State Fair News

10 fried finalists vie for 2023 State Fair of Texas Big Tex awards

Fried pho at the State Fair of Texas

SFOT

The fried food finalists are in: The State Fair of Texas has selected 10 fried-food creations as finalists in its 19th Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, ready to be sampled during your State Fair excursions in fall 2023.

The competition began in early July with 57 entries from by 37 concessionaires. Interesting, so that's an average of two submissions per concessionaire.

According to a release, 36 semi-finalists were chosen and now it's down to 10. On Sunday, August 27, a panel will choose three winners in the categories of Best Savory, Best Sweet, and Most Creative.

UPDATE 8-28-2023: The winners are:

Best Savory: Deep Fried Pho
Best Sweet: Biscoff Delight
Most Creative: Bourbon Banana Caramel Sopapillas

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These are the final 10:

SAVORY

Cheesy Crab Tater Bites. Isaac Rousso
Crab, potato, and cheese formed into tater bites, fried, and topped with cheesy Cajun crawfish sauce.

Deep Fried Pho. Michelle Le
Pho - noodles, beef, bean sprouts, and broth - rolled up and fried. With a side of pho broth for dipping.

Loaded Fries Pizza. Tom Grace
Pizza topped with ranch dressing, mozzarella, salted French fries, cheddar cheese, and bacon.

OX'cellent Soul Roll. Kerston & Shawn Thorns
Oxtails chunks and crumbled cornbread are rolled into a spring roll and fried.

Fried Turkey Ribs. Abel Gonzales
With stuffing-seasoned fries, gravy, and salsa.

SWEET

Biscoff Delight. Stephen El Gidi
New York-style cheesecake coated with Belgian chocolate, crushed Biscoff cookies, drizzled with Lotus Biscoff spread AKA cookie butter, and topped with a Biscoff cookie.

Bourbon Banana Caramel Sopapillas. Cody & Lauren Hays
Sopapillas topped with vanilla-caramel-infused bananas, bourbon syrup, candied pecans, mascarpone cheese, crumbled Nilla Wafers.

Fried Cherry Pie in the Sky. Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee
Fried cherry tart topped with butter almond shortbread crumble, vanilla ice cream, cherry preserves, whipped cream, and garnished with dark sweet cherries.

Sweet Encanto. Tony & Terry Bednar
Waffle sweetened with caramel dulce de leche, specialty cream with strawberry, kiwi, peach, and shredded coconut, topped with raspberry jam, and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.

Trail-Ade. Ruth Hauntz
Lemonade with fruit, cucumbers, and mint. Nonalcoholic cocktail is served in a souvenir cowboy boot cup.

These finalists will go head-to-head on Sunday, August 27. This year’s Big Tex Choice Awards event will be closed to the public, but folks can follow along with the 2023 Big Tex Choice Awards event by tuning into the action live on social media.

The 2023 State Fair of Texas — themed "Explore the Midway" — will open on Friday, September 29, and will run through Sunday, October 22. We have a list of of discount passes and the full lineup of musical acts playing this year.

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Coming soon

New gastropub from chef Tiffany Derry lands at EpicCentral Grand Prairie

Alyssa Vincent

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Dallas' busiest celebrity chef, Tiffany Derry, is readying the debut of her newest dining concept. The Landing - a gastropub, sports bar, and social lounge - is coming to Grand Prairie's EpicCentral complex.

According to a release, it will open Thursday, April 9.

The Landing is from Derry and her business partner, Tom Foley, and their T2D Concepts. They imagine "a chef-driven destination where guests can gather for elevated comfort food, crafted cocktails, live entertainment and big-screen game-day energy," says the release.

It will be the second venture in Grand Prairie within a year for Derry and Foley; a location of their Italian concept Radici opened in April 2025.

The Landing promises to be a gathering spot for big-game watching.Photo courtesy of TD2 Concepts

Though few menu specifics are being divulged, the Landing will feature dishes such as smashburgers, wings, and other gastropub favorites, the release says. The bar will turn out crafted cocktails, including nonalcoholic options.

According to photos, there will be an outdoor, waterfront patio. Watch parties, live entertainment, and "community-driven programming" will be offered, they say.

“The Landing is about giving people a place to come together,” Derry says in the release. “You can show up for the game, meet friends for cocktails, stay for live music, and share food that feels familiar but is elevated. We wanted to create a space with energy, but also a place that feels fun, welcoming, and worth coming back to.”

The Landing There'll be an outdoor waterfront patio.Photo courtesy of TD2 Concepts

Derry is a native of Beaumont who rose to fame and fortune after appearing on Season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef, and has since gone on to become a Food Network star and a prolific chef and restaurateur. She is a two-time James Beard Award finalist and is nominated for Chef of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

T2D Concepts also operates Roots Chicken Shack, Roots Southern Table, two locations of Radici, and the annual ‘Shef F+W Festival.

Of The Landing, Foley says, “We wanted to create a concept that could move with the moment, It can be your go-to for the big game, a relaxed night out, or a gathering place for the community. That range, coupled with Tiffany’s culinary expertise and our focus on creating great experiences for our guests, is what makes The Landing a destination for the community.”

The Landing will land at 2951 S. State Hwy 161, Grand Prairie, within the Epic Central entertainment district. Once it opens April 9, it will be open on weekends only, from 4-11 pm Thursday-Friday and 12-11 pm Saturday-Sunday.

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