Places That Make Me Fat: The Puyallup Fair

“Who goes to the Puyallup Fair?” in disgust many of my friends have asked me in the past.

Who doesn’t go to the Puyallup Fair is my response to everyone who has never been to that magical place. I look forward to my yearly trip to the Fair months in advance, just talking about it right now is making my mouth water.

The Puyallup Fair has been for what it seems a lifelong tradition, just like Husky Football, and my love for baseball. I feel like when I popped out of my mom the first thing they did was put a baseball hat on me, fed me a fleischkuechle (more on this later), and then took me to a Husky football game. That’s how far back the Fair goes for me.

Now to someone who has never been before, what you would expect from a fair is probably what you would get; lots of mullets, fried foods, crappy rides, and stinky barn animals. However, unbeknownst to most, The Fair is a food lover’s heaven. I love food and people have been known to make fun of me because I will eat and at least try everything. Growing up all of my friend’s moms loved me because I loved their food. I enjoy a fancy meal every so often, but ultimately I like food that tastes good and I like to be full. It’s pretty simple and the Puyallup Fair hits both criteria.

The reason I’m posting about The Puyallup Fair is because it’s a fond memory of mine and it’s coming up in a couple of weeks. I’ve taken many of my friends with me and my family over the years to the Fair and consider myself somewhat of an expert. I have a pretty set routine and a mental list of food that must be consumed before I leave. If you’ve never been before, print off my guide and you’ll be set.

The To Eat List (in order of consumption):

• fleischkuechle – A German deep fried meat turnover is really the only way to describe it. Probably the only German food worth eating and the highlight of the Fair. This stand is the only one of its kind and is outside of the fairgrounds so whether it’s breakfast or lunchtime, I’m starting off my Fair experience with some deep fried meat. Also they say they are going out of business every year and that this year is their last; however they’ve been there for over a decade now. People love this place, one time I saw a person order 30 of them to go. She took home a fat, greasy grocery bag filled with fried meat. I think that’s overkill.

Loving my fleischkuechle before I found Crossfit

• Myer’s cheeseburger with Walla Walla sweet onions – you can’t go to the Fair without eating a burger with grilled Walla Walla sweet onions. They literally go through tons of Walla Walla onions during the Fair.
• Young Life BBQ beef burger – this sandwich is godly, basically they just give you a bunch of bbq meat on a bun, and then you slather on your own BBQ sauce, creamy horseradish, lettuce, tomatoes, onions (optional), and then voila, it explodes all over your lap and is delicious.
• Young Life smoked turkey leg – this I added in recently because I loooove smoked turkey legs. Nothing makes my mouth water more than smoked turkey legs. I pretend I'm a caveman tearing meat off a bone.

Look at Fatty McFat Fat devouring that turkey leg

• Corn on the cob - with lots of butter and seasoning salts, nothing to explain just a good fair snack
• Wilcox Farms chocolate milk – best chocolate milk I had ever tasted, literally. A few years ago I found out that when I was little my mom used to water down my chocolate milk (I’m still not sure why), so when I had this stuff in it’s pure form it blew me away – (just make sure to bring your special pills Becca)
• Fisher Fair scones - every year these get more and more expensive, but every year I get a dozen. The old ladies making these things must want everyone to suffer and become diabetic too because they slather on the butter and jam like none other. The scones always make good week after The Fair breakfasts as well.
• Elephant ear - half raspberry jam and butter and half butter and sugar and cinnamon – mmm best comboski ever, by this time in the day my sugar and food high is running very, very high
• Massive curly fries - on the way out the door I always have to get a massive carton of deep fried curly fries with a ton of ketchup to untangle on the car ride home
  
• Cheeseburgers - with grilled walla walla sweet onions for the road – you might want dinner right?

I promise to follow up this post in a few weeks with a recap and pictures of my 09 trip to the Fair. Let me know if you want to join us!