My Top 3 Favorite New Foods

As you probably already know, I’m an evangelist for the classics. Despite my inherent bias, I still think it was one of the weakest years ever for new State Fair foods. There’s just too much gimmick—think deep fried red liquorice— too many unworthy things on a stick, too much powdered sugar. With that said, there were three new items that I’d happily eat again.

Harkening back to a different era, the Hamline Dining Hall holds a special place in my heart. Their new meatballs are comforting, delicious and chock full of our state’s quintessential ingredients—it doesn’t get more Minnesotan than Swedish-style meatballs with cranberries and wild rice, covered in Lingonberry sauce. Take the time to have a sit down meal served by Minnesota grandmas.

My second favorite thing, I’m almost embarrassed to say, was the bacon fluffer nutter—a grilled cinnamon bun sandwich with a bacon, peanut butter and marshmallow cream filling. It was actually really, really good.

The best thing I ate was the Sonoran sausage from the Sausage Sisters & Me. I’m a sucker for big flavors.  It’s a cheese-stuffed sausage that’s wrapped in bacon and nestled in a cornmeal-dusted bun that’s topped with jalapenos, fresh corn salsa and a squeeze of lime. I love meaty, fatty, porkiness, so this was a home run for me… pure Sonoran sausage awesomeness.

What was the best new food you tried?

Photographs courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair.