What’s New At The PNE Fair – Chowing at the PNE

We are a bit late to the reporting on this one, but there’s still time to get to The PNE Fair and sample away! Open until September 5, 2016.

1) Chicky’s Chicken Deep Fried Pickle Corn Dog

SaltSpring Concessions started with a small take out noodle bar on SaltSpring island. Seven years later owners Scott and Karlye Dennis now own 13-concession stands preparing a variety of food offerings.
The deep fried pickle dog is the result of positive testing (their friends loved it!) and combines a cored out pickle with a hot dog inserted, battered and fried.

2) Handmade Burgers Mac and Cheese Stuffed Burger

Jason Au and his family have been serving up great Fair good for thirteen years. Their food concept is to take traditional fair food and add a 20th century twist. This year Jason is serving the Mac N Cheese Stuffed Burger. Applying their concept, the Au family has taken the all time classic Fair food of hamburgers and updated with house made Mac and Cheese. They pair this locally sourced meat with a fresh baked glossy top brioche bun.

3) Reel Mac and Cheese

Slumdog Millionaire Mac and Cheese
Suzanne and Perry Poudrier have been part of the PNE food family for the past 14 years, with multiple food joints including this movie themed truck serving up Hollywood inspired takes on the Canadian favourite – mac and cheese. Today this are showcasing this popular take on mac and cheese meets Bollywood. Taking their classic seven cheese mac and cheese and adding curry, peas and crispy onions, Suzanne and Perry say this is one of their top local sellers.

4) International Perogy’s Chicken Teriyaki Perogy’s

36-year-old Ryan Carlos is a first time food concessionaire at the Fair at the PNE. His family owns TemptAsian Chinese food restaurant in the Okanagan, and Ryan decided to venture into the food truck business with his riff on traditional perogy’s. With a truly international flare and cooked to order freshness, we’re picking this as one of 2016’s breakout hits of the Fair.

5) Steve O’s Deep Fried Tequila Oreo Churros
Stephen Ford of Coquitlam is a local entrepreneur who has two booths on site, Steve O’s, serving Deep Fried Tequila Shot Bites, fried tequila flavoured cake bites topped off with icing sugar. And enjoy this delicious, cream-filled churro with an Oreo twist. He is also the owner of the Los Tacos Hermanos joint featuring an assortment of Mexican foods including many gluten free options. 6) Ogopogo Concessions Deep Fried Coffee Lorne Beckett of Ogopogo Concession is enjoying his first time at the Fair at the PNE. His Deep Fried coffee treats with a variety of mouth-watering toppings including Mocha Chip, Salted Caramel, Espresso Flake, French Vanilla and Cream and Sugar are proving to be a big hit with Fairgoers.

7) Gourmet Burgers Hercules Burger

The Jones’s family has been concessionaires at the PNE for 15 years. The family operates a number of food booths on site and on the Fair and event circuit. Their latest burger, the Hercules, is likely the most extreme yet. For those looking for a challenge, the 10 pound Hercules Burger is enough to feed you AND your friends. It takes an hour to cook- but it’s worth it!

8) Hunky Bill’s Perogie’s Bill Konyk won a $10 bet and the rest is history. It was 1967 and the then Vancouver based radio executive bet a friend $10 that he could get a booth at the PNE to sell his homemade Ukrainian style perogies. Legend is that Bill showed up at the PNE administration office and spent an hour and a half convincing the then head of the PNE booth sales department to give him a chance. Konyk got his booth, won his $10 and began a 50-year journey during which time Bill has become one of the most iconic pitchmen and restaurateurs in Canadian history.
Today Hunky Bill’s Perogies are sold year round in Canada and are as much a part of the PNE Fair experience for generations of fairgoers as mini donuts, Superdogs and the Wooden Roller Coaster.

9) Craft Beer Festival Selection of Craft beer
For the second year of the Craft Beer Festival at the PNE we have a new location and 25 featured craft breweries for guests to sample the diverse craft drafts being developed within and around the Lower Mainland.