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TOP 5 FOODS AT THE RED RIVER EX
The Red River Ex is in town for the next couple of weeks. Massive amounts of people come to be entertained. Some like to walk around and enjoy the weather, some come to take a walk on the wild side and thrill themselves on one of many thrilling rides, some come and test their skill in one of many challenging carnival games. But if your there for one of those many reasons your bound to get hungry. A huge chuck of The Red River Ex is food. There are many choices of food stands scattered around the Exhibition. Some are wild and exotic and some are plain old carnival foods. Can’t make up your mind on what to eat? Come take a walk with us through The Red River Ex as we count down “The Top 5 Foods At The Red River Ex”… just remember your $8.00 gate admission!
So this is one of the hardest Top 5’s that I’ve ever had to do. The reason? There was so much food! I don’t want to break top 5 tradition so I’ll have to cut a bunch from the list and do some honorable mentions….
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Let’s start with a classic….Those Little Donuts. These fresh mini donuts are always a hit. The coolest thing about these mini bad boys is that they are made fresh right in front of your eyes. They are topped with a sugar and cinnamon mix and are served piping hot! They’d smoke Tim Hortons and Robins Donuts out of the water and give Krispy Kreme a run for their money. Found throughout “The Ex” they are really affordable. You can get a bag for $3, 2 bags for $4, and save big and share, 5 bags for $10.
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Feel like using a fork and spoon? Try a plate of Perogies and Kielbasa. These come with the traditional toppings of bacon, onions and sour crème. A plate of 3 perogies with toppings, and 1 kielbasa come up to a hefty $8.00. Where can they be found? At a stand near the Big Red Barn.
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Want to be a little healthier? Our own editor Ken and his significant other found a stand that sells Baked Potatoes and Roasted Corn. Each item sells for around $4. Also at that same stand you can get a tasty and healthy treat… The frozen banana dipped in chocolate. I personally had this unique treat. At first bite it’s really hard. I was expecting a soft mushy center but I was completely wrong. It tasted a lot like, you guessed it… banana. Our own photographer Oli, thought it tasted like medicine. These foods can be found at a stand near the Big Red Barn.
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Something to stay away from is The Tender Beef Sandwich. We walked by this stand and it was looked really appealing. There was a barbeque off to the side of the stand. The barbeque was used to slowly cook the meat using a slow roasting and smoking technique. If you could smell the fumes it was like being at a barbeque cook-off. The sandwich came up to $8.00 with the addition of “real” cheddar cheese. The first bite was really dry. The rest of the sandwich was dry as well. My advice? Stay away from this one, it’ll let you down. I’m not going to tell you where to get this one, I’d rather you save your hard earned bucks!
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So now down to the main event “The Top 5 Foods At The Red River Ex”
5. The Deep Fried Oreo
The most unique food found at the Red River Ex. They are made with real Oreos. The Oreos are dipped in a batter and deep fried for a couple of minutes. When taken out of the fryer, they are put straight into a bag where powdered sugar is added. The bag is given a gentle shake and then given to the customer.
The first bite: Really hot, super sweet and kinda salty. These were so sweet that you could probably only eat one then throw in the towel.
How much for an Order? 5 Oreos comes to $5.00.
where can they be found? At a stand near the big red barn.
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4. The Deep Fried Twinkie
I’ve always thought of this food as a myth., kind of a unicorn in some strange way. I’ve always heard people talking about them. At first thought, I thought that they were simply a Twinkie thrown into a deep fryer and served super oily. Boy was I wrong. The Twinkie is first put on a stick, then battered in a corndog like batter, then deep fried. Before giving it to the customer, the Twinkie is sprinkled in powdered sugar.
The first bite: It tasted like a corndog with crème filling instead of the hot dog.
How much for an order? One deep fried Twinkie goes for $3.50.
Where can it be found? It ironically is at the same stand as the “healthy” corn, potato and frozen banana dipped in chocolate… at a stand neat the big red barn.
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3. Pizza on a Stick
This was probably the most popular food at the Red River Ex. A lot of people were eating this one. Basically a big bun filled with toppings and sauce poked with a huge stick and baked in the oven. The pizza on a stick came in Pepperoni and Cheese, Pepperoni and Sausage, and Cheese.
The first bite: All Dough. The pizza on a stick didn’t get tasty until the middle, when you get the perfectly balanced bite of dough, toppings and sauce.
How much for an order? It’s the most expensive item on the list at $9.00.
Where can it be found? Near the “pick a color” gambling game.
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2. The Corndog
Often referred to as the king of carnival foods, the corndog is always a hit at the Red River Ex. These corndogs are huge. I’ve seen corndogs before but never this big. Corndogs at “The Ex” are nothing like those little pogo sticks you buy at the grocery store. What’s so good about the corndogs at “the ex”? They are made fresh, from dog to corndog. Each hot dog is put on a stick and dipped in a special batter then deep fried.
The first bite: The perfect balance of crispy cornbread and hotdog. It’s like eating a sweet hotdog.
How much for an order? They range from $4.00 to $7.00 depending on size and stand.
Where can it be found? Throughout The Ex Grounds
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1. Millennium Fries a.k.a. Saratoga Chips
The most entertaining and most fun food you’ll have at the Red River Ex. These chips are made in the most interesting way. Potatoes are attached to a power drill and fed into plate with a blade on it. It’s really hard to explain and must be seen. The cut up spiral cut potatoes are then deep fried. The stand that I visited had your choice of cheese sauce, gravy, and bacon bits as toppings.
The first bite: Delicious
How much for an order? Depends on what stand you go to. This stand had a big bowl of them for $7.00 and additional $1.00 per topping.
Where can they be found? Throughout the Red River Ex. But for the Millennium chips with the toppings, those can be found near the “Pick a Color” gambling game.
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