Fairly Unbalanced

At least the name is appropriate: the Tailspin is an uncontrollable disaster of a food, spiraling out of control towards the ground — or your nearest trash can. There is very little redeeming about this dish, one of two new offerings from The Hangar in their second year of operation at the Fair. The premise sounds appetizing, at least before you dig in: pulled pork, coleslaw, french-fried onions, elote and Oaxaca cheese, drizzled with BBQ sauce and placed atop a hash brown waffle. The reality of what you get, however, is so far removed from this idyllic description as to borderline on fraud.

The pulled pork, at minimum, does not deceive the eater; it is a serviceable protein, although nothing special. Likewise, the coleslaw merely exists, nothing wrong with it but adding little more than some variety to the combination. The alleged elote, which suggests the inclusion of cayenne and chili powder and perhaps mayonnaise on corn, is instead just plain, unchanged corn kernels, and a lot of them. We’d estimate about half of what we were served to be corn. As for the Oaxaca cheese, we’re suspicious of its authenticity; it tasted like it was instead just regular shredded American cheese. The BBQ sauce was inoffensive but lacking in quantity, and like many of the ingredients, it was placed mostly off to one side of the serving boat; an effort to layer or blend together each element would have been appreciated, but instead it is served with the ingredients basically dumped into respective corners. The hash brown waffle is about the quality of a McDonald’s breakfast hashbrown, with all the greasiness and no increase in quality, and it mostly disappears as it is buried under all the other schlock on top and is too over-done to break away easily with the fork.

The price shouldn’t really matter, as this is not worth getting at any price; that they charge $11 for this monstrosity makes matters so much worse. What’s more, the serving size is very small for that price point, though that gives the unintended benefit of having less to throw away when you give up on this terrible product. Upon serving, it looks like a mushy, unappetizing mess, which matches the taste. It is surprising to fail in so many different ways, yet The Hangar has achieved this dubious feat. This Tailspin has crashed and burned.

Ratings (0-5):

• Taste: 1
• Appearance: 0
• Novelty: 2
• Value: 0

Overall Score: 3 out of 20 (Fried-Out Flop)

Now this is one unique snack to be had at the Fair! Puffed rice, peanuts, potatoes and chutney all combine to make a flavor explosion that is steadily addictive. The more bites we took of this dish, trying our best to combine all the ingredients at once, the more we enjoyed its intoxicating mix of textures and tastes. The puffed rice is perfectly crunchy and soak up the spices brilliantly. Likewise, each potato piece, diced up into tiny wedges, adds additional depth of flavor. The roasted peanuts were perhaps our favorite element, though they were lacking in number compared to the others. A slight hint of a mango taste was evident, bringing in a mild citrus component to the overall dish.

At $10, this is rather expensive for a snack, but the serving size is perfect, with the mixture heaping over the sides of the bowl. You’ll probably want to stop somewhere to eat this to avoid spillage, both out of the bowl or off your spoon with each bite. The rice dominates the appearance, but there are enough of the other ingredients to make this a visually-interesting item that will have passersby asking what it is and where you got it from. As a bonus, this is also vegan-friendly, adding to a growing list of vegan options at the Fair.

Ratings (O-5):

• Taste: 4
• Appearance: 3
• Novelty: 4
• Value: 2

Overall Score: 13 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)

Sometimes it takes an outsider to come up with a truly inventive premise for a new Fair offering. Newcomers Brim, located in the revamped North End, have developed a one-of-a-kind caffinated beverage for their Fair debut that evokes the playfulness of a Bloody Mary, but in their strong iced coffee blend.

Rather than utilizing traditional Bloody Mary accoutrements like celery, sausage or cheese cubes, fairgoers instead receive three sweeter treats skewered at the top of the cup: an almond cookie, honey toffee crunch, and a chocolate truffle. All three are gluten free, and all three bring unique flavors to enjoy. The truffle was the best of the three, with a thick outer shell concealing a rich chocolate core. The truffle is served in a small boat skewered along with its two neighbors, but my truffle quickly fell out into the cup and sunk below the ice upon serving. The result may have been a happy accident, as later sips of the coffee may have mellowed as the chocolate beared influence on the otherwise bitter coffee. The almond cookie had a little too much of a flour taste, but was perfectly edible and a sensible addition. The honey toffee crunch really amps up the sweetness, but seems most out of place of the three ingredients.

Most fancy coffee options at the Fair come at a premium price, and this follows that trend at an inflated $8; with the sweet treats added, this isn’t the worst value, but still seemed like too much to pay for all but the biggest coffee fans. The presentation is sure to make onlookers ask what it is and where you got it from, ideal for some viral marketing for a new vendor to stand out from the pack.

Ratings (0-5):

• Taste: 3
• Appearance: 5
• Novelty: 5
• Value: 1

Overall Score: 14 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)