2024 Final Results

Welp, here we are, on the cusp of the (probable) release of the 2025 New Foods, so I guess it's time to get off my butt and rehash 2024. Every year I say to myself "Self, definitely rehash the the year right after the State Fair is over because you're fresh in knowing how to do stuff on the blog, you're fresh on your State Fair opinions, and you'll do yourself a solid next year without having to do ALL the blog stuff at the same damn time". And yet, here we are, because of who I am as a person. 

Anywho.

Someone has predicted that the new foods will come out on Tuesday (2 days from now) so I best gets to work I GUESS.

2024 was an OK year. First- it rained A LOT on the first day and boy were we miserable and crabby. We used to say we'd rather it was rainy than hot, but guess not. Not like this. It was not fun. Food was pretty good- mostly Cs which is to be expected on a bell curve I suppose. Only 1 F and that wasn't even an official food, just a terrible, terrible spur of the moment beverage choice.

We missed out on a lot of typical experiences because we were tired. Didn't get a Peachey's donuts because damn that line fills up fast- half way down the Fine Arts building by 7 and it wasn't even open yet! ALSO! DONUTS ARE BREAKFAST FOOD. Get your stuff together Peachey's- open for breakfast.

Pickle Rick still popular. Someone online said they predicted another pickle-themed year but I think that ship has sailed- rarely do themes run two consecutive years.

Somehow we lost 3 (!) posts on our IG- not sure how that happens. Luckily we manually post over on FB too so we were able to find them and at least get the reviews and pics added here. But wtf Instagram- we're relying on you to basically be our official record.

Anne's Top 3: Fried Bee-Nana Pie, Garlic Cheese Wontons, Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick

Sarah's Top 3: Fried Bee-Nana Pie, Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch, Patata Frita Focacciawhich

Packie's Top 3: Fried Bee-Nana Pie, Crab Boil, Walking Shepherd's Pie

Biggest Surprise: Fried Bee-Nana Pie. DID NOT expect that delight. Packie doesn't even LIKE banana and it made his top 3!

Biggest Disappointment: Deep Fried Ranch. People were losing their shit over this thing, and we were pretty excited about it (and are big fans of Lulu's) and it was not that great. It was deep fried cream cheese with ranch seasoning- calm down everyone.

Also- that Grilled Purple Sticky Rice really broke our hearts.

Honestly, 2024 feels like it was sort of a snooze? Sarah got 3rd on one of her Embroideries. Anne got skunked on her baking. 

IDK. Here are some stats to throw at you.

2024 Stats

We spent $365* total for 31 items which is an average cost of $11.77, an almost $.50 decrease over 2023 but still almost $2 higher than 2022 and 2021. It took us 11 hours (jaaaaaysus) (rain probably added an hour) and 7.2 miles (over 18k steps).

Add in unofficial new foods and we sampled a total of 42 new or new to us foods, which ran us an even $492* and an average food cost of $11.71 (comparable to last year)

We ended up with 7 As, 10 Bs, 18 Cs, 5 Ds, and 1 F

*SOMEONE (redacted) forgot to record the cost of the Cotton Candy Iced Tea, so give or take probably $10 I GUESS

Grade A Awesomeness

Crab Boil Wings- $20?! from Soul Bowl

A. These were slammin'! Great flavors, crispy wings, nice combo with the potatoes, sausages, and corn. Add a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick (just Packie, no one else). A lot of food, which it should be at that price point. Honestly, too much food if you're not looking for a whole dang meal. Bringing home the leftovers for this one.

Fried Bee-Nana Pie- $6 from Sabino's ($8 with ice cream)

A!!! OMG this fried pie is everything. Crispy, soft, pillowy. On the edge of too sweet for some of us but finishes with a nice honey taste. Could maybe use more banana, actually. Gonna definitely get again this year.

Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch- $13 at RC's BBQ

A!! Oh this is what we wanted. Nay, needed. A tender bite of meat, crunchy bits of bacon, sweet sauce, and a slow, slight heat. Rice was broken and, honestly, not really needed, but we'll be getting this again.

Eclair Pair- $25 for both, or $15 for lobster and $12 for Bahn Mi

A! For the Lobster!
C (Packie would give a B) for the Bahn Mi
Lobster one is packed full of lobster. Slight heat but flavorful and tender. Like a smaller version of their excellent lobster roll.
Bahn Mi has a good meaty flavor. Packie really liked it, but Anne and Sarah wouldn't get it again (we liked it fine).
Packie's least favorite thing for both is actually the eclair shells.

Ba'bacon Sour Cream + Onion- $14 from Baba's

A! Man, this is peak Baba's. If you are not a big hummus fan, this will win you over. All the toppings really add to the creamy hummus and make for a fun and tasty scoop with their soft pitas. The bacon is great, the onions are great, and when you get the tator tot in that big bite...mmm, perfect.

Garlic Cream Cheese Wontons- $12 from Que Viet

A! Not new, but new to us. We knew these would be good and they were! Wonton skins incredibly light and crispy. Filling smooth and creamy with a garlic hint.

Pork Chop on a Stick- $11 from Peterson's Pork Chop

A! Now new but this specific shop new to us. This was like a 30 minute line- have never done a spiral line before. But it was worth it! Charred and tender, meaty goodness.

 

Grade B Beauties

Marco's Garden- $14 from Brim

We were the very first one so they gave us a gold star! Also, Marco himself served us. An auspicious start to a glorious day.
B! The cheese was good, jam slapped, pita was warm and thin. We are not tomatoes people but this would make us like tomatoes. We kept eating.

Walking Shepherd's Pie and Watermelon Crush Slushie- $10 and $11 from O'Gara's

B! (so an O'Gara's A)
We really, really liked this- pastry was flaky, flavors were sweet and meaty, loved that it was cut in pieces for ease of eating. Leaves a nice taste in our mouths. The only reason this is not an A is because we wouldn't get it every time- but we would def get again.
This made us really happy.
Slushie was fine- good booze to watermelon ratio.

Swedish 'Sota Sliders- $10 from Hamline Church Dining Hall

B. Really great mouth feel on this, with a meaty saucy bite that might just be a little too messy. They don't skimp on the jam, making it the winner of the Swede-off between the two Church diners.

Hot Chix Cheese Curd Taco- $14 from Cheese Curd Tacos

B. Well Sarah hates it on principle so she can't really be objective here.
But those of us that are ok or like Buffalo chicken like it! The things that are good about cheese curd tacos (i.e.- the shell) are still good here. Would still prefer ranch though.

Lady Slipper Marble Sundae- $10.50 from Bridgeman's

B. This was good! Strawberry ice cream, lemon, marshmallow, cookies. Wish the cookies were like cake instead, and also maybe the ice cream was softer, but these are nitpicks. A good sundae that leaves a great taste in your mouth.

Strawberries & Cream Waffle Stick- $10 from Waffle Chix

B. Looks beautiful! The waffle is crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Has a nice berries flavor with a sweet cream drizzle. Little pricey but a nice treat.

Patata Frita Focacciawhich- $12 at West End Creamery

B. Yooooooo. This ice cream? This KETTLE CHIP ICE CREAM?? This might be the best fucking ice cream we've ever had.
So now we're conflicted. Bc how tf are we supposed to eat this? You can't cut focaccia with a SPOON, and they slathered the top of the bread with honey and chip bits, so you can't eat it like a sammich unless you want messy hands.
So idk.
But believe us about this ice cream.

Strawberry Lemonade Donut- $10 from Fluffy's Hand Cut Donuts

B. Per usual Fluffy's has a really good donut- soft and fluffy, good lemonade flavor. We don't need a donut this big, and it's hard to eat without getting frosting all over your face

 

Cookie Butter Crunch Mini Donuts- $12 from Solem Concessions

B. Listen. They know how to make a damn good Mini donut- no complaints there, get your Mini donuts here.
But THIS donut is trying too hard. Like the cookie crumble/sugar stuff isn't adding anything to the flavor, and neither is the sloppy rim.
Still- it's a great Mini donut.
FINAL FOOD! WE SURVIVED!

Wild Rice Cheeseburger- $10 from Wild Rice Specialties

B. Not new but new to us. This was a real good burger. Great flavor, wonderful texture, and nice size for the price. Definitely worth a try.

 

Grade C Commodities

Swedish Ice Cream Sundae- $8 by Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall

C. So we were a little spread out here. Sarah likes jam, ice cream, crunchy stuff on ice cream and would give it a B. But also SOMEHOW she got sick (no one knows how), and her palate may be unreliable.
Packie was hard pressed to have feelings about it at all and was very middle of the road.
Anne actively disliked the bitterness of the jam and would go C/D.
So we landed on a C.

In other news, Peachey's donuts is not even open yet and the line is already halfway down the Fine Arts building. So I guess get here at 7 and get in line if you want one this year.

Turkey Kristo- $16 at Farmer's Union

C. Another offering with jam. It's our third one. Out of the four we've eaten. Maybe that was the theme all along.
The bread is so crispy and good. But as a whole the Sammy is bland. Can't taste much of anything and honestly could use more jam. Also really fucking expensive for a not large Sandwich. If we're gonna spend $16 at the Farmer's Union, we'll get the schnitzel.

Dill Pickle Tots- $8 for a regular from Tot Boss

C. You know what? Tot Boss continues to make excellent tator tots- that's what it has going for it. But we just wanted the flavor to be more punchy- if you're gonna do it, go all in. Otherwise might as well just get regular tots.

Ham and Pickle Roll-up on a Potato Skin- $8.75 from Route 66 Roadhouse Chicken

C. Unfortunately felt overwhelmed by the pickle. The chips didn't come through at all. But the tato skin was great and makes us want to try their regular ones.
Also wtf $.75. Just round up to a dollar- make it easier for everyone.

3 Piggy Pals On-A-Stick - $12 from Sausage Sisters & Me

C. 4 bucks a bite. But it's a decent bite. Bacon is crispy, sausage is meaty, jalapeno gives it a little kick and the sauce is sweet. Wouldn't get it again at that price point though.

Raging Ball- $14 from Herbivorous Butcher

C. Real mixed feelings and opinions on this despite our initial fears. The sesame ball outside was very crispy, though the mochi needs to be thinner. Actually the most palatable their "meat" (schmeat?) has been thus far. All in all not too bad and decent flavor, though Packie didn't like the sweetness.

Afro Poppers- $6 from Afro Deli

C. Options were chocolate, Mango, or hot sauce drizzle. Can get coated in coconut and supposedly cinnamon and sugar but that was missing. These were pretty much just donut holes. A little dry. Nothing special.

Deep Fried Haloumi- $10 from Holy Land

C. Eh. It was fine. Honestly the best part was the sweet chili dip. Doesn't have much flavor otherwise. Was fried well- nice and crispy, cheese was salty. Packie liked it the more he ate it.

Wrangler Waffle Burger- $12 from Nordic Waffle

C. There wasn't a whole lot to say about this one. Burger and waffle. We each took a bite and that was enough. Got disillusioned a bit watching them crack open a can of caramelized onions while I waited in line.

Deep Fried Ranch- $12 at Lulu's

C. First off, waited in line for over 30 min for these in the rain, so color me (Sarah) pissed. Made a lot of new friends also in line, also pissed.
These were disappointing. Less pastry filled with ranch and more pastry filled with cream cheese that's dusted with ranch. Have to wait for them to cool off or risk molten mouth.

PB Bacon Cakes- $12.75 at Blue Barn

C. Listen. This peanut butter whipped cream is incredible. The bacon pancakes are just a vessel to shovel that into your mouth.

Surprisingly they were able to get the bacon crispy in the pancakes. Also not sure how you're supposed to eat these since you can't cut through bacon with a fork, but you can't eat a whole piece either. Idk. But honestly we didn't need them anyway- PBWC forever.

Mocha Madness Shave Ice- $10 from Minnesnowii Shave Ice

C. This was ok. You might like it if you really love coffee flavors. The snow cream topping is always hella nice. The theater of watching them assemble it was hampered by my having to stand in the rain while I watched.

Shroomy "Calamari" and Black Currant Iced Tea- $12 and $7 from French Meadow Bakery

C. The batter on these shrooms was great. Very light tempura. But they had no flavor, which meant the only thing we tasted was the dip which had a bit of heat to it. We ate them all though, but probably wouldn't get them again.
Once again the Iced Tea was utterly flavorless. A 7 buck water

 

Eclair Pair- $25 for both, or $15 for lobster and $12 for Bahn Mi

A! For the Lobster!
C (Packie would give a B) for the Bahn Mi
Lobster one is packed full of lobster. Slight heat but flavorful and tender. Like a smaller version of their excellent lobster roll.
Bahn Mi has a good meaty flavor. Packie really liked it, but Anne and Sarah wouldn't get it again (we liked it fine).
Packie's least favorite thing for both is actually the eclair shells.

Koshari- $15 (for beef) from Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine

C. To be honest, this could be a B, we are just not sure we'd need to get it again since it is not typically what we want at the fair. All that said, this was very flavorful with a lot of nice elements. Even the chickpeas added a nice texture and the beef was well flavored.

Nixtamal & Wild Rice Bowl- $15 (for both kinds of dumpling plus cricket topping) from Indigenous Food Lab

C. We liked it more than our grade reflects, and that's purely because it's not something we typically want to eat at the fair. But besides that both dumplings were excellent. The crickets are a must because they add crunchiness. The mix is a little bland. Would eat again, just not at the fair.

Esquites and Agua de Sandia Loca- $8 each from New Vendor El Burrito Mercado

C? Sarah and Packie don't eat esquites so it's just me. I had heard the esquites were excellent here and it was good but I probs wouldn't get again. I liked the drink a lot but Sarah and Packie complained it was too spicy so just really grinding my gears here.

Paella with Fried Egg- $17 from Paella Depot

C. This was pretty good, though a bit pricey. Nice flavors, the over-easy egg is a must have, very filling. If we didn't get paella regularly, I'd probably hit this up again.

Grade D Ding Dongs

Chile Mango Whip- $12 from Tasti Whip

D! The only good thing about this is the Mango Tasti Whip ice cream. Still not a fan of the whole mangonado thing. A giant pillar of dessert dripping in chile sauce in a tiny cup. So tiny that the Chile crap is dripping all over your fingers. A huge mess.

Cotton Candy Iced Tea- $? from Loon Lakes Iced Tea

Listen, was it radiant and beautiful with a color change and sparkles? Yes.
But it tasted like water. We drink a fair amount of tea and iced tea in our house so this was incredibly disappointing.

Grilled Purple Sticky Rice- $10 from Union Hmong Kitchen

D. Possibly a problem with execution, but couldn't get over the flavor of burnt rice. We got the beef jerky option and it didn't add enough flavor to hide it, and the drizzle they used just added a lot of heat. Wanted this to be great but it just fell short in a lot of ways.

Blazing Greek Bites- $8 from Dino's Gyros

D. Listen. These are so damn spicy they wreck your palate. The texture is questionable, and it falls apart when you try to dip it. Didn't like the flavor but also hard to taste past the heat.

Sweet Corn Cola Float- $11 from Blue Moon Dine-In Theater

D. Yeah, when that corn flavor comes through...naw. Just weird and pricey and just nothing real good to say about it.

 

Grade F Fundamental Failures

S'more Than a Feeling slushie- $8 at Swine & Spuds

We don't rate drinks but this gets a straight F. Might as well chug straight tequila. Also, s'mores should be toasted.

 

Welp, I guess that's it? See you Soon!

2024 State Fair New Foods Preview Part 5- Turkey Kristo through New Vendors

 We made it! Day 5!! THE END IS NIGH

Turkey Kristo by Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop

Minnesota-made Texas toast from Pan-O-Gold Bakery, sliced Ferndale Market turkey, CannonBells white cheddar cheese, apple butter made from locally sourced Westcott Orchard apples, and house-made spicy brown mustard mayo, dusted with powdered sugar. (White Cheddar Kristo vegetarian option uses extra cheese instead of turkey.)

Sarah

Time for the MN Farmer’s Union. They’re coming in with a Sammie.

And I got to say…it looks pretty boring based on that picture.

So I’m sure it’s a Monte Cristo with turkey. But a Monte Cristo is fried and this does not look like it is.

Okay, nothing in the description says it is.

Listen, I always love that MN Farmer’s Union highlights MN foods. I’m always gonna support that. But come on. This just doesn’t look all that fun. I mean, maybe it will be the best Sammy ever but VERY DOUBTFUL when the Sandwich Shoppe is just across the fair and they blow it out of the park with their sammies (AND they have a fried Monte Cristo AND there’s a coupon for it in the blue ribbon bargain book.)

Also, I know we gotta support turkey farmers or tevs but MN has pork farmers too. Why couldn’t this just be made with traditional ham from a MN pig farm?

Packie

Looking at the picture, this looks great!  That Texas toast looks super crispy, with the turkey and the white cheddar, and the apple butter?  Yeah, I can really get behind this.  Then I see it is from Minnesota Farmers.  The last two years have seen them get bumped up a letter grade, but previously they had an abysmal record. They always seemed to find some way to absolutely wreck what could have been a good dish (I’m looking at you cucumber jalapeno limeade with the 80% pulp).  I’m gonna call it now that the spicy brown mustard mayo is what does this sandwich in.  Do monte cristo sandwiches always have mustard on them?  I don’t think they do, but maybe I’m wrong?  If not, why the hell would you throw it on this one?  It sounded perfect without it, but you had to go and add it anyways.  This will suck, mark my words.

Anne

For a second I was excited to see something new coming out of The Sandwich Stop, since it’s been a minute, but then I was sad to see it’s the MFUCS (I’m really embracing the acronyms this year apparently. Quit having such long names everyone).

We really have a love/hate relationship here, which is pretty generous since it’s mostly a hate/hate relationship. I hate that they make me hate their interesting foods.

2 years ago they got a B for their Pork Schnitzel, other than that they’ve been straight C/D territory.

I like that their stuff is always locally sourced ingredients, though the shout outs make it difficult to read. Looks like we have bread, turkey, white cheddar, apple butter, brown mustard mayo, and powdered sugar.

Sure- it looks fine. I hope it’s tasty.

Walking Shepherd’s Pie by O’Gara’s at the Fair

Two handmade hot pastries filled with braised ground beef, mashed potatoes and a blend of onions, carrots and peas tossed in herb gravy.

Sarah

It’s a shepherd’s pie I can walk and eat at the same time!!

First off, I don’t know how many times we have to fucking say this, a shepherd’s is made with fucking Lamb or Mutton. That’s what a SHEPHERD DOES. He takes care of goddamned SHEEP.

If you’re going to put BEEF in your pie, then it’s a fucking COTTAGE PIE.

Jesus. 

But why would I expect O’Gara’s to know this? It’s not like they’re supposed to be IRISH.

Anyway, I love a cottage pie and a shepherd’s pie and I love that this is a little hand pie I can walk off with. That way too, if it’s shitty as O’Gara’s often is, I can drop it in the garbage without the workers seeing.

I’d like to say this looks hard to fuck up, but it’s O’Gara’s. At least there’s no sauerkraut in it cuz they could have easily done another take on the Reuben.

Though I will say I’m looking forward to checking out their remodel. They do have one of the best locations at the fair, I think.

Packie

O’Gara’s is always a mixed bag.  Usually ok, never great.  This looks like a meat hand pie, so it is certainly nothing unique.  That said, I don’t find anything particularly offensive in this list of ingredients, so maybe they’ll have cracked the mold on savory hand pies.  I certainly like the idea of a ‘walking’ shepherd’s pie, although I’d point out this is actually a cottage pie if it uses ground beef, so the Irish pub can’t even get that right, and they’re fucking Irish.  About what I’d expect from them at this point.

Anne

Surely THIS time it’s Sara’s Tipsy Pies!

Nope

It’s the “too many apostrophes” O’Gara’s

Ugggghhhh

Like there’s no reason this shouldn’t be good. Shepherd’s Cottage pie is good. The pics look good. The ingredients sound good.

But it’s O’GARA’S.

They’re a solid C-ville

If we get a B out of this we’ll be real lucky, because it’s been 10 years 

Wrangler Waffle Burger by Nordic Waffles

Fresh all-beef patty and signature Whataburger(R) Patty Melt Sauce layered with American cheese and served in a caramelized onion-infused Nordic Waffle.

Sarah

Nordic waffles I assume.

Jah.

Okay, something savory. Granted, the waffle will be a little sweet but thank god it’s not like a waffle stuffed with cookies or cookie dough or cookie batter. 

Okay I don’t know jack shit about Whataburgers but it seems fucking weird to me that they’re the brand you’re going with since it’s a TX based company and this is the MN State Fair. Like, take a cue from the Farmer’s Union and maybe highlight a MN burger company?

Oh wait, it’s just the sauce.

Okay well I stand by what I said. 

That American cheese will melt nicely. Ooh and a caramelized onion waffle! I don’t really think they’ve actually messed with the waffle itself before… I could be wrong but I can’t think of one.

I’m excited for this. Mostly because I think I just don’t want any more sweets. I love some meat and now I get to eat some of it.

Packie

Hey, at least they don’t have an actual bone-in chicken leg in a waffle this time, so there is that.  No eating the bones this time.  A bit surprised they waited this long to just make a waffle burger.  A caramelized onion-infused Nordic waffle sounds interesting, but otherwise nothing too special here.  I like a good burger, though, so it’s sure to be satisfying at least, right?  God I hope so. Anne

Going real basic this year I see. Honestly- maybe they need that? Because after their early successes they’ve really sort of taken a nosedive since 2019, so maybe playing it safe is what they need at this point

There’s not a lot to get excited for here- it’s a burger in a nordic waffle. I bet it’s good. The End.

NEW VENDORS

Chan’s Eatery

Chan's Eatery serves Korean corndogs (hot dog and mozzarella cheese, battered with panko, deep-fried and finished with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Option to add a coating of fried potatoes or to substitute toppings for hot Cheetos(R) with spicy mayo); Mochi donuts in eight varieties (original glaze, churro, cookies 'n cream, Fruity Pebbles(TM), chocolate, strawberry, matcha and taro); Fruit and milk boba teas with optional tapioca and jelly toppings.

Sarah

Ooh, Korean corndogs! We’ve only had them once and I’m excited to try a different kind. 

OH FUCK. THEY GOT MOCHI DONUTS.

God we love mochi donuts. 

And Boba Tea. Gonna maybe get one of those, too. Eh, who am I kidding. I won’t have the space and it probably won’t compare to my beloved Soha’s in Hugo. Packie Aw hell yeah!  Gonna be honest, I tried a Korean corndog once and was not impressed, but I desperately want to like them so I look forward to giving them a second shot.  And they have mochi donuts too!?  Hell yeah!  Mochi donuts are fucking divine.  If you have yet to try one, here is your chance and you should definitely hit it.  Add some sweet fruit, milk, and boba teas to the mix and this sounds like a fun new vendor.  Looking forward to this one. Anne Ohhhh it’s Korean Corndogs. I thought it was some sort of delicious-looking dessert. Ok listen We all already have a favorite corndog at the fair. And you know, as much as I want to LOVE Korean Corndogs, they always seem to be just ok.Looks like they also have Mochi Donuts, so I'm very excited for people who haven’t had one before to give them a try, but we also already have a favorite Mochi Donut place and I don't need to get one at the fair.Well either way- welcome to the fair

El Burrito Mercado

El Burrito Mercado serves Quesabirria Taquitos (deep-fried, rolled tacos filled with beef marinated in red sauce & cheese, topped with salsa verde and crumbled cheese); esquites (corn kernels cooked with herbs, topped with sour cream, crumbled cheese, chile powder and lime, served in a cup); and Agua de Sandia Loca (watermelon drink with chamoy and bits of seasoned dried mango). All items are gluten-friendly

Sarah

Oh! I think Anne, and maybe the rest of the fam, eat here occasionally? IDK, I can’t remember. Listen, I don’t (generally) eat Mexican food so when they go to Mexican restaurants and then tell me about them later they sort of all blend together.

But I think this is the one that’s in St. Paul and maybe has a shop with it? IDK.

Anyway, Anne will be excited about this, and I’m not against trying a taquito. I’ll also be happy to drink any watermelon drink you shove my way. And I can probably be cajoled into trying the esquites but I know I won’t like it.

Packie

Hey, I love this place!  Excited to see them join the bazaar.  Holy hell, quesabirria taquitos?!  That sounds great, though I wish it came with consume.  Anne should be intrigued by the esquites at least.  Not sure about that watermelon drink, but only because of the chamoy.  Sarah’s sure to not be happy we get to try more Mexican.

Anne

Well Well Well Well Well

The best Mercado is now at the fair

I’ll eat the SHIT out of some taquitos and esquites, I tell you what. Though I wish the salsa verde was on the side and not on top. And that Agua de Sandia Loca sounds amazing- I for sure want to at least try that (especially since Sarah won’t want taquitos and neither of them will want esquites).

Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine

Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine serves Koshari (rice, pasta, chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, garlicky vinegar "dakkah" sauce, topped with fried onions) in three varieties (chicken, beef and vegetable); plus caffeine-free iced hibiscus tea. Koshari is gluten-free without pasta, and the vegetable variety is vegan.

Sarah

Oh nice! I like when we get new ethnic offerings and Anne and I know someone who absolutely LOVES Koshari so I’m very excited to try it!

Also it’s nice that both these last two have GF options. 

Oh, just saw the iced tea! As I said above, I love me some iced tea and will pretty much try every offering. Though, honestly, keep in the caffeine. It’s gonna be a long fair. Packie Not sure this one is quite up my alley, but I’ll give it a shot because I love exploring new and different cuisines from all kinds of cultures.  Not a big fan of hibiscus tea either, but it does look refreshing. Anne Egyptian Cuisine?! Oooooh sign me up!Looks like they just do 1 thing, Kosharis which are a rice/pasta bowl. They sound interesting- I’m excited to try these flavors out (though I don’t need that quantity of food- I need to eat a lot of things, I don’t want an entire meal). I wonder what that drink is. (editor's note- finish reading the blurb you boob)

Loon Lake Iced Tea

Loon Lake Iced Teas serves Official New Food Cotton Candy Iced Tea, plus a variety of brewed, naturally flavored, cane sugar-sweetened iced teas, including blood orange, blueberry, peach, strawberry and unsweetened.

Sarah

Oh dang! They ARE a whole new iced tea vendor!!

I am very excited about this! I legit think I might try a lot of these, if not all of them, by the end of the fair. 

Well, unless I try one and it’s not good or not for me. Then I shall pass on the others.

It’s nice having whole vendors that are just drinks, though.  PackieWow, and to think I was pretty excited for the Cotton Candy Iced Tea they were offering on the new foods list.  I hope that it is good, because I’d love to try some of these other flavors, particularly blood orange, peach, and blueberry. Anne Ok so they are a new vendorOoooh they have a bunch of other iced teas as well. God I hope they’re all fantastic because they look and sound great

Midtown Global Market’s Indigenous Food Lab

Midtown Global Market's Indigenous Food Lab serves Official New Food Nixtamal & Wild Rice Bowl with Wozapi & Bison Meatballs or Sweet Potato Dumplings, with the option to add cricket & seed mix. All items are gluten-free. (Aug. 28 to Sept. 2 only)

Sarah

Again, very excited about this, very sad it’s in the second half of the fair and not the first half. What the hell is in the first half? Nothing new, clearly, because it’s missing from this list.

It’s probably Tacocat again or something lackluster. Which, I mean, pretty much everything that’s in this rotating location ends up being blah, BUT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS ONE!

Looks like they just have the one thing, though. Interesting. PackieHmm, so it seems they are ONLY offering the new food of the rice bowl with the meatballs or dumplings.  Nothing else?  Wait, so who is the other vendor that’s going to be there for the first half of the fair.  Oh my god, this pisses me off so much.  There is only one new vendor for MGM, but they put them on the back half of the fair?  If you’d put them on the first half, it would have been the first year we didn’t have to wait a week to eat our last new food off the list.  You had ONE job!  What a fucking slap in the face.  I’ll reserve judgement for Indigenous Food Lab, but MGM you are fucking dead to me! Anne Woah woah woahWhat…what is in the Market stand for the FIRST half of the fair? Did I miss it? Am I stupid about IFL’s dates? No they’re definitely 8/28-9/2. So what’s there 8/22-8/27?I’m confused and irritated.It must be a vendor that just didn’t get on the official foods list? So now we’re going to have to wait a month to just SEE what’s there I guess

Paella Depot

Paella Depot serves Chicken & Chorizo Paella (traditional Spanish caramelized rice dish with leeks, red bell peppers, zucchini and snap peas, with option to adde fried egg or seafood). Plus agua frescas in six flavors made from fruit puree, whole fruit, lime juice, agave and water. All items are gluten-free and dairy-free.

Sarah

Oh dang! A place just for Paella!

Now, we get Paella regularly because our dad makes a good paella in a huge pan. But I’m always willing to try other paellas

But, meh on Chorizo. As I said before, it’s the worst sausage. I like that I can add a fried egg though and yes please! I wonder what kind of seafood you can add? Probably I want it, either way.

Also aguas frescas are always great. Packie Yeeess I love paella!  Pop Pop Ahiers the Hiking King makes a real mean paella, but I only get it once a year if I’m lucky, but now I can have it at the fair?!  Done!  Oh shit, I can add fried egg or seafood?  Can…can I do both?  I want both.  DO BOTH!  Oh shit and there is agua frescas!  I love those too!  This is amazing!! AnneAlright, it’s Paella. Our Dad makes a great Paella so I'm not excited about this. They DO have agua frescas, but there’s that Agua Fresca place that also does them (I’ll have to look them up). (It’s Churros and Agua Frescas) Well welcome to the fair I guess.

AAAAAAAAH THAT'S IT! THAT'S EVERYTHING!! 13 DAYS UNTIL THE FAIR! TIME TO FREAK OUT!

Kto Kounotori GIFfrom Kto GIFs

2024 State Fair New Foods Preview Part 4- Savory Eclairs in Two Varieties through Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch

 In case you were wondering, why yes- blogger did absolutely shit the bed on my formatting for these last two days.

Savory Eclairs in Two Varieties by Scenic 61 by New Scenic Cafe

Choux pastry eclair shell with choice of filling: Bahn Mi or Lobster.
Bahn Mi Eclair: Filled with pork confit, chicken liver pate, pickled carrot & daikon, cucumber and Sriracha mayo, garnished with micro cilantro- inspired by a traditional Vietnamese sandwich.
Lobster Eclair: Filled with lobster meat, celery, mayo, Cholula hot sauce, lime, chives and salt & pepper, topped with a dried corn and micro cilantro- inspired by a New England-style lobster roll.

Sarah

OOOOOOH! Savory eclairs!!! How fun!

I love the idea of eclairs. But for some reason they just don’t do it for me. Everyone else in the family likes them but they’re a big meh for me. I’m not into the filling I think? IDK. I love other choux pastry stuff though, like cream puffs so maybe I’m just a complicated bitch.

ANYWAY.

FUCK. We have to choose between Bahn Mi or Lobster???? That’s a fucking IMPOSSIBLE choice!

Shit. That Bahn Mi has chicken liver pate which sounds amazing and pork confit. Shit I want that right now. What about the lobster one?

DAMMIT! It’s like a Lobster roll! WE LOVE LOBSTER ROLLS!

What are we gonna do, guys? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO??

Are we gonna have to get both?

I think we might have to get both. I’m very excited about these. Also maybe the most excited.

RIP our wallets.

Also Scenic 61 is another vendor we’ve never tried before. I really do think this is the theme this year.

WAIT! I just remembered that Scenic 61 is up there by Baba’s. They make that really expensive but very very good lobster roll. Fuuuuuu. I bet the lobster one will be extra good now

Packie

Really feeling like there are a lot of non-new vendors this year I just don’t recognize. This is another one.  Also, is it Scenic 61 or New Scenic Café? Just pick one dammit. So basically they’re offering a bahn mi sandwich or a lobster roll…but they’re putting them in eclairs instead of bread. I mean, I guess that could work? I like both of those things and maybe a savory éclair shell will bring an interesting new texture to the mix. Is that enough of a change to make this a novel idea? Not sure. I kind of want to try both of these, but we’ll probably start with one at least and see if we grab the other as well.

Anne

Oho! What do we have here? SAVORY ECLAIRS??! I may swoon.

I mean I assume it’s just a fancy sammich in a choux pastry but I’m excited to read on.

BANH MI OR LOBSTER? SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.

Ok first of all CHICKEN LIVER PATE on the Banh Mi?? Swoon. You lose me a bit with the Sriracha mayo  but still- this sounds bomb.

And Lobster- sounds like a bomb AF lobster roll (though again- hot sauce. I hope neither of these are too spicy) Isn’t this the place that does the absolutely BANGIN lobster roll? And has the food slide? I’m pretty sure it is but I will need to double check

(It Is)

Is this…is this the year I choose a savory option for my most excited? And for a sammich no less??

HOW WILL WE EVER CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO TASTE

We might just have to get both

Shroomy “Calamari” by French Meadow Bakery & Cafe

Oyster mushrooms hand-breaded and deep-fried. Served with a side of chipotle sauce. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Sarah

Okay so we’ve got deep fried mushrooms made to resemble calamari.

Love calamari. Love deep fried mushrooms. Pretty excited about this so far.

Okay so that’s it, I guess. Comes with chipotle aioli. I don’t like chipotle but like I said above aioli is the king of drizzle sauce and I’m sure it will be good.

I’m excited for these. 

French Meadow Bakery usually does good food. Though we’ll never forget the time it took us like an hour to get one thing from them (after we had already paid.)

Packie

Bring back the fucking doughsant!  Ahem, sorry…uh, what do we have here?  Looks like deep fried and battered mushroom with some dipping sauce.  Not a novel idea to be sure, but damn if it doesn’t look appetizing. Why is it ‘calamari’?  Because it looks kind of like deep fried calamari?  How did they pull that off, I wonder? Mushrooms ain’t shaped like that, so how they do that?  Whatever, I’m sure this will be fine.

Anne

Ok I was excited that this might be some sort of squid and mushroom concoction, but then I realized calamari was in quotes and this is from French Meadow bakery so now i’m betting that it’s just straight mushrooms to be a vegetarian or vegan calamari.

Ope- that’s exactly what it is.

Ugh- and oyster mushrooms.

I am a person that didn’t like mushrooms, then learned to like mushrooms, and then went too hard on mushrooms, and is now backing away from mushrooms. And oyster mushrooms are the least sexy of the options. But you know, French Meadow is usually pretty good at these sorts of things so maybe this will be good. It’s not super exciting, but I hope it’s tasty.

Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick by Waffle Chix

Belgian waffle filled with strawberry shortcake cookie dough, topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, and served on-a-stick.

Sarah

Just writing this title made me happy. I love strawberries and cream so if they’ve found a way to put that on a stick, I’ll be pleased.

Okay we’ve got a Belgian waffle. That’s good. Then strawberry shortcake…cookie dough? Aww man. Come on. That’s a cookie, then. Not a shortcake. Wtf. Now I’m sad about this thing. At least it’s got whipped cream and strawberry sauce on it.

Sigh.

Okay, I still think this will taste good, but I’m just disappointed we’ve got more cookie products in place of things that are better and also match more what you’re going for.

IDK. Maybe I’m just a grump. It’s very hot while I’m writing this and I am pretty sticky so you know, who can say.Waffle Chix. Have we ever eaten anything from them? Are they new? I wish they’d label every new vendor new on their foods so I don’t have to find out later.Wait, Maybe they had like waffles that had sausage in them? And maybe they were bad? Why can’t I remember these things??

BACK.

Packie This is the first time I’ve done my reviews without scrolling through the pictures beforehand and there is a hint of existential dread that this will never end that I was unaware of. I mean…what if there is another Raging Ball in this list waiting to be sprung on me?  For now, though, we have waffles on a stick. I swear this was a new vendor last year, but I can’t for the life of me find any evidence of it and I’m too lazy to really dig into it to see if I’m right. (editor's note- 2022) Could have also been ten years ago and I am just once again proving my rapid progression of age like I drank from the wrong cup in the Last Crusade. Oh shit, this thing is stuffed with cookie dough? Hmm. Looks good, I suppose. Not really sure. I prefer my waffles sweet, so at least it’s not some savory waffle.

Anne

Ok- I remember Waffle Chix being a new vendor a few years ago, but did they have an official new food? I feel like we maybe haven’t eaten anything from them yet?? (or if we have it must not have been that memorable). Stand by, let me check

Ok nope- I don’t see them on our list

Well ok then, I am excited to formally try them out, and this looks great!

Oh, it's filled with a COOKIE DOUGH??! Now this is the sort of extra I come to expect from the MNSF New Foods List

If this is crunchy like I hope it will be, I think this could be real good. This is def in the running for my most excited for!

Strawberry Lemonade Donut by Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts

Hand-cut yeast-raised donut frosted with lemon buttercream, rolled in strawberry lemonade crunch, and garnished with lemon gummy candy and freeze-dried strawberry slice. Served with a strawberry lemonade-filled pipette to squeeze in more flavor. (Vegetarian)

Sarah

Whaaaaat is all over that donut?? Is it like those delicious bits you get on a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar? Or like dippin dots? Something else? They immediately caught my eye in a good way.

Okay a hand made donut. I do love me some donuts. But will this be a hard one to compare to those other new donuts from last year that had a line that stretched to Iowa and back? (I mean, that’s why you gots to get there early, folks (but not too early because for some dumb reason a donut truck wasn’t open for breakfast (this isn’t that place, is it? I have no memory of what that place is called and I’m way too tired to look it up)))

What kind of lemon buttercream are we talking about? A Swiss buttercream? Italian? Or a gross American buttercream?

Okay so it’s strawberry lemonade crunch. Not quite sure what that means but I’m excited to try it!

Though I will say I’m not too jazzed about the lemonade flavor. I’m generally of the opinion that lemonade flavor is for lemonade alone. I’d much rather have lemon flavor. 

Lemon gummy candy? We do be loving those. 

I don’t want the freeze dried strawberry, though. I’ve tried plenty of them from Anne’s baking or from when she’s feeding her hermit crabs. They’re too intense for me. And I’m not a huge strawberry fan anyway (I don’t want to eat them plain. I want them with something.)

Oh shit! It’s got a pipette to squeeze in more flavor! I’m both very excited about that and worried that it will A) make things soggy B) not work and be a disappointment C) not work and make a mess.

But I guess we’ll see!

Packie

Hahahahah! Oh shit! I was going to laugh about some new donut place trying to muscle on the new doughnut king at the fair, Peachy’s, but oh damn! This looks fucking incredible! Everything about this. The buttercream, the friggin’ strawberry lemonade crunch? The little garnishes? A goddamn strawberry lemonade filled pipette you get to squeeze into the donut? Even the picture itself is like a damn work of art.  Is this my most looked forward to new item? I need to go back and recheck the list, because this has immediately made me forget about everything else. Magnificent! Also, I just realized this place isn’t new and was actually around before Peachy’s, so my bad.

Anne

Oh this looks like one of those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars which are EXCELLENT.

Oh it looks like that’s sort of what it could be coated with (though with lemon in there too)

A PIPETTE FILLED WITH MORE FLAVOR??!

Hahahahahah!

Yusssssssss

God I hope this is crunchy and fluffy and flavorful. I recall enjoying their Ice Cream Donuts back in 2021 (they got a B). Let’s elevate 2024 to an A baby

Swedish Ice Cream Sundae by Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall

Vanilla ice cream covered in lingonberry jam, sprinkled with Swedish ginger cookie crumble, and garnished with a ginger cookie heart. (Vegetarian)

Sarah

God, I love an ice cream sundae. Anne, let’s get that one we like from the Lena and Ole place. We haven’t had that one for years. I can’t even remember what it’s called it’s been so long. (editor's note- it's the Deep Fried Banana Split)

Okay so this is ice cream covered in jam. 

That…that doesn’t make a sundae. I’ll argue that jam isn’t even a sundae topping. Sure you’ve got those cookies on there and that’s good and all, but eh. I’m not a person who’s gonna ever be happy with the idea of jam on ice cream and calling that good. 

Literally ANYONE could make this. It takes no effort at all. Buy ice cream. Buy jam. Buy cookies. Put together. 

At least with a normal sundae you’d have a lot more toppings and maybe some special ice cream.

I don’t know. This feels phoned in and therefore I’m pissed off at it.

Where’s the fair magic? Where’s the delight?

Mediocre, Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall. You might try to take a lesson from the Hamline Church Dining Hall. They at least put in some effort.

Packie

At a glance, I thought this was the Hamline Church Dining Hall, until I realized this is the place that sells the Swedish egg coffee by the Eco Building.  Looks like they leapt into the new foods game.  That said, this is basically just a sundae?  Yeah, it’s got lingonberry jam and a Swedish ginger cookie, but it’s otherwise just a basic sundae.  Real basic.  Ya basic, and I think I need to try your coffee again to really form an opinion, but that might be basic too!

Anne

Awww look at that little heart cookie. This looks delicious. And I love SLCDH in theory. However, their new foods tend to just be FINE. 

WAIT WAIT WAIT

I just did a spit take

This is SALEM Church Dining Hall, and not HAMLINE Church Dining Hall??!

Looks like the only thing we’ve ever had from them is their Swedish Egg Coffee (a B, year unknown).

Ok so what’re we working with here?

So it’s a vanilla sundae with lingonberry jam and Swedish ginger cookies. How are Swedish ginger cookies different? Also is it really straight up jam and not like a sauce?

I bet this will be tasty, but they are competing against other incredible ice cream options here, so Bon Chance (or as the Swedes would say, Lycka Till!) (listen I just used google translate for that so don’t come at me if it’s wrong)

Swedish ‘Sota Sliders by Hamline Church Dining Hall

Hamline Church Dining Hall's Cranberry-Wild Rice Meatball formed into patties, paired with Dill Havarti cheese and a red relish of beets, red onions, red peppers, lingonberries and cranberries, served on two brioche buns.

Sarah

Okay we’re back to something savory, thank god. I am honestly worried that we’re going to be really sweetened out at points during our trek. We might have to arrange our path to make it a bit more winding just so we can break up some of the sweet with savory.

Oh! LOL, Hamline Church Dining Hall! I JUST mentioned them! *waves*

What do we have here now…

Okay I do love a meatball and I love wild rice and I particularly love it IN things. I have no strong opinions on cranberries one way or the other. I think a berry is needed in the patty so it’s just gonna depend on the flavors. Blueberries might’ve been nice. I’m just sayin.

Okay dill Havarti. I’m not again it. Especially, as mentioned before, if it’s the herb and not dill pickle. Then all the reds: beets, onions, peppers (BOOOOOOO! Is this not supposed to be a SWEDISH dish? I don’t think Swedes are known for their heavy use of PEPPERS) and then more cranberries (meh) and lingonberries of course. Don’t know how I feel about mixing the berries but we’ll see. I like lingonberries more than cranberries for sure.

Dammit. Now I want Swedish meatballs but it’s definitely not the season for them.

Brioche is an excellent bread.

All right! This looks good. I hope it’s not too sweet cuz that’s the last thing we need at this point.

Looks good (though I’m bothered a bit by how unmelted that cheese is on the bun. Like not even a little bit.)

Packie

WOAH, déjà vu. No wait, this is the real deal this time. At first, I really liked the idea of a Swedish meatball slider, with the lingonberry jam and everything. Looking closer, though, there is a lot extra on this little sandwich, including dill Havarti cheese (wha?), a red relish of beets, red onions, red peppers, and lingonberries, AND cranberries. Holy crap, calm down with the red. Not sure how that will all pair together, but I kind of wish they’d just kept it simpler than that.

Anne Jesus are the swedes taking over or something? OH SHIIIIT IT’S HAMLINE CHURCH DINING HALL! IT’S A CHURCH SWEDE-OFF!!!! Ok well back to what i said before… “And I love SLCDH HCDH in theory. However, their new foods tend to just be FINE” We’re talking almost all Cs and 1 B (2022, Pistacchio Paleta). I gotta say, I am not loving the look of that patty. Or that slab of unmelted cheese. I assume that’s also a lingonberry jam on there. OPE! I was wrong- it’s a whole bunch of stuff that DOES include lingonberries, but also beets (wtf), red onions, red peppers (gross), and cranberries (boo). I guess if it’s red it belongs here. I’m calling it- another C (if they’re lucky) here. SLCDH is going to win the Swede-off.

Sweet Corn Cola Float by Blue Moon Dine-In Theater

Minnesota-made sweet corn cola and sweet corn ice cream in a cup, finished with whipped cream, popping candy and house-made frozen caramel.

Sarah

Is this from Blue Moon Dine In?

Yep.

I don’t know why I just assumed it was but sweet corn combined with a float just screams one of their concoctions cuz they usually do zany stuff and it almost always pays off!

I love me a root beer float. Like, really really love them, so I’m automatically excited about any other type of float. (though, again, more sweets)

Oh it’s sweet corn ice cream and sweet corn cola! I just assumed it was gonna be coke or something. Got the pop rocks I see. Don’t know if they’re needed. And who’s gonna get that caramel?

(I don’t think I’m gonna want it. If our mommy was with us, we’d give it to her because she loves caramels.)

Um okay yeah. I mean, I never get incredibly excited for drinks but sure on this one. Though, again, more sweets.

Packie

Hah, this thing sounds bananas. No, sorry, it's corn. Sweet corn cola? That just gives me the worst cringe feeling. I just…ugh, I worry what that’ll taste like. I love how the rest of it sounds, love the general idea of the thing. Because it is from Blue Moon, I want to keep an open mind, but…oh god, corn soda?! I don’t know man…I just…I don’t know.

Anne

Ridiculous- do you think it has actual corn in it? Or just like a sweet corn ice cream? Or what were those like nitro corn bites they did a while back? (Comet Corn, 2013. B) Maybe they’re incorporating that again?

Oh! Of COURSE the corn is in the Cola, wtf was I THINKING when I stupidly assumed it would just be in the ice cream??!

I was intrigued when I just assumed it was corn ice cream + coke (or whatever). I’m a little concerned about corn cola- I feel like I've had that before from like Jim’s Apple Farm and was not a fan. Where is the popping candy here? Is it that big brown nugget? Or what is that?

Well at least it’s just a bev so it won’t be too filling. I just don’t anticipate liking this, but I guess at least they went all in on the corn.

Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch by RC’s BBQ

Double-smoked slab bacon tossed in RC's red barbecue sauce and topped with hot honey & chili crunch, served over a bed of white rice, and garnished with green onions.

Sarah

I bet this is RC’s BBQ.

Yep.

Okay, just looking at this thing and seeing its name gets me very, very excited. 

But then I remember that often RC’s stuff is way too spicy for me, even if I like it.

Also we have a meat entry (thank god) but it’s also a sweet one. Can we get no relief?

Ope, it’s slab bacon. Yep. Good. It’s a red BBQ sauce so probably the red = hot. And then of course there’s hot honey (probably the sweet heat they mentioned) and then to make it even hotter we’ve got chili crunch (which might just be chili crisp? And if that’s the case, it might not be too spicy, but who can say?)

They put it over white rice at least so if it is spicy I can shove that in my mouth and cool it off.

Listen, if I wasn’t pretty sure that this was going to be too hot for me, it would probably be the thing I’m most looking forward to. But RC’s has burned me one too many times…

Packie

Not sure what makes bacon ‘slab bacon’, but this sounds pretty damn great. Love the combination of BBQ sauce, hot honey, and chili crunch, and some white rice to keep things cooled down if all of that gets too spicy. Usually a good bet with RC’s, so I’m really excited to dig into this. Sometimes, you just need a slab of meat and not overdo it with a bunch of extra crap thrown in.

Anne

Oh hell yes. The name, the pic- sign me up I don’t care what else they have to say about this.

Ok I lied, I did actually care what they had to say.

Something about the word “slab bacon” just sounds absolutely wonderful.

Now traditionally, RC has gone too hot for us. Which is a damn shame because we almost always love what they’re serving but get spiced out. They’ve never been able to nab that A because of that. I expect we’ll have the same issue here because I see Hot Honey, Chili Crunch and Sweet Heat all in this food item. Also sus that it’s served on a bed of white rice (to cut the heat??).

Still, I am excite.

One more day to gooooooo!