2022 MN State Fair Food Preview Part 5 (New Vendors)

 

Midtown Global Market’s Arepa Bar

Arepa Bar serves official new foods – arepas in three varieties, which includes Pulled Pork (pork shoulder, shredded cheddar, cabbage, carrots, green onions, parsley); The Queen (pulled chicken and avocado puree, mozzarella, arugula); and Vegan (black beans, fried sweet plantains, cabbage, carrots, green onions, parsley). Plus, Papelón con Limón, a cold beverage made with unrefined cane sugar and fresh-squeezed lime juice. (Aug. 31-Sept. 5 only)

 

Sarah

Oh, okay. Now we’re into the listings about the new vendors.

Some of these have new foods on the list which will make them easy to try. And I’ve also talked about them above. This is one of them.

Oh, they also have a drink! It sounds pretty good and refreshing. I think I’ll push for us to try it. Beverages are always an easy new food to try.

Shit. We’re gonna be spending so much money this year.

 

Patrick

I think typically we don’t necessarily count New Vendors as places we have to try by default.  Certainly if they have foods on the new food list, then we’ll hit them up, but I’m pretty sure in past years, we haven’t made them a priority or even a necessity.  That said, I will briefly list the list of new vendors, and you can do what you want with this info.

In addition to the arepas listed above, they appear to have a Papelon con Limon drink, which is a cold beverage made with unrefined cane sugar and fresh-squeeze lime juice.  Might give that at try, mostly because it is just a drink.

 

Anne

Hey that fancy lime drink sounds good- Papelon con Limon- sugar and lime juice. Sign me up. Otherwise just the arepas already listed above.

Wait- is that the lime drink in the fuzzy, too close picture?? That’s not what I would expect at all. Now I’m curious/concerned

 

Bridge n’ Barrel Root Beer

Bridge n’ Barrel Root Beer serves Lift Bridge Root Beer, Lift Bridge Black Cherry Soda, pink lemonade and assorted other sodas. Its two locations are: on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets; and on the northwest corner of Carnes Avenue and Underwood Street.

 

Sarah

Okay, so they just sell Lift Bridge sodas? Fine.

I mean, I use their root beer when I make my most best roasted chicken, so I’m happy for them. But I’ve had better root beer and don’t feel the need to try their other drinks, tbh.

 

Patrick

Just a drink stand, it looks like, with lift bridge root beers and sodas.  Don’t think I really need to visit this.

 

Anne

Lift Bridge Root Beer and Black Cherry Soda (plus others). Ok- I like rootbeer, and I like a non-alcoholic bev vendor. But also NBD and almost doesn’t seem worth mentioning here?

 

The Herbivorous Butcher

The Herbivorous Butcher serves the official new food Two Vegan Entrees - Poultrygeist (fried chicken topped with sausage gravy and french fried onions on buttery Texas toast) and Steak-xorcist (chicken fried steak topped with sausage gravy and french fried onions on buttery Texas toast). Plus, Monster Mash combines Poultrygeist and Steak-xorcist in the same boat.

 

Sarah

Oh hey! They have a monster mash, which combines the chicken fried chicken and the chicken fried steak in one bowl! That will solve our conundrum about which one to try! Neat!

 

Patrick

Monster Mash?!  Holy shit, I need to go edit my original post!

 

Anne

I know Sarah and Packie are all over that Monster Mash but sweet jesus guys- we have at least 40 new foods to try!! Maybe we can give ourselves a break here and just get one??!

 

Nautical Bowls

Nautical Bowls serves four fresh superfood bowls: Anchor Bowl (açaí, granola, banana, coconut flakes, cashew cacao butter); Nauti Bowl (açaí, pitaya, granola, banana, cacao nibs, peanut butter); Paddle Bowl (Blue Majik, mango, coconut, granola, strawberries, coconut flakes, honey); and Sunset Bowl (ube, blood orange, granola, blueberries, coconut flakes, honey). All are organic, gluten- and dairy-free, plant-based and without refined sugar. Ingredients are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and contain zero refined sugars.

Sarah

Okay, here’s a new vendor without an official new food. Let’s take a look at it.

Okay, so they’re like healthy fruit bowls and stuff. I can get behind this. Especially on a hot day when you just really don’t want anymore fried food or whatever. All of them sound pretty good. I’d have a hard time picking one. We’ll have to see what we’re feeling like in the moment, I think.

I wonder how big they are? I hope they’re not huge. Really, I want them to be more like nautical cups than nautical bowls…

 

Patrick

A little interesting that this is featured as a new vendor, but they aren’t on the new foods list.  Guess they ran out of room for that vegan corn dog.  Their Nautical bowls appear to be bowls of “fresh superfood” and are said to be organic, gluten- and dairy-free, plant based and without refined sugar.  A nice offering for the rare State Fair goer who isn’t fist deep in a sweet martha’s bucket with a turkey leg in the other hand, but not really my thing.

 

Anne

So are these just like granola/fruit bowls? But organic, GF, plant-based (is there a difference between vegan and plant-based?), dairy free, free of refined sugar (what’s a refined sugar? Don’t all sugars go through a refinery so you’re not serving up like an entire beet?)

These both look tasty but also something that I would not get. Feels like it insists upon itself.

 

Rick’s Pizza

Rick’s Pizza serves official new food Pickle Pizza (hand-tossed homemade pizza dough topped with homemade specialty dill ranch sauce, fresh mozzarella and crunchy dill pickles, and finished with dill weed seasoning), plus cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizza and assorted beverages.

 

Sarah

I don’t go to the fair for pizza. Just being honest here.

But, hey, if they want to get behind making wacky pizzas for new foods? THAT I can support and get behind. So, I hope they keep running with that plan, otherwise I don’t think I’ll ever eat here again.

 

Patrick

Pickle RIIIIIIIICK!  Come on man.  You blew it.

 

Anne

Looks like just some regular pizzas to go along with their Pickle Pizza.

 

Soul Bowl

Soul Bowl serves official new food Soulsicle (fried chicken on-a-stick topped with candied yam sauce, cornbread crumble, mac-and-cheese seasoned cheddar cheese, hot sauce and green onions), plus Donut Peach Cobbler (yeast-raised donut topped with peach cobbler filling and cookie crumbles) and Queen B Lemonade (blueberry lavender lemonade).

 

Sarah

All right, let’s see what else Soul Bowl is selling.

Oh, a cobbler and a lemonade.

Hm. Is it weird that they only have three things and only one of those things is actually in a bowl?

I think so, yes. I’m not sure how I feel about that picture of the cobbler, either. It’s all sort of one, uniform color. Not typically my jam. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be good.

Maybe we’ll try it if the soulsicle proves it’s worth.

 

Patrick

Home of the soulsicle listed above, they appear to also have a Donut Peach Cobbler, where they top a yeast-raised donut with peach cobbler filling and cookie crumbles.  Oh, and they also have a blueberry lavender lemonade.  Yeah, nice try Soul Bowl.  Farmer’s Union already tried that and we know how that went.  It went bad, just like their jalapeno lemonade with all its fucking pulp!

 

Anne

Donut Peach Cobbler sounds good, but damn that pic isn’t doing it any favors. I’m also terrible at food photography but I’m also not trying to show millions of people my food so they’ll buy it…

The lemonade sounds good too.

 

Union Hmong Kitchen

Union Hmong Kitchen serves official new foods Dej Qab Zib (Sweet Refreshment), a coconut lychee colada made with a blend of coconut milk, lychee syrup, lime and mint, served over ice (vegan); and Mov + Nqaij (Rice + Meat) – purple sticky rice with choice of sauce, including Krunchy Chili Oil (dried Thai chilis, garlic, shallots), Lemongrass Scallion Dressing (lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots), and Tiger Bite (Thai chilis, garlic, shallots, cilantro, fish sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice); plus, choice of skewered and grilled meat, including Hmong Sausage (house-made coarse-ground pork sausage link with Krunchy Chili Oil), Hilltribe Chicken Thigh (ginger, lemongrass), or Lemongrass Turmeric Tofu (marinated in a lemongrass and turmeric blend). (All items gluten-free; vegan options available)

 

Sarah

Already talked about how great this is gonna be and I’m so glad it’s an official vendor. I hope they last forever and make amazing, delicious foods for everyone.

 

Patrick

Nothing that wasn’t already covered above.

 

Anne

Nothing to add- see previous review

 

Waffle Chix

Waffle Chix serves Brownie Waffle Stick, Chicken in a Waffle On-A-Stick, Breakfast Sausage in a Waffle On-A-Stick and assorted sodas.

 

Sarah

Whoa whoa whoa! What do we have here and why wasn’t one of these an official new food? Because they clearly should be!

Oh my god. Look at these options! Brownie waffle? Chicken in a waffle? Breakfast in a waffle?

Shut up right now and take all my money!

I want to try every single one of these!

You know what? I’m gonna. No one’s stopping me. I’ve got at least 3-4 days at the fair. I can do it. It’s gonna happen.

Okay, wait. I guess if I try one and it’s terrible then I reserve the right to bunny out on the other two. But otherwise, I’m gonna get this done, so help me.

 

Patrick

Again, not sure why this new vendor didn’t also feature a new food, but whatever.  Looks like they offer three varieties of stuffed waffles on a stick; brownie, chicken, and breakfast sausage.  Hmm, I might give one of these a try and see how it is.

 

Anne

Oh ho- someone giving Nordic Waffle a run?

Hey these look pretty good- I wonder why they didn’t get a new food, just a new vendor. I wish I had a better understanding of the new food process…

Def want to try that Chicken and Waffle, and then the Brownie waffle stick

 

WE DID IT!

We got through all eleventy-billion new foods and vendors!

And now we’re in the MNSF limbo, where we’re just waiting for the fair to get here (33 days and counting baby!)

Hope the time passes quickly.

See you all at the fair