Bite Of MN: State Fair Food, Day 1

Although the Minnesota State Fair hype was muted leading up to the fair, the hype is currently at full blast. I cannot avoid the parade of foods that pass by my computer monitor and television screen every day and it only made me more and more excited to experience the fair for myself.

Arriving right after the power outages, I hopped off the bus eager to fill my tummy before volunteering at Minnesota Cooks for the afternoon. I came armed with my camera, wallet and trusty list (a detailed note card listing the food, vendor name and map location). Here is what I tried:

Danny Boy Burger ($6) - O'Garas (W-24)

O'Garas has decked out a building on the fairgrounds making it look and feel like a real pub. Televisions tuned to sports in every corner and a packed crowd of beer drinkers on a Tuesday morning -- how Irish! The two items I tried (courtesy of O'Garas) will be making their way onto the restaurant menu after the fair ends.

Yay!: The burger patty itself was flavorful, moist and juicy and I enjoy the combo of corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese.

Meh: Texturally, it was missing something, like the crunch of pickle slices. The Thousand Island dressing was a bit bland.

Sweet Potato Tots (pictured above) - O'Garas (W-24)

Yay!: Great idea for fair food. Portable and sharable. For only $2, you can add the tots as a side to your burger.

Meh: The tots held up well on the outside, but lacked the distinctive crispiness of traditional tater tots. Would have loved a spicy dipping sauce with these to kick up the flavor a bit.

Wood Fired Roasted Corn and Bacon Pizza ($5) - Blue Moon Dine-In (M-26)

Yay!: This piece of pizza was huge! The toppings were simple, unique and flavorful with roasted corn scattered throughout and bits of bacon hiding amongst the corn kernels.

Meh: No complaints here.

Korean BBQ Tacos ($5 for 2 tacos; $3 for 1 taco) - Blue Moon Dine-In (M-26)

Yay!: The tortillas were tender and the tacos were just the right size. The chicken was quite flavorful, reminding me of Chinese take-out.

Meh: The salsa tasted like Pace Picante mixed with pickled onions and jalapenos. Not bad, but not unique.

Kramarczuk's Sausages ($6) - Blue Moon Dine-In (M-26)

I didn't actually try a bite of this, but friends let me grab a picture. I can imagine it being quite tasty topped with peppers and onions and the bun appeared very fresh.

Fresh Fruit Salsa & Chips ($4) - Fried Fruit (N-25)

Yay!: This salsa was great and got straight to business. No messing around with chopped onion or herbs, this is straight up fruit. I liked how the ingredients were chopped into varying sizes and it was easy to scoop with the cinnamon-sugar dusted pita chips. I spotted pieces of strawberries, peaches, pears, apples, red and green grapes and pineapple.

Meh: A puddle of liquid sloshed around under the chips creating a mess factor.

Lingonberry Float ($6) - Rainbow Ice Cream (S-27)

Yay!: My favorite item at the fair and so incredibly refreshing on a hot day. A large scoop of lingonberry ice cream splashed with lingonberry syrup and finished with soda water. It could be a sharable item, but I ate it all myself and already want another one.

Meh: No complaints!

There you have it, my finds at the fair yesterday. I'm headed back to the fair on Friday for another dose of fair food and I'm looking forward to the much cooler weather. What about you, have you tried any of the same items I tried? What did you think?

Crystal Grobe writes the Bite of Minnesota blog as well as Cafe Cyan.