The announcement came this week that the International Pavilion at the New York State Fair will take on a new name–The Eatery.

OK–you’ve got to admit, that’s more accurate. Aside from flags from various nations hung from the rafters, there’s not much that’s truly international about the building. Yeah, there are vendors selling Asian, Italian, Caribbean and German cuisine, but there’s also plenty of good old American chow and a tavern with New York beer and wine.

So, you could call it a re-definition of the place. But knowing the traditional nature of Fair regulars, it will be many years before the name takes hold. Some people still call the Art and Home Center the Women’s Building.

The addition of new food stands inside was also announced, so the name isn’t a big deal as long as the food is good.

Nearly a week since the 2018 New York State Fair closed, your cholesterol may have gone back to normal levels. Some Fair food, like sausage sandwiches and baked sweet potatoes can be imitated at home, but that deep-fried everything is tough to duplicate.

Until next August you’ll have to settle for more conventional fried entrees, like fish and chicken, or better yet eat a bit healthier. Be honest, fried mac and cheese, waffle bombs and calorie-laden battered meats are great novelties, but they aren’t real food.

Thirteen days a year is plenty of time to try out such concoctions, just to say you did.

Most adults who attend the New York State Fair are there primarily to seek out that fabulous Fair cuisine. Many find that the fried, grilled and barbecued delights on the menu pair beautifully with wine produced in the Finger Lakes, on Long Island, in the Thousand Islands or really anywhere around the Empire State.

Several stands, both indoors and outdoors, offer at least a limited selection of vino on their menu boards. For the widest variety of reds, white and blends, you can’t beat the wine court that borders the colonnade.

Sitting at a picnic table, sipping a homegrown wine and listening to entertainment from Chevy Court or a local band playing a few feet away is a patented Fair experience. Cheers.

If there’s one culinary treat that’s been conspicuously missing from the New York State Fair’s menu, it’s freshly-baked cookies. That’s no longer the case due to this year’s arrival of Florida-based Grandma’s Cookies, a red-and-yellow trailer parked near the grassy picnic area at the edge of the midway.

Roxanne and Steve Van Horn are mixing and baking classic chocolate chip cookies on site and serving them warm and gooey to Fairgoers who value homemade quality in a Fair dessert. When a batch of these beauties comes out of the oven, you’ll forget all about the deep-fried junk food being sold all around you.

Roxanne, a retired nurse travels the circuit with husband Steve, serving hungry cookie lovers with down-home friendliness and freshness. Time is short, as the Fair wraps up on Monday, so maybe you should buy extra to take home.

Some families have to find ways to cut costs when attending the New York State Fair. There are several free or reduced ticket deals but food expenses can add up when feeding three or four kids, so resourceful parents can pack up a few sandwiches or some fruit for a picnic lunch. Just to remind you, there’s no rule against bringing in food, just don’t bring glass bottles. There are plenty of spots among the madness to rest and have a family meal.

Sure the kids will be enticed by all of the ice cream, fried dough and cheese fries around, so if Mom and Dad can budget for a few treat while making carried-in food the main course, maybe everybody will be happy. No doubt, you can spend a fortune at the Fair, but you can also have a great time on a budget.

Again this year, a couple of popular eateries have lost their permanent Fair homes as several stands have been demolished. The most noteworthy is the Grange Ox Roast, a longstanding fixture near the cattle and poultry barns. But fear not, beefeaters, the landmark eatery is being relocated to just a few feet away, where Anthony’s 19th Hole (green roof) has vacated their building.

“(The Ox Roast) stand was in bad condition,” said Acting Director Troy Waffner. “That stand was to the point that to put money into it wouldn’t have made sense financially. So they’re moving to where Anthony’s was. We’ll do some sort of signage to direct people down there. Little Caesar’s didn’t come back, so we took down both those buildings and widened the street on both sides.”

The Grange Ox Roast stand is known for quality food at reasonable prices, served by a friendly volunteer staff. Proceeds support Grange programs.

The Milk Bar switched from the classic tickets to tokens while retaining the popular 25-cent price. At times the machines ran out, requiring customers to stand in line to buy from a cashier, but overall, things went smoothly.