Carl’s Hand Dipped Corn Dogs won first place in the Best Food at the Fair competition for their fried Oreos. The annual competition takes place at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo.

Chef Josh Rutherford, along with six students from the Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College, served as the judges and spent several hours sampling a variety of sweet treats at the Fair. At the end of the day, it was Carl’s fried Oreos that made a blue-ribbon impression on the judges.

 “It is the best fried Oreo I’ve ever had,” judge Jonah Rainey said. “The flavor was very good, and it had a nice ratio of cookie to batter.”

 Coming in second place this year was a treat many people look forward to every year at the fair, Sweet Pickin’s kettle corn.

 “It’s what you think of when you think of fair food,” judge Zephy Hanson said. “The sweet and salty is a nice balance.”

 Third place went to D&T BBQ for their huckleberry fried ice cream.

 “The flavor was excellent, and it looked beautiful,” Hanson said.

 The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo runs through Sunday, Aug. 17 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. For more information, visit nwmtfair.com.