DEEP FRIED FROG LEGS

the signage alone at "Chicken Charlie's" is enough to grab your culinary attention.

i read about Charlie's stand in the LA Times and just had to go to the LA County Fair for some of his DEEP FRIED FROG LEGS. i've heard tell of the imfamous deep fried Twinkie, that's old news, but i just had to get me some legs. so off i went, by myself, with the anticipation of a kid going to Disneyland for the first time.

i was so excited about the legs that i made the trek out to Pamona all by myself just to get my taste of these little jumpers. although i've had frog legs before, probably at some Frenchie French resaurant, i've never had them deep fried. we all know they're supposed to taste like chicken, but i was wondering if frying them was going to make them too much like chicken...i was kinda right. BUT, i gotta tell ya...they sure are fun to eat. you can't help but feel a little adventurous and a little righteous while gnawing on this little tiny leg that looks just a bit too much like a tiny little man's lower body?...yikes! i didn't really think of that 'till now and looking at the photos really makes one think...hmmm, well just don;t go there. anyway it all makes for good conversation, fun and i bet you'll be the only one on your block that's eaten frog parts. maybe they're not so odd back East or in the South, but out here in So.California you're only going to find them at the fair...deep fried that is. of course now i have seen them popping(sorry) up everywhere. iron chef, hell's kitchen AND some other foodie show. then again in the weds. food section they were critiquing Pinot Provence in Costa Mesa and one of the fav things on the menu was none other than FROG LEGS. now they're in my face everywhere. i can't wait to get my hands on more. i would love to find out where i could buy some and cook them myself, BBQ style, yum!...i supposed i could go down to the back bay and round a few up myself. maybe Dad could give me some pointers. he likes to tell stories of when he was a kid and his frog hunting days when he and his buddies would go down to the lake and whack the huge croakers over the head with an oar. sounds terrible, i know, but this was quite some time ago and P.C.(politically correct-ness) was unheard of. don't worry, i won't go there. i bet i'll find them frozen somewhere. new obcession for me to add to the list of many...

so next time you see them...trust me...jump at the chance!...sorry. had to say it...

as for the DEEP FRIED TWINKIE?
pretty much a let down...
i was thinking crunchy doughnutty outer layer, the imfamous yellow cake all nice and warm, with the creamy middle ready to ooze out at first bite...sounds good huh?...well no such thing. as you can kind of tell by the photo, it was soggy, no outer layer and with some pathetic chocolate sauce poured over. as i stated before, in another post about all the sweets i tried at the fair, it could have been my fault the twinkie wasn't all that. i did happen to get it at "Chicken Charlie's"...the same stand that did the frog legs...i had to leave wondering if they were fried in the same vat?...don't get me wrong...it wasn't aweful...i mean, i DID eat the whole thing.

needless to say, i WILL be seaching out the next fair. i had too much fun, and i can't wait to see what they come up with next...something fried, something diped, something poked with a sharp stick...what ever it is, i'll be first in line to give it a try...hope to see you there...

ps...more savories at the fair posted here..