2019 MN State Fair New Foods Preview Part 4

Here we are! Day four of the new foods countdown! Are you getting excited?  Because we sure as shit are!

You can find Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 at their links.

Let's start thus off with a BAM!

Sarah

YUP YUP YUUUUUUUUUUUP. I fuckin want this. Nordic Waffles was a great new addition to the fair this year, so I’m excited to see that they’ve added some new waffles and they’re a bit bonkers, too.

I mean, I’m obvs not excited about the Mexican one cuz of the flavors, but I’ll shove that candy and cereal one right down my throat. I’ll swallow it like a duck.

Patrick

Aww shit, yo.  Nordic Waffles was a great new addition to the fair last year, and I’m excited they’re back with two new recipes to try.  That pebbles and bam bam waffle looks like the sort of shit your kid would ask for breakfast if they had their choice of candy and cereal.  That or a dad was really trying to really score points with his kids.  That Al Pastor variety sounds hella good too.  I’m excited for both of those really.  This place is great for breakfast, for meals, and desserts.  Why go anywhere else?

Anne

Heh, Nordic Waffles you scamp. The Pebbles & Bam Bam looks absolutely bonkers and I can’t wait to try it. The Al Pastor sounds fine. We liked everything we tried at Nordic Waffles last year, so sign me up. We just need to remember to get in line early because this was really popular last year.

Also, I need to save space for the breakfast waffle because that shit was awesome.

Sarah

Aww cute! This looks great and adorable and I am excited to try this little confection of delight. Also, DIBS ON THE CHERRY, Anne and Pat. YOU SEE THIS?? I FUCKING CALLED DIBS.

Also crushed pecans are going to really send this over the top, I just know it.

Please don’t let me down, Bridgeman’s. I believe in you.

Patrick

I used to visit an actual Bridgeman’s restaurant with the family when I was just a wee lad.  They always had great ice cream and sundaes and malts.  Normally I’m not crazy about getting ice cream for dessert, but this actually looks like it could be pretty good.  I dig the cinnamon sugar pita chips, and I’m sure Sarah and Anne will go nuts over the pecans (hahah, nut puns).  Peaches aren’t my favorite topping for ice cream, but maybe this will all come together nicely.

Anne

Well this certainly looks tasty. I’m not a huge fan of fruit in ice cream. I’ll eat a banana split (but you better not add strawberry or that yellow sauce. Just chocolate and maaaybe caramel), and a maraschino cherry, but that’s it (though for some reason. I’ll eat ice cream with fruit, like fruit pies. I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT EITHER). So, I’m hoping that there aren’t big chunks of peaches in this ice cream.

The toppings on this look awesome though and right up my alley. I hope the pita chips are too delicate to use as an ice cream scoop.

Sarah

God, I love a good fritter. And I like me some shrimp. And I like me some grits. And we already talked about how I like me some dipping sauces, so you know what? I’m pretty jazzed about this one.

I hope it’s not fishy or anything. That could totally ruin this.

Funky Grits, eh? Name doesn’t sound familiar. I hope it’s new and they make some good grits so I can, you know, get more grits.

Patrick

Hey, another new vendor.  Neat.  I’ve recently grown to really enjoy grits (not having encountered them much growing up).  Throwing some shrimp in, deep frying them in a ball and giving me some aioli sauce to dip them in, well shoot.  That sounds splendid.  These look really crispy and tasty and I’m pretty excited to try this new food and vendor.

Anne

Well helllooooo. Funky Grits- are you new? If so, I like the cut of your jib. Is this the only thing you offer, or do you have other, grits-related products?

I like skrimp, I like cheesy grits, I like fried things, I love a good aioli, so sign me up for this!

Sarah

Awwww!!! CUUUUTE! Look at that tiny waffle. It’s adorbs.

That said there’s nothing too special about this? So, while I am excited to eat it because I love ice cream and stuff, I’m not excited for it in a new fair foods sort of way.

Oh, Hamline Church Dining Hall. They’re usually not bad. I’m sure this will be just fine.

Patrick

Hamline Church Dining Hall is a boring place with boring food.  There, I said it.  This is where the old people come to eat their bland food so as not to upset their tum tums.  Here is a perfectly simple and not at all exciting breakfast (dessert?) item.  A mini waffle with syrup and ice cream.  I know you tried, what with the cream cheese ice cream, but it’s not gonna cut it.  This looks boring, and I don’t even get a regular sized waffle either?  Bet I got to pay like it is regular sized.  Get your waffles at Nordic Waffles, folks.

Anne

Well isn’t that just the saddest damn sundae you’ve ever seen. C’mon Hamline Church Dining Hall- I want to support you and give you love, but you keep underwhelming and offering things I can easily make at home.

Just- step it up a notch.

Sarah

Dammit. Why did this have to be served with tomato sauce all over it? I don’t want that. At least make it a dipping side so those of us who don’t like red sauce don’t have to eat it.

Where is this from? What kind of seasonings should I be expecting here?

iPierogi? That’s gotta be new. The father figure is going to love that because he loves pierogis. Is rice normally in polish dishes?

Also, why you serving it with a dinner roll? None of us are eating dinner at the fair, okay? We’re on a day long gorge fest and that extra roll is just filler. Trash it. Especially since the roll is probably going to add, like, a dollar to the price. I’m calling it right now.

Patrick

Holy smokes, quite the number of new vendors this year.  I love a good pierogi, and I reaaaally love a good cabbage roll.  Nothing particularly innovative here, it seems, but I’ve never seen a cabbage roll at the fair, so I’m stoked to give this a try.  What’s not to like?  Ground pork and rice, that red sauce, inside steamed cabbage leaves?  Good comfort food right here.  Sign me up.

Anne

I legit made this face when I saw this pic: (insert grimacing face gif here).

Lucille Ball Grimacing - I Love Lucy GIF from Grimace GIFs

I mean, Sarah’s going to hate this because of the tomato sauce. I don’t even really want it after reading about it. And it looks huge! It looks like you should eat it like a burrito, but they’ve covered it in sauce so now you have to knife and fork it, and I bet it just falls apart all over the place.

Is this a new vendor? I’m not sure.

Sarah

Yaaaaaassssss. I know we often give a lot of shit to Sara’s Tipsy pies for a variety of deserved and underserved reasons but Pecan Pie is the best pie ever so eating this sounds AH-MAZING.

Also, this is now number 2 for whiskey items, too, so it’s creeping up!

Patrick

Hah, Sarah’s still peddling her pies at the fair.  Oh wait, that’s right.  This is that Sara doppelganger.  Shut up, though, and check this out.  Pecan pie might very well be the best pie there is.  It’s also the unhealthiest, but those two things can often run together.  Throw in a little liquor?  Sure, why not?  It’ll probably be expensive for just a little hand pie, but maybe it will be worth it.

Anne

This looks just OK, but if I learned anything last year, it’s that Sara makes a good tipsy pie. I do love me some pecan pie, and this looks like a perfectly reasonable portion for me to continue my State Fair tasting tour, so thanks for that (unless you charge like $15 for it, then gtfo)

That's it for day 4! Check in tomorrow for the final post!

ONE MORE DAY! ONE MORE DAY!