2021 MN State Fair Food Preview Part 2 (Caramelized Banana Pudding through Esquites)

Part 2! Does Patrick still hate Bananas? Does putting Elote in a bowl change anything for Sarah and Packie?? Read on to find out!

Caramelized Banana Pudding - Blue Moon Dine-In Theater

Layers of homemade vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, toasted 'nilla wafers, caramelized cocoa crispy cereal, caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream.

Sarah

Packie will be pissed but YES on this, please! I love me some nanas. Shit, there’s cocoa crispies, too? Gawd yes! It’s at the Blue Moon Dine-In, too, so it’ll probably be pretty good. They have a pretty high batting average (she says, having only a vague notion of what that means.)

Patrick

Goddamn bananas. All right, stringy mush fruit aside, this dessert has some good things going for it. I am pleased to read that it is vanilla pudding with banana slices on top, rather than banana pudding, so that is definitely a plus. Also, I love the sound of caramelized cocoa crispy cereal. How do you caramelize a cereal? I don’t know, but I want to find out. Also, who doesn’t love a delicious toasted ‘nilla wafer? This might end up being just too simple or boring, and I’m definitely giving those banana slices the side eye, but Blue Moon Dine-in Theater is usually a safe bet.

Anne

Yes, in my mouth right now. Poor Patrick probably just threw up all over himself knowing that he’s going to have to eat bananas this year.

These all look like normal things thrown together in an interesting way, and while it doesn’t seem too mind blowing in concept, I am looking forward to eating it.

 

ChoriPop - Midtown Global Market's Andy’s Garage

Chorizo by The Herbivorous Butcher dipped in a classic corndog batter, deep-fried on-a-stick with choice of avocado salsa or mole sauce drizzled on top or on the side. Served with Mexican BBQ chips. (Vegan). This new vendor is also serving deep-fried cheese or chicken tamales and horchata soft-serve milkshakes and cones. (At the fair Aug. 26-31 only)

Sarah

Okay, what? This one is like a rollercoaster. First, I was like, bleh, chorizo. A sausage I don’t like (it’s just not very good, everyone. Don’t @ me.) But then I hit the Herbivorous Butcher part and I got excited. First, because that means it’s not actually chorizo. Second, because I’m excited to try some vegan stuff! But then, also, what does vegan stuff that’s trying to mimic a sausage I don’t even like going to be like? I DON’T KNOW AND I AM INTRIGUED.

Hmm, it’s in the global market, though. Traditionally everything in there (except the gyros) sucks, so probably this will, too. I also get sus about any food item that is served with like a side of something (chips in this case.) That to me means they don’t trust that their main item is enough (either for the cost, or flavor, or amount-wise.)

Also, we’ve said it before and I’m saying it here now. It sucks that we have to choose a sauce. Give us both of them, damn it!

I’m gonna totes get some deep-fried cheese, though. Might try one of those horchata shakes, too.

Patrick

I’d like to start off by saying I hate how MGM does this split booth crap, where half the fair is one place and the other half is a different place. It means I can’t hit all the new foods on day one. Also, while I know the real MGM gets lots of love, I find that most the stuff they offer at the fair has been real disappointing every year. So, I’m already skeptical that this will be any different. A chorizo corn dog sounds like something I’d try, and I love a good mole sauce, so drizzling that on top doesn’t sound half bad. Not getting my hopes up about this one, though I’m curious if their deep-fried cheese is any different than the usual cheese on a stick from elsewhere. Sarah probably hates chorizo, and fairly certain Anne might dislike it as well. I like it in things, though not necessarily on its own in actual sausage casing form. Maybe the Mexican BBQ chips will be good.

Anne

Ok Ok Ok, I am excited to try this vegan meal on a stick. I’ve never been to Herbivorous Butcher but have always wanted to try them out. But why do you make us choose between 2 sauces??
How are Mexican BBQ chips different from American?

Also, sign me up for one of those Horchata Milk Shakes.

Also Also, I hate this split shift food stand

 

Cracklin Prime Nachos - Coasters

Deep-fried chicharrón covered in prime rib slices, ¡Que Bueno! nacho cheese, pico de gallo and green onion slices.

Sarah

Okay, all right! Nachos is a thing that I either love or want nothing to do with. It all depends on the stuff they put on top. I’m not a…fuck. What is that stuff called? Not cream cheese…

SOUR CREAM.

Heeey, I got there.

Anyway. I’m not a sour cream fan, so if nachos are covered in that, I’m usually out. But this skips that! It’s all meat and cheese and stuff. And then the chips are pork rinds! That’s honestly really smart and I’m not sure why it hasn’t been done before, especially for people trying to keep their carbs low (probably it has and I just didn’t know it.)

I think these will be good!

Patrick

Home of my favorite boozy malt, I’m not sure if I’ve gotten much in the way of food from Coasters before now. If this is going to be my first time eating there, I think this could be a damn fine start. Pork Rinds? Pork Rinds. I’m fairly certain chicharron is the same thing as pork rinds, so someone will have to let me know if they know better. Prime rib slices, nacho cheese, pico and green onions? Sounds like some good nachos, especially if you were looking to avoid carbs. Really though, this sounds like it could be pretty good. I’m sensing a pattern here of things Sarah hates so far: spicy stuff, Mexican flavors, buffalo sauce, fun. Maybe the theme this year is “Dishes That Upset Sarah.”

Anne

You had me at Cracklin! Seriously, I sort of stopped reading after that. Better look at the rest of this.
Ok, so this is like a fancy, Keto-approved Nachos. I’m here for it, looks pretty good. It’s my kind of nachos where there’s not TOO much stuff, and the stuff they do have is Anne-approved. But also, my problem with junk nachos is the sogginess of the chips. Maybe Cracklin holds up better?

 

Cucumber Jalapeño Limeade - Farmers Union Coffee Shop

Limeade made with juiced Minnesota-grown cucumbers and jalapeño syrup, served with a cucumber slice.

Sarah

Okay. I’m intrigued. I like the cucumber limeade part. I’m sus about the jalapeno because I think that could very quickly get out of control. Also, it’s Farmer’s Union Coffee Shop and they’re generally not good, so I bet I’m right to be worried about that.

Probably this will be something that could have been good but won’t be.

Patrick

Hahah, we saw this one on the news this morning when we found out the new foods were out. “Cucumber Jalapeno Limeade,” we said. Hmm all right, interesting, we said. “From Farmers Union Coffee Shop.” Ooooh, of course, boo. I’ve found the Farmers Union to generally be overpriced, mediocre, and boring, and now I suspect the same thing about this drink. Plus, how spicy will that jalapeno be in the drink? Too spicy for Sarah? Too spicy for me?  Drinks shouldn’t be spicy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a drink and thought “You know what goes well with thirst quenching? Mouth melting!”

Anne

This was a roller coaster of emotion. I was SO THERE for this- not a huge jalapeno fan, but LOVE cucumbers and limeade, so I was pretty excited for this drink, but then disappointed to see that it’s at the Farmer’s Union Coffee Shop which always, always disappoints.
So I’m not holding my breath here.

 

Dual Berry Shortcake - LuLu's Public House

Strawberries and blueberries over a sugar-coated Betty & Earl’s biscuit, topped with whipped cream and balsamic glaze.

Sarah

Yep. Okay. Nothing on this that doesn’t sound good. LuLu’s is generally pretty good, too. But I will say there’s nothing all that special about this. Like, I could get a shortcake a lot of places, many of them at the fair, so will this be anything different?

Probably not. But as long as it’s good, then no worries.

Patrick

LuLu really blew us away last year with their warm cheesecake tart, so hopefully they’ve really found their groove in sweet dessert confections. This seems like it could be pretty plane (plain?) Jane to me.  Is it a biscuit or shortcake? Are those the same thing? I didn’t think so when I first read this, but now I’m questioning myself. Anyways, maybe this biscuit or shortcake will be real soft and sweet to mix well with those tart berries and maybe the whip cream will be thick and creamy. I’m guessing I won’t be a fan of this dessert, but then I don’t enjoy fruit-laden desserts very much. Anne will probably like this. She’s uh…umm…dumb? I couldn’t think of a funny insult to slip in there.  Eat your fucking fruit biscuit.

Anne

*droooooools* hey, Betty and Earls Biscuits are the bomb, and Lulu’s knocked it out of the park in 2019 with their cheesecake which might’ve won best new food for us that year. Otherwise Lulu’s is sort of meh, but I’m hopeful this is an upward trajectory they’re staying on. I can’t wait to eat this (though is calling it a shortcake when it’s a biscuit disingenuous? THEY’RE DIFFERENT THINGS, LULU’S!)

 

Esquites - Midtown Global Market's Los Ocampo

Mexican street corn off-the-cob topped with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese and pequin chile powder. Returning to the Midtown Global Market booth for the first time since 2013, Los Ocampo’s new menu also includes Mango On-a-Stick; Elote; Mexican Tacos with an al pastor, carne asada or veggie option; Coca Mexicana; and Aqua de Horchata. (At the fair Sept. 1-6 only)

Sarah

GOD DAMMIT. Why is the fair constantly making me and Packie eat elote? It’s never making Anne eat shit she doesn’t like, like curry. Fuck.

As soon as I saw the very top of this pic as I scrolled down my heart sank because I just KNEW it.

At least it’s Los Ocampo. I think they’re good? Packie and Anne will know, since I don’t eat at Mexican restaurants (unless it’s Theresa’s).

Mango-on-a-stick could be good. But also, is it just fruit? If so, I can get really amazing fruit at the fruit stand instead.

Patrick

Heeeeeeell no. I’ve tried Mexican street corn/elote numerous times, trying to be open minded, but I’ve never really enjoyed it and hated it in general. I’m just not a fan of the flavors, even though I kind of like the idea (though mayo all over corn just sounds like a food sin). That said, I’ve eaten at Los Ocampo and they do damn good Mexican food, and I’d be happy to give any of their other foods a try; mango on-a-stick, tacos al pastor/carne asada. Keep that horchata away from me as well. I thought I’d like what is basically cinnamon toast crunch cereal milk, but no. No I don’t want that as a beverage.  But hey, another Mexican food option for Sarah to bitch about.  I sort of feel like she’ll have a bit of a field day on her list.

Anne

And here’s why I hate the split-shift food stand, because this food is going to miss out on the new food fervor at the start of the fair.

Anyway, I bet Sarah and Patrick CAN’T WAIT to eat this elote in a bowl! Too bad we have to wait a whole week after the fair starts to taste it and hear all about their agony.
But for real though, I love elote, but this is just elote in a bowl, right?

That's it for part 2! Join us tomorrow for the next group of foods starting with Fudge & Fruit!