The best new Iowa State Fair food of 2023? A riff on grilled cheese with bacon, brisket

The public has spoken and deemed a novelty grilled cheese dish as the People's Choice for Best New Food of the 2023 Iowa State Fair.

The deep-fried bacon brisket mac-n-cheese grilled cheese from What’s Your Cheez took the top honors, as voted by fairgoers.

This novelty dish uses the Rib Shack’s signature bacon brisket mac and cheese that’s then slathered between layers of American cheese and two slices of What’s Your Cheez bacon cheddar bread. It is then deep-fried and served with a raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce.

The item is tops on the menu at What’s Your Cheez on the north side of Walnut Center and sells for $12.

Iowa State Fair Queen Kalayna Durr said she was “not a graceful eater” as she took a big bite of the enormous sandwich. She gave it a 10 out of 10.

Joni Bell created the dish with her chefs Tony Guerrero and Jimmy Sanders. As Bell won, chefs from her other stand, The Rib Shack, which is right across the sidewalk, chanted, "Joni! Joni! Joni!"

Bell won top honors for her dish last year as well. In 2022, the Finisher — a loaded baked potato extravaganza at The Rib Shack south of the Anne & Bill Riley Stage — won the top prize. That dish comes with a baked potato stacked with chopped brisket, smoked pulled pork and the Rib Shack's famous bacon brisket mac and cheese, topped with barbecue sour cream and garlic rub butter. It's again available for $12 at the stand.

Fairgoers cast 8,254 total votes, and 47.2 percent were for the grilled cheese. Fairgoers voted online for their pick for People's Choice Best New Food from the first day of the fair until Aug. 14.

Each of the contenders is a testament to iconic fair dishes. The novelty grilled cheese went up against the Grinder Ball from The Bacon Box and the Iowa Twinkie from new vendor Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ & Brew.

The Grinder Ball from The Bacon Box, situated on the Grand Concourse across from the Grandstand, features a blend of bacon stuffed with mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon, rotisserie smoked and dipped in warm marinara sauce. The gluten-free dish is a take on the traditional State Fair Grinder and costs $6.50.

The Iowa Twinkie from new vendor Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ & Brew, based in Luther, features a smoked bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with pulled pork, sweet corn, cream cheese and ranch seasoning. It is then glazed with Whatcha Smokin' BBQ & Brew house-made Sweet + Sticky BBQ sauce and drizzled with house-made ranch dressing. Find it next to the Iowa Craft Beer Tent for $8.

For 2023, 64 new dishes came on the scene at the Iowa State Fair. Back in July, that list culled down to 10 dishes from a mix of long-time vendors and newbies, and then judged by a group of TV news and radio personalities, fair officials and more to narrow the competition down to three dishes.

All three dishes will be available through the end of the fair.

More: These top three dishes compete for Best New Food at the Iowa State Fair in 2023

Miller Concessions Inc. was awarded the Best of Show for its mini doughnut stand. The Best in Show award honors how a concessionaire presents to the public. Judges take into consideration décor and overall look. Miller’s Concessions won for the business' mini-doughnut stand, which has the biggest LED sign that the fair has ever seen.

Find it on the east side of the Administration Building.

More: 2 chefs rate 9 crazy fried foods, desserts and sandwiches at the Iowa State Fair

Last year, Miller’s Concessions won Best in Show for its lemonade stand by the livestock barns that looks like a giant lemon.

Both the Best in Show and People's Choice for Best New Food are back-to-back winners for the first time in Iowa State Fair history. Other concessionaires have won multiple years, but not back-to-back.

Courtney Crowder, the Register's Iowa Columnist, traverses the state's 99 counties telling Iowans' stories. Her State Fair food must-get is the ice cream brick known as the Bauder's Peppermint Bar. Don't be ashamed to have seconds! Reach her at ccrowder@dmreg.com or 515-284-8360. Follow her on Twitter @courtneycare.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Deep-fried grilled cheese named best new food at the Iowa State Fair