LOS ANGELES – Decadent, indulgent, and wild are the words most think of when going to the fair. It is the time your imagination runs free and you can eat basically anything you want.
The LA County Fair kicks off in Pomona for nearly a month to fulfill all your whimsical desires.
Tony Boghosian or "Chicken Tony" loves making people happy and thought the fair was the perfect place to do that. He is the VP of Chicken Charlie's, a staple in the fair circuit.
“When they hear about what the crazy item is and they are like, ‘Oh my goodness you are doing what,’" says Boghosian.
His older brother Charlie, hence Chicken Charlie’s, worked at fairs since he was 14. After college, he decided to give up his career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to own his own booth. Tony actually almost became a doctor, but followed in his brother’s footsteps.
“Here we are now a bunch of carnies trying to sell fried Oreos for a living,” says Tony.
Tony felt drawn to the fair scene and wanted every day to be magical. Now “Chicken Charlie’s” is a family business that is at almost every local fair, each time bringing new and out of the box quintessential fair foods all from the mind of Charlie.
“He made it his mission to be inventive and creative and turns out he’s pretty darn good at it,” says Tony.
They do this with new items each year, like the Hot Cheetos, fried chimichanga!
If you need to cool off in the fair heat, how about some ice cream? It’s not just any ice cream, Scoops on Tap infuses beer in their sweet treats, from stouts to blondes and other local craft selections.
“We have interesting flavors, cool cones, milk shakes, and floats. There’s something for everyone,” says owner Sam Howland.
Howland and his business partner had a love for ice cream and beer. After graduating Cal Poly Pomona, they took their at-home experiments and made it a business.
“We decided to push forward and turn it into something we could really proud of,” says Howland.
Growing up at the LA County Fair, Howland always dreamed of having his own stand. It became a reality this year because it's his first time serving his scoops on the fair ground.
"There's such an amazing variety of food at the fair. How cool is it to be here with my company selling my ice cream?" says Howland.
Try a beer- infused scoop like the Oreo Chocolate Stout or try the vegan options and shakes as well!
If you are eating on a budget, try the new Pop Menu where meals are only $6.50!
The LA County Fair has hundreds of different food options from fried classics to fresh fruits and veggies. You can try it all until September 22 at the Fairplex located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona, CA.