Well, Well, Well.
2018- you turned out to be preeetttty dang great. After the disaster that was 2017 we weren't sure what to think. 2017 was so awful that it left a resounding despair going into the State Fair this year, so thank God 2018 delivered or our MNSF faith might've started to wane.
In fact, 8 foods made the A list, and we didn't have a single food receive an F. That's a pretty banner year!
via GIPHY
Here are our day-of thoughts of the new foods (and some new to us foods).
BEST OF THE BEST- GRADE A FOODS
Earth Wings- $7 at French Meadow Bakery
A for food, F for service. Had to wait 45 minutes for these and their organization was a hot mess. Other than that, these were great! Crispy, tangy sauce, real satisfying. Just make sure the line isn't out to next week.
French Toast Bites- $5 from Blue Barn
Not new, but new to us. What a great breakfast! The mouthfeel is like bread pudding and fantastic. The berry sauce is sweet without being overpowering, and the pop rocks add an auditory element without ruining the food.
Messy Giuseppe- $7.75 at Mancini's al Fresco
So meaty. The bread was so soft. Even Sarah, who doesn't like red sauce, liked this. Afterwards, we learned to ask for it on their garlic bread and extra messy, so that's something to look forward to next year!
Pepperoni Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Queso- $7 at Lulu's Public House
Yeah, these were great. Just great. Crispy and delicious pepperoni and the queso was fantastic.
Rainbow Cloud Roll (chocolate flavor)- $8 at Rainbow Cloud
Bahahahahah! This thing is fucking ridiculous and yet so great. The chocolate helps offset the fruity pebbles (which leave a good taste in your mouth). The cotton candy, by some amazing feat, does not dissolve. It's just-just perfect.
Swedish Meatball Smorgas- $8.95 at The Blue Barn
The Blue Barn stepped it up this year! So flavorful and good. The bun was so soft. A bit pricey but not too bad. Loved this.
Sweet Greeks- $5 at Dino's Gyros
So sweet but the insides are smooth and not sweet so it balances nicely.
The Gizmo- $9 at Carl's Gizmo Sandwich
This isn't new, but we don't know if we've ever posted about it before. Fun Fact: this is one of MN Chef Andrew Zimmer's favorite things at the fair. It is awesome! Ground Beef and Italian Sausage, red sauce, on a toasted Italian roll with melted mozzarella on top. So meaty and good. Pure comfort food.
PRETTY DURN GOOD- GRADE B FOODS
Bacon Stuffed Tots- $8.95 at Blue Barn
This was an unofficial new food. Dang Blue Barn- you really showed up this year. This is really more of a croquette but super tasty and left a great taste in your mouth.
Honey Cream Soda Float- $9 at Minnesota Honey Producers
A little strange at first, but got better the more we ate and after we mixed it up. Good sweet flavors and soda fizz.
Shrimp Ceviche- $7 at Shrimp Shack
Just regular, good ceviche, though a little pricey. Refreshing on a hot day.
Slider Flight $10 at The Hangar
We got the pulled pork (because they didn't have brisket *angry face*). Really tasty. Good amount for the price. Our favorite was the one with the crispy onion straws.
Smoked Soft Serve (coffee flavor)- $7 at Blue Moon Dine In Theater
Didn't really taste the smoke, but hey- it was really smooth and tasty coffee ice cream.
S'mores Nordic Waffle- $8 at Nordic Waffles
Sweet and good flavor. Wish the waffle was crispier but excited to try the other flavors.
(spoiler- we tried breakfast the next day and it was EXCELLENT! bfast got an A).
Wood Fire Elote- $5 at Tejas Express
Anne, who likes elote, gave it a B even though it was quite spicy. Sarah and Packie (who hate elote on principal even though they've never tried it) hated it and gave it a D. So you decide i guess.
Za Waffle Sticks- $5 at Green Mill
Bizarre but good...? It was actually hard to grade this one because we weren't sure if we liked it, but also couldn't stop eating it. Tried the pepperoni maple syrup but wished we had marinara instead.
Zesty PB&J Sausage- $6 from the Gass Station
Sweet and a bit spicy. The casing was nice and snappy. Good bun. Good sausage.
OK, NOT GREAT- GRADE C FOODS
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl- $9.50 from Cafe Caribe
Good sauce and flavors, wish the tuna was in smaller pieces, good wontons. Would definitely get poke after trying this.
Banana Foster French Toast- $9.25 at Hamline Church Dining Hall
It was fine, no bid deal. Bananas weren't ripened enough, caramel sauce was good.
BBQ Split-$12 from Mama D's
The BBQ was excellent but the mac was mediocre and the slaw tasted strongly of parsley. Would try their pulled pork sandwiches.
Firecracker Shrimp Stuffed Avocado- $14 at the Hideaway Speakeasy
Might have given this a B if not for the exorbitant price. Fresh, decent flavor, and good crackers.
General Tso's Chicken Taco- $12 from Tacocat
Chicken was nice and crispy but there was pretty much no sauce. Also super expensive.
Irish Tater Kegs- $8 from O'Gara's
Not bad. Texture was great and we finished it. We're just not that big Reuben fans (if you are, you'd probably like it more than we did).
Pizza Dough Balls- $7 at Tino's
This non-featured new food item was all right. Balls of fried pizza dough with red sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese. Sauce was ok but a bit too tangy, and the cheese wasn't melted.
Sweet Corn Corndog- $6 ($3 with coup) at some place that Sarah forgot to record
This was new to us but apparently it was the go-to thing to try this year. The batter was nicely sweet- could really taste the corn. But there was too much of it and the hot dog was tough and overcooked. Fix these problems and it would be great.
Sweetie Cakes- $7 at Sweetie Cakes
We got the peanut butter and chocolate one. A little over-sweet, and not much of a peanut butter flavor. Toffee bits were great.
Turducken Sausage Sandwich- $7 from Giggle's Campfire Grill
Sausage was fine, fennel bun was pretty darn good. Packie liked the relish a lot but others did not.
Up North Puff Pastry- $8 at Sausage Sisters & Me
Puff pastry was good, filling was not bad but wish there was more of it.
NO THANK YOU- GRADE D FOODS
Blueberry Rhubarb Cobbler- $8 from Farmer's Union
The cornmeal biscuit was really a small puck, and the tartness of the fruit overwhelms everything.
Mangonado Shave Ice- $6 at Minesnowii Shave Ice
Nope nope nope. The only reason it's not an F is because the inside mango was nummy. But the outside spice was so potent in a spicy sour way that there's no recovering. See authentic video reaction for proof.
Moroccan Sausage Bowl- $7 at Sausage by Cynthia
To be fair, Packie gave this a C. Not very flavorful- mostly tasted spicy.
Triple Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake- $6 from the Strawberry Patch
We just weren't fans. Strawberry sauce was really watery and it was just boring. Regretted getting it.
Wood Fire Elote- $5 at Tejas Express
Anne, who likes elote, gave it a B even though it was quite spicy. Sarah and Packie (who hate elote on principal even though they've never tried it) hated it and gave it a D. So you decide i guess.
THIS WAS A MISTAKE- GRADE F FOODS
No fails this year- how did that happen?
2018- you turned out to be preeetttty dang great. After the disaster that was 2017 we weren't sure what to think. 2017 was so awful that it left a resounding despair going into the State Fair this year, so thank God 2018 delivered or our MNSF faith might've started to wane.
In fact, 8 foods made the A list, and we didn't have a single food receive an F. That's a pretty banner year!
via GIPHY
Here are our day-of thoughts of the new foods (and some new to us foods).
BEST OF THE BEST- GRADE A FOODS
Earth Wings- $7 at French Meadow Bakery
A for food, F for service. Had to wait 45 minutes for these and their organization was a hot mess. Other than that, these were great! Crispy, tangy sauce, real satisfying. Just make sure the line isn't out to next week.
French Toast Bites- $5 from Blue Barn
Not new, but new to us. What a great breakfast! The mouthfeel is like bread pudding and fantastic. The berry sauce is sweet without being overpowering, and the pop rocks add an auditory element without ruining the food.
Messy Giuseppe- $7.75 at Mancini's al Fresco
So meaty. The bread was so soft. Even Sarah, who doesn't like red sauce, liked this. Afterwards, we learned to ask for it on their garlic bread and extra messy, so that's something to look forward to next year!
Pepperoni Chips with Roasted Red Pepper Queso- $7 at Lulu's Public House
Yeah, these were great. Just great. Crispy and delicious pepperoni and the queso was fantastic.
Rainbow Cloud Roll (chocolate flavor)- $8 at Rainbow Cloud
Bahahahahah! This thing is fucking ridiculous and yet so great. The chocolate helps offset the fruity pebbles (which leave a good taste in your mouth). The cotton candy, by some amazing feat, does not dissolve. It's just-just perfect.
Swedish Meatball Smorgas- $8.95 at The Blue Barn
The Blue Barn stepped it up this year! So flavorful and good. The bun was so soft. A bit pricey but not too bad. Loved this.
Sweet Greeks- $5 at Dino's Gyros
So sweet but the insides are smooth and not sweet so it balances nicely.
The Gizmo- $9 at Carl's Gizmo Sandwich
This isn't new, but we don't know if we've ever posted about it before. Fun Fact: this is one of MN Chef Andrew Zimmer's favorite things at the fair. It is awesome! Ground Beef and Italian Sausage, red sauce, on a toasted Italian roll with melted mozzarella on top. So meaty and good. Pure comfort food.
PRETTY DURN GOOD- GRADE B FOODS
Bacon Stuffed Tots- $8.95 at Blue Barn
This was an unofficial new food. Dang Blue Barn- you really showed up this year. This is really more of a croquette but super tasty and left a great taste in your mouth.
Honey Cream Soda Float- $9 at Minnesota Honey Producers
A little strange at first, but got better the more we ate and after we mixed it up. Good sweet flavors and soda fizz.
Shrimp Ceviche- $7 at Shrimp Shack
Just regular, good ceviche, though a little pricey. Refreshing on a hot day.
Slider Flight $10 at The Hangar
We got the pulled pork (because they didn't have brisket *angry face*). Really tasty. Good amount for the price. Our favorite was the one with the crispy onion straws.
Smoked Soft Serve (coffee flavor)- $7 at Blue Moon Dine In Theater
Didn't really taste the smoke, but hey- it was really smooth and tasty coffee ice cream.
S'mores Nordic Waffle- $8 at Nordic Waffles
Sweet and good flavor. Wish the waffle was crispier but excited to try the other flavors.
(spoiler- we tried breakfast the next day and it was EXCELLENT! bfast got an A).
Wood Fire Elote- $5 at Tejas Express
Anne, who likes elote, gave it a B even though it was quite spicy. Sarah and Packie (who hate elote on principal even though they've never tried it) hated it and gave it a D. So you decide i guess.
Za Waffle Sticks- $5 at Green Mill
Bizarre but good...? It was actually hard to grade this one because we weren't sure if we liked it, but also couldn't stop eating it. Tried the pepperoni maple syrup but wished we had marinara instead.
Zesty PB&J Sausage- $6 from the Gass Station
Sweet and a bit spicy. The casing was nice and snappy. Good bun. Good sausage.
OK, NOT GREAT- GRADE C FOODS
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl- $9.50 from Cafe Caribe
Good sauce and flavors, wish the tuna was in smaller pieces, good wontons. Would definitely get poke after trying this.
Banana Foster French Toast- $9.25 at Hamline Church Dining Hall
It was fine, no bid deal. Bananas weren't ripened enough, caramel sauce was good.
BBQ Split-$12 from Mama D's
The BBQ was excellent but the mac was mediocre and the slaw tasted strongly of parsley. Would try their pulled pork sandwiches.
Firecracker Shrimp Stuffed Avocado- $14 at the Hideaway Speakeasy
Might have given this a B if not for the exorbitant price. Fresh, decent flavor, and good crackers.
General Tso's Chicken Taco- $12 from Tacocat
Chicken was nice and crispy but there was pretty much no sauce. Also super expensive.
Irish Tater Kegs- $8 from O'Gara's
Not bad. Texture was great and we finished it. We're just not that big Reuben fans (if you are, you'd probably like it more than we did).
Pizza Dough Balls- $7 at Tino's
This non-featured new food item was all right. Balls of fried pizza dough with red sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese. Sauce was ok but a bit too tangy, and the cheese wasn't melted.
Sweet Corn Corndog- $6 ($3 with coup) at some place that Sarah forgot to record
This was new to us but apparently it was the go-to thing to try this year. The batter was nicely sweet- could really taste the corn. But there was too much of it and the hot dog was tough and overcooked. Fix these problems and it would be great.
Sweetie Cakes- $7 at Sweetie Cakes
We got the peanut butter and chocolate one. A little over-sweet, and not much of a peanut butter flavor. Toffee bits were great.
Turducken Sausage Sandwich- $7 from Giggle's Campfire Grill
Sausage was fine, fennel bun was pretty darn good. Packie liked the relish a lot but others did not.
Up North Puff Pastry- $8 at Sausage Sisters & Me
Puff pastry was good, filling was not bad but wish there was more of it.
NO THANK YOU- GRADE D FOODS
Blueberry Rhubarb Cobbler- $8 from Farmer's Union
The cornmeal biscuit was really a small puck, and the tartness of the fruit overwhelms everything.
Mangonado Shave Ice- $6 at Minesnowii Shave Ice
Nope nope nope. The only reason it's not an F is because the inside mango was nummy. But the outside spice was so potent in a spicy sour way that there's no recovering. See authentic video reaction for proof.
Moroccan Sausage Bowl- $7 at Sausage by Cynthia
To be fair, Packie gave this a C. Not very flavorful- mostly tasted spicy.
Triple Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake- $6 from the Strawberry Patch
We just weren't fans. Strawberry sauce was really watery and it was just boring. Regretted getting it.
Wood Fire Elote- $5 at Tejas Express
Anne, who likes elote, gave it a B even though it was quite spicy. Sarah and Packie (who hate elote on principal even though they've never tried it) hated it and gave it a D. So you decide i guess.
THIS WAS A MISTAKE- GRADE F FOODS
No fails this year- how did that happen?
