2025 State Far New Foods Preview Part 4- Hula Kalua Pork through Somali Street Fries

 Hula Kalua Pork by RC’s BBQ

Slow-smoked pork collar caramelized with Hawaiian barbecue sauce, inspired by the flavors of traditional Hawaiian Kalua pork. Served atop a charred banana leaf with banana chips and Japanese quick-pickled cucumbers on the side. Finished with a sprinkle of coarse red sea salt.

Sarah’s Thoughts

MEAT MEAT MEAT!

I LOVE MEAT!

I’m so glad to see another meat forward item! We really haven’t had much other than that bison hoagie.

Is this from RC’s?

Yep! Which means good chance it’ll be great.

Love pork. Pork collar should be good. Love that it’s Hawaiian style pork. Sign me up for that. Banana chips with this sounds great. Ooh and quick pickled cukes- 2 entries for them now, too. 

This looks great. If we’re really lucky, it’ll match the picture and we’ll each get our own meat slice. 

I’m excited for this. Mostly because I just love meat so much. I think if it was a little more “out there” in fair foods terms I’d be even MORE excited, but I am still very excited.

Anne’s Thoughts

Yoooooooooo yes please!! RC you scamp, you’ve done it again! You basically never let us down.

Oh god it comes with BANANA CHIPS! And Quick Pickles! There is nothing here that I do not want. I want this right now. RIGHT. NOW. You hear me??

Packie’s Thoughts

Oh wow.  Now we’re talking.  Just some big ole slabs of meat.  And look there’s three of ‘em.  One for each of us.  Seriously though, this just looks like RC BBQ classic goodness.  Savory slow-smoked meat with a sweat barbeque sauce, add in some banana chips and some pickles.  This is gonna be a winner for sure!  Really looking forward to this one.

Land of 10,000 Cakes by Bridgeman’s

A Bridgeman's Marble Sundae of Butter Brittle Ice Cream layered in a cup with a trio of mini Nadia Cupcakes – Creme Brulee, Loaded Pistachio and Chocolate Bliss. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry. (Vegetarian)

Sarah’s Thoughts

Look at his parfait! Bet this is Bridgeman’s.

It is! Yay!

They always do great desserts. Let’s see what’s up with this one. 

I’m…a little confused about this. So we have the butter brickle ice cream. And we have 3 different Nadia cakes cupcakes.

From the picture, I’m worried there’s not enough ice cream? But, listen, I love ice cream and cake, so I’m betting this will be great!

Also KALOOH KALAY!!! (how do I even spell that??) A 3rd cherry! It’s the year where we each get one! A banner year! A glorious summer!

Anne’s Thoughts

Hahahah I could tell this was Bridgeman’s just by the layers in a cup- not many can pull off cup layers like Bridgeman’s can. OK so I did a little chuckle as soon as I saw this because whachoo doing here Bridgeman’s? But then I thought… is this something I actually want? Like is it just a bunch of different cakes in a cup? Let’s see.

DIBS THE CHERRY!!! THERE’S 3 CHERRIES WE CAN EACH HAVE ONE!!

Ok so this is a little choo choo bananas here.

First off… isn’t it Butter Brickle Ice Cream? Or have I been wrong forever and it’s actually Butter Brittle?  What is happening here? Is Red Green? Down Up?

There’s just so much happening here I’m not sure what to think. Like I like it better now that I’ve read the description but like- it’s just so much. Could we not have just done like 1 type of cupcake?

Well Bridgeman’s basically never lets us down, so if this is what you want to give us this year, we’re with you

(ALSO WE MIGHT TRY YOUR MEGA SUNDAE THIS YEAR)

Packie’s Thoughts

HOLY SHIT!  Oh my god, Bridgeman’s has outdone themselves this year.  Look at this amazing monstrosity?  This dessert cryptid!  This mad science confection!  Butter Brittle ice-cream?  Yum!  Shut up, Packie don’t do ice cream.  He don’t.  I’m not crying, you’re crying.  There is just so much going on here.  Three cupcake layers?!  Crème Brulee, Loaded Pistachio, and Chocolate Bliss, like OMG!  Oh, and look at that.  LOOK!  It’s the third cherry on top!  They did it you guys.  They effing did it.  World peace, in our time.  We don’t have to call dibs.  We EACH-GET-A-CHERRY!  Waaaah, I love you guys!

Patisserie Sweets in Two Varieties by Patisserie 46

Two pastries from Patisserie 46:

Apple Glaze: Pull-apart donut dough baked with Minnesota-grown Honeycrisp apples. Topped with brown sugar pecan streusel and orange blossom maple glaze. (Vegetarian)

Banana S'more: Baked brown-butter crumb cake with bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Topped with a graham cracker streusel. (Vegetarian)

Sarah’s Thoughts

What’s going on here? Not even sure what I’m looking at.

Two varieties of what now?

Sooo…. Let me get this straight. You’ve snuck in 2 new foods under the guise of 1. I feel like that’s cheating. These aren’t, like, the same thing but two different flavors. No, one’s a crumb cake and one’s a pull apart donut.

They should be 2 separate foods on this list.

Now, all that said, these look exciting! Especially excited for the Banana S’more. Packie hates bananas, but it’s a texture thing for him, so this might be okay. Especially since he loves marshmallow. Also, a streusel? Put that in my mouth right now.

I’m a little less excited about the apple pull apart. Mostly because I’m generally meh about apple stuff. But fuck me I love pecans (and a streusel as I said above) and the orange blossom glaze sounds great.

See, here’s the problem, though. If these were 2 separate foods, we’d have to get them both. But because they’re under one food, we’re only obliged to get one. So which one is it?

This is a fucking nightmare. 

Also, WTF – it’s Farmer’s Union. Didn’t they already have a food on here earlier?

Yep, the Bison hoagie. Jesus we’re going to be getting a lot of food from them this year. This should be 2 separate items. I’m just making my feelings known.

100% though that this will be Anne’s food she’s most excited for.

Anne’s Thoughts

What in the what?? 2 varieties of what now? What am I looking at? Like I deffo thought this was something savory at first glance (I see they have the pic of Option #2 when you click through. Are we getting both options in the same order??)

Is this a new vendor? Boy sure would be great if someone updated this blog for 2023 and the rest of 2024 so there was a convenient way to look up vendors to see what the heck we’re talking about here…

Welp, I’m a fan of pastry so let’s see what’s the haps.

Ok so we’ve got an Apple Pull-Apart Donut and a Banana S’More. I’m not sure either of these technically count as patisserie, but who wants to be pedantic about it (it’s me. I do).

Well it’s a tough call here- Packie gonna be mad they added banana to s’more, but Sarah (and Packie I think?) doesn’t like cooked apples. So what are we gonna do here?

It’s the S’More. We’re doing the S’more.

Ok woah woah wait- what is going on here? Did the Farmers Union open up a pastry shop? Because the post says Patisserie 46 but the Location is Farmers Union.

Well now I know we’re not going to be able to afford getting both lol.

Hmmmmm. Sometimes Farmers knock it out of the park, but more often they’re sort of mediocre. I’m tempering my expectations here now

Packie’s Thoughts

Oh what the hell?  Can we not?  Can we not have establishments with TWO entries on the new foods?  Especially not Farmers Union, come on.  Twice the opportunities to fail.  No wait…three.  There’s two in this one entry, so they have THREE new foods.  So dumb.  I don’t know about these.  I don’t like baked apples, and don’t like bananas.  So which one do I choose, or do I have to eat both?  I mean, I like streusel, but I just don’t have high hopes for anything from Farmers, even though I gave a rave review for that earlier sandwich.  Way to pick a guy up and then kick his legs out from under him.

Pimento Cheese Puffs from Shanghai Henri’s

Pimento cheese – a blend of cheddar cheese, mayo and pimento peppers – wrapped in puff pastry and deep fried. Served with a side of pepper jelly. (Vegetarian)

Sarah’s Thoughts

More dips! Nothing’s going to knock it out of the theme race at this point.

Okay, these look good. Nothing too special but sometimes that’s okay. A deep-fried cheese puff dipped into pepper jelly? Sure! Hope it’s not too spicy and I also hope that pepper jelly (looks more like a jam in that picture, ahem) is nice and sweet to offset the salty heat of everything else. I think these could be good.

Did Shanghai Henri’s make me eat the lutefisk, though? If so, they’re dead to me. 

Anne’s Thoughts

No.

Pimentos belong in 1 thing, and that’s olives. I don’t want them in anything else!

(What even is a pimento? It’s gotta be like some sort of pepper, right?) (Just checked- it is).

I don’t even want to read more about this because I do not want it.

Oh sweet jesus there’s MAYO in it too? AND a Pepper Jelly- how lucky for us!

I just know I’m not going to like this.

(also do you say Shanghai Henri like Henry or French like Henri? I’ve always wondered. Info Booth Ladies will let me know)

Packie’s Thoughts

Um…I don’t know about this.  Not sure if I’ve ever actually had pimento cheese, but I don’t really like the idea of it.  I mean, it’s inside puff pastry, which is nice, but…I’m pretty gun shy after the year they made us try lutefisk tacos that one year.  Also, the jelly is spicy, HAH, got Sarah again.  Who knows, maybe I’ll be surprised.  Doubt it, though.

Pizza Cheese Curd Tacos from Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos

Pepperoni, sausage and pizza-flavored fried cheese curds in a crispy flour shell, topped with marinara sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Sarah’s Thoughts

FUCK YES Richie’s!

I forgive you for making me eat a buffalo cheese curd taco last year for this choice. I predict this will be frickin great. How can it not be? Their cheese curd tacos are always good. So crispy and fresh. I wish I had this in my mouth right now.

The textures are sublime

I actually don’t have much to say about this other than that I think it’s gonna be a banger and I’m very excited to eat it.

Anne’s Thoughts

NOW WE’RE TALKING, RICHIE! (I don’t even need to look up who this is from- we all know).

Yep- there’s nothing I don’t want about this. Pizza is pretty much always good (UNTIL YOU ADD HOT HONEY, GREEN MILL), and Cheese Curd Tacos are deeeelish. This is gonna slap, I’m calling it.

Honestly- surprised they didn’t have something like this on the menu before- feels like it would be a top seller for them

Packie’s Thoughts

Hey hey, It’s our boy Richie, and he’s back with his amazing cheese curd tacos.  What’s he got this year?  Pizza taco!  I mean, the only thing that remains to be a taco on this is the shell, but whatever, I’m all for this.  Got my favorite toppings, got the sauce, got them killer curds in there and the amazingly crispy shell.  I’ll have a hard time believing this will be anything else but great.

Pot O Gold Potato Dumplings

Cheesy garlic mashed potatoes folded into flaky dumplings, by Twin Cities-based Saturday Dumpling Co., and deep fried. Served with a side of Top the Tater® “The Original” Chive Onion dip. (Vegetarian)

Sarah’s Thoughts

Oooh, what’s this now?  I do like me a dump!

Oh, they’re dumpling co dumps! We haven’t tried them yet, so that’s exciting!

Also, I love potatoes. If anything, I wish this was a croquette which may be the most perfect food ever. But I’ll settle for the dumpling instead.

I think this COULD be very good. I don’t know that I need 7 dumps, unless they’re very tiny.

The trick here is that it’s O’Gara’s.

It is very very rare for O’Gara’s to do anything good. BUT. Last year that had a surprise hit, so maybe they’ve learned something and will continue that trend this year!

I hope so. I love potatoes so much. Just so much.

Anne’s Thoughts

Well aren’t these little dumps just the cutest little things. Like perfectly made. This has to be O’Gara’s, right?

Right. Cheesy Garlic Mash, served with Top the Tater? I really hope these little cuties are as tasty as they are cute- I feel like this has the potential to make me happy.

But wait

Vegetarian without the dip…

Does Top the Tater have meat in it?

Do they mean Vegan without the dip?

But no, because the tatos have cheese in them…

I’m confused.

OK I googled it and apparently some varieties are made with ingredients that come from meat or fish (like hydrolyzed vegetable protein- why is this so hard??). And obvs some flavors have like actual bacon in them.

Huh.

Did not know that

Packie’s Thoughts

Oh!  Well, doesn’t this look nice.  I think this might be where O’Gara’s shines best, something simple, something Irish themed, nothing too ridiculous.  Their walking shepherd's pie last year was about as good as they get, and I think, or at least I hope, they’ll hit the same benchmark this year with this one.  I mean, mashed potato dumplings?  Dipped in Top the Tater?  Sounds perfectly nice.  Looking forward to this one.

Shrimp and Pork Toast on-a-Stick

A mixture of ground pork and shrimp combined with Hmong aromatics – lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots and Thai chilis – seasoned with fish sauce, spread on Texas toast and deep fried. Served on-a-stick with a side of apricot jelly hot sauce.

Sarah’s Thoughts

Omg what is this now??

I love skrimp toast (skrimp is bugs.) And this is actual toast! And there’s pork!

Omg this sounds amazing. It’s Union Hmong Kitchen so you know it’s gonna be tight. I love everything about this. Love Hmong food. Put some of it on toast and then deep fry it? Yeah. I want that. I want that right now.

I mean, look at that. Who doesn’t want that? Only a sad person, that’s who (not counting people who have, like allergies or something. That’s not your fault. We’ll try it on your behalf.)

I might be most excited for this? Unsure. I’m all over the place.

Anne’s Thoughts

Oh helloooooo. I’m excited to read more about what’s happening here and who this is from.

Oh damn you know this has to be Union Hmong Kitchen.

Ok UHK, listen up. 

You know we love your Galabao. Love. It.

But the Purple Sticky Rice last year broke our hearts.

We need you to do us a solid here- 3rd one’s going to be the tie-breaker and start defining you as a vendor going forward- are you mostly excellent, or mostly not?

Please be excellent.

At least this looks like it can actually be eaten on a stick, unlike the rice last year.

I am a little worried that it will be too spicy? Hmong spiciness can absolutely blast out your palate, and we’ve got a lot of food to eat here.

We love a skrimp toast though, so I’m pretty excited here.

Packie’s Thoughts

Oh hot dang.  This looks fantastic!  I love shrimp toast, but shrimp AND pork toast?  Made with Texas toast?  AND all those amazing Hmong aromatics?  Wow, wow, wow, I can’t wait to try this one.  Even that apricot jelly hot sauce looks amazing.  Union Hmong Kitchen really jumped in with a splash with the galabao their first year, so I’m hoping this hits the same mark.  Dang, there are some tough contenders this year for my most excited for top spot.  Already getting nervous for how I’m gonna choose just one.

Smashadilla by Gass Station Grill

Smashed seasoned ground beef and Gouda cheese grilled on a flour tortilla. Served folded and dressed with caramelized onions, lettuce, pickles and Gass Station Grill's homemade burger sauce

Sarah’s Thoughts

Well, first off I’m like, booo quesadilla. I like a quesadilla if it’s, like, only cheese. Everything else can just get on out of here.

BUT. Now that I look closer at it, I realize it is, in fact, more like a smash burger! Which I do like!

Actually, I think I like this a lot. I can’t remember if Gass Station is where we got that amazing chicken sausage a few years ago (after I pooh poohed chicken sausages too. I can admit when I’m wrong.) I hope so. 

I think this is gonna be good. Nothing on this I don’t want. 

Anne’s Thoughts

Welp, A for the naming convention here- I chuckled.

But I don’t LOVE a quesadilla though this looks taco-adjascent, so let’s see what’s what.

Ok so it’s like a Burger Taco. Ok- I’m sure it’s going to be tasty. Does it somehow improve upon just a regular burger? I doubt it- 1, tortilla (waste of stomach space), and 2- flour tortilla (the subpar choice of tortillas- see previous flauta/taquito discussion). It looks crispy, so I’ll give them props there (but so help me if this becomes a soft tortilla I will riot)

Gass Station has been a solid B vendor, and I bet we’ll be a B or C this year as well.

Packie’s Thoughts

Hmm, some kind of smashburger taco?  I feel like this has been done before.  Gass Station made a great sausage one year, so I can be open minded for this.  It’s got everything you could want on a burger, including caramelized onions and some kind of burger sauce.  I also really enjoy gouda and the tortilla looks crispy, so I’ll keep an open mind.

Somali Street Fries by Oasis Grill & Hoyo Sambusa at Midtown Global Market

A blend of Somali Beef Suqaar – spiced beef, vegetables, cheese and herbs – piled atop a bed of french fries. Topped with white garlic sauce and green jalapeño hot sauce.

Sarah’s Thoughts

Okay we got some sort of fries here. Let me take a closer look and see what’s what.

Okay. I like loaded fries, especially if they’re not loaded with jalapeños or whatever. Granted, this does have a jalapeño hot sauce, but presumably that’s not everywhere?

That white garlic sauce looks good! I don’t think I’ve ever had somali food before, so it’s great when we get a chance to try something new! This all sounds good to me.

I think it will come down to the same issue that many smothered fries deal with: are they soggy because of the toppings?

I suspect that might make or break this dish. That, and the quality of the fries themselves.

Where is this coming from?

Oh, Midtown Global Markert. Durr. So does this mean it’s only available for half of the fair? Usually that’s the case, but I don’t see anything labeling it as such? Maybe I just missed it.

Anne’s Thoughts

Heyyy, I loved a stacked fry- but you gotta do those fries right! They better be crispy! If this is sitting under a heat lamp waiting to be eaten, it’s gonna be a disaster.

Goddamn- is this our 3rd jalapeño offering? Is that the (unwanted) theme this year??

(omg i just remembered Fluffy Hand Cut jalapeño monster donut and now I’m upset again).

I’m excited to try the Suqaar though (and thank you for telling us what it was so I didn’t have to google it). Maybe we can get this without the hot sauce, or with the hot sauce on the side.

This is an MGM offering which usually aren’t the best and also they do that split week thing WHICH WE HATE. But this one doesn’t have a date restriction listed, so maybe they’re changing up their MO this year? Oasis Grill and Hoyo Sambusa seem like 2 different restaurant names, so not exactly sure what’s happening here this year.

Packie’s Thoughts

Hey, it’s that food stand that effs up our entire operation of eating all the new foods on the first day of the year.  We’re always pissed we have to wait until half the fair is over to try the last new food, especially because we just want to eat our favorite foods at that point, not keep trying new stuff.  Ugggggghhhhhhh.  Looks like this is the vendor for the first half of the fair, some kind of Somali fare?  Basically loaded fries with spiced beef, veggies, cheese, a white garlic sauce, and oooh…would you look at that.  More spicy sauce, just for Sarah.  I mean honestly, at this point, I’m all jalapeño’d out.  Is that the new theme this year?  Jalapeño?  More like hella pain no’s!  Right Sarah?  Yeah, you got it.  I don’t know why I am just ragging on Sarah, I don’t think Anne likes spicy very much either.  Yeah, shut up Anne!  See, I can spread the abuse around.  I feel like MGM’s vendors never really put anything out worth going back for, which you couldn’t even if you wanted to because they change them up every year, hah.

One More Day! One More Day!