Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Illinois State Fair is about food, and it’s about competitions.
For several years, the fair has awarded the “Golden Abe” to the best concessions at the fair. Friday the judges declared a tie: the brisket cheesesteak from Backdraft BBQ and the Dubai strawberry cup from Tikka Street. The other finalist, Miss Peggy’s orange strawberry shake-up, finished third.
Tikka Street’s “Chef K” (pictured, second from left) said the Dubai strawberry cup consists of “freshly cut strawberries, milk chocolate sauce, pistachio, and crispy, crunchy phyllo dough.”
As the name suggests, Joliet firefighters are behind Backdraft BBQ. Mike Smego (pictured, second from right), who said he is in charge of meals at the firehouse, said the brisket cheesesteak is “an eight-inch hoagie roll with chopped brisket that we smother with our homemade queso, and then top it with grilled onions and peppers, and then add just a little more queso on top.”
The third finalist was the orange strawberry shake-up from Miss Peggy’s. She has been a fair vendor for thirty years but is just now entering the Golden Abes.
