Forget the French fries and funnel cakes, Carowinds food gets all Southern on us

There’s a new chef in town and he’s spicing up the eats you typically find at Carowinds (you know, unless you’re busy getting stuck on the Fury 325… or the WindSeeker… or the Flying Ace Aerial Chase).

Krzysztof Siuta (say that five times fast…we dare you) is giving the amusement park’s traditional menu of French fries, funnel cakes and hot dogs a big Carolina boost. Siuta (or Chef Kris) started his job last Labor Day and said the upgraded menu brings a “cultural change” to the Carowinds dining experience (because everyone goes there for the food anyway, right?)

Here’s what we know

(1) Chef Kris’ creations will be available every weekend till May 17.

Check out the Taste of the Carolinas food festival @CarowindsPark – Eat.Tweet.Repeat. http://t.co/OXfuGKcnNR pic.twitter.com/KJvHTxuRgW

— Charlotte Chamber (@cltchamber) April 22, 2015

(2) There will be places throughout the park where you can sample each delicacy. For instance, you can get pimento cheese fries at the Dockside Fries stand.

Also on tap: A red velvet funnel cake (yes, a funnel cake topped with red velvet cream cheese dipping sauce…now, let that sink in as you wipe the drool off your tablet).

“If I didn’t have something red velvet, I’d be in trouble,” Chef Kris jokes.

No joke.

(3) Carowinds isn’t just going down south. There’s a gluten-free stand near the bumper cars and other healthy options, like shaker salads (shake ’em up to mix the lettuce with the dressing…should be great on a blistering hot day in a crucible of concrete and steel).

(4) If all the fancily-worded menu items seem a tad bourgeois, relax. Chef Kris is also whipping up some classics — shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, brisket and pulled pork.

Feature photo by Observer photographer Jeff Siner

This story was originally published April 23, 2015 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Forget the French fries and funnel cakes, Carowinds food gets all Southern on us."