There’s a whole lot to love about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (March 3-22 at NRG Park): the action, the carnival, seeing kids show their stock, the shopping. Essential to any day at the Show, however, is food. And with more than 60 different vendors offering everything from massive turkey legs (Rodeo food trivia: each turkey leg is about 1000 calories) to funnel cake to lobster rolls (yes, lobster rolls), how do you begin to determine what you want? One way is to pick up a Visitor’s Guide from the Show’s Directions and Assistance Committee Volunteers, and check out the extensive dining list.
Better than that, though, is to use this list of award-winning entries to the 7th Annual Gold Buckle Foodie Awards. A team of food writers and media celebrities undertook the grueling task of sampling dozens of entries across eight categories to decide the best of the best. It’s a rough life, sampling a pizza topped with crickets and scorpions, massive cinnamon rolls, brisket sandwiches and chocolate dipped cheesecake, but someone’s got to do it. Let the judges’ sacrifice of their taste buds and waistlines be to your advantage.
It’s our fourth Rodeo — and our fourth win,” said Tony Revis who, with his wife, Kimberly, run the Custom Confections trailer parked outside NRG Center, and this year walked away with 2nd place for Most Creative Food (the Frosty Bite, an ice cream filled cupcake) and 1st place for Best Fried Food, their Fried Brownie Bite.
“We take our fresh baked brownie, dip it in funnel cake batter, deep fry it and dust it with powdered sugar,” said Kimberly. “I say it’s great with a scoop of ice cream.”
“You know, it’s all about quality,” said Brenda Premont, owner of Granny’s Cheesecake & More. The Florida-based Premont owns three other concession stands and also travels to the Calgary Stampede and the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta. No stranger to Houston’s rodeo, she took first place in 2011 for Best Food on a Stick, and Favorite Food. This year, she grabbed third place for Best Fried Food (Fried Cheesecake) and second place for Best Food on a Stick, her chocolate dipped cheesecake rolled in Oreos.
“This is just a passion of mine, food,” she said. “And I love coming up with new ways to be creative, keeping it different.”
Early birds who come to the Show in the morning, before 11am, will want to make a beeline for either NRG Center or NRG Park, and look for Keith Houchin’s Texas Skillet operation. His stand won both third (Migas) and first place (Cowboy Burrito) in the Best Breakfast category. The burrito is a 10-inch flour tortilla, with skillet fried potatoes and a bacon-egg mix topped with cheese.
A 13-year veteran of the Show, the Fort Worth resident was thrilled at his double prize.
“Everybody loves a winner, right?” He smiled. “We really love coming here; it’s our favorite show.” Pretty big praise from a guy who’s fed Merle Haggard, George Jones and Loretta Lynn.
And on the subject of big praise, consider Stubby’s Cinnamon Rolls, which walked away with four wins. The Forth Worth-based vendor took second for Best Breakfast Food, third and first for Best Value Food and first for Best Dessert.
“I’m one of the original six food concessions,” said Stubby’s Stony Humphries. “And this is crazy! I can’t believe it!”
His first-place winning dessert is called The Works, the original cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing and pecans. That same original roll, all by its gooey-good self, was the Best Value winner.
“It’s $4,” said Humphries. “We haven’t raised the price on that in seven years. I’m out here to have fun and make a living — not a killing,” he joked.
His stalls in NRG Center and Arena are open every day at 5:30 a.m., ready to serve volunteers and Show participants. Don’t worry about there not being enough when you come, though.
“We serve anywhere from a couple hundred to 3,000 rolls a day,” he said.