Sticky Lips Pit BBQ

Sticky Lips is in Rochester New York. You can drop buy and pick up a whole smoked turkey at Sticky Lips (their tagline reads “Cut and Pick All Day”) or for about $140 you can feed 7-10 people with a delicious spread, including: cornbread, wings, deviled eggs, burning beef jerky, and sliders. And, they throw in a free bottle of hot sauce.

Personally, I would order their ‘Trash Heap’ sandwich – which is a hamburger piled high with collards, peppers, mushrooms, onions, provolone, meat sauce and fries. The fries are actually in the burger, not on the side, leaving room for a cup of award-winning chili (2 awards at the Great Bowls of Fire cook off in 2010).

Stickyz Rock and Roll Chicken Shack

This one is in Little Rock, Arkansas. I’ve been outside this establishment, but we passed through Little Rock too early in the day to enjoy its rock n roll or its chicken. I just looked at their menu, and I’m ready to order but sadly hundreds of miles away now. I would definitely try Stickyz Rock and Roll Chicken Shack‘s Dixie Chicken Platter – delicious original chicken-fried chicken breast butterflied under warm cream gravy – with a side of hash brown casserole. Add beer and a rock band, I think I have described one perfect night out!

Sticky Fingers Smokehouse

It looks like there are around 16 Sticky Fingers establishments, from Concord North Carolina to Jacksonville Florida and as far west as Chattanooga Tennessee (which frankly is not very far west at all). If you are on the west coast and craving some sticky fingers, you can order their selection of sauces online, which comes in a gift pack for just over 20 dollars. Their website also has a list of stores all over the U.S. that carry their sauces.

Other Sticky BBQ

Honorable Mentions

Here are some other sticky situations I came across:

Sticky BBQ Fingers, Cape Town South Africa

Big Sticky’s BBQ, Troy Missouri

Cally’s Sticky Bones BBQ, Tampa Florida

If I missed a Sticky BBQ, please let me know in the comments!

I just had a conversation with someone on this topic the other day – who invented the waffle? Possibly the Belgians, I was rooting for the Germans, but wouldn’t have been surprised if they actually originated at a concession stand at a State Fair.

Who Invented the Waffle?

The first waffle-like treats were made in Ancient Greece – they were called obelios, but the word ‘waffle’ comes from ‘wafer,’ as in communion wafer. I was also surprise to discover that the honeycomb pattern was not inspired by the honey that people use as a topping, but rather it was supposed to resemble interlocking crosses (time.com).

Waffle Culture

Soul Food (U.S.)

Chicken and waffles “is most commonly made by serving fried chicken with a waffle, the waffle then typically being covered with butter and/or syrup” (wikipedia). There is also a famous chain of Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in various locations in Southern California – check out their menu here, you can also get fresh chicken livers with your waffle. I think I could live off of their side orders alone, so many tasty options.

Pennsylvania Dutch (U.S.)

The Pennsylvania Dutch also enjoy chicken and waffles – their version consists of “a plain waffle with pulled, stewed chicken on top, covered in gravy.” I think the soul food version sounds tastier, but that’s just my opinion.

Belgian (Belgium)

Belgians have been making waffles since the Middle Ages and, according to belgianwaffle.org, it is their most famous food. The Belgian waffle was first introduced at the 1964 World Fair in New York City – thus making it an important entry into Driving and Dining’s list of Concession Obsessions!

Originally cooked in a waffle iron that was held over an open fire, and a popular treat found at concession stands erected outside churches on religious holidays, Belgian waffles continue to be a popular concession food.

The image above is from the Wafels and Dinges site – if you aren’t already craving waffels by now, go check out the mouth watering waffle concoctions at their site – the toppings are amazing. If you are in New York City, sign up to their website and you could win free waffles – there is a new winner each week. The have a truck, mini truck and it looks like they are also at seasonal markets. If you’re too far away they also have an online store.

P.S. There are actually 2 types of waffles from Belgium – the famous Belgian Waffle and the less famous but more dense and sugary Liege Waffle.

The Eggo (U.S.)

If you were raised in North America in the 70s or 80s it is probably safe to assume that Eggo waffles were a part of your childhood breakfasts. I am proud to say that I am carrying on this important tradition with my kids. And I am not the only person who takes Eggos seriously. In fact, there were some desperate times back in 2009 when the Eggo factory flooded and Eggo shipments had to rationed over the period of one year (time.com).

Waffle Equipment

Me Oh My I Love Pie

Check out Andie Macdowell singing about pie in the movie Michael (song starts about 1 minute in):

No Bake Pie

If you are on a diet or better with a ball of yarn then a mixing bowl, you can knit some pie using the pattern for Dad’s Blueberry pie over at pieknits.com.While you are there, check out Jennifer’s other patterns – I love the vintage tilt hat!

Pie Eating Contests

If you are in Troy, Ohio in June, check out their Strawberry Festival. Events at this festival include bed races, duck racing, and of course a pie eating contest! Other community events include pie eating contests or pie recipe contests – and many sell them at concessions so you can just buy a slice (or even the whole pie).

Pie Pie Pie

If you can hang in there for about 45 seconds, this song starts to sound like a song by Yello (think Ferris Bueller’s Day Off soundtrack).

 Pie Recipes

Allrecipes.com has over 1700 dessert pie recipes – something for everyone! A warm piece of pie with a scoop of cold ice cream on top is the perfect dessert for any season. Grandma Ople’s apple pie caught my attention because it has over 4,000 reviews and a 5 star rating. There are also over 700 photos submitted of pies baked from this recipe- enough to satisfy even the deepest pie craving!

Just one of the delicious photos:

Apple Pie Fourth Of July

Baking a pie, eating pie, the next thing you need to round out your Pie Party is some entertainment! Here is a great book for kids about one American girl’s experience on one particular 4th of July, you can read about the plot at toysandbooks.com.

Happy Pi Day

March 14 is Pi Day, check out Cooker Girl’s blog post about her pie-themed pie party. Her inspired menu included hand pies, shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, assorted fruit pies, and an ice cream pie. Make sure you visit her blog so you can see the photos – yum.

Also check out my article about the Apple Festival which includes the sad story about how the concession sold out of apple pies before I got there. I am still recovering from that disappointment. I did enjoy a piece of raspberry rhubarb pie while I wrote this article (it’s a necessary sacrifice to get into character!), so that helped.

If you are reading this in 2012 (or, even better, 2013) than the world did not end as predicted. Still, there are definitely benefits to everyone if each day is treated like the precious gift it actually is. Let’s all say “I love you” more often this year and take time to appreciate the beautiful earth we live on.

2. Get Outside

When’s the last time you sat on swing? It’s the perfect time machine to transport yourself back to your childhood. Before you know it, you’ll be going down the slide too!

3. Dream

If reality is getting you down, close your eyes and let your imagination roll! Experts have proven that the practice of visualization actually improves your performance and can help you reach your goals.

4. Nap

…And if your eyes are closed, and you happen to snooze for a little while, even better!

5. Have Fun

Enjoy yourself! You don’t need to be super rich or famous to have fun – in fact, some people might argue that your opportunities to have real fun decrease as your wealth and fame increase.

6. Do Something New

Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Public speaking, an open mic night at a comedy club, the scariest ride at the amusement park, a new business venture, a new food (like a concession treat?!), guitar lessons, novel writing, sky diving- what are you going to try this year?

7. Set a Goal

Last year I heard someone say “people overestimate what they can do in a month, but underestimate what they can do in a year.” It’s amazing how much you can get done if you set some goals, figure out what you have to do, and then break it down into small steps.

8. Go For It!

Sometimes the hardest part of any journey is just getting your shoes on and getting out the door. I’m a runner, and that is the hardest part for me every time!

9. Learn

Libraries, the internet, public television stations – you don’t have to stop learning just because you’re not in school anymore.

10. Share

I bet you are an expert in something. Imagine if you shared your knowledge with the young, or with a nonprofit organization or at a community center.

11.Comment

If you have made it this far down this list you must be wondering what else I can come up with (I was doing great until 11 but now I’ve run out of ideas!). If you are still reading this list, I want to wish you all the best for 2012 and thank you for visiting Driving and Dining. Also, please leave a comment below to let me know you were here! (If you’ve never commented before, this will mean you’ve already achieved #6 on this list!).

12. Subscribe

And as a last thing to do, I invite you to subscribe to us – you can keep up on another exciting year of Concession Obsessions, as well as exciting community events, festivals, and amusement parks all over the country. Just click on the subscribe button at the top of the site or this link: drivinganddining.

Best wishes for 2012 to all of you, thank you for keeping up with the tasty travels of Driving and Dining. Check out our article from earlier this month for some concession stand treats from Christmas concessions -the perfect snacks during your ice skating, winter festival, Christmas market, or other winter outing.

Today I thought I would find some concession, carnival, and state fair themed stocking stuffers – stockings are so fun, they are the perfect match for concession style. They are also a great reminder of fun in the sun to come – a wonderful way to brighten up the winter!

Concession Candy

There are candy versions or take-home versions of the most popular concession treats. Here are some of my favorites.

Hot Dog Candy

I somehow missed this very important hotdog themed candy during my ode to hot dogs last year. These have been around since I was a little a girl. At least. I found this gum featured at candyaddict.com, and there are several online retailers listed. *Warning: Not Hot Dog Flavored! (Actually, I think that is a good thing but I didn’t want anyone to be disappointed when they realize they taste like cinnamon.)

Cotton Candy in a Bag

We featured this in our Concession Obsession: Cotton Candy article in May of 2010. Check it out for the history of cotton candy, and some other cotton candy inspired gifts. Here is the individually wrapped cotton candy we featured then. Called Spider Web candy, it is probably more appropriate for Halloween (unless you are the Addams Family or your brother is a goth)- however, I’m sure there are Christmas versions available as well.

Sweet Shirts

There are t-shirts with candy on them, making a sweet gift. Here is a Christmas themed shirt; however, you can also buy a shirt with a favorite brand on it (I’ve seen double bubble shirts, dots shirts, tootsie rolls shirts, etc). Check out teenormous.com for ideas.

Practical and Fun at the Same Time

My favorite stocking stuffers are fun and practical at the same time, so I know that the recipient will enjoy using them after Christmas morning.

Candy Apple Hand Sani

This hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works is Winter Candy Apple scent.

Steak Shake

If you are shopping for someone who isn’t a sweet tooth, consider a fancy bbq sauce or rub (or even some beef or salmon jerky!). This is a useful gift for the member of your family that operated the BBQ! This Steak Shake is from Salamida – makers of the State Fair barbecue sauces since 1975.

Last year I featured Christmas Markets around the world, but this year I’d like to focus on the fantastic food at Christmas market concession stands .

Baked Apples

I have never seen a baked apple look this good – check out the recipe over at Sandra’s Recipes.

Hot Sandwiches

A hot sandwich is a wonderful winter treat, whether it be a grilled pannini, or a pizza or meatball sub. A hot turkey sandwich would be my personal menu choice if it was an option – two pieces of buttered white bread with turkey in the middle, and lots of gravy all over. Roast beef would do in a pinch, as well. A beef dip with au jus is always just the thing to warm you up on a chilly winter’s evening. Recipe for the meatball sub pictured below at Kraft Canada:

Big Pretzels

I’ve already dedicated a whole article to big pretzels, so I will just leave you with this yummy image.

Hot Oatmeal

Winter or Christmas concessions might follow this ice skating rink’s lead and offer hot oatmeal at their concession: the Riley Rink in Vermont also offers homemade chili and tuna melts – all perfect comfort food for a chilly day.

Posts of Christmas Past

For more Christmas concession information please visit my other Christmas articles:

Welcome to Santa Land, USA

Concession Themed Christmas Gifts

Christmas Markets

And other appropriate treats you might find at concession trailers at a Christmas event:

Concession Obsession: Hot Chocolate

Concession Obsession: Roasted Chestnuts

Happy Holidays!

Hot Dog Cart Christmas Ornament

For the hot dog enthusiast (or vendor), here is a wonderful way to wish your loved one a hot diggety dog Christmas- may all of their dogs be grilled and their buns be steamed to perfection all year ’round! This ornament is available from Santa’s Site.

Collectible Christmas Villages

Or, if your family has one of those collectible Christmas villages on display every year, you can spice it up with the addition of a Christmas fair or carnival. There are amusement park rides and concessions to collect, such as this Lemax popcorn concession stand (available from searchbeat.com):

Not So Macho Nacho

It might be a bit cheesy, but this nacho lip balm would make a great stocking stuffer!

The Perfect Party

Or, if you are planning a Christmas party you could shake things up a bit by filling your deep fryer and having a fry up. Ask guests to bring treats, prepare a lot of batter, and it’s a frying frenzy! Part scientific experiment, and ALL delicious – this type of party will appeal to everyone! Some ideas for the potluck of all potlucks: pop tarts, mars bars, hot dogs, even… dare we say it?… vegetables! (Tempura, anyone?).

Note: whatever you do, do NOT buy your wife or anyone your are even slightly romantically involved with a deep fryer for Christmas unless they specifically asked for it (and even then, proceed with caution). It ranks only slightly lower on the silent treatment-slash-divorce scale as a gym membership or slippers.

A.C. Haury’s’ tips for Saving Money at the Ball Park can be applied to any other event. She suggests buying tickets (when applicable) at a discount ticket site or box office and also taking public transportation to avoid expensive parking fees. Her advice is excellent, but I can’t agree with one of her suggestions, no matter how practical. She suggests that you eat a meal at home and then skip the concession stands! Inconceivable!

Concession Recession

However, in the frugal spirit of Black Friday, I do concede that concession stand goodies comprise an important part of my participation in an event, so I budget for it. If you are concession cost conscious, however, there are ways to keep costs down without depriving yourself.

Concession Drinks

Many events have restrictions about bringing in your own beverages and you don’t want to get dehydrated, so buy yourself a drink. Or, keep your eye out for a water fountain so you can save your concession budget for a deep fried pat of butter, taco in a bag, funnel cake, or whatever else is on your list.

Think Quantity

A large bag of kettle corn or cotton candy on a stick can keep you busy for a long time in comparison to some of the smaller concession items. This will help prevent many return trips to the stand.

Think Quality

On the other side of the chocolate coin, if you are on a budget you might want to reserve your money for the one glorious treat – a deep fried pop tart perhaps, or a burger with all of the fixings.

Life is short after all. If a visit to a music festival or amusement park is one of life’s pleasures for you, then perhaps it is the one day you should be splurging a little. You can always plan ahead for it, particularly if you got the tickets for less than their regular price… and you took the bus!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving weekend is all about friends and family – celebrate your community by visiting a local event (and a local concession of course!)

Craft Fairs

According to their website, more than 175,000 visitors enjoyed Sugarloaf Craft Festivals last year. They take place in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and include gourmet food, arts and crafts, live demonstrations, and even puppetshows! The next show is on November 18-2o in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Craft Show Concession

Just a sampler of the craft show concession stands : Dragon’s Feast, Open Pit Ham (what is that? sounds tasty), London Broil, and eclairs for dessert. No turkey, however.

Turkey Jerky

It’s delicious, lean, and it rhymes – everything I want in a dried meat product. Perky Jerky is the “official and exclusive jerky at the International Speedway Corporation racetracks” and available at concession stands. They also have Perky Turkey Jerky- a trifecta of rhyming meat snack goodness.

Turkey Legs

The Arts For All Festival, “Southwest Oklahoma’s largest and most popular fine arts festival,” takes place in May so you have lots of time to plan to your visit. They have two different concession stands selling turkey legs so they must be a popular treat.

Turkey To Go

The Turkey To Go concession at the Minnesota State Fair “has been serving up tasty turkey at the State Fair for more than 50 years.” Minnesotans love turkey so much that they celebrate with a Gobble Gobble Cluck Day.

 Turkey Twist

In a strange twist, there was a wild turkey in Kingston New Hampshire called Gobbles who liked to eat donuts.

What better time to look at some of the creepier concession tricks and treats? Some seasonal attractions go ‘all out’ with their Halloween themed concession stands, but all concession stands can add some fear factor to their food this time of year. The Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted House in Ulster Park, NY has 3 concession stands: The Evil Eatery, The Crooked Crow Cafe, and Witch Hazel’s.

Here are some ideas you can easily scare up for a concession. Don’t let the short notice bug you, it’s easy to put a spooky spin on your concession stand.

Gummy Worms

Sell packages of gummy worms, like these ones from southwestcandy.com.

Gummy Spiders

Normally, it would be frowned upon if you took your pet tarantula to a concession stand; but, how about buying one there? These individually packaged pet tarantulas are made by Jelly Belly, so you know they will be tasty, too. (Available at ohnuts.com.)

Chocolate Covered Crickets

Or you can sell the real squeal, like these chocolate covered crickets available from Flukers. According to their website, “Each individually wrapped, chocolate covered cricket comes with [an] exclusive “I ATE A BUG CLUB” button”.

Bug Bags

You can transform any of your regular concession treats into tricks, by using these bags that have bugs on them. These bags are a fast and frightening way to pack some fun into your concession snacks – they are perfect for popcorn and super for sandwiches (I wouldn’t advise using them to serve chili, however).

Worms and Dirt

Here is a recipe for a treat that you can offer at a concession, always popular with the kids. Also called Worm Cups, this recipe is made out of Oreo cookies, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms. Check out the recipe at robertsplace.ca.