Take a Cavity-Inducing Bite 31 Photos
Whether they're deep-fried or bacon-covered, these classic confections are worth the glucose spike.
Most-Awesome Foodstuffs Known to Mankind 11 Photos
It’s no secret that carnivals feature some of the unhealthiest, and most-awesome, foodstuffs known to mankind. But even these festive funtopias occasionally go too far. Here are some of the wackiest and strangest foods that'll have you tossing your triple-fried cookies all over that dang Gravitron.
Get Carnifull 13 Photos
You don't have to head to a carnival to eat your favorite fair foods. Try making these 12 delicious — and mostly deep-fried — delights at home, ferris wheels optional.
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Noah's New Movie Night Snack 02:53
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Over-the-Top Cheesiness 01:20
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Behind the Scenes 03:04
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Love a Fair 02:11
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Carnival Eats Techniques 01:11
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Destination Alaska 02:24
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Gaffes and Gags 02:28
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Food Fails 02:16
Going Deeper into the Fryer
Episodes
See Episode GuideHot Doggin'
Host Noah Cappe visits festivals and fairs across the country in search of frankly delicious dogs. From a crab dip smothered dog in Maryland, to a cheesy, spicy Chile Relleno Dog in California and dessert dogs covered in whipped cream and chocolate, it's time to "ketchup" with your family's favorites in this Carnival Eats special episode.
Everything's Better With Bacon
Resistance is futile: Everything's better with bacon and Noah Cappe is here to prove it. As he travels to festival and fairs across the country, Noah finds the biggest, baddest and best bacon dishes around.
Calgary Stampede
It's the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, and host Noah Cappe has arrived at the Calgary Stampede ready to eat! He starts his visit off with the Stampede's hot new hit, Scorpion Pizza -- a slice of pizza loaded with edible insects. There are fair classics like Deep Fried Butter, Hot Beef Sundae, Deep Fried Mac and Cheese and Saltwater Taffy. Noah partakes of Calgary's cowboy culture in the traditional Stampede Breakfast, and finds some fusion food in the form of the Chicken Tinga Masala Tostada.
From Livestock to Lemons
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the biggest events in Texas. With over 2.5 million visitors a year, it's the perfect place for carnival concessionaires to perfect their offerings. Host Noah Cappe gets a lesson in the meat that makes Texas famous, sampling the Texas Chili Burger and the Big Texas Barbecue Baked Potato. Then he tries a local legend's tamale recipe before rounding off the day with Strawberry Waffle Bombs. Next, he arrives at Lemonade Days in Dunwoody, Georgia to discover a new breakfast concept called Rise & Shine Pizza. A Sushi Burrito is an East-West fusion food that tickles his taste buds while The Funnel Cake Dog proves that even the wackiest carnival concoctions can be a success.
From Renaissance to Rio Grande
Young squire Noah Cappe tries his hand at making the King's Court Conch Fritters, decadent Deep Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownie Bites, a picquant Fried Green Tomato BLT and the Cookies and Cream Sandwich. Biding adieu to his new friends, Noah heads west to Mercedes, Texas where the rough and ready cowboys and girls at the Livestock Show rustle up some western grub like Deep Fried Cheesesteak, Outlaw Fries and the enormous Suicide Taco that's so huge you need two plates and four hands to hold it.
From Derby Day to Down State
Host Noah Cappe is off to the races in Louisville, Ky., at the Kentucky Derby Festival. First he chows down on a custom made pizza, the Kentucky Hot Brown. Then it's time to get a little bit country with Ozark Style Loaded Fries, piled high with pork, baked beans and cheddar cheese. Ending the day are two sweet treats: Festive Funnel Cake made with pumpkin and Kentucky's Fried Cookie Dough. Next he heads to Beaumont, Texas, for the South Texas State Fair where local specialties are The Swamp Thing and Hush Kitties.
Steak Out
Noah Cappe is in carnivore mode for the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas. From the Southwest Dog to the Show Hog, no one goes home hungry. Then he heads to the Great Anderson County Fair in South Carolina for a "steak out" in the form of the Spud Steak Sandwich before wrapping up the day with a midway mashup, the Apple Cheesecake Quesadilla.
Toastbusters
Noah Cappe hits the Hunt County Fair in Greenville, Texas, and makes short work of the Smoke Bomb and the French Toast Crunch Burger. But it's the Blue Bacon Cheesecake that really knocks him out. Then he's off to California, where the annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival has inspired sweet berry treats like the Pizza Berry Pie and the surprising Strawberry Crisp Corn Dog.
Mac and Cheese and Monster Meat
Noah Cappe takes a bite out of the Great New York State Fair where The Defibrillator gets his heart pumping. Then he tries on two local favorites -- the piquant Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese and the Crispy Clamwich. For dessert, he wolfs down PB&J Ice Cream. Then it's off to Columbia for the South Carolina State Fair, where the floods don't stop Noah from sinking his teeth into The Super Stick and a Monster Meatball Sub, before The King's Corn Dog gets Noah all shook up.
Shepherd's Pie and Sunday Dinner Sundaes
Noah Cappe kicks things off at the Big E in West Springfield, Mass., where he "meats up" with a deconstructed Turducken Sandwich and the award-winning Country Fried Shepherd's Pie. He ends the day on a sweet note with two desserts: Deep Fried Fruit Punch and The Big E-clair. Then, at the Gwinnett County Fair in Georgia, meat is on the menu for every course as Noah chows down on a Sunday Dinner Sundae and the Funnel Fried Bacon for dessert.
Dumplings and Pumpkins
Noah Cappe's first stop is at the North Florida Fair in Tallahassee, where he feels the burn with Dead Heat Tacos. He then takes on the Bacon Blast, the two and a half-foot Belly Buster Philly Cheesesteak and Reverend Larry's Oxtail. Next, he heads over the border to the Erin Fall Fair in Ontario, Canada, where he meets up with the original apple dumpling gang for their Ag Ladies Apple Dumplings, goes hog wild for Pork Belly Sliders and carries a torch for Crackle Lanterns.
Bowls and Rolls
The Norfolk County Fair in Ontario, Canada, is a culinary carnival. Noah Cappe appreciates the Thanksgiving Bowl, Butter Bacon Poutine, the Cheeseburger Eggroll, and downs it all with Ale and Apple Fritters. In South Carolina, he visits the Columbia Country Fair, where he takes a bite out of Gator Nuggets with Swamp Sauce, squeals with delight over the Hog on a Log and gets dinner and dessert together in the heavenly Angel and Devil Dogs.
Meat and Mandarins
Noah Cappe is at the Eastern Carolina Agricultural Fair in Florence, S.C., where the Calzagna has him dancing for joy. He then peels into a Deep Fried Philly Blossom, gets hot for a Smokin' Okra Burger and investigates the Deep Fried Banana Pudding. Next, at the Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn, Calif., the launches into the Atomic Habanero Tots, The Big Yum and a Mandarin Cheesecake Pizza.
Souperman
Noah Cappe ventures to the land of cheese for the Wisconsin State Fair and is greeted with the ooey-gooey French Onion Soup'r Stick. The Wisconsin Hot Chicken Bomb is a local variation on fried chicken, and the state's signature cocktail is transformed into the Deep-Fried Old Fashioned dessert. Then Noah is off to Goshen, Ind., for the Elkhart County 4-H Fair. One of the prettiest fairgrounds in Indiana, it's also home to an iconic Indy Burger, a new take on the funnel cake and the mysteriously delicious Dark and Minty.
Dawn of the Bread
Noah Cappe cruises up the west coast, starting at the Columbia County Fair in St. Helens, Ore. First up is a traditional Indian fry bread stuffed with some non-traditional ingredients, then Noah dives into the coastal fusion of the Great Pacific Pita before he gets his paws on the Deep Fried Chili Dog. Finally, Noah erupts with happiness when he eats the Marionberry Volcano. Later, Noah visits the El Dorado County Fair in Placerville, Calif. where he's excited to meet the Rib Pop, taste new heights with Maui Wowies and chow down on the Banana S'more Crepe Cones!
Zacho Libre
Noah Cappe heads to Charlotte, Mich. for the Eaton County Fair, where he takes a swing at the PB Battered Burger, then goes coco-nutty for the Pina Colada Shrimp Tacos. The eating's also good in Eaton when he digs into fried zucchini Z'achos and a Super Fried Strawberry Shortcake. Later on, Noah heads to the Montgomery County Fair in Gaithersburg, Md. where he tastes some Pigs in a Pancake, gets a little corny with Columbian Street Corn and finds a partner with the Matcha Made in Heaven.
Jurassic Pork
At the Wilson County Fair, nestled in Lebanon, Tenn., Noah Cappe bites into some classic Tennessee Hot Chicken, tastes authentic home cooking with Meme's Meatloaf Sammy, and samples a pair of sinfully sweet fusion treats: the Apple Pie Cheesecake and the Cotton Candy Cupcake. At the Pickaway County Fair in Circleville, Ohio, Noah huffs and puffs his way through the Three Little Pigs Melt, goes long with the Buffalo Chicken Stromboli and gets hog-wild for the Big PLT.
A Guac to Remember
Noah Cappe takes the west coast by storm, starting with the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. He gorges on the Big Pickle Dog, then stands at attention for the Colonel Katsu Bao, an Asian-inspired chicken taco. For dessert, Noah chills out with the Deep Fried Margarita and snacks on the Churroreo. Noah's second west coast stop is at the LA County Fair in Pomona, Calif., where he dips into some Deep Fried Guacamole, porks out on the Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly and finally, bites into The Noah, a spicy-sweet dessert made just for him.
Meat, Pray, Love
Noah Cappe starts at the Delaware State Fair, where he'll eat the very stately Delaware Dog, a hot dog loaded with scrapple. Then, he'll try to tackle the funnel cake-filled Frankenfunnel Burger and the octopus-loaded Octotaco. Finally, he indulges with the Killer Cereal Treat, a deep-fried fruity breakfast smothered in ice cream. His second stop is the Obion County Fair in Union City, Tenn., where Noah snacks on some authentic Tennessee Wings, praises the Pope's Polish Pizza, and digs into the strawberry-est funnel cake on the fairgrounds.
Cheesy Rider
At the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, Va., Noah Cappe eats big with the Monumental Grilled Cheese and has his interested peaked by the crab dip-topped Chesapeake Bay Poutine. While there, he also indulges in some Big Daddy's BBQ Rolls and Peach Blossom Dumplings. Then, at the Western Fair in London, Ontario, he dives into a Poutine Dog, the Bacaroni Bowl and Cherry Cheesecake Tempura.
From Small Town to Farmville
On this episode, host Noah Cappe travels to the Nederland Heritage Festival, where food from around the world is prepared by an army of volunteers. From the Cowboy Pistolettes to Sopapillas, to Chicken Fried Bacon and a very fun egg-stravaganza. Later, he travels to Farmville, NC for the Dogwood Festival - home to southern comfort food with a fair flare. From the Oh Boy! Po' Boy sandwich to Cocoa Bananas home made ice cream, these are real garden goodies.
From Crawfish to California
Noah Cappe goes coastal at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival. From Crawfish Cakes to Oyster Rolls, to a pair of classic carnival desserts, this festival covers all the bases from seafood to sweets. Then it's off to Porterville, California where they've got a uniquely savory funnel cake, deep fried pizza and an Inside Out Pineapple Upside Down Cake on a stick makes this event a fork-free food frenzy.
From Chowchilla-Madera to Ciao!
In the tiny town of Chowchilla, CA Noah Cappe discovers some carnival eats that deserve to be shared with the world. First up, it's the Deep Pit Barbeque, a meat extravaganza that takes three days to prepare. Noah also enjoys a Funnel Cake Cheeseburger and the Baja Avocado Taco. Across the country in New Jersey, the St. Michael's Italian Festival celebrates the cultural and culinary history of Italian-Americans with Zeppole, a cheesecake known as Cake 'n Bacon and a bad boy of a sandwich: The Hoboken Fat Boy.
From Strawberry to Silver Dollar
The Brandywine Strawberry Festival in Pennsylvania is home to "The Colossal" a crab cake/roast beef combo that has host Noah Cappe going wild. Other favorites at this annual celebration include The Sizzler, the Chicken Parm'wich and Strawberry Kettle Corn. Then Noah heads to Chico, CA for the Silver Dollar Fair, where he strikes gold with the Sinfully Sweet Spicy Cheese Pretzel.
Deep-Fried Inferno
Where there's smoke, there's fire, and Noah Cappe is ready to have his taste buds fired up at the Spencerport Volunteer Firemen's Association Carnival in New York. From the Flaming Weck to the Five Alarm Fries, there's plenty of sizzle. Then Noah gets a serving of Southern hospitality at the Great Anderson County Fair in South Carolina, where he chows down on the Backyard BBQ Burrito and Smash Potato Waffles.
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