The best new Iowa State Fair food of 2023? A riff on grilled cheese with bacon, brisket
The public has spoken and deemed a novelty grilled cheese dish as the People’s Choice for Best New Food of the 2023 Iowa State Fair.
The deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese grilled cheese from What’s Your Cheez took the top honors, as voted by fairgoers.
This novelty dish uses the Rib Shack’s signature bacon brisket mac and cheese that’s then slathered between layers of American cheese and two slices of What’s Your Cheez bacon cheddar bread. It is then deep-fried and served with a raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce.
The deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese grilled cheese from What’s Your Cheez was named the People’s Choice for top new food at the Iowa State Fair in 2023.
The item is tops on the menu at What’s Your Cheez on the north side of Walnut Center and sells for $12.
Iowa State Fair Queen Kalayna Durr said she was “not a graceful eater” as she took a big bite of the enormous sandwich. She gave it a 10 out of 10.
Joni Bell created the dish with her chefs Tony Guerrero and Jimmy Sanders. As Bell won, chefs from her other stand, The Rib Shack, which is right across the sidewalk, chanted, “Joni! Joni! Joni!”
Bell won top honors for her dish last year as well. In 2022, the Finisher — a loaded baked potato extravaganza at The Rib Shack south of the Anne & Bill Riley Stage — won the top prize. That dish comes with a baked potato stacked with chopped brisket, smoked pulled pork and the Rib Shack’s famous bacon brisket mac and cheese, topped with barbecue sour cream and garlic rub butter. It’s again available for $12 at the stand.
Joni Bell of What’s Your Cheez wins 2023 Best New Food for the deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese during day seven of the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 in Des Moines.
Fairgoers cast 8,254 total votes, and 47.2 percent were for the grilled cheese. Fairgoers voted online for their pick for People’s Choice Best New Food from the first day of the fair until Aug. 14.
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