San Diego County Fair: Deep-Fried Cereal for Breakfast?

These deep-fried Trix aren't for kids, unless you want to contribute to the obesity problem.

Is it not right to talk about obesity and fair food in the same sentence? Fair enough. Last week, I got a chance to preview some of the treats that will be available during the San Diego County Fair this year. (The fair opens Friday, June 8.)

One of the eye-catching fair offerings this year is deep-fried cereal. My fellow test taster, Candace, tried the deep-fried Trix and I had the Cinnamon Toast Crunch version. Now, when I was trying the deep-fried Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the pool of grease in the bottom of the basket made me clutch my heart a little. The doughy ball of greasy cereal wasn't bad, but it definitely isn't something I'd go out of my way to buy. Candace called the Trix edition "disappointing."

We also tried a chicken and vegetable kabob with fried zucchini curls that I liked much more than Candace did. The curls, however, were very sweet which is not what I want from my curly fried treats.

One thing we did agree on, however, was just how great The Pineapple Express was. You get half of a pineapple with grilled chicken, shrimp and rice (though we ended up without any rice somehow). It was a tad pricey at about $12.99, but it was by far the best thing I tried. No pool of grease in the bottom, either.

I also liked a vegan gingerbread man cookie. I'll admit I was bit hesitant because "healthy" versions of beloved sugary foods are often awful. This one was pretty good. I couldn't sit there and eat a whole box (like I could with Double-Stuffed Oreos), but if I was at the fair and looking for something sweet, this would do.

So, what are you looking forward to eating at the fair?

Carlsbad Patch Editor Deanne Goodman also has a look at some other fair foods, including red velvet funnel cake.