The New York State Fair has restaurants that serve fully loaded Italian Sausage Sandwiches, Shark-on-a-Stick, Kangaroo Spiedies, Donut Burgers, Wine Slushies and just about anything deep-fried.

But it has never had a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian and vegan food. (The Blooming Onion and butter-slathered corn-on-the-cob stands don't seem to count).

This year, the fair is seeking a vendor to operate a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, in a dedicated space inside the International Building.

"We are constantly working to satisfy more of the diverse wants and needs of our fairgoers, and adding vegetarian and vegan food has been at the top of our list," acting fair director Troy Waffner said in a news release.

The winning vendor will be chosen based on the number and variety of both vegetarian and vegan items -- and preference will be given to an applicant who uses New York-grown ingredients. The vendor also must serve non-alcoholic beverages.

The fair defines vegetarian "as a prepared hot or cold dish that excludes any meat, fish, seafood or animal-body by-products such as gelatin, but may include milk, cheese and eggs."

It defines vegan as "a prepared hot or cold dish that excludes any meat, fish, seafood or animal-body by-products such as gelatin, as well as milk, cheese and eggs."

The space is 20 feet by 20 feet, in the southeast corner of the International Building. It was vacant in 2014, and had been the home of La Cuisine. The International Building is home to many of the fair's better known restaurant vendors, such as the Hofbrauhaus, Las Delicias, Paco's Tacos, Stephen's Greek Cuisine and Emmi's Little Italy..

"We don't get many openings in our food vendor ranks, so when this space became available, we saw this as a real opportunity to provide vegetarian and vegan food," Waffner said.

The winning vendor supplies its own equipment and pays an annual rent -- $7,160 for 2015. Applicants must currently be in the restaurant or food service business, and have been in business for the past three years. The fair is also seeking vendors who have a demonstrated knowledge of vegetarian and vegan cooking.

Read more from the original source:
Deep-fried tofu on a stick? New York State Fair seeks vegetarian/vegan restaurant