THE BALLOON MAN

Far-out fare at the Volusia County Fair

By CHRIS GRAHAM, Staff writer

November 6, 2011

DELAND -- Diane Orme slapped a beef patty on the grill and added some cheese and two slices of bacon for flavor.
A few minutes later she added the finishing touch -- two Krispy Kreme doughnuts?
"It's just perfect," Orme said as she served up the creation in a Krispy Kreme paper hat.
The Volusia County Fair was in full swing this weekend as rides whirled the people who dared to get on them. But nearby dozens of vendors stole the show, satisfying the palates of the masses.
Many of the vendors served up conventional fair food, but some broke culinary barriers.
Orme, whose family owns Carousel Foods Inc., had some of the most innovative creations offered at the fair this year including the garbage burger (loaded like you've never seen), the French toast burger and the ice cream burger with pickles (recommended for pregnant women). But the real showstopper is the Krispy Kreme doughnutburger -- made famous by the late American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross.

A Krispy Kreme bacon cheese burger fresh off the grill at the Carousel Food booth at the Volusia County Fair. (N-J Peter Bauer)
The Ormes first rolled out their patented concoction at the 2009 Florida State Fair in Tampa.
"It's been going strong ever since," Orme said. "It's our top seller. People like it because it's not something you can get every day."
The gooey burger comes made to order and the sweetness of the glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts is complimented well by the grilled, juicy, beef patty.
For true connoisseurs, lettuce, tomato and onion as well as condiments are available. The burger packs about 1,000 calories, Orme said.
"When you look at it, it's not that bad," she said, noting a jumbo smoked turkey leg is about 1,700 calories. "Who watches calories at the fair anyway?"
Well in that case, if your arteries aren't clogged after polishing off the burger, people can swing to the next vendor where Chris Tisher and crew deep-fry almost any sweet treat imaginable -- even cherry Kool-Aid.

Fried Kool-Aid dough is sprinkled with sugar at Ormes Deep Fried Creations at the Volusia County Fair. (N-J Peter Bauer)

Tisher, from Louisville, Ky., said the trick is to freeze the Kool-Aid, roll it in funnel cake dough and throw in the deep fryer. He tops off the tasty treat with powdered sugar.
"It comes out like a cherry cake," he said. "Everything is warm and gooey in the center."
While vendors like Orme and Tisher offered innovative creations, several people opted for fair staples. The smell of funnel cake and polish sausage wafted in the air, drawing people like moths.
Justin and Kenna Norell of Sanford said they just couldn't resist.
"We just got here about 10 minutes ago," said Kenna Norell of Sanford as she sat at a picnic table and chomped on a Philly cheese steak sandwich and some Saratoga chips -- which are chips covered in bacon, cheese and chives.

A heaping pile of Saratoga chips, a combination of homemade and fried potatoes smothered with cheese, at the Volusia County Fair. (N-J Peter Bauer)
"She just can't get enough of it," said Justin Norell. He and his wife were making their first trip to the fair. "We'll probably be looking for something else in about 30 minutes."
Fair veteran Tom Mueller of Deltona was quick to grab a bucket of salty, vinegary fries from Fiske French Fries.
"It's the first and last place I go," said Mueller, who has been coming to the fair with his family for the past 20 years.
For most of the fair food vendors, this is the last stop of the year before packing up to recharge.
Orme said the break gives people time to think of new ideas for the next year's round of fairs.
"We've tried a Mac n' cheese burger and a mashed potato burger," Orme said. "But who knows what we'll think of next."