Not going to the fair? Eat like you are in Tacoma restaurants

Attention Tacoma diners who have no intention of going anywhere near the Washington State Fair: You can eat fair food without the drive to Puyallup.

The “Not at the Fair” menu at Engine House No. 9 was an idea from John Xitco, co-owner of X Group Restaurants, which owns Sixth Avenue restaurants E9, Masa and Asado.

E9 chef Dave Lewandowsky grabbed Xitco’s ideas and added his own deep-fried spin.

There’s an ode to the fair’s Krusty Pup with “Uli’s Crusty Pup” ($7.99), a quarter-pound bacon sausage link from Uli’s Sausage that’s dunked in a batter and fried until crisp. There’s also deep-fried peanut butter cups ($6.99), a strawberry scone ($3) and brickhouse fries ($8.99), which is a block of seasoned curly fries topped with cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, pico de gallo and green onions. Find E9 at 611 Pine St., Tacoma; 253-272-3435 or ehouse9.com.

Here’s what other Tacoma restaurants are serving as an ode to the fair:

Shake Shake Shake: Just added to the menu in honor of the fair is the Stadium neighborhood restaurant’s “fair burger,” a burger topped with a pile of fried onions ($3.99). Find Shake Shake Shake at 124 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma; 253-507-4060 or shakeshakeshake.me.

Marrow: The Sixth Avenue restaurant created a fair menu as a fixed price tasting menu for Sept. 23. On the menu is a pork sausage “Krusty Pup” in corn batter served with hoisin mustard; “Earthquake Burger” ravioli made with dry-aged beef in a sesame seed pasta; an “Elephant Ear” fried in duck fat and coated in paprika cinnamon sugar and served with seared duck breast. Find Marrow at 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma; 253-267-5299 or marrowtacoma.com.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 4:29 AM with the headline "Not going to the fair? Eat like you are in Tacoma restaurants."