"On the first day of the 2022 Minnesota State Fair, I more than 25 different new foods. And I'm paying the price, but I do it for you. Here are my Top 10 new foods, RANKED!"
Read Jason's thoughts on new State Fair foods in his Minnesota Monthly column here.
#1 Pork Schnitzel Sandwich at Minnesota Farmers Union ($12): I don’t like schnitzel and I loved this sandwich. A beautiful, thicker-than-thin pork from two amazing Minnesota pig farms, Hidden Stream and Pastures a Plenty. It’s juicy, it’s crunchy, it’s a fabulous sandwich.
2. Mov + Nqaij Rice + Meat at Union Hmong Kitchen ($14 for chicken): A lot of us have been lucky enough to eat Yia Vang’s food. Now all of you get the chance. Great flavor and fun with Hilltribe chicken on a stick. Pick chicken, Hmong sausage, or tofu, pick your sauce (we did chili oil), sample the sticky rice it sits atop, and taste a true part of Minnesota.
3. Tot Dog at Lulu’s Public House ($7): A thin layer of corn dog batter is topped with minced tater tots, onion, and cheese. You get a hash brown-like effect. crispy and tasty with a side of cheese to dip. I liked the topping so much I wish it were a little thicker!
4. Soulsicle by Soul Bowl ($9): Gerard Klass put his fried chicken on a stick: thick breading juicy, full-of-flavor, great stuff. There’s some clever engineering with candied yam sauce acting as a glue to hold down cheese, green onions, cornbread crumble and hot sauce. For some of you there will be too much going on here, but I dug it.
5. Lobster Roll at New Scenic Cafe ($20): As perfect as a lobster roll gets, and that $20 price point is eye-popping, BUT a lobster roll at Smack Shack is $33. And you get a lot of lobster on this sandwich on a griddled split-top hot dog bun, and the micro cilantro gives a great pop of herby goodness. Do you want lobster at the Fair? For adult date night, yes.
6. Tie: Breakfast Gnocchi at Blue Barn ($11.75):Fried potato gnocchi along with a punch of pesto cream is a great way to start the day. Topped with scrambled eggs and nice juicy chunks of bacon, it’s rich and easy to share. There’s a great balance of flavors here, but it could have used a little more eggs on top.
6. Tie: Sweet Potato Poutine at Blue Barn ($13.75): I really enjoyed this riff on poutine with these really solid sweet potato waffle fries. The Beyond chorizo sausage is a great entree-point for meat eaters who are plant-curious. I loved the fresh herbs and turmeric gravy, giving a lightness to this very sharable dish.
READ: See more of DeRusha Eats here!
8. Reuben Rolls at O’Gara’s ($10): These are very good! Big chunks of corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut in an egg roll wrapper, dip it in a side of Thousand Island made with the same recipe O’Gara’s made at the restaurant. Yum! Pass the beer!
9. Minne Hot Hot at RC’s BBQ ($12): Smoked rib tips tossed in Nashville Hot Sauce, served with Comeback Sauce. Amazing flavor. Great slow burn. Here’s the problem with rib tips: they’re chewy and they have the hunk of rib bone inside. You can dip the rib in the sauce (sort of a ranch), which cools it down. RC’s features the work of one of the best pit masters in the state, and these are perfectly smoked rib tips.
10. Beauty and the Buffalo at Baba’s Hummus ($13): My favorite last year, another winner. A big bowl of ranch hummus with a fairly traditional buffalo chicken (bleu cheese, sauce, a little dust) served with those magical pita puffs. Fried and airy, these are the perfect vessel for hummus.
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