2023 Final Thoughts

Hooo boy was it HOT in 2023! Like just absolutely brutal heat the entire fair. We bought neck fans for $30 in preparation and it was worth hauling those around. Honestly we didn't really get to enjoy ourselves very much because of the heat- we ended up leaving early almost every day (except the first day- we have a JOB to do and we will DO IT).

For food this year, there were too many sweet items and pickle items (OBVIOUSLY), but that was probably not an issue for anyone NOT eating all the new foods in 1 day lol.

Anne's Top 3- Cheese Cake Curds, Peachey's Regular Donut, Sweet Corn Ba-sant

Sarah's Top 3- Maui-Sota Ribs, Peachey's Regular Donut, Irish Butter Ice Cream over Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toast

Packie's Top 3- Chicken Momos, Peachey's Regular Donut, Galabao

Biggest Surprise- Birthday Cake Mini Donuts
Biggest Disappointment- Donut Delights

It'll be interesting how Peachey's and Rick's Pizza do in 2024. Both had mega lines this year- 2nd year for Rick's, and Peachey's wait was hours long- would've had it probably every day if the line (and heat) wasn't so brutal. How long will the hype last on these things?

We rode the Space Tower for the first time (thanks to inspiration from the Info Booth Ladies podcast), an experience both terrifying and delightful. Might be a new annual tradition.

Some 2023 Stats

We spent $437.50 total for 36 items which is an average cost of $12.15, an almost $3 (!) increase over 2022 and 2021. It took us 9.5 hours and almost 7 miles (over 16k steps).

Add in unofficial new foods and we sampled a total of 48 new or new to us foods, which ran us an even $550 and an average food cost of $11.46

We ended up with 12 As, 17 Bs, 13 Cs, 4 Ds, and 2 Fs

Grade A Greatness

Cheesecake Curds- $9 at LuLu's Public House

THIS IS ITTTTT!!
THIS IS THE BEST THIS WE WILL EAT ALL DAY!
FIGHT ME!
For real y'all. Sarah is waiting to see if something savory steals the day but she'll be waiting in vain. I wanted to cry as it passed my lips and I crunched through to the pillowy cheesecake with a tart, strawberry chaser.
Heaven.

The Doughnut- $5 from Peachey's Baking Company

Yooooooooooo! This is like eating a Krispy Kreme for the first time. This donut is warm, soft, pillowy. The glaze is dripping off as they hang before being purchased. Absolutely no criticisms.
...might be our favorite donut.
We also got their Sweet Tea which was $6 and very sweet (until you eat the donut lol)

Blueberry Mint Jamnade- $7 at Jammy Sammies by Brim

🎵Now we find out if we're gonna drink jam🎵
Verdict- unclear? Might've been jam, might've been muddled blueberries?
Either way this was great- sweet but not too sweet to ruin the refreshing nature. Feels hard to give a drink an A for some reason, but this is a good one

Cheese Curd Stuffed Pizza Pretzel- $9 at Green Mill

Man, Green Mill has done it again. The mouthfeel of the pretzel rolled pizza dough is bomb, with the cheese curds it just amplifies that more. The spices and seasoning is just so on point. Can't stop eating this.

Galabao- $12 from Union Hmong Kitchen

"This Bao is the Bomb" Hans said I needed to add this as a tag line so I am. The Bao is sweet, the filling is flavorful, and there's a surprise egg inside! The dip had a little kick but was very nice. Who doesn't love a mega Bao?

Ba-Sants in Two Varieties: Everything Cream Cheese and Sweet Corn- $7 at French Meadow Bakery

Just kidding, they were out of the Everything Cream Cheese option. So we got the Sweet Corn one and it did NOT disappoint. The ba-sant was flaky, buttery, and perfect. The sweet corn filling was delightful and Sweet without overpowering the pastry

Irish Butter Ice Cream over Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toast- $9 from Blue Moon Dine-In Theater

This is just...this is just so good, friends. That ice cream is rich and velvety. The toast is crispy and sweet but not too sweet. And the sprinkled sea salt on the top just launches this over the (blue) Moon (heh). Delicious.

Maui-Sota Sticky Ribs- $13 at RC BBQ

Wow, what a finish! These ribs were so choice! The ribs themselves were fall off the bone perfect, and that sauce? Daaaamn. A little sweet with a lot of flavor and just a touch of heat. Oh man, we are so full, but we just picked them bones clean. Sarah would eat a whole rack herself

Breakfast Double Double- $8 from LuLu's (new to us)

Thanks to inspiration from Dann Food Haiku we decided to try this new to us food on a whim. Boy howdy are we glad we did. The mouthful of the double patties and cheese is excellent. The English Muffin Bread is toasty and buttery.
This really fixed our mood

 

Pork Chop on a Stick- $11 from Carousel (new to us)

We had heard we should get porkchop on a stick but didn't know from where so tried this location on a whim. And wow did we get lucky! Tender, meaty, juicy, well-seasoned. We can't wait to eat this again.

Peanut Butter Cream Donut- $10 from Peachey's (unofficial new food)

(Ignore the weird lighting idk what's up with that)
Wowowowowow!
We were already fans of Peachey's from Day 1 and so returned for seconds and to try their gourmet option.
Y'allllllllll. The ONLY reason Peachey's didn't get the #1 spot was bc it was just a donut. But THIS donut? Warm pillowy donut surrounding cold peanut cream with whipped cream and chopped peanuts. Soft and Crunchy, warm and cold. *chef's kiss*
This is the new Pickle Rick Pizza- the line was 30 minutes long and it was WORTH IT.

Sirloin Tips- $18 at Pickle Barrel (new to us)

The only drawback is the price. Tender meaty bites. Salty and good. Want some meat? Eat these treats!

Grade B Bounties

Fruity Cereal Milk Biscuit- $8 at LuLu's Public House

Very intense sweet, fruity frosting, but when that awesome biscuit flavor hits you it is just...mmmmm. A wonderful sweet treat. Maybe too sweet to eat alone.

Bacon Wrapped Waffle Dog- $12 at Nordic Waffle

We liked the sweetness of the waffle, the dog is a good dog. Tends to want to fall apart- structurally unsound as Packie says. You know, we probably won't get it again but we don't regret eating it. Pleasant enough.

Dole Soft Serve Float (pineapple)- $10 at Tasti Whip

Great texture, wonderful flavor that wasn't too sweet. When you get both the pineapple juice and the soft serve together it is just perfect. You get a lot, and I wish it came with a straw, but soooo worth it Yum!

Dill Pickle Lemonade and Mini Donut Paletas- $6 from Hamline Church Dining Hall

B or C depending on flavor and person
Biting and licking the Mini Donut was the nightmare I knew it would be. I mean, just look at that sphincter- it's a food abomination.
The ice cream with the donut was creamy and v. nice
The lemonade pickle was good- a much better combo here than at Nordic Waffle- take a note! Refreshing popsicle, and the pickle snaps off easily when frozen

Holey Hamloaf Breakfast Sandwich- $11 at Hamline Church Dining Hall

Boy this sammich made us happy. It was so fresh that it was almost too hot to bite, The toasted bread was perfect, the egg was perfectly runny without being messy, and when you get a little bit of the onion it added some nice sweetness. Thought the Hamloaf could've used a little more seasoning, but that wasn't enough to drag this sandwich down. So good and a great breakfast item!

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich- $15 at Farmer's Union

Surprisingly good! We got the bacon version, natch. We do not like fried green tomatoes and bonus for us, that was not the forward flavor. Just crispy bready bacony, mayoy goodness. Though expensive for the size.

Birthday Cake Mini Donuts- $10 at Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds

Ok this was quite the roller coaster of emotions. Initial perception was this was just too much. Then you bite into the donuts and they are so damn fresh and delicious! Personally, all the sugar and sprinkles and icing is just a bit too much for us, but wow they really were just so good. We went from a C, then said B, A?...back to a B. If this is your thing, you'll love it! Personal tastes aside, it was worthy of a great grade.

Al Taco Baba- $13 at Baba's

You know, this is not a good flavor profile for Sarah but even she can acknowlege why this is good.
Lots of complex flavors and good mixture of textures. The pita puffs are bomb (bussin? Can I use it like that?) per usual

Cloud Cooler- $12 at Spinning Wylde

First, this was a sticky mess. Which, expected. But as usual the Spinning Wylde Cotton Candy is perfect. We got Happy Huckleberry flavor and the lemonade was great. Tart but not too tart.

Chicken Momo with Tomato Chutney- $13 at Midtown Global Market's MomoDosa

These were very tasty. The chicken was moist, the Momo's were big, and the chutney was slightly sweet and a nice accompaniment. I loved 'em, but the twins downvoted me to a B

Pickle Fries- $8 from Mike's Hamburgers

These were pretty good! Perfectly crispy and good batter. Though the dip was too spicy for us all so that was disappointing, But if you like fried pickles, you'd probably like these

Italian Duo Dunkers- $12 at Sara's Tipsy Pies

So, listen. We really liked the spinach pie one, and less so the pizza one. And because you have to get both, it drags the grade down. But the crusts are good with nice seasoning that leaves a good taste in your mouth. Served with a parmesan butter dipping sauce.

Dill Pickle Cheese Curd Taco- $14 at Cheese Curd Tacos

Listen y'all. We're really effing tired of pickles and pickle flavored stuff, okay? But we tried to be fair (heh) and asked ourselves what we would rate this if we hadn't eaten any other pickle foods. We love cheese curd tacos and have been stans since before they were at the fair. The cheese curds are great, and the taco shell is perfectly crispy.

Loaded Lobster Fries- $14 from Cafe Caribe

The fries were perfectly crispy, the lobstah was good. Has a little kick. We're getting pretty fooded out and it's getting harder to be impartial- probably would've eaten a lot more of this in the morning

Not Your Madre's Biscuits and Gravy- $9 at LuLu's for Breakfast only (unofficial new food)

Very good. The biscuit as usual is crumbly and solid. The gravy is creamy with a kick. The only reason this isn't an A is because it's just borderline too spicy for us.

Cinnamon Affogato- $7.50 at Hamline Church Dining Hall (unofficial new food)

This was delightful! The cinnamon ice cream was smooth and the orange cardamom biscotti was possibly the best biscotti we've ever had. Get a bite with everything and it's great.

Porkette Breakfast Sandwich- $7 at Peter's Hot Dogs (unofficial new food)

The hot dog was splendid with a nice steamed bun. The eggs were nice and fluffy, though we wished the cheese was melted and the bacon was crispier. Still, a wonderful flavor. Would def try other hot dogs from here. Thank you Info Booth Ladies podcast for this suggestion!

Grade C Mediocrity

Hot Honey Cheese Sticks- $11 at Blue Barn

It was fine I guess? The flavors don't really meld. Has a nice kick that doesn't linger. Ours were slightly cold? Just judging by the mouth feel of the cheese.

"Kind of a Big Dill" Pickle Lemonade- $6 at Nordic Waffles

C. Maybe a D?
Every drink tasted different. Sometimes it was lemonade. sometimes straight pickle, sometimes an odd mix? We would go from ooh! To blech from one sip to the next. IDK.

Walleye Fritter Pops- $9.50 at Giggles

Listen, we love Giggles and wanted to love this. Their walleye cakes are bomb. But these are dry and maybe have too much breading. We wanted a drink afterwards

Filled Churro- $6 at Churros and Agua Fresca

Listen, we're just pretty sweetened out so it's hard to fairly judge this. We got the sweet cream cheese filling hoping it would be the least sweet of the fillings but hey. Still sweet. But it was fresh and well made, crispy and firm. We just need some salt in our systems
But hey! The strawberry limeade Agua Fresca was fantastic. Straight A

Basil Hummus with Spicy Walnut Topping- $10 from Holy Land

Little divisive. First off, what a value! They give you so many pita chips! The Walnut Topping is pretty spicy but the basil Hummus is very fresh and leaves a good taste in your mouth. Packie scored it lower than us.

Miami Mango Pickle- $5 at Soul Bowl

Honestly better than we were anticipating. Refreshing, cold, and pickly. Price was fair.
We don't need to get them again but don't regret it. (Forgot to get a 2nd pic bc i'm a basic bitch and was charging my phone)

Fried Butternut Squash Ravioli- $10 at Oodles of Noodles

Patrick hated these on principal, so this is mostly Sarah and Anne's perspectives. Nice dipped in the ricotta but didn't really feel like a noodle from a noodle place

Lemonade Sorbet- $5 from Quench'd: Lemonade/Bottled Water

We really liked the texture- expected it to be grainy/icy but was smoooooooth. A little too tart though, and didn't like the bits of lemon zest (and one seed) that was in it.

Bee Sting Sundae- $9.50 from Bridgeman's

You know, we KNOW Bridgeman's can do better than this- vanilla, peanuts, hot honey- pretty basic tbh. Packie and I got swamped with heat immediately. Sarah never got hit with it.
I don't want spicy ice cream

Chocolate Dipped Nut Roll- $8 from Fresh Made Nut Rolls (unofficial new food)

Unofficial new food. Always a big fan of the classic nut rolls (or butt rolls as we call them), get them every year. This year they tried dipping them in chocolate. I don't feel like it added much, other than $2 to the price. I will stick with the classic

Everything Cream Cheese Ba-sant- $7 at French Meadow Bakery

Well this ended up serendipitous. We wanted to try this variety yesterday but it was sold out so we had to get Sweet Corn WHICH I LOVED.
So we came back today to try this one. Pastry is still flaky and buttery, everything seasoning is good, but thought this was supposed to be filled too? No filling in sight, earns a much lower C grade
(ope- found the "filling")

Minnesota Sweet Corn Danish- $7 from Farmer's Union (unofficial new food)

The pastry and lamination are good, but strong pepper flavor, served lukewarm, and has a surprising kick for something titled "sweet".

Corndog Bites- $12 from Gass Station Grill (new to us)

Heard about this from Info Booth Ladies podcast so thought we'd check it out.
They get points for cuteness, still using sticks on all these Mini dogs, and crispness of batter. They lose points for no flavor in the batter (none of us could taste cornmeal and wonder if they're actually pronto pups)

Grade D Disgrace

Beef Sambusas and Plantains + Somali Spiced Tea- $20 from Afro Deli (discount for getting all 3)

Sambusas D. Plantains C. Tea C.
Okay first off, Afro Deli gets an A+++ for customer service. They were delightful and helpful and we loved tham and wanted to love their food.
But we didn't like the Sambusa. Had a flavor that we didn't like the taste of or smell of. The plantains were really green tasting which we don't like. We've also had better plantains elsewhere. Tea had a spicy kick but was refreshing

Sota-cuterie Board- $14 at Sabino's Pizza Pies

The meat and jam accompaniment on this board were the only positive things about this. The cheese was as basic as you can get, absolute trash. The cracker board was too thick, making it hard to break off pieces to eat with the crap cheese. Not really worth it and impossible to eat without a table

Donut Delights- $7.50 at Coasters

This was just a damn mess. Literally all fell apart as soon as you picked it up. Couldn't get a bite of bacon with it because it was too chewy to break. Overall the flavors just clashed and the donuts were grainy

Cardamom Spiced Turkish Latte- $8 at French Meadow Bakery (unofficial new food)

Just not for us. We're very specific about our coffees and coffee drinks. This was too bitter for us and adding sweetener only made it more bitter. Oh well.

Grade F Failures

Crispy Steamed Lutefisk Tacos- $14.25 from Shanghai Henri's (+3% credit card surcharge)

Noooooooo
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I was low key excited about this all day (not Sarah- she was mad I kept reminding her about it). And then it came out and it looked good! But it smelled strongly of fish and I knew it was going to be a problem. And it tasted STRONGLY of fish.
And not in a good way. Sarah hated the texture and had to spit it out. I allllllllmost did a little gag bc I do not like fish and this was like overwhelmingly fish.
Packie would've given it a D

Crunchy Balboa- $14 at The Herbivorous Butcher

OH MY GOD. First off, it smelled weird. Actually weird. Then you take a bite and the weird taste hits you. The last thing you want from a faux meat is for it to taste funny. Really not surprised on this one.

And that's it!

So Long MNSF 2023. We'll see you in 2024.