Food writer Haley Nelson has the latest from the state fairgrounds.
This is an exciting year at the Minnesota State Fair for many reasons – but the wide array of new food vendors has us particularly excited.
This year, there are 10 new vendors, serving foods ranging from pizza to root beer; arepas to steak dinners.
I went along on opening day and sampled some of the vendors making their State Fair debuts.
Location: At the International Bazaar, south wall, west corner
A welcome addition to the Minnesota State Fair food scene, Union Hmong Kitchen brings the flavors of Hmong cuisine to the masses.
We tried the lemongrass turmeric tofu ($12), served with purple sticky rice (mov) with a trio of seriously flavorful sauces (we requested all three) and pickled vegetables and herbs on the side.
This will easily become a yearly stop for us!
Location: In the Food Building, west section, south wall
Many are familiar with The Herbivorous Butcher, the 100% vegan butcher shop in Northeast Minneapolis that serves a variety of meat-free “meats” that taste deceptively like the real thing.
Their presence at the fair is a great thing for vegans and non-vegans alike who want to try some seriously delicious food.
We tried the Poultrygiest ($12), a fried chicken dish with sausage gravy, and French-fried onions served on buttery bread.
Location: West side of Cosgrove Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues
Fresh pizza by the slice at the Minnesota State Fair? Count me in. Rick’s Pizza manages to pull off a difficult task: Fresh baked pizza en masse.
Related: Minnesota State Fair 2022: The best new foods
Related: When is the least busy day to go to the State Fair?
We tried the much-anticipated pickle pizza ($9), topped with dill-ranch sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, dill pickles, and finished with dill weed seasoning.
This is the perfect pizza for the fair – a bit over-the-top, but it just works flavor-wise.
Location: On the north side of Randall Avenue at Cosgrove Street, outside of the Progress Center
Waffles and sausage (or chicken) is a winning taste combination. And new vendor Waffle Chix manages to combine these flavors in a convenient on-a-stick form.
We tried the breakfast sausage in a waffle on a stick ($8), one of three waffle-on-a-stick options.
The waffle component was crispy, hot, and fresh off the iron. With maple syrup drizzled on top, this had the delicious sweet-savory balance.
Make sure to check out the other new food vendors at the fair:
Food writer Haley Nelson has the latest from the state fairgrounds.
An investigation into the cause of the fire, and the cause of the victim's death, are underway.
Our food writer Haley Nelson picks out her favorite new dishes at the State Fair.
Jerry Westrom was convicted of 1st-degree murder.
Saint Louis, Kentucky, Illinois twice, Dallas, Mississippi and Death Valley have been slammed by mega-rain events or 1 in 1,000-year rains.
The North Star accountability system provides resources to schools falling behind state standards.
The 31-year-old was pronounced brain dead at a hospital on Wednesday.
Looking to avoid the crowds? You'll want to go on a weekday.
Numbers remain fairly idle across the board.
CloudHQ is building other data centers in London, Germany, Brazil and elsewhere.
The most recent incident happened outside of the Federal Reserve building this past weekend.
Organizers are expecting visitor numbers to be closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Our food writer Haley Nelson picks out her favorite new dishes at the State Fair.
Our food writer Haley Nelson picks out her favorite new dishes at the State Fair.
Our food writer Haley Nelson has identified some top meat-free options.
Food writer Haley Nelson has been looking for foods off the beaten track.
Guest food writer Haley Nelson reveals her pick of the bunch.
Food writer Haley Nelson sampled some of the new dishes on offer this year.
The fair will feature 38 new foods and 10 new vendors in 2022.
You Can Get BMTN Special Offers!