First night of Beaumont Cherry Festival...wonderful Bratwurst and tri-tip. Good midway. Curiously, hardly any cherries in evidence...edible or otherwise.

Big Bubba's Bad Barbecue, at the Southern California Fair in Lake Perris, wins the best sausage sandwich award hands-down. Far superior to anything served at the LA County Fair, and we think the secret may be the bun. SCF is a great little fair, compact, but with all the requisite attractions, including loads of entertainment. It's a kinder, gentler fair...not quite so crowded and commercial as many...and lots of 4H activity, which is strikingly absent from the LA County Fair in recent years. It was wonderful seeing so many young people involved in raising goats and genuinely excited about the competition...sort of like watching drum corps kids. The SCF will definitely be on our preferred list of Fairs.

We're doing the Southern California Fair at the Lake Perris fairgrounds this afternoon. It's kind of drizzly and cold, but we'll see what the fair holds for us.

LA County Fair ends this weekend and it's "on notice:" improve the culinary offerings next year. I'm just saying...

LA County Fair is huge, fun and expensive, but the cuisine seems to be lacking this year. Disappointing. Especially the giant sausage sandwiches. And don't even get me started on the chocolate covered, deep fried bacon. Seriously, don't just throw the food on a grill, then on a paper plate and expect customers to accept whatever they get. This year I got a sausage that was more hot dog than sausage; a fried chicken dinner that consisted of a lump of cold chicken and soggy fries; and a tri-tip sandwich that was tough enough to frustrate a tiger with huge canines. I'm expecting improvements next year!

Just two weeks before the LA County Fair, the mother of all fairs. We can't wait.

Orange County Super Fair today. Report later...food now!