NYS Fair world food tour: 12 ways to eat around the globe, here on the fairgrounds

Geddes, N.Y. — For some, a trip to the New York State Fair is one of nostalgia, where the checklist of must-have items, like Italian sausage sandwiches, fried dough and other carnival classics, changes little year after year.

For others, the fair is an opportunity to explore something new. As the variety and diversity of cuisines have increased in recent years, so has the opportunity for fairgoers to explore new foods and cultures — and in the case of some, find a familiar taste of home in a place where it hadn’t existed before.

We set off at the 2024 New York State Fair to dine around the world and find a meal and a delectable snack/dessert from each continent. For the most part, we were successful — with a few creative liberties allowed.

North America

Traditional corn soup and fry bread

Where: Soup House, Indian Village

Of all the eating establishments at the New York State Fair, there is nothing like the Soup House in the Indian Village. In fact, there aren’t any restaurants like it in Central New York. The Soup House offers traditional Haudenosaunee dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day of the fair.

The menu changes daily, but typically features soups and salads for lunch and filling dinners, often featuring bison or venison. There’s also an American side of the menu with dinner classics like chicken and biscuits and pot roast.

The traditional corn soup ($7.50) and fry bread ($4) are available daily. The brothy soup is mild on its own, but chock-full of Indigenous white corn, with kernels far more substantial than average sweet corn, along with red kidney beans and bacon. The warm and chewy fry bread is a natural pairing with the soup.

Cider doughnuts

Where: 1911 Established/Beak and Skiff Apple Farms, State Fair Boulevard

As the saying goes, it’s as American as apple pie. Unfortunately, there isn’t apple pie at the fair and the Grandma’s Kitchen booth inside the Eatery, whose warm apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream were a perennial favorite, is now closed.

Fortunately, Beak & Skiff/1911 serves up these sugar-dusted fried treats ($5 for three doughnuts.) The only downside is that a Beak & Skiff cider doughnut means that summer is nearly over and fall is fast approaching.

Central America/Caribbean

Red snapper

Where: Petu Haitian Soule Food, Pan-African Village

While Central America and the Caribbean are not separate continents, the diverse and rich offerings from these regions make them worth highlighting.

While the Pan-African Village doesn’t yet feature Ethiopian, Somali, Congolese or other African cuisines found elsewhere in Central New York, the village does feature Petu Haitian Soule Food, where they’re serving up a short-but-sweet menu that hits on several Haitian staples, such as griot (fried marinated pork), chiktay (salted codfish salad) and red snapper ($25). The fish is served whole in a bright, citrusy sauce that also doubles as a dip for the fried plantains served alongside. The meal includes a side — options include rice with red beans, Haitian black rice and Haitian mac and cheese, flavored with sweet peppers and onions.

Fried sweet plantains

Where: Sarita’s, Pan-African Village

You can’t go wrong with the empanadas from this longtime CNY-based food truck, but when I saw a fresh batch of plantains ($6) come out of the fryer, I knew my order was set. They’re sweet, caramelized and finished with just a sprinkle of salt. They’re sharable — though you might not want to.

South America

Steak on a stick and Brazilian lemonade

Where: Brazilian Bowls, West End

The state fair is admittedly short on South American food, but thankfully there’s Brazilian Bowls. Located on the West End, near the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, Brazilian Bowls may get its name from its rice-and-meat stuffed pineapple bowls, but for those craving unadulterated beefiness, the steak on a stick ($15) is a good option. No, there’s no waiter coming around to your picnic table with churrasco swords slicing all-you-can-eat picanha, but this’ll do just fine.

Contrary to its name, Brazilian lemonade ($5 for small, $8 for large) is made with lime and is lightly creamy, thanks to the addition of sweetened condensed milk. It hits the spot on a hot, late summer day.

Australia

Kangaroo on a stick

Where: Stix & Things, Iroquois Street

Since no vendors are selling Vegemite on toast, kangaroo on a stick ($15) will have to do. Hop on over to Stix & Things, where these tastes of Down Under are grilled to order alongside skewers of gator, shark, wild boar and elk, alongside the more commonplace chicken, steak and shrimp.

Though one might think it’s a gimmick, this ‘roo is no ruse. Make sure to grab some extra napkins because this red meat was run-down-your-arm juicy despite being cooked to medium-well. When it comes to state fair foods, the humble wooden stick is the true melting pot.

Europe

Polish Garbage Plate

Where: Babcia’s Pierogi, The Eatery

Sure, there’s pizza and Italian sausage sandwiches and maybe Irish egg rolls count for something, but for a taste of Europe at the fair, head to Babcia’s Pierogi. Though they’re based in Buffalo, Babcia’s borrows some Rochester inspiration for its Polish Garbage plate ($14), which features potato and cheese pierogi topped with caramelized onions, Polish goulash, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cheese curds and Sadie’s Hot Relish, A cabbage-based condiment local to Buffalo.

The goulash includes both ground beef and smoked kielbasa, which is very much in the spirit of the classic Rochester multi-meat mashup.

Italian Rainbow Cookie Milkshake

Where: Sicilian Breeze, The Eatery

Only a few booths down from Babcia’s is Sicilian Breeze, a newcomer to the Eatery building that’s also a cheat code for this assignment, because everything they do, from the homemade gelato and Italian ices, to the Italian pastries, are real deal legit Sicilian.

Of course, the Italian rainbow cookie milkshake ($9) stretches that authenticity in the name of state fair flair, but as a self-professed rainbow cookie fanatic, it’s impossible to pass up. The tri-colored cookies (really mini cakes, but that’s another story) are blended with milk and vanilla ice cream before being garnished with whipped cream and even more rainbow cookies.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for an afternoon pick-me-up, or the jolt of energy you need to power through to the 8 p.m. Suburban Park concert, go for the affogato ($7), which pairs a scoop of that homemade gelato with a freshly drawn double shot of espresso.

Middle East/Mediterranean

Gyros

Where: Multiple locations

Once again, this is not its own continent, but Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food has such a visible presence at the state fair that it’s worth its own mention. Just think of it as taking Antarctica’s place in this continental tour.

Many vendors, including several local brick-and-mortar restaurants like Kiki’s, Munjed’s, King David’s and Syracuse Halal Gyro, serve their renditions of the gyro, a state fair icon that rightfully earned its #5 spot in our NYS Fair Food Hall of Fame.

Baklava

Where: Chocolate Treats, The Eatery

This booth’s name doesn’t do justice to the variety of desserts served, including Turkish baklava ($3 for small, $6 for large), available in walnut and pistachio — my personal favorite. The baklava was filled with large pieces of pistachio and enough sweet honey syrup to moisten the bottom while keeping the many top layers light and crispy. For an extra treat, they’ll split the baklava open and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This isn’t just one of the best baklavas at the state fair — it’s one of the best in all of Central New York.

Asia

Beef Sweet Bop

Where: Ji-Woo’s Korean Seoul Food, Restaurant Row

This Cicero-based food truck serves up traditional Korean meat and rice dishes, including grilled thinly sliced beef ($15), chicken ($14) and pork ($14) served over rice. Can’t decide? The combo bop ($20) combines all three into one delicious sampling, proof that sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too.

Veggie egg roll

Where: Dang’s Cafe, The Eatery

This Vietnamese eatery, which recently reopened its brick-and-mortar restaurant in Camillus, serves a menu of egg rolls, dumplings, chicken wings, bubble tea and other items inside the Eatery. The veggie egg rolls, filled with a mixture that includes julienned carrots, cabbage, sweet potato, wood ear mushroom, corn and glass noodles, were the standout. Even the sweet chili sauce served alongside was exceptional.

What a tour! Here’s to hoping for even greater representation in future fairs — especially for African cuisines — and for more vendors and fairgoers willing to take a chance on offering, and trying, something new. It’s only a matter of time until not only are those new dishes introduced, someone will have figured out how to batter and deep-fry them.

Jacob Pucci is a food and restaurant critic for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Threads or Twitter/X. Sign up for our free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.