Best (and weirdest) eats on offer at the Sonoma County Fair

Sonoma County opened its dinosaur-themed fair Thursday, welcoming attendees into a Jurassic kingdom with a selection of food to appease even Tyrannosaurus Rex-size appetites.

The 38 listed vendors sell many of the standard fair offerings. But others switch it up with unique eats and drinks vying for fairgoers’ curious palates and dollars.

On opening day, I sped my way through the food stalls trying to spot and sample the tastiest treats.

After a couple of hours of field research — tough gig, I know — here’s what I came away with for a quick guide on some of the best food and drink this year’s fair has to offer.

Best Fry at The Thirsty Fry

French fries are the classic sidekick to burgers, sandwiches and even milkshakes, if you’re into that kind of stuff.

Variations on the fry can be found across the fairgrounds, but the “zesty” garlic fries from The Thirsty Fry make for an elevated spin on the traditional salty dish.

I ordered the small basket — $12 with tax — which was full to the brim, and I found the fries crispy and flavorful, a great treat to share.

Best Mexican food at Pepe’s Fresh Mexican Food

Latino and Hispanic attendees of the fair make up as much as 40% of ticket sales at the fair, according to Matthew Daly, the chief operations officer, and the fairgrounds’ Mexican Village serves as home for some of the fair’s best food.

Being Chicana, I take my Mexican food seriously. I came looking for authenticity, and Pepe’s Fresh Mexican delivered.

That became obvious in their lineup of salsas, where grilled jalapeños and onions were available to enjoy as a side.

I ordered a taco combo plate for $15.30 including tax. The plate came with two tacos, with a meat of your choosing, topped with onion and cilantro, and a side of rice and beans.

The carne asada was juicy and tender, with the marinade pooling at the bottom of the tortilla for optimal flavor with each bite. While the tacos were the stars of the plate, the traditional Mexican rice was flavorful, with a soft texture. The savory beans made the meal complete.

Best weird treat at Big Jim’s Dawg Pound

Fairs often pose a universal question: ‘How many edibles can we put on a stick and sell curious eaters?’ This year’s edition was no exception.

Big Jim’s Dawg Pound offered cheese on a stick, what I thought would be similar to a Korean Cheese dog. Which, if you are not familiar is a corn dog filled with gooey warm cheese. The Dawg Pound’s rendition was different.

The cheese rectangle is dipped in corn dog batter and fried to the right level of spongelike texture. I was excited for the potential stringy cheese pull of the filling. But inside lurked a lukewarm gob of cheese. The more I ate, the colder these cheese turned. Still, I could not stop. The pairing of the sweet breading with the savory orange cheese complimented each other nicely.

Best Sugar Rush at Ms. J’s Ice Cream

Feeling sluggish yet?

You could brave the intimidating Ring of Fire ride for a shot of adrenaline, but there is a sweeter route to wake up: Head for the chocolate-covered cheesecake from Ms. J’s Ice cream, $9.50 with tax.

The decadent coating adds an extra layer of flavor to the plain cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Served chilled, it’s not too cold to sink your teeth into the creamy chocolate goodness.

Best Refreshing Drink at Pepe’s Fresh Mexican Food

There are only so many times you can ride the fair’s iconic swings to cool down. The $13.11 (with tax) cantaloupe agua fresca boba is the perfect alternative.

From Pepe’s Fresh Mexican food, you can choose your blend of two fruity flavors, creating a refreshing personalized drink. I gulped down my mix of mango boba with cantaloupe juice and felt immediately rejuvenated.

Feeling like a new person, I’d reached the end my food journey.

You can embark on yours at the fair, which opens daily at noon and runs through Aug. 13.

To see the full list of food vendors, visit sonomacountyfair.com.

Reach Press Democrat intern Pricila Flores at pricila.flores@pressdemocrat.com.