300098 Fri Apr 08 15:39:38 -0700 2005 14 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1665960 Now that spring and summer is approaching, time to start thinking about good amusement park chow. It's funny, but just like in the "outside world", there are chains, good chow places, bad chow places, good values, and horrendously overpriced dreck. Some of my favorites are: "Things cooked in a 6-foot skillet". They have these at Silver Dollar City in Branson MO, and at Dollywood TN. Giant piles of various stir-fry type things, heavy on the potato and meat. Once I was at SDC and they had a "world food festival" with about 10 different versions of "stuff from a giant skillet" (nothing too chowish...fajitas, chinese stir-fry) but fun to see. "Potato Patch", Kennywood (Pittsburgh). Known for great french fries. I thought they were pretty darn good. "Freshly-fried pork rinds". Silver Dollar city. Haven't seen them elsewhere. "Pickle and Cheese Kebab". Huge chunks of pickles and cheese on a stick. Good for laugh value but maybe not chowish. Anything at Knoebel's (Pennsylvania). They have great food at this family-run park. Maybe the last amusement park where you could get food for 40 cents (at least a few years ago, 1 hash brown or pierogy, 3 for a dollar). They might not do it anymore. Great ice cream parlor, including "teaberry" ice cream. Norway buffet at Disney's Epcot. You just don't see norweigian food around much, with 5 kinds of herring, gjetost cheese. Any other favorite *chowish* amusement park food places? -=$>Dave<$=- Fri Apr 08 15:39:38 -0700 2005 0 JugglerDave 1 1665966 Elephant ears at Cedar Point in Ohio. There are so many roller coasters to ride and the sugar high from these things just put it over the top. Its just a bunch of friend dough with butter and cinnamon suger, but its just so good!! Fri Apr 08 15:47:46 -0700 2005 1665960 0 simply_victoria 2 1665969 Nathan's at Coney Island. Fri Apr 08 15:53:09 -0700 2005 1665966 0 coll 3 1665982 It's not really part of the 2 small Coney parks. It's more like a boardwalk place, like you'd find on the Jersey Shore. (And if we're getting into boardwalk fare, I love Kohr's frozen custard at Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights.) Fri Apr 08 17:18:48 -0700 2005 1665969 0 Chorus Girl 4 1665989 I know, but when we go, my husband has to go there first, before the Cyclone even.And it's only on the next block anyway, we sort of skip the actual amusement park area . I should also say, I always get a nathan's lobster roll, it's unlike any lobster roll they sell in New York, broiled on a hamburger bun. Speaking of the boardwalk dives, I was actually going to mention them too. There used to be a place, Atlantis, that we had to hit right after the Cyclone, sitting out in the sun drinking margaritas or whatever, but they tore it down!! Then we found another similar place, basically next to it, and they have the BEST raw clams and french fries, better than Nathans even. Don't remember the name, I'll look when we go in June. Fri Apr 08 18:50:37 -0700 2005 1665982 0 coll 3 1666018 And as disgusting as it sounds, as disgusting as it is, I have to have one of Nathan's chow mein sandwiches. Sat Apr 09 20:54:06 -0700 2005 1665969 0 brookmonton 2 1665972 Oh! I completely forgot the "mini-donuts" that are served at virtually every amusement park in the UK. And I think some US places have them. Basically, there is a tiny machine in front of you where the batter drops into the oil, moves along a conveyer belt, flips, and then finally you get 3 or 4 ultra-hot oily sugared donuts on a stick for 1 pound. -=$>Dave<$=- Fri Apr 08 16:05:10 -0700 2005 1665966 0 JugglerDave 1 1665971 I love the Clam Chowder in a bowl at the Disneyland New Orleans cafe. I always have it everytime I go. Also, last year they sold those huge turkey legs, it was funny seeing a bunch of little kids in the Magic Kingdom tearing into them while in line for It's a Small World... LOL! Knotts Berry Farm has a good fried chicken restaurant attached to it. And there is always a HUGE line outside the Funnel Cake Bakery at Magic Mountain (too sweet for me) I personally love festival/fair food more though, especially the fried Oreos... Hmmm... --Dommy! Fri Apr 08 16:04:05 -0700 2005 1665960 0 Dommy! 1 1665977 Oh, Dave! I last visited Kennywood Park 40 years ago (maybe more) and the memory of the french fries there still lives strongly enough within me to make my mouth water. While I've eaten wonderful fries since then, I've never encountered anything that comes close to those: crisp and searingly hot on the outside, slightly soft on the inside, generously sprinkled with salt, with an intense natural potato flavor. Ketchup was absolutely unnecessary. Fri Apr 08 16:47:53 -0700 2005 1665960 0 Deenso 2 1666148 Haven't been to Kennywood since our Senior Picnic, but the combination of the fries, and that thing that spins around and then the floor drops out from under you, made for a transcendent experience... Tue Apr 12 10:46:06 -0700 2005 1665977 0 Shep 1 1665981 always have to have a corn dog... slathered in regular, yellow mustard. and a new favorite... "frilly fries" I can feel the heartburn already. Fri Apr 08 17:13:15 -0700 2005 1665960 0 megan 1 1665984 The fried chicken at Knott's Berry Farm, without a doubt. It's the best fried chicken I've had except for homemade. The funnel cakes you can find in the park are great, and even better if you get it with boysenberry topping (which there is almost more of than the funnel cake itself). It's enough sugar to put a diabetic into anaphylactic shock at 15 paces, but mmmmm... Even better, when you're done and you wish you had a fire hose to clean yourself off with, you can just hop on Perilous Plunge and be squeaky clean in a jiffy. I still want to know how I feel wetter on that ride than if I was to jump into a swimming pool and get back out. Fri Apr 08 17:50:49 -0700 2005 1665960 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester) 1 1665999 A few years ago on the way home from our annual road trip we stumbled onto the World Chicken Festival in Kentucky. There were rides and games, a big event.Of course we had to dine with the locals and had absolutely fabulous chicken in a 500 gallon skillet filled with peanut oil. Yum, I can still remember the flavor. Check out worldchickenfestival.com for the annual date. My other favorites are homemade pies especially rhubarb and homemade icecream. Fri Apr 08 21:25:10 -0700 2005 1665960 0 LindaR. 2 1666013 It's just "chickenfestival.com" and it looks like i know what i'm doing that weekend. Sat Apr 09 17:46:08 -0700 2005 1665999 0 bryan 1 1666083 Knoebels!! Oh Knoebels!! Now I am hungry. See, I grew up not 30 minutes from Knoebels, so I thought everyone had a wonderful small amusement park nearby. Now I realize how priveledged I was. I get back about once a year I think you still can get three Perogies for a dollar. I know you can get really good ice cream, yummmy pizza at Cesari's (family owned and run within the park for at least 20 years), good fresh cut french fries, steak sandwiches, etc. All sorts of good park food, and fudge and candy at several locations. Plus, there is the bonus of two good classic wooden coaters, the Phoenix (loved it as a kid, loved it now!) and the Twister (wraps in and out of itself 50 some times in less than 2 minutes). Mon Apr 11 10:28:59 -0700 2005 1665960 0 AnnieG