There is no doubt about it that The Erie County Fair is a prime date spot. There are plenty of romantic nooks to explore, crowded-oh-I’d-better-hold-your-hand concerts to attend, people to watch (and judge knowingly) and, when you run out of delightful high school anecdotes, food to eat. Boys—even if it is 95 degrees outside, I do not want you to get me a balloon from Gary the Silent Clown— I still want a deep-fried piece of anything, preferably wrapped in bacon.

Although the options for food at the Fair border on limitless, you need to be careful what you choose to eat on a date so you do not send the wrong message. A date at the Fair says you are exciting and dangerous, up for a wild time, but be aware that there are rules when it comes to fried food and romance.

Be bold.If you are going to go to the Fair and get deep-fried Kool-Aid, you might as well have gone to a lemonade stand down the street. That stuff is child’s play, so leave it to the middle school kids on group dates. If you want to show a woman (or man) that you are serious, you need to be a little more provocative. A giant turkey drumstick should do the trick.

But not too bold.Unless you have known each other for a while, first-daters are going to want to keep it classy and stick with the basics: fried dough and fried Oreo’s are more than okay, maybe even a fried Snickers, but only if the moment seems right.

Commitment pays off.You have been dating for a few months and the relationship is starting to reach a deeper level. Your guard is down and you have met the parents. Congratulations—you have gained the right to have a donut dog for lunch and deep-fried butter for dessert. Yes, you heard right! Balls of butter deep-fried, a Paula Dean favorite.

And for those of you who no longer need to impress each other… Married folk: the Fair is your playground. Chicken fried bacon with gravy, breakfast sausage dipped in pancake batter on a stick and chocolate covered bacon is all on your literal and figurative table. After all, it is ‘till death do us part,’ so why hold back?

Photo from Flickr/Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife