fair

Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Foods at the Minnesota State Fair

What to Eat at the Minnesota State Fair I like to stick with tradition when it comes to the State Fair, never passing up an opportunity for cheese curds, a foot-long hot dog, an ice cold 1919 root beer and a bucket of Sweet Martha’s cookies. Fair food doesn’t need to be, and probably shouldn’t…  Read More

Minnesota Honey Producers at the State Fair

Minnesota Honey Producers at the State Fair After you’ve had your cheese curd fix in the Food Building, make your way next door to the iconic octagon-shaped Agriculture & Horticulture Building for a scoop of honey ice cream and a quick lesson on beekeeping. There’s a large footprint dedicated to honey and honey products made…  Read More

Andrew Zimmern’s Minnesota State Fair Eating Strategy

Minnesota State Fair Eating Strategy There are a few simple rules when it comes to a successful day of eating at the fair. First, don’t overload on your deep-fried fantasies in the first hour. Go with friends so you can indulge in your favorite fair classics along with a couple new food items. Do a…  Read More

Mini Cinnamon Rolls at the Minnesota State Fair

The Story of Cinnie Smiths I always make a stop at Cinnie Smiths a priority. The cinnamon rolls are made in the booth from scratch right to order, with real butter, real cinnamon and real sugar. I’m getting hungry right now thinking about the gooey center of the warm cinnamon rolls, dipped in their homemade creamy…  Read More

The Story of the Gizmo Sandwich at the Minnesota State Fair

Gizmo Sandwiches at the Minnesota State Fair Carla Wood and her Gizmo sandwich embody everything I love about the fair. The Gizmo is a ground beef and Italian sausage sandwich covered in their secret red sauce, topped with melted mozzarella. Every sandwich is made on premise from scratch. It’s an edible torpedo of pleasure and my idea…  Read More

Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite New Foods at the State Fair

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…  Read More

The Best Bite at the Minnesota State Fair

The Best Thing I Ate Last Week By Andrew Zimmern I wait all year for the first foot long hot dog from my favorite booth. The first bite is a toe curler. The snap of the skin, the peppery frank, the well done caramelized onions and kraut. It’s simply the best bite of the year…  Read More

Eat Your Way to Victory in the #AZfairfavs Instagram Giveaway

Eat Andrew Zimmern’s favorite fair foods and share your pics for a chance to win. There’s a reason Andrew finds himself at the Minnesota State Fair for every one of its 12 days: the food. Sure, every year brings new booths to peruse and novelties to try, but nothing beats traditional state fair chow from…  Read More

All the Food Worth Trying at the Minnesota State Fair

We tasted new food at the Minnesota State Fair – here’s our take. By AndrewZimmern.com Staff Tasked with sampling a slew of new foods at the State Fair, we skipped breakfast and headed out early Thursday morning with empty stomachs and open minds. There were pleasant surprises (maple bacon shaved ice!), a few safe bets (anything with…  Read More

Minnesota State Fair Scavenger Hunt

52 Things to Look for at the MN State Fair Looking for a fun way to explore the Minnesota State Fair this year? Try completing this State Fair scavenger hunt. Mullets, crazy tattoos, award-winning baked goods, celebrities, fair hair… if you can think of it, you can find it at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. So…  Read More

Andrew Zimmern’s Minnesota State Fair Food Guide

Where to Eat at the Minnesota State Fair I love the Minnesota State Fair so much that I try to go all 12 days. Every year there’s a list of new food booths, serving all types of novelty deep-fried on-a-stick creations, but I’m a traditionalist when it comes to state fair chow. What’s the key…  Read More