2021 MN State Fair Food Preview Part 1 (Banh Minn Bun and Bowl through Buffalo Chicken Doughscuit)

WE DID IT!

We made it through the dumpster fire that was 2020 and have arrived at the best time of year, when our summers are consumed with the thoughts of the impending State Fair!

How will the MNSF be different after a year off? Will crowds come surging back for another record-breaking attendance, or will they hold off some for safety concerns?

Did any of our favorite fair vendors and restaurants go under during the pandemic?

Have Fairborn and Fairchild been vaccinated??

While we don't yet have answers to those questions, we do know one thing- which new foods we'll be trying come August 26th! So let's get to it and share our thoughts about what that first Fair day might have in store for us

Sarah

Overall Thoughts: (I spelled thoughts wrong 6 times before I got it right)

I think this list looks great! It’s hard to judge because we missed a whole year, so I’m just jazzed in general about the whole thing, but outside of things I don’t generally like (buffalo sauce, elote, etc.) I think the list looks good!

There didn’t really seem to be a theme. There were two raviolis. And there were a couple of vegan/gluten free items as well. But not really enough to emerge as a theme. And that’s okay. I’m just glad we’re here once more.

And there’s a return of a previous food vendor which is a thing that’s never happened before, as well as a couple of brand-new vendors too. So much potential. I hope everything is great.

 

Most Excited For: Spufull Puff. Don’t you fucking break my heart you potatoey doughy deep-fried masterpiece. Don’t you do it.

Least Excited for: Esquites. I’m never gonna like elote. The fair needs to stop making me eat it.

 

Patrick

Overall Thoughts:

We’re fucking back baby! 2020 was a goddamn shit show and it is now time to shove that dumpster fire into the sewer and step into the sun that is the 2021 Minnesota State Fair. Hell yeah, I couldn’t be any more excited than to be getting back into and trying all these new and exciting foods.  I got my engraved personal fork (yeah that’s right), I got my walking shoes, and I got a hell of a lot of weight to lose before I pack it aaaaall back on in a single day. 

Let’s talk about some food!  From the scintillatingly decadent, to the messy slop trough.  From the simply excessive, to the insultingly sparing.  From the favored treasured classics, to the Hideaway Speakeasy, let’s-talk-about-some-FOOD!

This is shaping up to be an interesting year. I’ve tried to be a little less even keeled this time, where I pretty much just sound excited about everything, and express more of my doubts, concerns, and disinterest. You be the judge if I succeed there. Overall, I think we have a nice variety of things to look forward to, as well as an even spread of foods I’m hesitant about, to things I will punch out Fairchild to get my hands on. I’m calling the theme this year as “Sarah’s Gonna Hate That.” That’s right, committee got together, shit-talked about Sarah, and we got our theme. Whole lot of haters on this list of food that I think Sarah is going to take issue with, and so we got our theme. Tough break.

 

Most Excited For: I always get this wrong.  I pick something crazy that I’m excited about and it ends up being far from the top of the list. So, this year I’m going with the Spufull Puff, sponsored dish of House Hufflepuff. Got a real good feeling about this one and can’t see anything going wrong with that combination of treats. Let’s git ‘um!

Least Excited For: I wanted to say the Dual Berry Shortcake from Lulu’s but I’ve got a little too much faith in her to screw that up THAT bad, so instead I’m going to say La Floretta. Final answer.  Oven-roasted cauliflower? Get that shit out of here!

 

Anne

Overall Thoughts:

26 items this year- a light year I think for new foods, but understandable coming off 2020 (are all our favorites still even around??) With a brief skim I saw a lot of fruit options (me likey) but I’ll have to decide on a theme after I’m done reviewing. Also saw some preeeeetty interesting looking things that I’m excited to see what’s what with them.
God, I don’t think there’s a single thing that I already hate, looking through the pics (unlike for Patrick and Sarah). Ope, there it is. La Floretta *spits*

Nice to see the return of MN Wine Country and Green Mill to the New Foods lists since they’ve been absent 2 or 3 years.

Also, some new places- Scenic 61 by New Scenic Café (What’s going on with the name here? A lot, is what it looks like), Fluffy Hand Cut Donuts (yes on the donuts, questions on the hand cut) and some sort of Summer Beverage place that has *GASP* non-alcoholic drinks?? (THANK YOU).

Multiple places have multiple options, including Hot Indian (2 distinct offerings), Nordic Waffles (2 items under the same listing) Summer Lake Beverages (3 offerings under the same listing). How is this fair? Why is Nordic Waffle relegated to just 1 new item (with 2 items under it), but Hot Indian gets 2? How are we supposed to count this? There are 26 items, but if we include the 2^nd Nordic Waffle and all 3 bevs we’re actually at 29.

I feel like we’re missing some OG Vendors- where’s Crappy O’Garas? French Meadow (did it just shrivel up and die after the poor service we received in 2019?) Brim- was that a one and done? Hamline Church Dining Hall? (You’re never one to miss out). OMG WHERE’S RAINBOW ICE CREAM?? Hopefully still around and just no new food offering this year.

Theme- fruit (thought it might be jalapeno, but I think there’s only 3 items with that whereas there are like 4 or 5 fruity concoctions).

 

Most Excited For: Jumbo Donut Sundae or Dual Berry Shortcake

Least Excited For: La Floretta. Get out of here Cauliflower

 

Banh Minn Bun and Banh Minn Bowl - Sausage Sister & Me

Asian-inspired sausage in a crusty French baguette with Sister’s Sriracha sauce, shredded and pickled carrot, radish, chopped jalapeño and a sprig of fresh cilantro. The bunless bowl starts with a five-grain blend and is topped with shredded and pickled carrot, radish, Asian slaw, chopped jalapeño, sausage slices, cilantro and a drizzle of Sister’s Sriracha sauce.

Sarah

I legit said “oh shit” as soon as I hit the “crusty baguette” portion of this description. I pulled back a bit, though, at the sriracha sauce and jalapeno. I’m hoping it won’t be too spicy.

Oh wait! I just realized there’s a bun option and a bowl option! Well, fuck. Does that mean we have to try both? Probably. I think we should start with the bun, though, and get the bowl on a later date.

Oh shit. It wasn’t until I ran spell check that I realize the name is a play on Minnesota and Bahn Mi. Clever.

Patrick

I do enjoy a good Bahn Mi sandwich and this sausage inspired version has me excited! Those fresh ingredients and soft/crispy French baguette mixed with Asian flavors and an “Asian-inspired” sausage all sounds like they’ll work real nice. Not sure they needed a bowl version of this, especially if there is some kind of grain-blend replacing the bread (isn’t the point of a “bowl” version to cut out carbs?) I know the twins probably won’t be too happy that it has sriracha, or jalapenos, especially Sarah. If I’m going to be honest, having raw jalapenos on something isn’t really my forte either, as they can get real hot real fast, but I always find I can just take them off it is getting to be a bit too much. A nice start to this list either way!

Anne

Well sausage sister is usually a good bet.  This sounds like it might be hella spicy though (we’ve been burned by Sausage Sister on spice before.) But I like the idea of an Asian-inspired hot dog, and nice that they offer a bun-free option. Hold the cilantro tho.

 

Bison Bites -Giggles' Campfire Grill

A North Woods spin on ravioli with ground bison, braised fennel, portobello mushrooms and fresh basil wrapped in classic egg dough, deep-fried and served with a sweet bourbon sauce with a little kick.

Sarah

Giggles has hurt me the last few years. But I still keep coming back to them, hoping…

This sounds good! I’m down for ravioli bites. A bourbon sauce for them sounds interesting, too! I’m glad it’s not just a dumb red sauce like most other places would do. Okay, yeah, I’m pretty excited about these. I hope it’s more than just, like, 4 raviolis, though. Especially since they’ll probably be like 8 bucks or something. There’s only 4 in the picture which makes me sus…

Patrick

Giggles’ is an old favorite with some tried and true menu items that we still get every year. Not gonna lie though, ever since they stopped making chicken-fried bacon, the new food items they put out have been lacking appeal. I still want to hope they can put out more real zingers, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, and by the looks of what they have this year I’m feeling hopeful again. The filling on these raviolis sound like they could be really tasty! Hopefully the portobellos will help keep the bison from drying them out, and in general the mixture is real appetizing. Also a sweet bourbon sauce to dip them in? I don’t know how much of a “kick” it will have, but I’m real eager to find out. It sounds like a real winning combo, I just hope they stick the landing. Maybe bring back that fucking fried bacon while they’re at it!

Anne

This definitely feels on-brand for Giggles. I LOVE me little dippin pockets, and this falls right into that category. This just sounds delightful- there isn’t a single thing in this that I don’t like, and I’m excited to try the sweet bourbon sauce (but that kick better not be too kicky. If I can’t use the sauce then these aren’t dippin pockets, ARE THEY?)

 

Blue Raspberry Blitzed - Sara's Tipsy Pies

Traditional hand pie filled with a raspberry, blueberry and apple blend infused with UV Blue Vodka and topped with cotton candy sugar.

Sarah

I still kind of want to roll my eyes at Sara’s Tipsy Pies even though they’re generally pretty good. I do love blueberry and raspberry. Apple bums me out, though. Sugar on top is a win. So, color me optimistic with this.

I really don’t have anything else to say about this.

NEXT!

Patrick

Looks like more of the same from the tipsy pie lady. I actually rather enjoy these hand pies, and this combination of blueberry, apple, and raspberry, along with her usual infusion of liquor, sounds like a sweet treat. Plus, cotton candy sugar on top? Now you got me real excited. Not sure what the twins will think about this, I feel like they don’t think much of Sara and her pies, but I could be mistaken. I like how in a lot of these reviews I point out how I think dumb and dumber will react to a new food, and I’m betting they both do the same on some items. I bet I’m also the first one to insult them. They didn’t know these reviews were going to turn hostile, I bet. Not this soon into the list, I bet.

Anne

Sara makes a good pie, but usually charges way too much for them. Cotton Candy sugar is just…like unspun cotton candy, right? How is that different than regular sugar?
Ok I looked it up and besides color and flavor (if added) cotton candy sugar is just regular sugar (that I’m sure you can charge more for, amiright SARA?).
I love a berry pie (though is it ruined by adding apple?) and I’m still excited to try this, but is it trying too hard?

 

Buffalo Chicken Doughscuit -The Blue Barn

Fluffy biscuit-style doughnuts stuffed with shredded chicken, glazed with a sweet & spicy buffalo icing, and topped with crispy bacon bits.

Sarah

I saw the picture and was like OOOOOH! Then I read the name and was like NOOOOOO!

Why does everything have to be dumb ol’ buffalo chicken? There are other flavors, people! God, I can’t even stand the smell of buffalo sauce.

Hmm, it says it’s just glazed with it, though. Maybe it won’t be too much? I hope so because otherwise this looks just grand. It might be my “most excited for but then read the description and got sad” pick.

Patrick

It’s funny. I used to hate Blue Barn and it especially irked me that they’d put out two new items each year, so I’d have to double my misery. Last couple of years they’ve started to put out some real zingers though, and I am glad their creative approach to new food ideas has been paying off and they have really won me over. A “Fluffy biscuit-style doughnut?” What? I mean…I love biscuits and doughnuts are great, so I am pretty friggin’ jazzed to find out what that combo is gonna be like. Stuffed with chicken…but the chicken is not the part that is buffalo’d? A “sweet & spicy buffalo icing?” Whaaat? Like doughnut icing? Is that gonna be weird or amazing? Toss on some crispy bacon bits why don’t you? I honestly have no idea how this will go. It couldn’t possibly mediocre, so it will either be amazing, or just absolute hot garbage. Sarah hates buffalo sauce. Not even because it is spicy, I don’t think, but just the smell makes her want to gag. Her face makes me do that sometimes. Hmm, really laying it on thick. Maybe like that icing.

Anne

UMMMMM YES PLEASE. Now this is State fair Innovation right here. Poor Sarah- I bet she was real excited about these until they ruined it with SPICY BUFFALO ICING (WHAT??!!).

(ETA- boy do I have Sarah down pat.)

The Blue Barn had a huge comeback for us in 2019, so I’m looking forward to it continuing that run.

That's it for Part 1! Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 kicking off with Caramelized Banana Pudding.