Last week, my girlfriend and I went to the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts with one goal in mind: to eat. For those of you who don’t know what the Big E is (which I found out was surprisingly more people than I anticipated when I was in college seeing that I went to a Massachusetts state school), it’s a full on gluttonous eating festival that takes place typically for two weeks in West Springfield, Massachusetts. And when I say it’s gluttonous, I am not being hyperbolic. Over the years I’ve gone, I’ve seen fried Kool-Aid, fried Snickers bars, fried Twinkies, fried everything. I think a few years back, some vendors became bold enough to fry air.
For myself, this was my first time back to the Big E since my senior year of high school when myself and a few of my football teammates ate a bucket of cider donuts each about six hours before we had to play a game. Ah, the days when you could do that and not feel like a completely bloated piece of garbage. This year, I was only at the Big E for about two hours, which was perfect as we found what we wanted to eat and got out.
All photo credit goes to my wonderful girlfriend, Abby.
Philly Cheesesteak Egg Roll
The first thing that my girlfriend and I grabbed at the Big E was in the Connecticut State House when we bought a Philly Cheesesteak egg roll. A simple way to describe it is that it’s very good. The outside was light and flaky and the inside was stuffed with gooey cheese, shaved steak and peppers and onions. In no way does it reinvent the wheel, it just tastes really good.
8.5/10
S’Macaroon
The item at the top of my girlfriends wishlist at this years Big E was the S’Macaroon at the Vermont State House. Look, it was fine. It’s a macaroon split down the middle and in between those two pieces is a toasted marshmallow with milk chocolate drizzle. It looks appealing and tastes good, but I found it to be a little too sweet. And on top of that, if I remember correctly, it was either $8 or $10 dollars for an extremely tiny treat. It was cool to try it, but I don’t think that it was worth the price.
7.5/10
Maine Baked Potato
One of the main attractions of all the state houses year in and year out is the Maine baked potato. Are there other, flashier baked potato’s at the fair? Sure. You can find ones that are loaded with pulled pork or steak or other extravagant accoutrements, but none capture the essence of simplicity like the Maine baked potato in the Maine State House. It’s two baked potatoes topped with a (un)healthy amount of butter, sour cream, cheese whiz, bacon bits, fake chives and salt and pepper and it’s glorious.
8/10
Rhode Island Clam Fritters
My expectations weren’t super high for the clam fritters from the Rhode Island State House, but I still enjoyed them. They’re these savory, doughy balls of goodness that’s stuffed with chunks of clam. Alone, they’re fine. But when you dip them in the tangy, peppery aioli that they give you, then they become good. Having the half dozen in the bag makes them super easy to walk and snack, so bonus point for the accessibility.
7/10
Exhibit A Brewing Company Panda Punch Sour
Our first drink of the afternoon came from a beer garden area at the Massachusetts state house when we ordered the Panda Punch sour from Exhibit A Brewing Company. While I can drink and tolerate most beers, my girlfriend will strictly drink only sours and this was, I believe the only one on the menu and I’m glad we got it. It’s a sour that, surprisingly, is extremely sour, but doesn’t overdo as you get strong hints of guava and orange. If I’m ever in the Williamsburg area I know exactly where to pick up a great four pack.
9/10
Fried Shepherd Pie Balls
Easily the best thing we ate while at the Big E was fried shepherd pie balls from E.B’s. Just imagine the delicious home made dish of ground beef on top of mashed potatoes with corn. It sounds good, right? Now, elevate that by frying it and covering it with rich, brown gravy and you have a taste that’s unmatched by anything else at the fair. I know that the Big E has come and gone, but when it’s back next year and you attend, make sure to seek it out as probably the last thing you eat because they are very heavy.
10/10
Downeast Cider Donut Cider
To go with our fried shepherd pie balls, we ordered a Downeast cider donut cider. For us, it was nothing new or bold. We just needed something to drink to go with the salty gravy and rich beef in the balls (pause). Personally, I think it’s too sweet, but it’s a solid second or third option for a fall cider.
6.5/10
Wormtown Brewery Caramel Apple Cider
Before we hit the road, after Downeast disappointed us by not having their caramel apple cider in stock, so we got the next best thing which was a caramel apple cider from Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, Massachusetts. I don’t know how good the Downeast one was, but it’d have to be really great to beat the one from Wormtown. I’d like to give a full throated description about the drink, but the best way to describe it is that it tastes like fall. There isn’t a more glowing endorsement of a cider than that.
9.5/10
