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RodeoHouston celebrates all the deep-fried goodness with Gold Buckle Awards

This donut chicken sandwich won a Gold Buckle.

Photo by Brandon Strange

The Rodeo's annual celebration of all things deep-fried has revealed this year's winners. Now in its 12th year, the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards invite a panel of media and foodie influencers to sample 83 of the carnival's most over-the-top treats.

Prizes are awarded in eight categories: Classic Fair Food, Most Creative Food, Best Food-on-a-Stick, Best Value, Best Fried Food, Best Specialty Food, Best New Flavor, and Best Dessert.

Hot Cheetos ruled the day. Different vendors presented the snack food applied to turkey legs, french fries, corn dogs, and more.

Other hits included "pregnant pickles" — fried pickles dipped in peanut butter and served with a peanut butter drizzle — as well as chocolate-dipped jalapeños. Turns out that a dish dubbed "Big Sticks," a two-foot-long stick wrapped with either chicken or pork, not only looks great on Instagram but tastes good, too. It earned a coveted buckle for vendor Big Bubba's Bad BBQ.

At an event where a shot of Bloody Mary mix counts as a "specialty food," it's best not to take the results too seriously. After all, as CultureMap columnist Ken Hoffman pointed out a couple of years ago, turkey legs and corn dogs are still the top sellers — and deep-fried Oreos are still delicious, even if they're a little passe.

Still, the vendors' creativity keeps things exciting, and the roster of creative fare rewards multiple visits to the carnival. Get out there and eat.

Here's the full list of winners, via the Houston Press:

Classic Fair Food
1st: Ribeye Steak Sandwich, Burton Sausage
2nd: Big Daddy Cheetos Cheese Corn Dog, Biggy's BBQ
3rd: Harlon's All Meat Stuffed Potato, Harlon's BBQ

Most Creative Food
1st: Loaded Waffle Fries with Shredded Pork or Beef, Holmes Smokehouse
2nd: Flamin' Hot Cheetos Cheese Turkey Leg, Biggy's BBQ
3rd: Nitro Cotton Candy Lemonade, The Float Saloon

Best Food-on-a-Stick
1st: Big Sticks (pork or chicken), Big Bubba's Bad BBQ
2nd: Foot Corndog, Holmes Smokehouse
3rd: Cookie Dough, Sweet Cheeks

Best Value
1st: Ribs and Sausage Platter, Saltgrass Steakhouse
2nd: Loaded Baked Potato, Yoakum Packing Company
3rd: Loaded Baked Potato with Beef, Burton Sausage

Best Fried Food
1st: Donut Chicken Sandwich, Get Fried
2nd: Fried Red Velvet Cupcake with Homemade Buttercream Icing, Sill's Funnel Cakes
3rd: Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, Big Bubba's Bad BBQ

Best Specialty Food
1st: Big Bayou Bloody Mary Mix Original, Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce
2nd: Chocolate Cobbler, All of Us
3rd: Cattle Drive Corn Chip Casserole, PDQ Meals

Best New Flavor
1st: Deep Fried Cookie Dough Sundae, The Original Minneapple Pie
2nd: Pretzel Cheese Dog, The Float Saloon
3rd: Michelagua, Fruteria Cano

Best Dessert
1st: Deep-Fried Cheesecake, Granny's Cheesecake
2nd: Brookie, Totally Baked Cookie Joint
3rd: Brownie Ice Cream, Fried What!

news-you-can-eat rodeo

hey, joe

Trader Joe's sets Cypress opening date, confirms Bellaire plans

Photo courtesy of Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page

Trader Joe's is expanding, and shoppers couldn't be happier.

Two new Houston-area communities announced that they would be opening Trader Joe's locations, bringing the total number of stores in the city to nine.

On Thursday, December 18, the Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page posted that the new Trader Joe's at 9715 Towne Lake Parkway would open at 8 am on Friday, December 19. Unsold but still-good products left over at the ribbon cutting ceremony will be donated to local nonprofits.

"Not only does Trader Joe's have great prices on food, drinks, and treats, but as a hobby florist I always find the best selections for my floral arrangements," Copperfield resident Kelsey Zuchlewski tells CultureMap. "Now, with the convenience of having a location right here in our neighborhood, I'm in heaven."

Confirmation of the Cypress opening followed an announcement on the City of Bellaire's Facebook page that a Trader Joe's would take over the former Randall's at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. The post did not specify when construction will begin or when the location will open.

"This highly anticipated addition to our community will bring a unique grocery shopping experience and further enhance the vibrant retail landscape of Bellaire," the post said. "We look forward to welcoming Trader Joe’s and will share updates as the project progresses."

The California-based chain of stores entered Houston in 2012, first in the Woodlands and then, more famously, at the old Alabama Theater space on Shepherd, where it has become a beloved local institution. Since then, the chain has expanded throughout Houston, including a Kingwood location that opened earlier this month.

Over the year, Trader Joe's has built a loyal following that rivals even H-E-B. Staff at the stores (wearing Hawaiian shirts) are trained to be extremely friendly and helpful, as well as being encouraged to purchase ownership in the company. The selection is smaller and more curated than other larger grocery stores, leading to a boutique experience that many consider to be surprisingly affordable. At least one viral TikToker claims that Trader Joe's beats H-E-B's price, although the latter undoubtedly has a larger selection of goods.

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