled Pork from Hog Wild Smokehouse

Stringing them up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lebanon Raceway to Close Saturday, After 65 Years

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End of an Era: Lebanon Raceway will close Saturday Dec 7th at midnight

Like many of you saw in our RESTAURANTS CLOSED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ARTICLE, all good things must come to an end.  Today, The Big Ragu & Crew add another name to this list .. sort of.  Some of our favorite Food Adventures have been at sporting events.  It is with sadness that we announce that one such place, Lebanon Raceway, will be closing this Saturday after 65 years of harness horse racing.  The reason for the closing is to make way for a new racetrack and casino in Monroe.    We are going to miss this place and the years of memories it gave us.

Last week at the track, we said our goodbyes.  We savored the sights and the memories.  We bought a program and a pen (superstition), and sat in the front row behind the glass, cheering for our horses to come in.  It takes some dexterity to hold a beer, hot dog, and program while watching the race and hollering.   The crowd was sparse, but enthusiastic.  We had some winners, and some losers, but loved every minute of the 13 races that night.

Click to enlarge this must eat: Tenderloin Sandwich

We have placed bets to win, place and show.  We even knocked out a daily double or a trifecta here and there.  But, to us, the live horse racing was just half of the story. We also loved the cheap food and beer.   From must eats like hot dogs and pork tenderloin sandwiches to  popcorn and hamburgers, Lebanon Raceway had more than just concession stands.  They had some good sporting event eats that became a tradition for us over the past 20 years.  The characters that serve the food are also a big part of the experience.  The bar area was always interesting, with the bartenders pouring bottled beers into a plastic cup, sometimes two or 3 at a time.  Foam?  …sometimes, just deal with it…

Opened in 1948, the race track facility is showing its age a little, but there is something special about this place.  Maybe it is the sound of the horses whizzing past, or the trumpets before each race.  Lebanon Raceway is known as the “cradle of drivers,” having produced some of the best harness racing jockeys in the nation.  Their other motto is “pace baby pace,” referring to the trotting horses.  This place is full of personality from the announcers to the bet window workers.  We wanted to share our Food Adventure memories and let people know that this Friday and Saturday are the final days of live racing at Lebanon.

Yes it is true, this weekend is your last chance to experience Lebanon Raceway, so saddle up and visit this Dayton area icon one last time.  Races will be Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 6:30pm.  Literally – “down the stretch they come !!”  Need directions?  CLICK HERE.  Want more horsing around with THE BIG RAGU, CHEF HOUSE and HUNGRY JAX?  Then ‘like’ FOOD ADVENTURES on FACEBOOK by clicking HERE !

Check out our photos and memories from Lebanon Raceway in our gallery below:

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The Fearsome 15: Top Guilty Food Pleasures in Dayton

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Frisch’s Hot Fudge Cake is Sinful

We all have them, we all need them… guilty pleasures.   As we get older, we try to eat healthier, but once in a while, you gotta splurge.  Dayton is a great place to do so.   Sure, there is fear in seeing the calorie count, and scary scale readings the following week… but sometimes you gotta have a ghastly, full blown Food Adventure.

So without further ado, we present present our list of the Top 15 Guilty Food Pleasures of the Dayton Area:

 

15) THE FOOTLONG CHILI DOG at THE ROOT BEER STANDE: Long and strong, we came to get the friction on.  This wiener is a mouthful of goodness and a ruined shirt waiting to happen.  Eat it in your car, roll up the windows so no one can see,.  But we know… this is one of your guilty pleasures.

 

14) FRICKER’S RIBS & WINGS DINNER:  This huge meal comes with a half rack of ribs, those famous fried chicken wings, cole slaw, roll and an side.  Finger lickin’ good, and a naughty belt buster for sure.

 

13) THE PEANUT BUTTER SUNDAE at JET FREEZE:  Homemade peanut butter sauce, ice cream, whip cream, nuts and a cherry on top.  The peanut butter sauce alone is so sinful that it catapults it onto the list.

 

12) THE BROOKYLYN BRAWLER PIZZA at JOHNNY’S SLICE of NY:  When you serve a giant, stuffed pizza as big as a spare tire, it has to be a guilty pleasure.  Big eaters of the Miami Valley come from far and wide not only to eat this giant creation, but to see if 2 of them can finish it in 30 minutes or less to get on the wall of fame.  Filled with various meats and cheeses, this guilty pleasure is for serious eaters.

 

11) THE SEAFOOD PLATTER at TREASURE ISLAND: Deep fried scallops, a cod filet, frog legs, fried shrimp and stuffed crab on a plate with 2 sides.  You can taste it all, but don’t test your cholesterol that day.  The over the top moment of this dinner is when they serve you some drawn butter for dipping.  Oh, behave !

 

10) ALL-YOU-CAN EAT FISH at the HASTY TASTY PANCAKE HOUSE:  For just $7.25, you can literally fill yourself to the gills.  Breaded and crispy, it is one of the best ‘bangs for your buck’ as far as sinful meals go.   The fish is Alaskan pollock, and when you add the sides, rolls and butter slabs, the wheels come off the diet train.

 

9) BROASTED CHICKEN at GEORGE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT:  Deep fried in a pressure cooker, this stuff is guilty fun for the while family.  Moist inside, the chicken is always cooked to perfection. Get some heavenly comfort food sides and complete this trip to dream street.

 

North China’s Crispy Shrimp: Rich, Spicy Flavor with a Touch of Sweetness

8) CRISPY SHRIMP at NORTH CHINA:  One of our favorite Chinese restaurants serves us a sweet sauced, deep fried shrimp dish that will knock you on your socks.  The taste, the crunch, the bites of sauce mixed with rice.  Overdone richness?  Guilty as charged.

 

7) POTATO SKIN CUPS at ANGIE’S FIREHOUSE:  Stuffed with chili, bacon, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapenos and sour cream they are a beautiful piece of work.  You will find yourself eating an entire plate of these and passing out in a food coma.

 

6) BISCUITS & GRAVY at TANK’S:  Delicious, artery clogging goodness.  Although this legendary spot on Wayne Avenue has many treasures, we find this to be our most guilty pleasure.

 

5)  THE HOT FUDGE CAKE at FRISCH’S:  We know, this is semi-local and more of a regional treat, but it deserves a spot on our list.  Hot, steaming fudge, hitting the cool cake and ice cream.  The feeling of the whip cream and hot fudge on your lips is worth every calorie.

 

4) THE PANZAROTTI at MAMMA DISALVO’S:  This is pretty much a calzone that is the size of a small kid.  Imagine an extra large pizza full of toppings and cheese, that has been folded in half.  Served with dipping sauce, it is like cutting into a turkey to begin eating.  Go all out and dip your forkfuls into marina or ranch.  It is absolutely delicious.

Click to Enlarge: Broasted Chicken from George’s Family Restaurant

 

3) THE HOG BURGER at VOLTZY’s:  Voltzy says he named the burger after his ex-wife.  All we know is that this mammoth 20 ounce burger melts in your mouth, and you find yourself saying “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

 

2) CASSANO’S BIG CHEESE PIZZA:  Like Vic Cassano Sr said “It’s one heck of a pizza.”   That famous Cassano’s crust and sauce, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives and finished off with a m0und of cheese.  The proof is in the taste.

 

The Big Bo BJ Breakfast Sandwich from B&B Carryout

1) THE “BIG BO BJ” at B&B CARRYOUT:  Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a breakfast sandwich.  And it is one helluva guilty pleasure.  This craziness is a bun with sausage, a fried egg, a hash brown patty, American cheese,strips of bacon and hot pepper cheese.  You won’t feel that guilty, because the every bite is just so darn good.  A handful of greasy, gooeyness, with great flavor.  If you haven’t tried the Big Bo BJ, you need to grab yourself one.

 

Do you feel guilty yet?  Naughty nibbles indeed.  Honorable Mention to : Paragon Supper Club’s Paragon Supreme Dessert- a peanut butter and chocolate ice cream mousse, Marion’s Super Cheese Pizza – delicious, Tank’s Chili Cheese Fries-out of this world, and Submarine House’s Super Duper Cheesesteak– triple the meat and cheese & 16 inches long.

DID WE LEAVE ANY OUT?  WHICH OF YOUR FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURES SHOULD WE HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR LIST??

Please comment below and let us know !

For more fun from Dayton’s one-of-a-kind foodies visit FOOD ADVENTURES with THE BIG RAGU, CHEF HOUSE and HUNGRY JAX on FACEBOOK and “like” us HERE .

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Walking Dead Food Adventure & Zombie Dogz at Horror Hound Weekend

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‘Juan of the Dead’ Zombie Dog

Here is something you will not see anywhere else.  The Big Ragu and Crew had a VIP experience at last weekend’s Horror Hound convention in Sharonville.  We had a Food Adventure with Merle & Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead (Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker)!  Featured along with the Cast of the Walking Dead and many celebrities was a Dayton’s own,  Zombie Dogz.  Typically a food truck, it was a little different this time for the gourmet hot dog masters.   They operated out of a catering booth inside the convention center.     Owners of  Zombie Dogz,  Lee and David VanArtsdalen and Horror Hound Magazine’s Eric Crowley personally invited us to the event and set us up for an unforgettable Food Adventure.

The Big Ragu and Crew shared some iconic Dayton foods with the celebrities:

We had a Zombie Dog with a Reservoir Dog.  That’s right, we dined and joked with Michael Madsen.  Michael was a great sport, and he didn’t carve our ear off.   He shared some good Hollywood stories and laughs with us.  We also learned he was telling other celebrities about his time with us and the Zombie Dogz.

Legendary horror film director John Carpenter also enjoyed one of Dayton’s Zombie Dogz with us, while he was wearing some pretty sweet black velvet sweat pants.  It was almost as scary as his film “Halloween.”   Meeting this giant of the film industry was priceless.

We gave a hungry Twisted Sister Frontman Dee Snider some Mikesell’s Good n Hot Potato chips.  In fact, the whole cast of his show “Holliston” shared the bag.  What does Dee wanna do with his chips?  ‘He wants them hot, HOT !’   This Celebrity Apprentice star loved the taste of Mikesells, and we were not ‘fired’ in the boardroom.

Dee Snider from Twisted Sister & Celeb Apprentice loves Mikesells Chips

The star of the scary Candyman movies Tony Todd, loved the box of Esther Price Candies we gave him.   He enjoyed them so much, he gave us a high five the next day.   Even movie stars like the Candyman love Esther Price Candies !

Remember the classic 60’s TV show The Munsters?  Well, we ate Muenster cheese with Eddie Munster, thanks to Murray’s Cheese from Kroger in Centerville.  Eddie, played by Butch Patrick, appreciated it so much, he signed a photo for us!

The  Big Ragu and Crew ate lunch with Bengals Defensive Tackle Domata Peko .  We enjoyed some LaRosa’s Pizza while sitting with his family.  Domata is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.  He is also a horror movie fan like us,  and was excited to meet the various celebs.

Where else can you see this kind of stuff?  Only here, only Food Adventures and Dayton Most Metro.  Often imitated, never duplicated.

The Big Ragu also shared French Bread and Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water with 80’s babe Diane Franklin from the movie “Better Off Dead.”  If you saw the movie, you get the significance of the food items, ‘and to drink…. Peru’ .  These days Diane is promoting her new book “Diane Franklin: The Excellent Adventures of the Last American, French-Exchange Babe of the 80s.”  You can buy the book here on Amazon.com.

We hung out with other famous horror actors including Lew Temple, Sid Haig, Tom Savini,  Irwin Keyes, Robert Mukes and many other costumed monsters.  The original car from the movie Christine was there, we wanted to take it to the Root Beer Stande Drive in but she turned us down.  Special mention to our friends at S.T.A.R.S Cincinnati, a costumed fan group of the movie “Resident Evil.”  They do charity appearances and their slogan is “We kill zombies for charity.”  Speaking of Zombies….

The “Calling in Dead” Zombie Dog has Mac N Cheese on top

About Zombie Dogz:

Have you tried a Zombie Dog?  These hot dogs are so big, that they almost look like kielbasa sausages.  The menu at Zombie Dogz is pretty simple.  It all starts with large, juicy all beef hot dog.    The hot dog is placed into a wonderful sandwich roll, strong enough to hold the hot dog and ingredients intact.  What makes a zombie dog special is the choice of toppings.  Each Zombie Dog has a creative name based on those toppings.  The menu is constantly evolving with new creations, but The Big Ragu and Hungry Jax ate these hot dogs all weekend and want to share our favorites.

Zombe’ Grande – The all beef hot dog is topped with cheese queso sauce, lettuce, cilantro sour cream, jalapeno bacon bits and crushed corn chips.  The mix of the cheese sauce and crushed corn chips are a gooey, tasty combination that won us over.  This was definitely one of our favorites

Juan of the Dead – An all beef frank topped with Swiss cheese, homemade bbq pulled pork, sweet and tangy mustard and pickles.  The pulled pork and pickles really make this gourmet hot dog.  The Big Ragu say this is a must eat!

The Nibbler – This time they wrap the hot dog in bacon, then smother it in spicy chili.  The zombie dog is then topped off with diced red onion, sweet & tangy mustard, and shredded muenster cheese.  This one really woke up our taste buds and is a Food Adventure in your mouth.

Owners Dave and Lee VanArtsdalen of Zombie Dogz, with Co-founder/Marketer Michael Whitaker

Calling in Dead  – This over the top creation tops the hot dog with homemade mac n cheese.  The creamy mac n cheese is cooked in truffle oil for a magnificent flavor.  The final touch in this hot dog is a sprinkle of truffle salt and cracker crumbs.  This hot dog was so rich, we could hardly finish it.  It packed a powerful punch on our appetites, but we couldn’t stop eating it.

Brain Daddy – This was the most Caribbean style hot dog that we tried.  The all beef dog is topped with slow roasted mango habanero pulled pork.  It was also topped with pineapple-cherry salsa.  The final dash of white and black sesame seeds finishes this masterpiece.  This gourmet dog promises to have your taste buds dancing the mambo.

The Horror Hound Weekend was incredible. We got to meet Dayton horror film makers like our pals from Concept Media Films.  We even bought a couple of their Dayton-made DVD’s!  Meanwhile The Big Ragu was distracted by the Jersey girls over at GorgeousAndGory.com.  Supporting local people and making new Food Adventure fans seemed to sum up this fantastic experience.

This Zombie Dog is called “The Nibbler”

Miami Valley foodies should keep their eye open for events featuring the Zombie Dogz Food Truck and their unique creations.  The hot dogs will satisfy your hunger at the not so bad price of $6.50 per dog.  There are even have veggie dog options.  Want to catch Zombie Dogz Food Truck’s next event?  Then visit Dayton’s Crafty-Con on April 5th.  The event will be held from 5pm to 11pm at the Yellow Cab Building on 700 East 4th St.   Tell the zombies that The Big Ragu sent you !

 

Feel free to comment on the Zombie Dogz Food Truck below.  Also share any thoughts about Horror Hound Weekend as well.

“Like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking here, unless you are scared of zombies and good times.

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