See this man? The one above with the innocent smile? That's Chicken Charlie. And for the record, he's not so innocent. (But that’s not a bad thing.)
One can argue that he’s single-handedly responsible for the glut of deep-fried foods at the OC Fair. He is, at least, responsible for the treats that people talk about long after the fair is over.
Take his Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich: It's a Krispy Kreme raspberry jelly doughnut stuffed with a fried chicken patty. It debuted a few years ago but failed to make the menu cut last year. What ensued from its absence was so much disappointment and woe from loyal fans
and fairgoers that he's decided to resurrect the sandwich for 2009.
This year, Chicken Charlie (Charlie Boghosian is his real name) debuts yet another dish that will leave people talking. The Zucchini Weeni
($5.75) is a hollowed-out a zucchini, stuffed it with a hot dog,
battered and deep-fried, and finally served with an optional squirt of
ranch dressing. (And I guess you can say it's not as bad as the Krispy Kreme, because you're getting some veggies in.)
By chance, I ran into Chicken Charlie at a Yelp bacon event last night. I had attended to try the chocolate covered bacon (pictured above) which is another OC Fair first (it's also a goodie, especially with salt!). There stood Chicken Charlie, deep-frying Oreos and Zucchini Weenis. I got to try a Zucchini Weeni (Pictured at bottom right. It was awesome!) and ask him something that I've always wondered about him.
You see, there's a rumor that if you bring anything to him, he'll deep fry it for you. I had originally asked a helpful OC Fair employee about it. “He won’t deep-fry anything you bring him,” says OC Fair Communications Director Robin Wachner. “But maybe anything within reason. He just may deep fry it if you ask him.”
So I did. Would he deep fry anything for me? He smiled. No, he won’t deep fry just anything, he says, confirming what Wachner said. “If someone gave me plastic, I wouldn’t do it because it melts,” Charlie said. “But I did deep-fried my own T-shirt once.”
He’s fearless. If we don’t love him for that reason alone, we love him because he gives us an excuse to order things like Zucchini Weenis and Krispy Kreme sandwiches in an environment where it's not only Kosher, but it's embraced - applauded, even.
Other OC Fair debuts to look forward to:
- Pizza Bites ($5.75): A deep-fried pizza pocket.
- Zucchini Nachos ($8.75): Zucchini curls topped with cheese, bacon and jalapeños.
- Deep-fried s’mores ($5.75): It’s exactly what it sounds like, and it’s “ridiculously good,” Wachner says. “It tastes like a doughnut filled with chocolate and marshmallows.”
- Jumbo Funnel Cake: Head over to the booth that says “Apple Fries,” and you’ll find these mega funnel cakes (photo, left). They’re $11 (without strawberry and whipped cream topping), and if you can finish the entire thing in 20 minutes in front of an audience, you won’t have to pay for it. Just to give you an idea of how big it is, it feeds six to eight people. (Good luck!)
Healthy items:
“Man can’t live on deep-fried food alone,” Wachner says. For this reason, Chicken Charlie has hummus, pita bread, grilled chicken and beef kabobs on his menu.
The OC Fair, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Open today through Aug. 9 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Single-day admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors over 60 and $5 for children ages 6-12. Call 714-708-1500 or visit www.ocfair.com for complete fair schedule.