Spokane vs. Food Pig Out in the Park isn’t just a bunch of hot dogs and hamburgers BY INLANDER STAFF
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f there are 47 different food purveyors in a single park, there should be something you want to eat there. This is essentially the mission statement of Pig Out in the Park, the annual endof-summer indulgence dropping calories by the thousands into Riverfront Park for six days. We dropped the menu items into a supercomputer (we won’t bore you with any further scientific explanation; it’s all very high-tech stuff), which told us that the five words above were the most commonly used phrases found at Pig Out — but are associated with a wide array of cuisine.
64 INLANDER AUGUST 29, 2013
FRIED
There’s bound to be no shortage of fried food at a large-scale food festival like Pig Out. That’s just the American way. But what we found goes far beyond fries and chicken. Deep-Fried Snickers — County Fair Foods This is the fourth consecutive year you’ll be able to get a deep-fried Snickers bar at Pig Out in the Park, thanks to County Fair Foods, the Spokane-based company that expects to sell about 2,000 bars this year. The Snickers are dipped in funnel cake batter before hitting the fryer basket, emerging crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside. “People used to buy these because they were curious what they tasted like. Now, they’re
DIPPED buying them because they love them,” says County Fair Foods manager Tim McKay. (MIKE BOOKEY)
Chocolate-smothered fruit is always a big hit at Pig Out, but fruit isn’t all you’ll find dripping in deliciousness.
Fried catfish po’ boy and hush puppies — Gumbo Goddess Joycelyn Kelly, the woman behind Vancouver, Wash.-based Gumbo Goddess, has been winning awards for her fried catfish since she was 15 years old. Working off a recipe she learned from her grandfather, Kelly’s po’ boy was so popular at last year’s Pig Out in the Park that she was going through 15 cases of fish a day just to keep up with demand. The Texas-style sandwich also comes with two hush puppies — which, in case you’re a clueless northerner, are deep-fried balls of cornmeal. (MB)
Frozen cheesecake, bananas or ice cream bars dipped in chocolate — Bloem Flowers, Chocolates, Paperie For as long as Pig Out has been happening (34 years), longtime Spokane florist, chocolate and gift shop Bloem has set up in the same spot in Riverfront Park to offer delectable treats hand-dipped in melted chocolate and coated with crunchy nuts. On a warm, summer evening, what’s better than a slice of frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate? Well, maybe Bloem’s popular caramel apples — a Pig Out exclusive — but if you start early there’s enough time to try all four desserts. (CHEY SCOTT)