Introducing the NYS Fair Food Hall of Fame: A tribute to the Fair’s 10 most enduring, iconic, essential dishes

Food at the New York State Fair is a rite of passage. Sure, there are the rides and the games and the horses and the concerts. But nothing makes the fair as special as those once-a-year foods that have become synonymous with the 13-day carnival. A sausage sandwich can break a politician’s career (looking at you, Rick Lazio). A price change for a cup of milk can incite a revolt. The scent of frying pizza dough might transport you back to your childhood.

But not all Fair foods are created equal. Some of those salty, sticky, sweet or sloppy dishes stand head-and-shoulders above the rest.

Earlier this year, we here at syracuse.com set out to enshrine the greatest fair foods of all time. To that end, we’re launching our New York State Fair Food Hall of Fame, a tribute to the most enduring, most iconic and most essential foods at the annual Central New York festival.

Over the next two weeks, we’ll count down the top 10 all-time foods at the New York State Fair — the ones that belong in our Hall of Fame.

These aren’t your flashes-in-the-pan or the hot thing from that one year (remember Cuse Juice? or the Sudden Death?) No, these are the pillars of the State Fair food scene. The everlasting foods that define the event year in and year out. The ones you tell first-timers they must try. The GOATs.

We polled dozens of frequent fairgoers, from vendors to media personalities to workers to entertainers to former fair officials. Some of our staff writers and editors here weighed in as well. We used all that input to determine the 10 foods that belong in the Hall of Fame.

Each weekday leading up to the Fair, we’ll induct one legendary food. Our food writers here will tell you why it made the list, and what makes it so special. Maybe you think we’re wrong. Maybe we missed your favorite food. Maybe you’re the kind of person who brings a sandwich to the fair to save a buck (lame). Well, you’ll have a chance to weigh in once we’re done with our list. We’ll host a poll and let you vote on your all-time favorites.

So stay tuned over the next two weeks, as we count down the most iconic Fair foods of all time.

Here’s the list, so far:

#10: Roasted corn — What’s so special about some kernels on a cob? See why this classic made the list.

#9: Tully’s Tenders — Sure, you can get these year-round, but they’re the freshest they’ll ever be at the fair.

#8: Sirloin Tips — It’s one of the stars of Beef Day at the fair.

#7: Baked Potato — At just a buck, it might be the best bargain at the fair. And the oldest.

#6: Baker’s Chicken — Gone, but not forgotten.

#5: The Gyro — No matter where you get it from, it’s a fair classic.

#4: Wine Slushie — It’s a one-way ticket to brain freeze, and about as boozy as a Coors Light.

#3: Milk Bar Milk — A cup of nostalgia that’s just a quarter.

#2: Sausage sandwich — You can argue over whether Basilio’s is better than Gianelli’s, or vice versa, but you can’t argue with the sausage’s spot on the list.

#1: Pizze Fritte — It’s been stealing the show for 62 years.

This year’s Fair opens Wednesday, Aug. 23. Here’s what you need to know if you’re headed out there: