What new food is at the Big E 2021? First look at the crazy burgers, fried foods and a speakeasy

The Big E 2021 will soon be upon us. Fortunately, we’re getting a fair warning of the crazy new foods that will be looming over our digestive systems in the coming weeks.

There will be the usual caloric catastrophes, like the fried butter and fried Kool-Aid. But as per usual, there are some new additions to the lineup popping up around the fair.

Here’s a rundown of the new foods to keep an eye on, and where you’d be able to find them.

The “Biggie” Waffle Burger from White Hut (At the Food Court) - This thing really nails the whole breakfast burger vibe. The waffles are still soft and chewy and help you get everything in one bite. The bacon, onion and hash brown all blend together in this beautiful starchy-fatty rush of breakfast flavors, with the juicy double burgers profiting the perfect centerpiece to build around. The spicy maple syrup adds a wonderful finishing touch to give it a little spiciness and sweetness.

V-One Vodka/The Speakeasy by Stanley (In the Young Building) - This technically isn’t a new food, but is a fun new element to watch out foot. V-One Vodka will be running a hidden-away “speakeasy” in the Young Building in the spot previous occupied by Spencer Trappist Beer in 2019. The Big E says to “look for Kozub’s Cobbler Shop.” There may also be a password involved. We’ll have more details on this as the fair gets closer. The Speakeasy will feature a number of cocktails and martinis.

Bread Pudding from Noujaim’s Mediterranean Foods (In the Young Building) - No, this isn’t as crazy as some of the other new foods. But this was probably the single best-tasting thing I ate at the preview event. The bread pudding has a tremendously smooth sweetness rum-raisin flavor that stops just short of being too heavy. It’s creamy and balanced, with a delightful little bit of spice from the cardamom cream sauce. Also from Noujaims: meat pies, hummus.

Bacon-Wrapped Dilly Dilly Dog from The Meatball Factory (On West Road) - Going back to the crazy fair foods, we have a hot dog inside of a giant dill pickle, wrapped in bacon, covered in bacon batter and then deep fried. It’s an insane deep-fried roller coaster, but somehow manages to stay on the rails. You get a tremendous crunch on the outside that somehow works in conjunction with the pickle, it’s a crazy mix of crispy, briny and then meaty from the hot dog, with the bacon tying it all together.

Blackened Chicken Mac & Cheese from Storrowton Tavern (On the Avenue of States) - This is spot-on mac & cheese with a well-executed twist. It packs plenty of cheesy punch, but it’s got just the right amount of blackened seasoning to give it a kick and a new dimension. Then there are the nuggets of chicken hiding in there to add one extra pit of chunkiness to really make this a full meal. Also from Storrowton: Gazpacho soup, a delightful cold soup to combat those randomly hot September days in the mid 80s.

Pulled Pork Stuffed Popover from the New England Craft Beer Pub (On the Avenue of States) - This concept is crazy and a little hard to eat. But what it lacks in sense, it makes up in taste. It’s similar in concept to a stuffed baked potato — so, delicious. But having it in the popover lets you balance the sweet, saucy meat with the savory chewiness of a nice popover. It’s sort of like an open-faced sandwich. The popover somehow maintains its form under all of the toppings, and serves as a brilliant vessel for this carnivorous carnival.

Bloody Mary Grilled Cheese from the All American Craft Beer Bar & Pub (Inside Gate 7) - For starters, this is a solid grilled cheese. It’s crispy, it’s chewy, it’s cheese. Then it’s topped with horseradish and a secret bloody Mary sauce to give it a nice bit of acidity, creaminess and kick to create a new sort of delicious package.

Pumpkin Cream Puff from The Big E Bakery (Multiple Locations) - It’s a Big E cream puff, so of course it’s a beautiful, sweet, creamy, buttery cloud between two giant puffs. This one just has a pumpkin twist. Fortunately, there’s actually pumpkin involved -- not just pumpkin spice. It hits the right notes of sweetness, spice and actual pumpkin. I don’t want to say it’s better than the original, but I’d just as gladly get one.

Wurst Poutine from The Wurst House (On Commonwealth Ave.) - This “poutine” consists of French fries, beer cheese, roasted red peppers and the Wurst Haus’ signature bratwurst. This fun twist on poutine really lets the bratwurst and the spices stand out. The beer cheese is delightful and is brightened up just enough by the roasted red peppers to avoid being a slog.

Arancini Balls, Buffalo Chicken Balls from The Deep South Company (On Industrial Ave.) - The arancini balls are crunchy and have a nice blend of flavors between the cheese and the smooth rice. The included marinara sauce really brings it all together. The Buffalo Chicken Balls (which come with ranch) have a nice, smooth consistency and a kick of Buffalo sauce flavor that hits the sweet spot of spiciness.

Deep-Fried Pineapple on a Stick from The Coffee Break (In the Food Court) - My first impression was that this tasted like the world’s best Toaster Strudel. There’s a wonderful flaky exterior coating the fresh, flavorful pineapple hidden in the middle. The sweet coconut icing and powdered sugar bring it all together in one delicious, crunchy, fruit package

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New vendors and locations at the 2021 Big E

Calabrese Market & Deli (In the Food Court) - The West Springfield-based deli will be taking the spot previously occupied by Frigo’s. They’ll be offering paninis, cucumber salads, pasta salads, caprese salads and other Italian options.

Emma’s (On Hampden Ave.) - Selling Kora’s Cookie Dough on a Stick in five different flavors.

Deep Fried Tacos (Outside the Mallary Complex)

Moolicious - They’re keeping their old spot on Springfield Road, but now have a new spot offering hard ice cream behind the Coliseum.