Bacon, Goats, and A Capella. Weird Combo, Great Results

In the month leading up the San Diego County Fair, all my co-workers kept telling me was, "Oh, you have to go to the fair!" "They have great food at the fair!" They have all kinds of beers at the fair!" So, with the thought of good food and beer in mind, and some free tickets I won on from a radio station in hand, I set off to see what the hullabaloo was all about.

So. Many. People.

Seriously, it was absolutely nuts how many people were walking through the fairgrounds at any one time. It was like a sea. If the crowd has willing, one could probably crowd surf for over a mile without hitting a sparse area. 

But my crowd anxiety abated rather suddenly when I saw THIS:

Complementary cardiologist referral with every purchase!

I needed it. All of it. In my mouth. Fortunately, I had the sense to realize that would probably kill me. So I settled with just these:

Yeah, I'm gonna need that cardiologist

On the left, you've got french fries, fried in fortified bacon grease, covered in sour cream and bacon. On the right, bacon-bombs - bacon wrapped, deep-fried, beer-battered cheese balls, literally floating in melted garlic butter. If you're not drooling by the third hyphen, you're not American.

Do I regret my decision? No. Did I have to do extra 2 hours of cardio at the gym just to make myself feel OK with my decision? Yes.

There were other great things about the fair as well, including a large petting zoo, several as-seen-on-TV vendors, and a pretty decent Pentatonix concert that was also included in my free ticket.

From the pic's vantage point, you can tell the tickets were free

Must. Squish. Face.

Lamb, Cow and Pig, Oh My!

As I neared my lunch hour today, I casually glanced at the lunch I had packed for today. Leftover homemade pizza, and a yogurt. Worthy of a lunch, no doubt, but it was lacking....oomph. I wanted something hearty and juicy. 

It's Friday, and as such, I deserve a reward for making it through the week without falling asleep at work. So I decided to head over to Company Pub and Kitchen for a bite. I hadn't been there in a while, and was keen to try their fish and chips. I tried to convince a few coworkers to go with me, but they said no on the grounds that they have yet to go their without enjoying a martini, and wouldn't ruin that streak by going there for lunch on a work day. 

My meal made them regret their decision.

Upon sitting down, my waiter asked me if I was interested in today's lunch special. I had already planned on getting fish and chips, but out of curiosity I asked him what is was. I'm so glad I did.

Behold, the Glorious-ness of the Farm Burger!

THAT, my friends, is a Farm Burger. The name is deceptively vegetarian sounding, but I assure you, this burger packs a meat trifecta. A beautifully cooked 1/2 pound patty, equal parts beef, bacon, and lamb,
topped with a sunny-side-up egg, grilled onions, roasted tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, and drizzled with an amazing garlic aioli, in between a toasted ciabatta bun. This burger... it was... it was so good... I think I shed a small tear on my first bite.

The aioli had permeated the patty, making every bite a blessedly juicy, with a hint of garlic, and a punch of tender, meaty flavor. The combination of these 3 meats was pure genius, and I wish to kiss the shoes of the chef that came up with it. Not to mention this restaurant's notoriously delicious Company Chips that just sealed the deal, and brought me to food-coma bliss just an hour later.

After I had consumed this amazing dish I had been blessedly recommended by my waiter, he made my day even better.

"Yeah, it's been getting such good feedback, we're gonna make it a regular menu item starting next week."

I must remember to renew my gym membership this weekend... I'm gonna need it

Turns Out, Some Things Should NOT Taste Like Bacon

One of the shops inside the Old Town park was called the House of Jerky & Root-Beer. Original, I know, but hey, you know what your gonna find. Or so we thought. Turns out they're cashing in on the current national bacon-craze and baconifying everything. Bacon jerky, Bacon soda, Bacon-jerky flavored soda. And this piece-de-resistance:

I highly doubt Lester "fixed" this

Yup, that's a thing. Bacon cotton candy. Naturally, I'm sure you're thinking "Mine! Mine-mine-mine-mine!" And like you, we thought it was worth our moolah.

Let me save you the trouble. DON'T BUY IT. Cotton candy is good. Bacon is good. But good things do not always mix to make good things. Sometimes they make disgusting things. whose taste doesn't like to leave your mouth. For hours...

We also got jerky and root-beer. If you're wondering, it tasted like jerky and root-beer.