What to eat at the Big E Fair, West Springfield, MA
It's almost fall time and it is fair season here in the Northeast. I haven't been to the Big E in over 5 years. I think it was time to make a trip and show off all the good food I ate!
It’s September. Almost fall time. Everything is pumpkin flavored. And, that means lots fairs and festivals. And, it just so happens the Big E is close to me. I initially wrote this guide a few years back but since the Big E is ever changing, I will update this every time I visit. There were be some oldies and but goodies. And, then some updates of new food I recommend from 2022.
Here are some of my past crowd pleasers I would recommend.
Waffle Chicken Bites at The Deep South Food Company.
Tots-a-Lot, inside gate 9A. They had various gourmet tater tots choices from loaded to buffalo to chicken pot pie. The group wanted to try the chicken pot pie tater tots. Feedback was a big thumbs up.
Perusing through the state houses, I heard the stuffed clams were pretty good from the Rhode Island house. I would definitely agree with that.
The Turducken Sandwich from New England Craft Beer Pub on the Avenue of the States. It was more a meatloaf sandwich consisting of ground turkey, chicken, and duck with cornbread stuffing and cranberry mayo. Overall, really tasty.
We stopped at Moo-Licious, which turned out to be the best decision. Located on Springfield Road. My wife wanted to try the Blueberry Pierogi Sundae. They also have a smash a pie option where they give you a big piece of pie with scoops of ice cream. They have a build your own ice cream doughnut sandwich called a Moo-Nut. And, that is exactly what I got. It was amazing! It was a perfect glazed donut with chocolate soft serve ice cream in the middle topped with peanut butter sauce and Reese's cups.
2022 Updates
Most Big E trips consist of stops at the Sam Adams Beer Garden for Octoberfest beer but this year they had an intriguing new food option. General Tso’s Pizza. I have to say I was impressed how close the flavors were and all the elements of the chicken, mozzarella, scallions, and sesame seed just worked. And, the general tso’s sauce was used as the actual sauce under the cheese.
Not new to me but my wife’s favorite she has to have each time is the Dilly Dog. A giant corn dog but the hot dog is shoved inside a pickle and then battered and fried. This is found on West Road/East Road in the back corner.
Next up, the Chompers Food Truck on New England Ave. I have to go each year and try their special. All of their offerings are great. This year’s special was Chicken Pot Pie with a side of chicken gravy.
My favorite item right now, it is so underrated. The BBQ sundae at Porky’s Palace on Commonwealth Ave. I have had the brisket and this year the pulled pork layered with coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread. It is so, so good and such a great play on the ingredients.
As my wife said, people order mozzarella stick and don’t blink. So, ordering massive chunks of fried cheddar is the same thing. And, that is what we did for the first time at the Wisconsin Cheese truck on Springfield Road. As you can guess, delicious.
Lastly, I scoured the fair to find one of the newest offerings this year, the Arancini Rice Balls truck. This was off of Springfield Road by Midway. They had a few interesting flavors to choose from aside from the classic and I had to try the Big Mac arancini. It did indeed taste like a Big Mac trenched in the special sauce.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
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Best places to eat in Nashville, TN
Nashville is a really fun and vibrant city. Full of music and history. Aside from that, I was excited to try some Nashville food. I tried to find really good local spots. Enjoy my reviews!
Aside from the bar hopping downtown and exploring a new state, I looked forward to eating in Nashville. It was an interesting trip food wise.. I have never been to a heavy, southern food area. I am not the best with spicy food but I was open to trying what Nashville had to offer. It was Labor Day weekend so it was packed everywhere. Also, we had a group of 8 so waiting in lines less than 30 minutes just wasn’t happening.
Like everyone else in Nashville, we wanted to try Biscuit Love. This was by far the most popular brunch spot in the area. Unfortunately, the line was insane.
However, when one door closes, another opens. Browsing to see what brunch places were nearby and calling to see who would accommodate 8 of us, we came across Party Fowl. Yes, you read that correctly. And, it was a great find. The group was really about the boozy brunch and this spot was it. They had various drink specials including spicy Bloody Mary’s. I am not a fan but everyone else was on board with it. As for the food, this was the best place to have Nashville hot chicken and biscuits. The biscuits were so good and they served them as appetizers with this awesome apple butter. Everyone at the table ordered the “Loaded Chicken Biscuit”, which consisted of an open-faced buttermilk biscuit topped with hot chicken (southern fried, mild, medium, Nashville Hot, or Poultrygeist), sawmill gravy, two eggs prepared your way, and lyonnaise potatoes. I didn’t mess around and I went southern fried. And, that was spicy to me. Nichole had to be the only one get something different but it was damn good! She got the smoked chicken frittata. This consisted pulled smoked chicken & caramelized onion frittata topped with melted gruyere cheese.
The trip wouldn’t have been complete without a Waffle House late night feeding. We don’t have them in the Northeast and I have never been to one. It took us two different locations to find one open (not 24 hours...lies). The meal was as expected. It wasn’t bad but it was sketchy….and the roach I noticed crawling around on the floor tied my experience with a bow. Check that off the list.
The Loveless Cafe is a pretty popular location. It is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Nashville on Highway 100. This was a motel converted into shops, markets, and a restaurant. It is like it’s own little mini mall. It is definitely cool. However, it is really crowded. The wait was almost 2 hours! Luckily, Nichole found out we can just get take out and eat on the benches and picnic tables. The food was so good. We got a little of everything. We got the pulled pork, fried green tomato with pimento cheese, and fried chicken biscuit sliders along with a side of mac & cheese and hashbrown casserole. And, a slice of coconut pie. The fried green tomato and pimento cheese combo was by the far the best. The biscuits were on point too. This was worth the price of the rental car.
The other noteworthy place we ate was in the Indigo Hotel called The District Bar & Kitchen. The menu looked good and we were spot on with our choice. For starters, we had a buffalo chicken egg roll and fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and five pepper jelly. This combo blew my mind the whole trip. Would've never expected fried green tomatoes plus pimento cheese to be absolute heaven...lesson learned. For the entree, I had the Indigo wrap which consisted of pulled pork, country ham, swiss cheese, dijon, bread & butter pickles. Nichole got a good eye. She went with a dish called the Four Way. This was a bed of rigatoni with cheddar cheese covered with tortilla chips and chili. Another good find in downtown Nashville.
Lastly, I can't forget about the ice cream. On the last night, we went to Mike's Ice Cream in the downtown area. They had many ice cream options and a variety of cone options. I got a scoop of red velvet and a scoop of butter pecan in a chocolate chip cookie cone. Oh yea...pure gluttonous.
We got to eat in popular locations and some unknown locations. All in all, another successful trip of eating. There is a lot more food in Nashville to try. Until next time!
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Feelin' Glazed: Must-Try Donuts in Beacon, NY's Hudson Valley
Indulge in the best donuts Beacon, NY has to offer with our 'Feelin' Glazed' guide. Discover the Hudson Valley's sweetest treats and pair them with a stroll through Beacon’s vibrant local scene.
Recommendation: Glazed Over Donuts
Where: Beacon, NY - Hudson Valley
Info: I would anticipate a wait as you are getting completely customized donuts. The lines go quick and it will be worth the wait!
There is an outside area to sit during the warmer months.
front of the donut shop
What to expect
As you will see throughout my blog, I am definitely TEAM DONUT….for life. I hope to find as many donut spots as possible. And, just by chance, I came across a little gem in Beacon, NY called Glazed Over Donuts. I can’t take all the credit on the find. My girlfriend’s parents live nearby and she heard about the opening of this shop. A couple months after the opening, we made our first visit. This is a very unique donut shop and a great donut experience. It is located on Main Street in a popular, trendy downtown area near many shops and restaurants. This is a great spot if you’re looking for Beacon weekend foodie spots. The shop is small but is very welcoming. Everyone who works there is really friendly. There is an outside area with tables and chairs for the warmer months. Two concepts make this donut shop really special. First, you can craft your own donut how you want it. When you walk in, you go right to the counter and pick up one of the clipboards that give you a checklist of options. You can choose from one glaze, one topping, and one drizzle for each donut. There are 8 glazes, 13 toppings, and 9 drizzles. I would suggest looking ahead at the options because once you are there, you will want everything (unless that’s just me). Additionally, they have a donut of the day that features toppings not included on their typical menu. The other cool thing about Glazed Over is your donuts are made fresh to order and you can watch the entire donut making process through a glass window. You can see the batter being dropped into oil through the machine they use. Then you can watch the employees customizing your donuts. I think this is awesome. As a donut connoisseur, I am always curious to see the donut process. With that said, I would anticipate a wait as you are getting completely customized donuts. The lines go quick and is worth the wait.
#sundaesunday
Signature Donuts You Have To Try
Now, for the donuts. They make one type of donut. The base is a cake donut. They do not have any filled donut options, i.e. jelly or boston cream. They are smaller donuts, but not minis. I am more of a gluttonous guy and lean toward the crazier, larger specialty donuts but there is a place for simpler and smaller sized donuts. I think they hit it out of the park. Especially given all the options you have. Anything from Nutella glaze to peanut butter chips to Oreos to bacon to pretzels to raspberry/strawberry drizzles. I can easily suck down three of them and try out multiples options. And, they are pretty cheap. You can leave with a half dozen for less than $9. On my last visit, I went with the donut of the day, Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch Donut. This consisted of vanilla glaze, chocolate chips, caramel drizzle, and of course apple cinnamon toast cereal. I ordered three. I was asked to mention on behalf of a coffee enthusiast I know, they have good coffee options here as well. And, recently they have added a Sundae on Sundays, #SundaeSunday they refer to on Instagram. This replaces the donut of the day. The idea is an ice cream sundae with a donut at the bottom, very clever. And for the social media lovers, their Instagram is straight fire. Check it out @glazed_over_donuts. They are extremely creative. Every time I am in the area, I try to make a stop in. I have enjoyed all the donuts I've had so far and that is double digits at this point…..donut judge me! Get it?
Click here to check out their website for current flavors! Glazed Over Donuts
Pair Your Sweet Tooth with Beacon Adventures
Donut + Adventure Pairings
Grab a coffee and donut before your hike to Mount Beacon for sweeping views of the Hudson Valley!
Check out my post on Denning’s Point - Long Dock Park to learn more about heading to the Beacon waterfront.
Or heading further North? Check out my post on hiking in the Adirondacks.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
EXPLORE OTHER POSTS IN THE ARCHIVE
NEARBY ADVENTURES
MOST RECENT POSTS
See where I have been recently on Instagram. Follow @HIKINGFORDONUTS