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2016 LOGAN COUNTY FAIR
LINCOLN DAILY NEWS July 29 - August 6, 2016
One of the first places to open on the
fairgrounds is the stand for Peggy’s
Place. This stand is one of the first
to open each year, and both this year
and last as I walk out of the crowded
4-H buildings, there is already a line
forming outside of their window.
That’s a good sign in my book, and
not just because I’m hungry. I would
go so far as to say that Peggy’s earns
that line. Their food is good, and their
prices are relatively reasonable for
fairgrounds-style sustenance. But as
there was a line, I had to wait a little
longer for my turn. That was okay.
It gave me time to walk around and
get some pre-emptive exercise. I’ll
need it after my diet this week, but
goodness knows I’ll be too tired to
move by then.
As I return from a lap around the fairgrounds, I see
that the line is significantly smaller. There is only an
elderly woman waiting in front of me now. I hear her
order a corn dog and a refill on her drink. This gives
me an idea for my own food. I don’t need a drink
yet, but I have to get a corn dog from this place. It’s
practically a law to get a corn dog at the fair. To do
otherwise only invites a feeling of missing out on
some great secret to life itself.
Ordering a corn dog at Peggy’s results in
a bit of a wait. This is because they take
their time as they dip the frank in batter
and fry it. I don’t imagine that corn
dogs at Peggy’s stay under the heat lamp
very long, a problem other stands have
on occasion.
Like many people, I prefer my corn dogs
with mustard. I don’t hate ketchup,
but ketchup is for potatoes and beef,
not corn dogs. In a sense, mustard is
my ketchup, in a weird sort of way.
Furthermore, I’m fascinated by the way
corn dog vendors literally paint with
condiments. It’s an art form that I can’t
master in my home. Then again, I’m a
writer, not an artist.
The nice young woman behind the counter hands me
my corn dog and I leave, again to find a quiet place
to eat. Eating a corn dog is not like eating a steak
sandwich. You try to savor the steak and take it slow,
but a corn dog is best eaten when wolfed down before
the mustard dries. This isn’t possible, even for the
best eaters, but I try anyway. Even with the dried
mustard at the end, my trip to this stand was a pleasant
one, and my corn dog was quite tasty. My only regret
is that I didn’t follow the woman in front of me and
get a drink with it. Oh well. Lessons for later.
Foodie
goes to
the fair:
Day 2 of the Foodie trek
By Derek Hurley