'Frickles' Make Debut at the Novato Farmers Market

“Absolutely amazing!,” was the unsolicited review by a Novato Farmers market staff member when asked about Frickles, the fried pickles that will make their Novato debut on Tuesdays.

Katy Chapman, of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, the organization that runs local farmers markets, said that if I wanted to get the scoop on this new vendor, I needed to call the Fabulous Frickle Brothers.

Patrick Mace and John Corazzini are unrelated but united in brotherhood over their love of the fried pickles, fried okra and fried green tomatoes, all of which they sell at markets and festivals out of their Frickle Wagon, emblazoned with the motto “Happy Pickles Fabulously Fried.”

Mace is the CFO — Chief Frickling Officer — of the company and has lived in Novato for 22 years. He worked in marketing for Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma before he started the new business with Corazzini, a professional baker for more than 30 years who operates Pilgrim Kitchen in Belmont with his father. But as their alter-egos, the Fabulous Frickle Brothers boast of being the “World’s Greatest High Frying Act.”

According to their website, the Frickle Brothers story involves joining a circus, a pickle stem injury resulting from being shot from a cannon and advice from a palm reader to get out of town.

Mace was able to provide confirmation of only a few of the key facts.  On a trip to North Carolina, Mace tried some Southern fried pickle chips. Mace knew that fried pickles were pretty common in the Southeast but it was a food revelation for a West Coast guy.

“Oh my gosh, these are delicious – was my first reaction,” Mace said. “I had a vision – people have to try these.”

But like most food visionaries, he decided to mess with the recipe. “In the South, they use cornmeal or cornflakes to bread the pickle chips, and they’re served with a dip made of sour cream and mayonaise.”

Mace said the Frickle Brothers use Lagunitas ale, panko and organic flour to make a light tempura batter and then fry with canola oil. Strauss Family Creamery organic yogurt is used to make an American ranch dip, sweet Asian plum dip or a spicy Thai dip with cilantro and mint that they call Cucaracha Sriracha.

The Fabulous Frickle Brothers have only had their act on the road for 11 months, according to Mace. For their Novato Farmers Market roll-out, they plan to try something new: a fresh market fry. “We’ll take whatever fresh vegetable is in season and frickle it,” Mace said.

It will be a surprise to see what is frickled, but don’t rule out fruit. According to their blog, frickled apple slices, called Frapples, taste like a Southern fried apple pie.

To get to the truth, some frickled products will just have to be taste-tested because when talking with the Fabulous Frickle Brothers it’s hard to know what is real and what is a circus spectacle.

“We’re selling fun, with a good product on the side,” Mace said.

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