Aug. 30, 2022 | Payton North pnorth@thereminder.com

Storrowton Tavern always brings their A-game to the fair with a hearty option – this year it is the chicken pot pie in a bread bowl. Reminder Publishing photo by Payton North

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Big E is back, and better than ever.

On a sunny morning on Aug. 25, the news staff at Reminder Publishing, along with countless other media outlets, had the opportunity to head over to the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds for their media food tasting event. Annually, the Big E hosts the media to showcase their new offerings for the upcoming fair season. This year did not disappoint.

When one thinks of the Big E – or even more generally – fairs – the mind often travels to unhealthy foods. For instance – the Craz-E Burger, fried butter … fried Oreos … fried Samoas … fried Twinkies … fried … well … everything. But the Big E is much more than its greasy, battered sweets – and this year they proved that by offering countless new healthier options for patrons to enjoy.

Not to worry, traditionalists. There are a few new goodies for you, too.

New food and drinks are listed in alphabetical order by vendor, along with their location in the fair.

Bakery on Brewer – New England Avenue

Angelo Alduini and Hector Maldonado presented pumpkin fritters rolled in cinnamon sugar as well as apple bacon fritters topped with honey.

The apple bacon fritters were enjoyed by many on the staff, though a few felt that perhaps the bacon was one item too many. Some felt the fritters and honey stood alone well – while others adored the addition of the bacon’s savory flavor in contrast to the sweet honey.

Staff Writer Ryan Feyre thought the fritter was just right. “The bacon bits and honey in particular offered a deft balance of sweet and savory, while the fritters themselves tasted warm and velvety – thus making this the quintessential New England treat for a crisp stroll through the fair.”

For those who might not like overpowering pumpkin flavor, the pumpkin fritters are for you. Managing Editor Dennis Hackett explained, “I was expecting a mix of cinnamon and pumpkin flavors as I bit into the fritter. While the fritters do in fact mix those flavors, it was not as strong as I was expecting but if pumpkin comes on a little too strong for you, these fritters will not do that.”

Cha Feo – Young Building

Cha Feo presented delicious boba teas – also known as bubble tea – to food tasters. On display when the Reminder Publishing team arrived was their brown sugar boba tea with milk, which is boba in whole milk flavored with brown sugar. In addition, at the fair, they will offer a passion fruit boba tea and a lemon and lime boba tea.

For those who haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy boba – boba are chewy tapioca pearls that sit at the bottom of the tea drinks. The brown sugar boba will be one of a variety of flavors offered at the fair, according to owner Eddie Chen.

Staff Writer Jonathan Gerhardson spoke with Chen, who owns a boba café on Newbury Street in Boston. Chen explained he hopes to bring a brick-and-mortar location to West Springfield in the future.

Harpoon Beer Hall – New England Avenue

Harpoon Beer Hall offered two foods that were hits amongst the news staff – the Rise & Shine Pretzel, which is a pretzel baked and crusted with everything bagel seasoning served with chive cream cheese – and the Stuffed Grilled Cheese, which is a grilled cheese stuffed with cool ranch Doritos and drizzled with ranch dressing.

Hackett explained, “As someone who loves pretzels and bagels, seeing an everything bagel seasoned pretzel caught my eye immediately looking at the list of vendors at the tasting – and I was not disappointed. Each bite of the pretzel was full of flavor combining that taste with the chive cream cheese for dipping was an excellent combination.

Executive Editor Mike Dobbs agreed. “A perfect fall snack would be this item along with a beer. Unexpectedly delicious.”

Lauren LeBel, staff writer, said the pretzel is a must-taste. “Out of all the food I tried, the pretzel was by far my favorite. When I go to the fair, I will be on the hunt for a larger portion of this delectable creation,” she said.

Feyre is a grilled cheese aficionado and enjoyed Harpoon’s stuffed grilled cheese. He shared, “While most people regard grilled cheese as a rudimentary sandwich, others see the timeless domestic staple as an opportunity for boundless experimentation. Harpoon Beer Hall clearly takes the latter stance with their stuffed grilled cheese with cool ranch Doritos. I typically find ranch vile, but the flavor from the Doritos surprisingly accentuates the taste of the actual sandwich without overpowering the core ingredients.”

Las Kangris – Young Building

Arroz Con Gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas) and Pernil al Horno (baked pork) are staples for some – and now the Big E can deliver.

Hackett was pleased with this new addition. “Las Kangris had one of my favorite dishes, Spanish rice alongside baked pork. For years when we would dine with our neighbors one of the signature dishes they always brought was Spanish rice, and I am happy to say the rice and pork available through Las Kangris tasted like a home-cooked meal with a great blend of tastes between the pork, the rice and the pigeon peas all mixed together.”

Dobbs shared his review, “The dish was quite good with a good ratio of meat to rice.”

Sassy’s Sweet Potatoes – East Road

Mary Beth and Cindy Caldwell of Sassy’s Sweet Potatoes offered one of the healthier options of the day: sweet potato tacos as well as mashed sweet potatoes with cranberry compote topping.

The sweet potato tacos as well as the mashed sweet potatoes with cranberry from Sassy’s brought me to my mother’s kitchen, reminding me of many a delectable sweet potato dish she’s created for us to enjoy.

Dobbs argued that this was among the best sweet potato dishes he has tried, and Hackett was surprised that sweet potato was such a valid replacement for the typical taco filling. “Mixed with corn and other fixings you would expect from a taco, the sweet potato taco was a solid alternative to one filled with meat,” Hackett noted.

Storrowton Tavern Soup Shack – Avenue of States

Storrowton Tavern is well-known for their hearty meal offerings year after year. A few fair seasons ago, I dined on their cheeseburg chowder at the media event, and to my surprise – I loved it.

This year was no exception. Storrowton’s Soup Shack will be serving up homemade chicken pot pie in a bread bowl.

What I appreciate most about this dish – other than the fact that it was incredibly delicious – is I often have a hard time finding a sufficient meal at fairs that are going to both satisfy and not bog me down like fried food would.

The chicken pot pie in a bread bowl is the filling of chicken pot pie, but instead of a pie shell, it is served right in a delicious round loaf of bread. Great for dipping! The filling was light, creamy, fresh and savory – I loved the sauce consistency and that it wasn’t too thick. This was a hit for me, and many of the other staff members.

SoulFully Vegan – The Front Porch

Staff Writer Matt Conway explained his experience with SoulFully Vegan’s Soulful Burger and Spicy PB&J Burger. “Skeptical about vegan burgers? SoulFully Vegan might just change your perspective. Owners Allison and Calvin Vaughan shared that they embraced vegan cuisine as a part of a health change. The duo still pack a plethora of flavor into their vegan offerings, the soulful burger and the spicy PB&J burger. The former features a dynamic kick of Jamaican spices, while the latter reimagines a childhood staple in an appetizing adult context. Both burgers won’t have eaters missing their traditional beef patties.”

LeBel agreed with Conway – and even suggested that the vegan burger tasted like a regular meat patty. “I have never tried a vegan burger before until I tasted one from Soulful Burger. The patty was topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and a lasting spice. While I would have enjoyed it more without the spice, I don’t regret trying it,” LeBel said.

The Big E Bakery – New England Center, Food Court, Avenue ShowPlace

The Big E Bakery is known for their cream puffs – and if you haven’t had one – you’re certainly missing out. Much like the fair’s name, the cream puffs are, well, big. Even when stretching my palm as large as I can, I still cannot fit the cream puff comfortably in my hand.

While occasionally the Big E Bakery will premier a new offering, they also have been known to debut new iterations of the cream puff. This year, the Big E is sharing a chocolate cream puff.

Don’t worry – there will still be the standard vanilla cream puff.

Conway explained the new ‘puff. “Cream puffs are a beloved Big E staple, but the exhibitioners bakery team has taken the flavorful dessert to new heights. Draped with a generous coating of chocolate syrup and filled with an airy chocolate frosting, the new chocolate flavor cream puff is sure to satisfy chocolate-obsessed desert fans who want to try a reimagined version of a familiar staple.”

I couldn’t agree with his assessment more. The cream is both light and rich, delighting any chocolate lover. I brought my cream puff to my parents to share, as it truly is a shareable, delectable dessert.

Connecticut-based restaurant The Place 2 Be recently opened a location in Springfield, offering their wild and at times outrageous menu offerings – especially drinks – to Western Massachusetts residents.

Known for their daring drinks, The Place 2 Be offers drinks at the restaurant in miniature (but not that small) bathtubs, complete with rubber duckies.

Immediately I spotted The Place 2 Be’s table upon entry at the fairgrounds, and I couldn’t wait to try out what they had to offer. They showcased two milkshakes: the cotton candy milkshake which is topped with buttercream, cotton candy cheesecake, cotton candy, cotton candy bites and raspberry drizzle. The maple vanilla milkshake features butter pecan syrup, topped with chicken and waffles and buttercream with butter pecan drizzle.

Both milkshakes were overflowing in each cup – intentionally, as it adds to the aesthetic the restaurant strives for. Along with the numerous toppings, each milkshake was topped with a mini, yellow rubber duckie.

I tried the maple vanilla milkshake, which was phenomenal. The chicken was in nugget form on a stick, which gave the sampler an easy way to enjoy the treat. The savory chicken had a nice contrast to the sweet waffle and milkshake. Both LeBel and I agreed that the milkshake tasted almost carbonated, which we both enjoyed.

Of the cotton candy milkshake, Hackett was surprised. “The milkshake itself was not as sugary as expected but the toppings were very sweet,” he said.

Two Weeks’ Notice Brewing Company – Local Brewers Showcase Mark Avery and Jeremy Leary offered two delicious brews at the event – one affectionately named the West Side Big Slide and the other Weekend Warrior.

West Side Big Slide is described as a New England IPA hopped with Vic Secret and Citra to give big flavors of pineapple and citrus. While Weekend Warrior is a Mexican style lager, the owners described it as a “Corona on steroids.”

“Some IPAs are usually not for the faint of heart – or at least for people who hate the bitter aftertaste,” Feyre said. “The New England IPA from Two Weeks does however mitigate this acerbic feature with pineapple and citrus flavors, making it a tolerable addition to this year’s fair.”

Many staff members opted to try the Weekend Warrior. Of the beer, Conway said, “The drink is a smooth and inviting beer that cleverly eschews the standards of your traditional alcoholic beverage.”

Villa of Lebanon – Young Building

Another healthier option at the fair can be found at Villa of Lebanon, where they feature hummus, rice, chicken shawarma, grape leaves and more.

Owner Ali Alhusseini greeted guests with a smile – and welcomed me by insisting I try more than just the grape leaves. I’m pleased he insisted, as his hummus was delicious and flavorful along with everything else he put on my plate – including the spectacular grape leaves.

I don’t get the chance to have grape leaves often. My mom made them once many years ago and I remembered loving them – but they aren’t something you typically find on a restaurant menu, and we don’t often make them in our home. The grape leaves Villa of Lebanon had to offer were the perfect amount of spice to rice ratio and were also a manageable size. I will be seeking these out when I attend the fair in a few weeks.

“The fresh bright flavors were delightful,” Dobbs shared of his experience with Villa of Lebanon.

V-One Vodka – New England Avenue

V-One attends the fair each season, offering countless vodka drinks. One year they offered a deep-fried martini, another year, a fresiling – or frozen resiling. I’ve never been disappointed with their drinks – though I did not try the fried martini, so I suppose I can’t speak for them all.

This year, V-One is premiering their double espresso vodka in various cocktails and martinis. At the event, they made espresso martinis with their vodka, coffee liquor and Irish cream. In addition, they also shared their “Dirty Shirley,” which includes their V-One Original, lemon-lime soda, grenadine and a cherry. They also had their V-One Triple Berry and Seltzer, which is V-One Triple Berry vodka, seltzer and fresh raspberries.

Gerhardson tested out the triple berry. “Their triple berry and seltzer cocktail is simple: fresh berries muddled with vodka and seltzer water. It’s a combo that’s hard to get wrong, and that V-One gets quite right. It’s refreshing and subtle.”

Almost all staffers – if not all – gave the Dirty Shirley a spin. It was light and refreshing, and dangerous. I can see myself enjoying one of these walking around the fair.

Also dangerous was the espresso martini – strong in both flavor of coffee and liquor content, this drink was a hit for all. Generally, I’m not a fan of espresso martinis as most I’ve had have too much cream. This martini was just right – enough Irish cream, but not enough to overpower the drink.

Dobbs described this beverage as a “delicious, iced latte, only with booze.”

LeBel agreed, “At 11 a.m., this drink was the pick me up I needed to go back to work feeling energized. The caffeine flavor and added cream made it feel like I was enjoying my daily iced coffee – just with a little extra kick.”

The Big E opens on Sept. 16 and will span 16 more days through Oct. 2. Advance tickets at a discount are currently available at https://www.thebige.com/.\