Deep-fried Ho Hos and Chocolate-covered bacon at N.C. State Fair

I just got to taste the new treats at the fair: deep-fried Ho Hos and chocolate-covered bacon. 

Here's my verdict:

Of course, I liked the chocolate-covered bacon because chocolate and bacon are two of my favorite things to eat. They cook the bacon, freeze it, sprinkle each strip with sea salt and dip them in semi-sweet chocolate. While not as satisfying as a Vosges chocolate-bacon bar or the chocolate-covered bacon by our own local chocolatier, Luca Chocolate, it is worth a taste if you like the combination of sweet and salt. 

The Murphy House concessions will be selling the bacon at their stands inside the Kerr Scott and Education buildings. 

Now to the Ho Hos: I think it all comes down to whether you are a Ho Ho fan or not. I grew up with a box of Ho Hos in the freezer at all times. I was one of those children who would meticulously eat every shard of chocolate off the outside of the Ho Ho before eating the chocolate cake and cream roll. (It's amazing that I didn't have childhood obesity. But those were the days when children played outside unsupervised and so I worked off the Ho Hos while climbing lilac trees in our backyard.) As you can imagine, I prefer the deep-fried Ho Ho to the Twinkie. But I think I prefer a regular Ho Ho, fresh from the freezer, to anything deep fried at the State Fair.  I know that's sacrilege to deep-fried fanatics but that's my stand. 

The deep-fried Ho Hos will be available at the Murphy House concession stand at the Sam Rand Grandstand. 

Don't forget that Chef Vincent Thomas of the Chef D'lites also will have three new offerings: 

• chicken-fried bacon, which is deep-fried bacon, no breading, with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch
• deep-fried banana split, which is a deep-fried banana served over ice cream and toppings.
• deep-fried sampler, which has the deep-fried bacon and deep-fried macaroni and cheese.

Chef D'lites is located across from the bathrooms outside the Sam Rand Grandstand.

Here is a link to a map of the N.C. State fairgrounds. Happy eating!