5 wild new foods (and 5 classics) to eat at The Big E this year

What should you eat when you visit The Big E? Oh boy, that’s a tough question. There are a lot of wild new foods this year — on top of all the foods we already had to choose from.

Which brings us to one of the big conundrums: Should you try one of the cool new options like the Thanksgiving Nachos? Or should you try one of the returning all-stars, like the DoughCo?

• Related: What is The Big E? Everything you need to know before attending

My advice is to follow your heart and/or your stomach. Usually, that involves a little of something old, something new, something fried and something sharable for two.

It also helps to narrow the options. With that in mind, here are my picks for five foods that are new to the fair this year and are worth a try — along with five that are coming back, but still deserve a second look.

5 New foods to try this year at The Big E

1. Pulled Pork Bacon Waffle Burger from Macken’s Specialty Sliders (Outside the Massachusetts Building)

Macken’s Specialty Sliders (a Reader Raves winner as a food truck) has taken their Bacon Waffle Burger, which was already one of the best foods at the fair, and upgraded it with slow-cooked pulled pork.

The key to this waffle burger is the waffle itself. A lot of places claim to make “Belgian waffles.” This one is a true Belgian Liege-style yeasted waffle, which has bits of pearl sugar that caramelize when it cooks to make gooey pockets of sweetness.

As with the previous version, this full-sized handheld features two slider patties as the actual burger, with cheese and crumbled bacon adding some finishing touches. This actually offers a lot of different strategies on how to eat it.

You could approach it like a normal burger, attacking the three-pronged meat behemoth trapped in its waffle prison. Or you could grab a fork and knife, split the patties and have an open-faced burger with a friend. With the pulled pork adding to the mess, this may be the most civilized way to approach it.

2. Thanksgiving Nachos (From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States)

Don’t let the “nacho” name throw you off. There are no tortilla chips here. But that’s why it actually works.

The “Thanksgiving Nachos” feature some thick-cut house potato chips (almost like thin potato skins), that are topped with cheese sauce, cranberry salsa and stuffing loaded with turkey meat. It’s savory, sweet and delicious — with the zing of the cranberry really closing the deal.

The potato chips are clutch here. They add a nice starchy potato element (a key one to fit the Thanksgiving vibe) and are stout enough to bear the weight of all the toppings.

3. Caramel Apple Snicker Dessert Pizza (From Top The Crust | In The Food Court)

This is another cooky concept that somehow manages to stick the landing.

The only actual “pizza” element is the dough, which is crisped up and topped with peanut butter, caramel, cinnamon-sugar apples, crushed Snickers candy and a drizzle of chocolate. The combination of thin, crispy crust along with the sweet toppings reminded me of a filo dough dessert.

I’d go back for another slice without a care if anyone was judging me.

4. Disco Fries (From White Hut | In the Food Court)

Yes, you’re seeing that correctly. This is a big pile of poutine with chopped-up hot dogs. Take that, Canada.

This is the latest Big E experiment from White Hut, which has been finding new ways to implement its classic burger-joint offerings to fit the occasion. This time, the West Springfield institution takes their fries and tops them with chopped-up hot dogs and their signature grilled onions. The gravy and cheese curds are pretty darn good, too.

5. The Ferrindino Maple Bacon Hot Dog (From Ferrindino Maple | At the Better Living Center/Springfield Road)

I rarely get a hot dog at The Big E. With so many wild options to choose from, I usually dismiss it as too boring.

This year, that changes with this maple-infused meat missile. This wiener from Ferrindino is grilled and then cooked in maple syrup. It’s also topped with bacon that’s been cooked in — you guessed it — maple syrup.

I thought this would be overly sweet. But the way the maple is implemented complements the savory elements perfectly.

5 returning foods to try at The Big E

(The “returning food” options change every year. These aren’t necessarily the best overall. They’re simply ones I wanted to highlight this year.)

1. DoughCo from Anna’s Fried Dough (East Road)

One of The Big E’s best foods is hiding from an unassuming-looking fried dough stall that can be overshadowed by the Mallory Complex and the midway towering behind it. That would be Anna’s, which debuted the DoughCo a few years ago and hit an absolute home run.

Fried dough at fairs is usually a sweet affair. But in this case, the fried dough provides a fluffy, chewy, savory base for all the Tex-Mex ingredients that are piled on top.

It’s all the powerful flavors you’d get from a burrito paired with the bready chewiness of a thick-crust pizza. This thing is awesome.

2. Giant Mozzarella Stick from Angela’s Pizza (Commonwealth Ave)

Sure, you’ve had a mozzarella stick. But have you had a mozzarella stick so big and crispy that you could fire it out of a T-shirt cannon? Well, you should change that this year.

3. Fried Whoopie Pie from Sugar Shakers (New England Ave.)

The Fried Whoopie Pie is sort of like a giant fried Oreo — and is just as delicious as that sounds.

The outer cake layers remain deliciously chocolate and moist after being deep-fried. Meanwhile, the frosting sandwiched in the middle is addictively warm.

4. Cream Puff, Big E Bakery (Multiple Locations)

Eating a Cream Puff at The Big E is a rite of passage. It’s a fun way to embrace the spirit of the fair.

From a distance, the Cream Puff can seem a little boring. But once you get your hands on one, the sheer size of the colossal confection really hits home.

Now, The Big E’s official method for eating a Cream Puff involves twisting it into two halves and sharing it with a friend. But sometimes it’s more fun to dive in and take a huge bite, leaving you with a smile and probably some errant cream on your nose.

Try it out. I won’t tell anyone.

5. Bear Attack from Bear’s Smokehouse (Outside the Connecticut Building)

Don’t forget the State Buildings. Hidden at the back of the fairgrounds, the State Buildings have some of the best foods at The Big E.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit any the Bear’s Smokehouse locations in Connecticut, you should follow the sweet smell of BBQ to their impressive setup on the side of the Connecticut Building.

The “Bear Attack” give you a bit of everything, featuring your choice of meat piled on top of mac & cheese.

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