By Sandi Masori
DEL MAR, California — School is out and that means that the San Diego County Fair is in! The annual event continues with the rides, exhibits, games and of course the everything-fried-and-on-a-stick food. Every year they come up with a new item that is combined with something unlikely, put on a stick, battered and deep fried. One year it was SlimFast bars of all things, making an ironic and, in my opinion, not-so-tasty treat.
This year our editor emeritus challenged me to find the other side of the food story at the fair: how to do it the healthy way. I know, healthy food at the fair seems almost as strange a proposition as deep-fried SlimFast.
On the official map, they have heart icons next to many of the food stands indicating that they have healthy options, but we thought it would be more fun to go on a voyage of discovery and find food that was both healthy and tasty. It wasn’t always easy; one booth that we visited tried to offer us an orange chicken burrito as a healthy option, leading me to believe that the cashier there simply didn’t understand my assignment.
All was not lost though, we found five great options that will leave your belly full and your tastebuds happy.
We’ll start with the one that was the happiest surprise to me. Pepe’s Mariscos. When I saw the carne asada and chicken on the grill, I figured those would be the foods to sample. But after chatting a little with owner Lola Remirez, she convinced me to try a veggie burrito- something that as a card-carrying carnivore would not have been my first choice. Sadly, I somehow forgot to take a picture of the burrito, so you’ll just have to imagine it by my words. Instead of refried pinto beans, they use whole Peruvian white beans. This gives it a different texture and flavor than you might expect. Then they put fresh crisp lettuce and veggies in as well. The result is a very fresh tasting guilt-free dish with a pleasant snap and mouthfeel. Other good options are the fish ceviche, made with tilapia, and the fruit bowl, which I have to admit was making my mouth water just looking at it. And of course, there are always the grilled meats. If you stay away from the fried options and the cheesy options, there are actually a lot of good choices. Remirez also explained to me that they will customize everything, even when it’s crazy busy. They want to make sure that the customer has a great experience.
Ramirez has been in the food stand business for 22 years, but this is only her second year at the San Diego County Fair, and she says it’s one of her favorites of all time, especially with the Fair’s new management team. She says she loves coming and it will be an annual event for her.
Going from relatively new at the Fair to one of the very first original vendors, we visited Dee’s Chicken. Manager Trevor Molnar told me his Great Grandma Dee opened the booth the very first year of the Fair and has had a presence there ever since. If you’re a regular at the Fair, you may recognize the iconic red barn design. They have updated their options over the years, and in addition to the fried chicken they’re known for, they also have some grilled options, like a grilled veggie plate, grilled artichokes, and grilled chicken.
Speaking of recognizable booths, I think everyone recognizes the giant corn of the Corn Stars booth right at the entry gate. They do grilled corn, on or off the cob. You can do it Elote style with lots of mayo and mix-ins, or you can keep it healthy and just enjoy the grilled flavor. You wouldn’t think that a booth could stay so busy selling only one item, but it just goes to show, when you do it really well, one thing is all you need.
Another spot that has some interesting healthier options is Apollo’s Greek. A chicken skewer and a Greek salad will both tantalize your taste buds and keep you on your guilt-free plan.
Walking around the Fair will also help you put in more steps than you think but be careful not to get dehydrated in the hot sun, especially now that we’re past June gloom. Don’t worry though, a new addition to the Fair, Dustin the Coconut guy, has you covered. Here’s another booth that does just one thing and does it really well. The Coconut guy sells fresh young coconuts. That’s all. First you drink the coconut water from the fruit, and then he will cut it up to get the soft meat out. You can eat it just like that if you want to stay calorie conscious, or you can add syrups and flavors to it. Coconut water is really really good for you, full of electrolytes and potassium, so it makes a much better hydrating treat than the sugar-filled lemonades that you see at almost all the other booths.
When I was originally told to look for healthy options, I groaned, thinking back to my disastrous attempt in 8th grade to go vegetarian. At the time, going out with my carnivore friends (in the early 80s), the best I could come up with was a boring McDonalds cheeseburger hold-the-meat, so basically a wilted lettuce and cheese sandwich. With visions of that going through my head, I grudgingly accepted the assignment, and I’m very pleased to report that the healthy offerings at the Fair this year are at least as good and tasty as the deep-fried bacon-wrapped everything, if not more. You will leave feeling good about yourself for staying on track.
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Sandi Masori is a food and theatre reviewer for San Diego Jewish World. When she’s not covering food or theatre, she helps authors self-publish, hangs out with her kids, and searches for the best sushi in town.