Once A Year Food at Cheyenne Frontier Days 2013

When you think "Cheyenne Frontier Days" sights and sounds come to mind - Brave rodeo clowns, huge bulls, more cowboy hats than the eye can see....but you probably also think of some tastes, as well. At great risk to waistline and cardiovascular health, Teri, Coop and I tested out some of the best food on the midway, and we came up with this top 5, in no particular order:

1. Turkey Leg Taste: Smokey, rich, falling of the bone! Like ham on a stick. We give the flavor an A-  ... really a B+, with a small bonus for being on a stick. More meats should come on sticks. Price/Value - A turkey leg is pretty big. You can definitely get full on one and a drink. We rate the value "OK" for $9 bucks The "once a year" factor: This is classic fair food. You're only getting this now and maybe thanksgiving!

2. Deep Fried Oreos: These ROCKED our world. We were totally surprised at just what happens to an Oreo at high temps - the cream and the chocolate combine inside the dough into an awesome liquid center! They get an "A" for flavor, for sure! Price/Value: 6 bucks for 5 cookies. Seems like high markup, but each cookie eats like a meal... an order should be split with a friend! The "once a year" factor: This is pretty much unique to fairs and carnivals, and for good reason.... man is not meant to dine like this each and every day!

3. Funnel Cake Taste: Hot Crispy and Sweet is a hard combo to beat  - we give it an A Price/Value - at 6 bucks or so, you can probably split one with someone. Not too shabby! The "Once a Year" factor: You just don't get funnel cake every day! It's THE Fair and rodeo snack, meant to be eaten standing in the sun! It's summer fun on a plate and will trigger memories of the other summer events you've had a funnel cake at!

4. The Indian Taco Taste: The Indian Taco is basically an improvement on the tostada - instead of a corn shell, there's a hot, crispy-flaky piece of Indian Fry Bread instead!  This is a good, fulfilling lunch with fresh lettuce and veggies as well as seasoned ground beef. You pick how hot it is with salsa, hot sauce, and  jalapenos on the side! Price/Value - An Indian Taco will set you back about 8 bucks and makes a good sized meal for one big appetite. Smaller eaters might have left overs. The "Once a Year" factor: I've never just had an Indian Taco because it was Thursday. This is food you eat when you're out having fun!

5. The BBQ Chicken Kebob Last, but not least, we ran into these monster chicken ke-bobs and couldn't believe our eyes! Taste: These guys are GOOD. The grill guys at the barbecue booth get it right every time, perfectly done without compromising juiciness. You'll think you're around a campfire, without the ants. Price/Value - at 13 and change these seem a little steep at first, but if you pull them off the stick, you've got three decent sized pieces of chicken and a big side of grilled veggies. For a 2 dollar upgrade, you can get sides of slaw and beans with it. Certainly not cheap, but not bad for what you get...that's a regular sized paper plate it's sitting on in the picture! That "once a year" factor: You can get this other places, or even cook them yourself in a pinch, but it's hard to beat the perfect job they do of crisping up the kebob without drying it out...they're also one of the few healthier (relatively speaking) options on the midway. Maybe it's in my head, but I think they're better at the rodeo! Did we leave off one of your favorites? Comment and let us know!