Eating at L.A. County Fair.

So I have a nutritionist now and a list of dietary concerns, how did I make it through a day at the Fair? Wasn't too bad. You just try to hit the mark all week and try your best when the day finally comes.

Steal a County Fair coupon book off your coworker's desk. Read and laugh.

- Purchase large funnelcake, receive FREE TOPPING.
- FREE EAR OF CORN! (with purchase of one Dinner Plate)
- At GIANT PIZZA SLICE, FREE SMALL SLICE OF PIZZA! (with the purchase of one BIG FAT SAUSAGE)
- RECIEVE MEDIUM DRINK with the purchase of "TEXAS SIZED" TURKEY LEG!
- Purchase a Chicken Sandwich and Large Drink and get French Fries for $1

I'm not kidding, these are real coupons. You'll find that most of them are useless and some are complete ripoffs.
Pick off the few that are ok and you're good to go.

I passed up the Sauza margarita stand which is our usual starting point. Citizenrobot still bought a couple shakers' worth. I went instead to one of many Hot Dog on a Stick stands for a cheese on a stick and a large lemonade. With a coupon I got an extra cheddar stick and gave it to Citizenrobot. That's a decent coupon. (about $8)

They put cheddar on a stick and batter and deep fry it. I think it's genius. I shouldn't have eaten it, but note how little condiment I used. I think that's pretty good.

Here's a baked potato (bacon, chives) that Citizen picked up from, I believe, a Spud Shack cart. It was kind of 'meh' I think. We've both had better luck at that other place that has its own building across from the race track. Remember? Worth the expense if you want a baked potato done right.

It's nearly impossible to find a vegetable at the Fair that isn't battered and deep fried. Here, we've struck gold. The only stand we could find that simply grills vegetables. This grilled vegetable kabob doesn't look like much but it wasn't bad. I ate all the veg and half that flatbread (too carby). You can do it, reader. Find the good foods. You need to keep your eyes open and read the signs. Another benefit from eating this sort of thing: NO LINE. The line for barbecue or something fried is a long wait. ($8)

From here we wandered around a bit and headed to the wine tasting area. It's air conditioned. Citizen did a flight while I went looking for a clean restroom. It was around this time that I lucked out yet again and found out that fountain sodas from the L.A. County Fair, NOT other vendors, were selling for a buck. That's right. A regular Diet Coke (or whatever you prefer) can be had for a single dollar. That's cheaper than water, my friend. Bottled water is $3, and so are sodas, but we went on awesome un-advertised cheap soda day. Got my fill while Citizen continued to taste some Gold Medal winners. ($1)

Well, we weren't done eating and soaking up cool air. We decided to stroll back to the racetrack to catch the cool breezes in the stands. I highly recommend doing this even if you aren't into gambling. It's a great place to people watch and the building itself shades you from the harsh sun behind it. I bought a thing of nachos because when's the last time I was able to enjoy those? The OC Fair? I thought splitting it with a pal would be alright and I'm done eating bad stuff for the day. Bought another dollar Diet Coke too. ($6)

No alcohol, no chocolate dipped anything, minimal fried food. Not bad. I ended the day with homemade risotto and roasted vegetables. The L.A. County Fair closes October 4. Go check it out.