Featured this last year and thought I’d repeat it for those new to Fall Festival. It has its own language…
The 98th West Side Nut Club Fall Festival opens Monday, October 7 for lunch and continues until we eat our last Pronto Pup sometime after the parade on Saturday night October 12. If it’s your first Fall Festival you’ll run across some food items that you may not have encountered before or have had them in different forms:
Pronto Pup. You know a corn dog, right? A hot dog dipped in a corn meal batter and deep fried. Well, a pronto pup is a hot dog dipped in a sweet batter like cake or donut and deep fried giving it a unique sweet and savory flavor. Pronto pups differ widely due to the type of batter and type of dog so try a few from different booths to locate your favorite. Won’t be long before you’re craving them like a native.
Kuchen. Pronounced “kook-in,” it’s the German word for cake. It’s generally referred to locally as a pastry with different fruit toppings like cherry, apple or peach. Ausgezeichnet!
Chicken and Dumplings. Lots of booths featuring everybody’s grandmother’s recipe. Taste varies widely (canned ingredients vs all homemade, etc) so sampling is encouraged. Homemade dumplings are also a common item for sale on Franklin Street during Fall Festival for when grandma cooks it for you at home.
Stromboli. A turnover using pizza or bread dough and filled with meats and cheeses. There are plenty of strom interpretations across the US but the Evansville style is most excellent and has been a long time local favorite.
Burgoo. A meat and vegetable stew that’s cooked down for hours leaving a smooth and tasty but rather thick soup. Again, tastes vary so try more than one to zero in your fave.
Brain Sandwich. It’s exactly what it says – pork brains cleaned and deep fried served on a bun with raw onion, pickle and mustard. It’s perhaps THE Fall Festival traditional food and it’s not nearly as bad as you think. Some love it. Others can’t get past what they’re eating. Two booths sell brain sandwiches and both boast long lines. You need to give it a try if only to say you did.
You’re liable to run across others so don’t hesitate to ask. Look for blogs describing food at every booth at Fall Festival next week.
Happy eating!
