Yay! It's time for Part 3 of our 2017 MN State Fair New Foods Preview! Where we dish about all the delicious delectable awaiting us in just a few short weeks.
Part One and Part Two can be found by clicking the links.
On to the foods!
Fall Guy Breakfast Panini
Capicola and scrambled egg topped with white cheddar on ciabatta.
At The Hideaway Speakeasy in the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section
Sarah
That’s it? Ham, cheese, and eggs on a panini?
Booo! BOO on this one! That’s boring! And the picture doesn’t look appetizing.
I can’t see how this will blow my mind. At best I think I will tolerate this. But probably it will cost like $8 and I’ll resent it before I even try it.
I already do, honestly.
Patrick
Umm…I mean, there’s not like anything that doesn’t sound good about this sandwich, buuuut…it’s pretty simple. Maybe too simple? I feel like it’d be good, but not “new state fair food” good. I bet I’d like it.
Anne
I think the Hideaway Speakeasy is a new vendor this year…?
(CONFIRMATION- it is. Apparently it serves “Appetizers, Breakfast Sandwiches, and Paninis”).
Anyway, if this is the kind of food they’re offering then color me underwhelmed. This looks like a sammich I could easily make at home and would choose not to. Of all of the delicious breakfast meats that could be included on a breakfast sammich, Ham (oh! I’m sorry- Capicola. Trying to be fancy up in here with spiced and smoked pork shoulder. IT’S HAM) is the crappiest choice to make. And then scrambled eggs and white cheddar? Wooh…
Honey Puffs (Loukamades)
Deep-fried dough balls crispy outside and sweet inside, tossed in a sweet syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
At Dino's Gyros on the north side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets
Sarah
Omg I definitely want these. I want them right now. RIGHT NOW. Why don’t I have them yet? Give it. I want it!
I mean, all you have to say is “crispy outside, sweet inside” and I’m there.
Patrick
Dino’s makes the best gyros, hands down. No point in getting gyros anywhere else at the fair, and honestly…no point in getting gyros at the fair period. Dino’s has a year round restaurant in Roseville, so why waste room in my belly at the fair when I have so much food to cover. This is the first time I’ve ever seen them on the list for new state fair foods though. Holy crap crackers from LuLu’s, this sounds really good! Oh man, it’s just…Aaaaggh! Shove it in my maw! Do it now! They’re like little donut balls with cinnamon and sugar. Like an elephant ear in ball form. With sweet syrup? What? Aaaaggh!
Anne
Well these look delightful! And they are a combination of things I like- pastry and foreign foods I haven’t tried yet!
Apparently Loukamades are Greek Honey Dumplings. OK! These seem very simple so I do hope they’re not too expensive, but I am pretty excited to try them
Italian Bomba Sandwich
Beer-braised pork shoulder with prosciutto cotto ham, fontina cheese, giardiniera (Italian relish) and aioli on a grilled ciabatta roll.
At Mancini's al Fresco on the north side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets
Sarah
Everything about this sounds spectacular until you get to that Italian relish. Looking at that picture and seeing that relish makes we want to NOPE right out of here.
Probably what will happen is, I will take a bite, think it’s great but that the relish ruins it. Hope that Anne and Patrick feel the same so we can scrape the relish off and just eat the rest of it.
Patrick
Aw yeah, now this is a sandwich I can get my meat hooks into. Look at all that awesome meat, and giardiniera pepper relish is my jam (is that another pun? Relish is kind of like a jam.) This just looks like a bitchin’ sandwich, plain and simple, and I aims to eat it. How could this possibly disappoint? It can’t, I’m calling it.
Anne
Heh. Bomba.
I don’t know about that Italian Relish. I’m not a relish fan, and that doesn’t look very appetizing to me. Otherwise the sandwich looks pretty good and I’ll of course give it a go as is. But I’m betting it’ll just make we want a good Cuban sammich instead (braised pork shoulder, mmmm)
Maple Cream Nitro Cold Press Coffee
Locally sourced heavy cream and maple syrup in a cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen.
At Farmers Union Coffee Shop on the north side of Dan Patch Ave. between Cooper & Cosgrove streets
Sarah
Well, I don’t drink coffee, so I expect I won’t really like this. But, I mean, heavy cream can only help.
Maple syrup again, though. I’m starting to sense a theme…
Patrick
Huh. Yeah, I’ll give it a go. I like coffee alright. Neither of the other two are likely to want to drink it, but they’ll have to try it, because dem’s da rules! Maybe it will be really good, and if not, I’ll get my caffeine buzz to keep my going through the day.
Anne
Do people go to the State Fair to drink fancy coffee? Like- don’t we have enough options for fancy coffee in our regular day-to-day lives?
I’m not a coffee drinker, but the photo looks good in the way that coffee always looks good. But otherwise- isn’t this just a Maple Coffe zazzed up in a non-impactful way? NOW WITH NITROGEN!
Memphis Totchos
Sliced bananas and sautéed bacon over tater tots, topped with peanut sauce.
At Snack House in the Warner Coliseum, south concourse
Sarah
I don’t know about this. It contains all things I love. But mixing bananas and tots? I don’t know. I feel like the texture more than anything is gonna be weird.
I love bananas, though. Patrick hates them. Probably more than he hates avocados.
Patrick
What? T-This…this sound pretty great, but…why the eff did you put stupid bananas on it? I hate bananas, and even if I didn’t, I don’t know why they’re on this dish! God Dammit! You don’t know what you’re doing Snack House. You don’t-know-what-you-are-doing! Get it together guys. Just…get your shit together. Can’t believe I gotta eat bananas. Stupid.
Anne
So my initial reaction was “I am so over Totchos” (which, for those not in the know, Totchos are Tater Tots + Nachos). But then I realized these are a sweet + savory totchos with bananas and peanut sauce and bacon and now they’ve reeled me back in. I’m excited to try these!
Mini Sconuts
Buttermilk scone holes filled with chocolate, marshmallow and Nutella®, deep-fried and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. (Gluten-free)
At French Meadow Bakery & Cafe on the north side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets
Sarah
So it’s more or less a deep fried scone filled with sweet stuff? I mean, okay. I’m curious to see how the texture of the deep fried scone works out. Because scones aren’t soft like a donut, so then will they come out dense instead of fluffy? I suspect so.
Man there’s a lot of chocolate and marshmallow on this list, too. Maybe try stuffing other sweet things in your things?
Patrick
EEEEEE! Oh man this is…this is everything! I love Nutella, I frigging luuuuuurve marshmallow, and chocolate all together and deep fried into a scone? You crazy girl! You let me down last you French Meadow…you owe it to me, to make this a hit. Do it. Just do it! I’mma devour you.
Anne
What are these like mini scones or something? OH- yes they are. Huh. Well these sound scrummy, and apparently I need to step up my scone game. French Meadow Bakery rarely disappoints (last year was the first year in evs that we were sad- stupid rustic pastry thing), and while I am not a fan of marshmallow cream (as stated before), I am excited to try these as deep fried pastries are something that French Meadow tends to do well.
And that concludes our Part Three of the new foods review! Only two parts left. Please join us here tomorrow. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
RIP Allen West.
Today continues our 5 part overview of the MN State Fair New Foods preview. You can see Part One here.
LET'S DO THIS!
Chocolate Popover with Peanut Butter Spread
Hot out-of-the-oven chocolate popover with a side of peanut butter spread.
At LuLu's Public House at West End Market, south of the Schilling Amphitheater
Sarah
This sounds good. I mean, it sounds like something I could make at home (I totally could because I make popovers regularly (god I need to make some more popovers . . .)) but this should be nice. I hope it’s not too chocolatey or peanutbuttery. I don’t want it to be so sweet that it ruins the popover. Guess we’ll see!
Patrick
Considering I have had my fair share of popovers, I’m surprised I’ve never seen something like this tried before. At a glance this looks very promising and sounds delicious. I see this is LuLu’s Public House again, and per usual they have caught my attention and I am wary of the actual result of their experimental confection. I worry I will approach this stand and ask for the Chocolate Popover with Peanut Butter Spread with a cheery smile, and some vendor will slap the baked good into my face and laugh, shouting “eat up dum dum! You fall for this every year.” I cry softly, licking the disappointing pastry off my tear and chocolate stained features. Why you do dis to me LuLu?
Anne
Oh damn! This looks pretty good. I mean- who doesn’t like a popover? I wonder what ‘Peanut Butter Spread’ is. Is that just peanut butter? Or what makes it a ‘spread’?
Conveniently this is also at Lulu’s, so looks like we’re going to have a pretty good breakfast meal there this year if we can get over there before they stop serving breakfast.
Cranberry Wild Rice Meatballs
Swedish-style meatballs with cranberries and wild rice blend covered with Lingonberry sauce.
At Hamline Church Dining Hall on the north side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets
Sarah
Yeah, all right! Love me some Swedish meatballs, so throw a spin on that, and I’m down for it. I’m not typically a cranberry fan, so if it falls apart for me, I suspect that’s where it will, but I think this will work out fine (though pic clearly shows gravy and description says covered with lingonberry sauce, so which is it? If it’s both, great! If it’s just lingonberry sauce and no gravy, then I don’t know. With the cranberries, that might be a lot of fruit and not enough savory.)
Patrick
Swedish-style meatballs with the gravy and lingonberry sauce is a Minnesota heritage staple. Anyone who thinks throwing jam onto your gravy drenched meatball is a mind-boggling monstrosity, has never tried it. I’ve seen world famous chefs on TV be presented with this combo and think very much the same as you, until they tried it, and realized it is golden. It just works! I’m happy to try this Cranbery Wild Rice Meatballs version of the dish. It may not be incredibly innovative, but sometimes just giving a real classic a little twist, is all you need.
Anne
Ok, sure. I mean- I like Swedish meatballs, and I like the juxtaposition of savory and sweet, so this looks fine.
Deep-Fried Avocado
Avocado slices dipped in a lightly seasoned batter, deep-fried and served with chipotle ranch dipping sauce.
At O'Gara's at the Fair at the southwest corner of Dan Patch Ave. & Cosgrove St.
Sarah
Yes! I want this right now! I like me some avacados and I like deep fried stuff, so I think this will be good (also, yay for ranch!)
People love deep fried pickles and tomatoes and I do not. At all (they’re just gross, guys. You gotta know that. Stop pretending you like them. And that pickle line is way too long. It’s just ridiculous.) But this, this should be crunchy and smooth and creamy. And throw some ranch on it!
Patrick
O’Gara’s sometimes puts out something that looks like it could be good, but I don’t think I’ve ever really enjoyed anything they’ve made (at least among new fair items). I’m also not a huge fan of avocado, so I’m just gonna trash this option. Boo! You look gross, and I bet you taste gross. Give you a try? I might be surprised? NOPE! I’ll try it, but I will NOT be surprised. Hell no. I’m going back to LuLus, they know how to put out something new that looks appetizing. At least they lure me in with sweet promises before shoving crap in my face. You just run out of your tavern screaming and chase me down the street as you hurl your stupid food at me. Leave me alone O’Gara!
Anne
Oh- Pat LOVES avocado, so I bet he’s SUPER excited about this one.
This is from O’Gara’s which is often exciting in theory, but disappointing in reality. Seems like it would be hard to mess something like this up, and I like the thought of it, but I’ll take all that with a grain of salt.
(Where does that idiom come from? Ok- according to Wikipedia, it involves either using salt as an antidote for poison, or using salt to help build up immunity to poison, therefore rendering the threat of poison less serious. And now we all know).
Deviation Stout Steak Taco Naan
Steak marinated in Modist Deviation 004 - Mexican Dark Chocolate Stout beer, grilled and topped with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, queso fresco, cilantro lime and jalapeño ranch sauces, and wrapped in warm naan flatbread.
At San Felipe Tacos in the Food Building, east wall
Sarah
The name of this item is dumb. It’s just stupid and crappy with too many words and descriptions. I hate it.
That said, I hate Mexican food (it’s the spices. And the beans. Don’t lecture me. I’ve tried to like it, I really have, but no dice.)
THAT said, this sounds really good. I’m not crazy about the pico, but that’s not gonna stop me from taking a bite of this. I’m pretty excited about the Mexican chocolate beer steak.
THAT’S what the name should have been!
I mean, why is Naan the last word? TACO should be the least word! If they just switched those two words, the name would be drastically improved. Still dumb, but better.
God!
Patrick
Hmm…I feel like someone at this stand said, “how can we make a taco different yo,” and someone else said “Hey, lets like, combine Mexican flavors and food with Indian.” Everyone agreed this was a stellar idea, as it had never been done before. “But…how do we do that? What do we take from Indian cuisine?” They thought long and hard and someone shouted, “Naan! It’s like Indian bread, and we can use it as a taco shell.” Brilliant! Alright, that’s a start, but what else?” Everyone shrugged, “Naw man, that’s good. We don’t want to go crazy, it still has to be a taco. Just the naan is fine.” Naan taco…I guess. Alright I’ll eat it, but come on…pretty lazy.
Anne
Ok, before I even look at this item, is this the most ridiculous name for an item ever? Potentially yes.
It’s like they just stuck 5 different nouns together thinking that some of them might be descriptive but instead it just ended up being an unwieldy and confusing amalgamation of words.
Otherwise, this just looks like a really good taco. I will happily try it and I hope it’s good, but I’m not EXCITED or WOWED by the thought of eating it.
Double Dose of Pork Belly
100% ground pork belly burger topped with crisp smoked pork belly, pepper jack cheese, coleslaw and pickled onions, served on a toasted bun.
At RC's BBQ on the north side of West Dan Patch Ave. between Liggett & Chambers streets
Sarah
Pork belly is hella good. So throw two types of pork belly on a bun and add some cheese and slaw? Yeah, that sounds real nice. Will it blow me away? Probably not. But will I enjoy the hecks out of it? Probably yeah!
Patrick
This almost made my top as most excited for. Pork Belly is-the-shit! People only made bacon in the first place because pork belly was so f’ing great, they were like “this amazing meat goes bad so quick, we need to cure it so we can eat it all the time. Not on deserts though, that’s just stupid.” Now that we can get pork belly much easier without worry about it rotting in our cupboards, there almost isn’t a reason to keep eating bacon. People refuse to give up their cured peasant fare though, so whatever. Everything about this sounds great, and the fact that the burger is also pork belly just rocked my world. Double Dose? How about a triple dose of these burgers/sliders in my belly!
Anne
Oh man! I lurve me some pork belly! Overall I am excited to try this. I wish they hadn’t ruined it by adding pepper jack cheese (which is my least favorite and therefore stupidest cheese).
This is at RC’s BBQ which is the former Famous Dave’s spot. Famous Dave’s was always a great bet, and last year RC’s didn’t disappoint either, so in spite of gross pepper jack, I’m still excited to give this a go.
Duck Bacon Wontons
Duck bacon, grilled sweet corn and cream cheese combined inside deep-fried crescent-shaped wontons and served with dipping sauce.
At Giggles' Campfire Grill at the southeast corner of Lee Ave. & Cooper St. at The North Woods
Sarah
Anne is probably crying right now, reading this one. Cuz she can’t get enough of the quackers in her belly.
I was excited about this at first, but I don’t know about the corn and cream cheese also inside the wonton.
I’m sure it will be fine (or terrible. That’s the thing about the state fair, you can never tell what will tank and what will shine) but I was more excited about this one before I read the description.
WAIT. EVERYBODY WAIT. THIS IS FROM GIGGLES.
Giggles has yet to let us down. I. AM. EXCITE.
Patrick
I’ve said it numerous times. Giggles could deep fry a boot and people would line up to eat it. Somehow, it’d be delicious to boot (HAH! Oh my god what a pun!) Wontons are delightful Asian appetizers or sides, and do I care this is a north woods, rustic fare food stand? Hell no. This sounds great. This will be great, I guarantee. This place is the antithesis of LuLu’s. Take that LuLu! You’re breaking my heart! I need some damn Duck Bacon Wontons, and five other things from Giggles. Why isn’t there a Giggles Restaurant?
Anne
Shut. Up. I LOVE Duck. LOVE IT.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR THIS IS AT GIGGLES?! SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Annnnd that's it for today! Please come back tomorrow for Part 3!
So! We're almost into August, which means we've reached one of the most exciting times of year: planning for the MN State Fair!!
Which also means it's time for myself, Anne and Patrick to go through the list of each new food and pre-emptively talk about our expectations for them.
We compiled these lists separately, without knowing each other's thoughts. Maybe there's some overlap, but that's because two of us are twins and we all spend a lot of time together. We're cool people like that.
Also, this year, we're breaking this post up into more manageable bites (heh) which means, 7 food items today, and 6 for every other day this week. So check out all 5 posts if you're looking for our thoughts (and humor?) on these foods.
Okay! Overall first thoughts and new foods we're most looking forward to, and least looking forward to:
Sarah
I’m pretty excited about this list. I would say nothing really jumps out at me and makes me scream in excitement, but in general, I feel like it’s a step up, so I don’t feel overly blasé about the list, either.
It’s hard to get too excited, too, because I’ve been burned in the past before. Things that I were super excited for really let me down. And then, too, things I thought would be nothing were surprise hits.
So maybe those past experiences have tempered my excitement some.
Or not my excitement for the fair, cuz there’s no tempering that. Just my pre-excitement about the list.
A crap ton of maple syrup and maple stuff this time around. I’m not crazy about that, but I feel like maybe that’s a theme?
It’s hard to tell. It wasn’t quite as obvious as previous years.
Most excited for: Swine & Spuds. Though there were a couple others I thought about putting here instead.
Least excited for: Slow Roasted Pork Mole Tamale. Nope right the heck out of here.
Patrick
I’m probably always optimistic about each year’s list of new foods, and maybe that is partially built up by the hype of seeing a list of new and curious food, but I am tentatively excited about this year’s list. There is a solid chunk of items falling into the sweet category (maybe around a third of the list), which is fun to see some desserts that aren’t just more ice cream. There also looks to be some interesting fusions of flavors or regional foods (a naan taco, whaaaat?). I’d say last year that this optimism overall, didn’t pan out, as even some items that I was very excited for, turned out to be duds. Oh optimism, you cut me extra deep when you do not pay off. Seems we’re back on a bacon hype/theme this year (yawn). I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I love bacon! It is crispy, sweet and savory, meat heaven. That doesn’t mean putting it on everything makes it better. Seems there is selective amnesia every three or four years on this fact, and here we are again, celebrating our love of bacon unnecessarily by trying to incorporating it into all our food.
Most excited for: Gotta be the Duck Bacon Wontons. Giggles has rarely let me down, and may very well be my favorite vendor overall, at the state fair. I love a good wonton and this just sounds like a winning variation of the Asian fare. Super excited to give it a try.
Least excited for: Deep-Fried Avocado. O’Gara’s is consistently a letdown for new foods, and I have little love for the avocado. I like guacamole, and that’s about it. I’ll eat it if it is in sushi, but do not like this mushy fruit (it is a fruit right?) on its own. Deep frying isn’t going to make me feel any better about it.
Anne
OK
At first I thought the theme was going to be Bacon this year, and while Bacon is definitely making a strong showing (we haven’t seen this much bacon since whichever year debuted chicken fried bacon and big fat bacon), I think the theme is AACTUALLY Savory & Sweet.
Overall I’m actually pretty excited for this year- I think it looks better than last year and I am LOVING all of the pastries (deep fried and otherwise) we are going to be indulging in.
Hot dang, I cannot wait!
Most Excited For: Tough Call this year. I think either the Loukamades or the Duck Bacon Wontons
Least Excited For: The Swindler/Swing Dancer Sandwich
Onto the foods!
Bacon Fluffernutter
Grilled cinnamon bun sandwich with a bacon, peanut butter and marshmallow cream filling.
At The Sandwich Stop on the west side of Clough St. between Carnes & Judson avenues
Sarah
Umm, yes please. I mean, I’m sure I’ll take like one bit of this and say “OHMYGOD THIS IS AMAZING” but then I won’t want anymore because it will probably be too rich. But as long as that cinnamon bun is soft and or fluffy, and the insides are salty, crispy, and gooey, I’m down for this.
Also, the Sandwich shop generally puts out good food.
GOD! WHY IS THE STATE FAIR SO FAR AWAY??
Patrick
I think this would sound great, if they left out the bacon. I don’t care what anyone says, bacon is not a desert topping or component. Maybe, maaaaaaybe if you candied that bacon, I might let it slide. This however is a travesty. Throw a frigging pork chop in this sandwich, same thing right? Maybe the bacon takes a back seat to all the other powerful flavors (I’m looking at you peanut butter, you’ve got this) and this could be an interesting treat. We’ll see, but I’m fairly skeptical.
Anne
First off, I find the term ‘Fluffernutter’ distasteful. It feels like a job someone would have on the film set of a porno (and waaaay below a Best Boy or Key Grip). And yes I know that Fluffer is already a porn-set job. This just sounds more offensive than that.
Anyway. I think this looks good! I appreciate the mix of savory (bacon) and sweet (all the rest), and the photo looks good too. Though I would rather not with Marshmallow Cream Filling. Is the Sandwich Stop where we get those other good sammiches? I’ll have to check, because if so then I’m betting this will be a good one.
Bacon Up Pup
A Belgian waffle served on-a-stick with bacon in the batter, dipped in chocolate, drizzled with maple syrup, and topped with whipped cream and bacon.
At Granny's Kitchen Fudge Puppies on the east side of Underwood St. between Dan Patch & Carnes avenues, outside the Food Building.
Sarah
Yeah all right. This sounds like it will be good. I mean, fried bacon, fried waffle, chocolate. I’m a little leery of the maple syrup just because that’s a different sweetness than chocolate and whipped cream, but I’m still excited to give this a shot.
First two items are super sweet. Bring on the savory, I say!
Patrick
I feel like this isn’t anything revolutionary or particularly creative, and they just threw bacon on top to try and be innovative. I’ve been clear on my thoughts of adding bacon as a component to a dessert. Might be good, but I’m on the fence, with my toe touching the side of NOPE, ready to put my weight down and leap off in that direction.
Anne
Oh! It’s a Waffle? For some reason I was thinking it was some sort of hotdog confection. I see ‘pup’ refers to fudge puppies and not hot dogs. Obviously.
This seems like a lot- and probably pretty rich, but I guess I’m not surprised coming from a shop dedicated to Fudge Puppies.
Is bacon the ‘theme’ this year?
Bowl O’ Dough
Scoops of straight-up, raw cookie dough that is safe to eat and available in four flavors: Brownie Batter Swirl is a chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter mash-up; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (gluten-free) is a mix of classic cookie dough and chocolate chips; European Cookie Butter is made with Biscoff® European spiced cookies; and Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries is lemons, fresh curd ricotta cheesecake and blueberries blended into a sugar cookie dough. All served with a side of sea salt-flavored ice milk.
At Blue Moon Dine-In Theater on the northeast corner of Carnes Ave. & Chambers St.
Sarah
Okay, so it’s just raw cookie dough? Eh. I mean, maybe it will blow my mind, but it doesn’t sound very exciting.
Though I will say I AM excited to try the side of sea salt flavored ice milk. Like . . . what is that gonna be like?
Okay, now the more I think about it, the more I am excited about it. Sea Salt iced milk for the save, I guess!
Patrick
Ok, ok! This isn’t ice cream right? No? Ok good. Not a huge fan of ice cream, but holy smokes…I do love me some batter! This is like…oh my god. Did…Did I put the wrong thing down for “most excited for”? I don’t know you guys. I’m all over cookie batter like a fat guy eating cookie batter straight from the tube like a push pop (pssst…I’m the fat guy). But, different kinds of batter? Are you shitting me?! Four different kinds, and what appears to be salty conveyances to deliver this to my mouth. It took me fifteen minutes to write this, because I had to keep pausing to wipe away the tears. This is some kind of Harry Potter Hogsmeade dessert; something you’d order after you finished your butter beer. This is a magic desert. *Sniff* you’re a wizard Harry.
Anne
Is this Ice Cream? NOPE! Apparently it’s literal scoops of cookie dough. Shit- they even have a gluten free option!
However- there is NO WAY that Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberries counts as a cookie. NO WAY. That is a cheesecake dough, which we’ve recently discovered is actually a Pie. C’mon Blue Moon- don’t be trying to slip a fast one past us.
Blue Moon is usually a good bet- this sounds fine but the fact that it’s from the ol’ BM (HAH!) has my interest piqued.
HOLY CRAP! It’s served with a side of sea-salt flavored ice milk?! WTF is that?
Also- are those potato chips in the photo? Now I am confused…
Breakfast Buddy Bowl
Waffle bowl filled with hash browns, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon, topped with a biscuit, country sausage gravy and green onions.
At LuLu's Public House at West End Market, south of the Schilling Amphitheater
Sarah
Well, Sarah does love her some brekkie, let me tell you. I am also so happy to see that there’s not, like onions or bell peppers *cough* crotch peppers *cough* in this bowl of mashing all breakfast foods together.
Again, unsure about the maple syrup, but happy to give this a good shot. Though, if I was a betting person, I’d say we’ll probably come out thinking this is okay, not great.
Patrick
It seems that every year LuLu’s puts out something new that looks either exciting or good, and I’m not sure I have ever been impressed. At a glance, this breakfast buddy bowl looks alright (I’m not too sure about adding in maple syrup with all those other ingredients), and at least this is an appropriate place to find bacon for a change. I’ve found that breakfast bowls like this (throwing all the components of a breakfast together in a bowl), are generally hit or miss on whether they hit the spot. I’m pretty lukewarm on the idea, both for the venue and the food item.
Anne
Aww, it’s your Breakfast Buddy!
Oh snap! This sounds good- like everything that’s good about breakfast stuffed together into one delicious bowl. The only challenge I see is that it’s at LuLu’s- not because Lulu’s doesn’t have good food, but because there’s no way I’m going to be over at Lulu’s during breakfast. Maybe this is an all-day food?
Brown Ale and Onion-Gouda Tipsy Pie
Onions caramelized in Lift Bridge Brewery’s Chestnut Hill Brown Ale with smoked Gouda cheese, baked in a pie crust, topped with an onion sugar and drizzled with a sweet beer glaze.
At Sara's Tipsy Pies in the Food Building, south wall
Sarah
Oh fuck this straight up! Tipsy pies think they’re so effing great. But they aren’t! First, they’re always expensive as hell. And I just don’t want to pay that much when I can go home and make my own hand pies (WHICH I DO.)
One of the hand pies I make at home is a Guinness and onion hand pie, that, wait for it, has cheese inside.
SO FUCK YOU, TIPSY PIES. I’m still gonna try your pie because I’m an adult, but it’s gonna have to blow my mind to even come close to beating my own recipe.
(Also, that pie crust is too white. It looks undercooked or floury. Gross.)
(Also also, I just realized it's at Sara's Tipsy Pies, and that's not even the right way to spell Sarah.)
Patrick
I’m sure she will mention as much herself, but I’ll point out that Sarah has made something like this herself for years. It is all the more suspicious that the store making this hand pie is also named Sara. Anywho, conspiracy theory aside, I think this looks pretty darn tasty. We’ll see how it compares to Sarah’s homemade version, but if it is even close it should be a delicious hand pie. Something about a pie that fits in your hand feels so rustic or perhaps medieval, I love it.
Anne
Pass.
Ok not really, but I am just not impressed/not a fan of Tipsy Pies. Someone added liquor to pies- big deal. The alcohol would burn off in the cooking process anyway. I do wonder what an onion sugar is/tastes like (I assume it’s an onion infused sugar), but if the only thing I am interested in is the decoration/garnish, then this is a miss
Cheesy Nacho Corn on the Cob
Roasted corn on the cob lightly coated with crushed Dorito® corn chips and nacho cheese.
At Texas Steak Out on the west side of Underwood St. between Lee & Randall avenues
Sarah
What? I just, this seems like it will be hard to eat. Because corn on the cob is already hard to eat, so add a crumbly topping and cheese isn’t gonna make it easier.
That said, I’m unsure of the corn pairing, but I do like the idea of crushed doritos and nacho cheese, so color me cautiously optimistic.
Patrick
I’m kind of in the same boat as someone who doesn’t feel like corn on the cob needs to be messed with. This feels strange to me, and I try picturing what the flavors would be like in my mouth, and I just get nacho cheese and corn trying to combine and failing terrible. Sometimes weird combinations that have no good reason to work well together do, but I’m skeptical in this case. I’ll keep an open mind, but I’m not keeping my hopes up by any means.
Anne
HAHAHAH! I bet Sarah and Pat are REAL excited for this one.
I wouldn’t normally want nacho cheese on corn on the cob, but this seems well within the spirit of new State Fair Foods- something crazy that you’d never think to try yourself, but now you gotta give it a go and hopefully it’s good (and not like barfinade)
Cherry Bombs
Red licorice dipped in batter, deep-fried and dusted with powdered sugar.
At Vegie Fries on the north side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets
Sarah
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMBS!
Oh. I see there actually isn’t any cherries in this one. I thought there would be. That’s fine, I’m not a big cherry fan.
I do like red licorice, though. So yeah. It doesn’t blow me away with excitement, but I think it’ll be decent.
Patrick
Now what is this adorable novelty? I like red licorice, sure! Batter it and deep fry it? Why, I don’t know what that’ll be like, but I am delighted to find out. It’s like someone said, “here, try this chocolate dipped cotton candy”. The logical me is saying, that’s impossible, it would never hold up. However, the whimsical me is saying, if you made it work I am giddy to devour it. And so, I am giddy to try these Cherry Bombs, and hope they are as delightful as they appear.
Anne
CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CHERRY BOMB!
Now that we all have the song in our head, I was SHOCKED to see that the Cherry in these Cherry Bombs comes from red/cherry licorice. Like-wtf? These are even at the ‘Vegie Fries’ stand (which- is that a typo? If it’s not a typo, then I think I’m finding incredible amounts of delight that they’ve intentionally mis-spelled Veggie- like you think it’s a vegetable, but it’s not. Just like how you’d think cherry bombs would be made with cherries, but at the Vegie Stand YOU WOULD BE MISTAKEN). (I have been informed that it’s not a typo).
ANYway, I’m sure this will be fine- like my office-mate said- dough filled with sugar.
And that's it's for our Part One of the MN State Fair New Foods Preview!
Tune in tomorrow, and the rest of this week, for the remaining foods!
