2018 MN State Fair New Foods Preview Part 4

We're on the down slope now, everyone! But because 27 doesn't divide equally into 5 (don't bother, I tried), we have 6 new foods to review today and tomorrow.

You can find part 1, part 2, and part 3 at the links.

Take a deep breath- we're almost on the other side of this.

Shrimp Ceviche

Fresh shrimp, cucumbers, jalapeños, onions, tomatoes and cilantro tossed with a citrus lime juice and served cold with tortilla chips.

At the Shrimp Shack

Sarah

Okay, fine. I mean, this isn’t anything special. We know my feelings about fair foods that I can just get, like, anywhere, but this could be fresh and cool and refreshing on a hot summer day so I hope it’s good. I’m a bit worried about the jalapenos but hopefully I can push them aside a bit. I don’t know. I don’t have much to say about a fair food that doesn’t have much to say.

Anne

Ok Ok, I lurve me some ceviche and I lurve me some skrimps. So I am excited to taste this. I’m not sure this feels special enough for the MNSF, but also I bet it’s gonna be a nice thing to eat on those hella hot days.

Have we had food from the Shrimp Shack before? They weren’t on the new food list last year. I wonder what other types of delicious skrimp offerings they have.

Patrick

Not sure I’ve ever eaten at this locale, but I think they can lure me in with some sweet shrimp ceviche.  I love a good shrimp ceviche, and this looks real nice with its tortilla chips for dipping.  So long as they keep it simple and good, I think this could be pretty great.  Crossing my fingers on this one.

Slider Flights

Flights of three slider sandwiches, each with a variety of toppings, available in three varieties: Brisket Flight (one slider topped with coleslaw, one with pickles and onions, and one with crispy fried onions); Burger Flight (one slider topped with thick-cut candied bacon and cheddar cheese, one with smoked gouda, and one with BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese and crispy fried onions); Pulled Pork Flight (one slider topped with coleslaw, one with pickles and onions, and one with crispy fried onions)

At The Hangar

Sarah

Now we’re  talking!! Flights of things are always fun. Even flights of things I normally don’t like are fun. And I DO like sliders so therefore I am excited for this! The only issue is how will we pick which flight we want to try?? I’m leaning a bit toward the burger flight, but come on! A brisket flight? And pulled pork? WHYYYYYYY must we choose?? It would be the MOST BEST if we could just pick from all nine and make a flight of three from those, but life isn’t that fair at the fair.

Anne

Can I…Can I get one of each for our flight?

I love that they’ve made Flight into a food thing instead of just a beverage thing. This looks good- I like sliders, burgers, brisket, and pulled pork. If I can’t get one of each I don’t know how I’m going to decide.

Also- again, this seems to be missing the ol’ razzle dazzle. I’m sure it will be tasty (of course I could be proved wrong), but I don’t think it will be special.

Patrick

Hello The Hangar, welcome to the fair! 

Who doesn’t like a good slider?  A flight of sliders you say?  Even better.  So long as they’re not too expensive.  Nothing is worse than paying for a full-size burger and getting a slider instead.  That said, it looks like you get to choose between 1 of 3 meats to make up your three sliders?  Brisket, Burger, or Pulled Pork?  Can you mix and match, or do you just pick one meat for all three and get the different toppings.  The toppings for the brisket and pork are the same, which I suppose is fine since they’re both BBQ.  It’ll be hard to decide what to pick here.  Hopefully they put a lot of love into these, because sliders do really seem done to death.

Smoked Soft Serve Ice Cream

Cold-smoked cream available in two flavors, all made on-site: Cold Brew Coffee infused with cold-smoked Arabica beans and topped with chocolate espresso dust, a toasted marshmallow and a chocolate cookie on the side; Muscovado Sugar Vanilla combines vanilla bean and cold-smoked molasses-rich cane sugar served with a toasted marshmallow and bacon candy round on the side. Optional sauces available: bourbon-soaked cherries or hot chocolate

At Blue Moon Dine-in Theater

Sarah

SHUT UP. WHAT IS THIS AND WHY IS IT NOT IN MY MOUTH RIGHT NOW?? Omg. OMG. THIS LOOKS SO GOOD I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT THIS.

I’m for sure going to push for the coffee flavored one. Because even though I don’t like coffee, I do love coffee ice cream. Also that’s the one in the pic and it looks hella good.

CHALK THIS UP AS ANOTHER GOOD BUTTS.

Do you think the ice cream has a smoky flavor? Also, this is Blue Moon, and they had a reputation of making really weird things that end up being fucking awesome so I firmly believe that this one will knock it out of the park!

Anne

This- yes, gimme. Blue Moon is typically an A-level establishment because they marry the tasty with the crazy, and this ice cream appears to be checking those boxes.

If you’re wondering, Muscovado sugar is a brown sugar with a high molasses content (darker even than dark brown sugar) and is considered by some to be ‘healthier’.

I want to taste both of these flavors.

HOW WILL WE CHOOSE BETWEEN THE OPTIONAL SAUCES?!

Patrick

Oh Blue Moon Dine-in Theater, you are like the gastronomy wunderkind of the fair.  The things you come up with, especially in the dessert department.  Even if it doesn’t work out, I’m always charmed by your clever efforts.  Both of the options here sound amazing, and I am crazy (there’s that word again) excited to try my first cold-smoked cream.  How dat even work?  Who cares, you did it, and I want to spoon it into my mouth.  Me, excited for ice cream?  Will wonders never cease?

Swedish Meatball Smörgås

Meatball sandwich with three traditional Swedish pork and beef meatballs topped with white gravy, lingonberry sauce and dill pickles.

At the Blue Barn

Sarah

Holy shit I’m irritated that I needed to figure out how to add the accents to Smörgås. And it turns out I’m actually irritated by a lot about this.

On the surface this seems like it might be fine. But then you look closer and realize it’s from the dumb ol’ Blue Barn. Which means it will cost a shit ton, and be underwhelming at best, really bad at worst.

Which is too bad, because Swedish meatballs are good, and so this idea is a good one and could be good! But it won’t be.

Anne

Well this looks tasty af, which means that somehow Blue Barn will manage to fuck it up, because that’s what they do. I’m not sure I have EVER enjoyed one single damn thing at Blue Barn, despite how tasty they look.

Also, Blue Barn- you change your food types every year- last year was Mexican Breakfast and now you’re Swedish? Maybe if you stuck to one thing you could actually learn to be good at it.

Patrick

Hahahah, Blue Barn you stupid crap face ass hat.  You could put out a simple burger with cheese, and I’d crap all over it with my review.  Because you can’t do anything right.  You keep trying, and you keep the same model for failure, hoping that maybe someone will love you, but no one will!  At least the Fair finally decided that letting you fail twice every year was just too much embarrassment for one restaurant, and cut you down to one new item.  Honestly, if some other place made this exact same thing, I might think this looks worth trying.  This is Blue Barn we’re talking about, though.  No matter how intriguing something looks, they always screw it up and it is always bad.  ALWAYS.  I have NEVER enjoyed something at Blue Barn.  I hate it!  HATE IT!  I wish The Hideaway Speakeasy would go away, just so I could reserve all of my hate reserves for you.

Sweet Greek  Cheese Puffs

Flaky phyllo dough filled with feta and ricotta cheese, deep-fried, drizzled with honey and topped with powdered sugar.

At Dino's Gyros

Sarah

Okay this looks good! And Dino’s is a pretty good bet so I think it WILL be good. But, I also think that I will take one bite of this and be like, “ooh this is super good. But I’m done.”

It just seems like something that will be really rich which is especially rough when it’s hot outside.

Anne 

This is like a sweet cheese wonton! Hot damn this sounds fun! Last year Dino’s delivered with the Loukamades, so looks like they’re attempting a repeat with another sweet pastry. Sign me up, Dino’s! I see you.

Patrick

Dino’s tried their hand at a new food item last year for the first time ever, and it seems they’re taking that momentum and keeping it going.  I’m on the fence with this one.  Not sure how honey compliments ricotta and feta, but maybe it will be really good.  Pack it inside some deep-fried phyllo dough and it sounds like it could be a winning dessert.  Maybe a bit too rich, but we’ll see.

Sweetie Cakes

Choice of black forest cake, birthday cake or chocolate peanut butter cake, baked in a cup packed with Sassy Pecan toffee bits and served warm, topped with real whipping cream and more toffee bits.

At Sweetie Cakes

Sarah

Ooh yes! YES I WANT THIS. Pecan toffee bits? Warm cake? Whipped cream? ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS I LIKE.

I wish I had this right now. Yes it’s only 9:30 am when I’m writing this, but these seem like they’d be a good breakfast food, right? DON’T RUIN THIS FOR ME INTERNET AUDIENCE.

Anne

First off, wtf are Sassy Pecan toffee bits? I mean, they have to be something specific or special right? Because they capitalized it.  Also- I assume you meant you topped it with whipped cream and not whipping cream, because one of those is a straight up liquid and your photos show otherwise.

All of that criticism aside, this sounds tasty. I am not 100% sold on the flavor combos- toffee and pecans are awesome, but do they go with Black Forest? Or PB and Chocolate? I’m not sure.

Patrick

You had me at toffee bits.  I generally like cake as far as dessert options go, and regardless of which variety of cake I choose, the sassy pecan toffee bits and whipping cream on top sounds like fun treat.  As long as the cake is delicious and moist, and not a lie, we’ll be in business.

All right! Come back tomorrow for the final post!