Maple Leaf Diner has an exciting deal for those who love State Fair-style food but don’t want to fight the crowds at Fair Park (especially during TX/OU game Saturday).They’ve jumped on the festive food bandwagon by trying their own hands at Fair fare. Maple Leaf’s special LTO menu is available now through Oct. 20.
What’s not to like about sitting in air-conditioned comfort in a comfy booth at a favorite restaurant, with free and easy parking just outside, while enjoying fun foods like they serve at the Fair. Plus no standing in the coupon booth’s line, and trying to scarf down my corny dog standing by the trashcan and jostled by the crowd. After spotting State Fair Poutine on the special fair menu, I invited my son Justin to join me for lunch at the diner. He’d been eager to try poutine after seeing photos of the traditional Canadian dish (fried potatoes, cheese curds, and gravy in a gooey mashup) online.
Maple Leaf Diner’s Fair-themed Menu
MLD’s Fair-style menu items include Fried Oreos ($6.99); a Cotton Candy Mimosa ($7.49); Fried Cheese Curds ($9.99); a Carnival Burger that’s festooned with a corny dog ($14.99); and the State Fair Poutine ($14.99).
Neither of us are cotton candy fans, so we were surprised to find Maple Leaf’s Cotton Candy Mimosa actually tasted good—not as sugary sweet as we expected. It’s always fun to play with your food, so we enjoyed dumping the cotton candy into the beverage to watch it melt. Our waitress said the mimosas have been a very popular item with MLD regulars, even though they’re more expensive than the regular $6 mimosas.
The giant, double meat patty Carnival Burger with lettuce, tomato and pickles was decorated with a corny dog. Made in-house, the MLD corny dog doesn’t pretend to be the legendary original from the Fair. It has less batter than the Fair concessionaire’s version, but when slathered with mustard, it was really good. (That didn’t stop me from going to the State Fair later that week for my Fletcher’s Original Corny Dog—can’t break tradition!).
Canadian Poutine
Maple Leaf Diner has several versions of poutine on the menu, and it’s become a favorite breakfast item. The State Fair Poutine was just as savory and rich as I remembered, but Justin seemed disappointed by the cream gravy. He said the photos he’d seen on recipe sites show his favorite brown gravy. Our waitress said they sometimes offer a pot roast poutine with brown gravy, so we’ll have to go back for that.
While I loved the poutine and the cheese curds, neither of us were sure about those fried Oreos. They were delicious, though—with a funnel cake batter wrapped around a gooey, warm melted Oreo cookie. The limited time State Fair menu at Maple Leaf Diner only runs through Oct. 20, so not much time left to get your Fair fix.
MLD Canadian Diner
The MLD’s regular menu is filled with fun foods year round. Their Reuben Sandwich is another favorite of mine, and the gigantic platter of chicken and waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream is hugely popular. Warning: Anyone trying to diet should avoid looking at their bakery case that’s always filled with decadent looking pies, cakes, and cookies.
Canadian Thanksgiving will be celebrated Oct. 12-14 at Maple Leaf Diner, since owner Michael Delaurier is a proud Canadian transplant who loves sharing his country’s food with Dallas diners. The LTO menu features Turkey Poutine ($13.99); Pancake Wrap ($12.99); Canadian Thanksgiving Plate ($19.99); and Pumpkin Pie Shake ($9.99).
Maple Leaf Diner is located at 12817 Preston Road in Preston Village Shopping Center of Dallas. For more information, call 214-434-1626 or visit mldiner.com.