Minnesota State Fair 2024: The best new foods, part 2
With so many great new foods to try at the Minnesota State Fair 2024, how do you decide which ones to try?
That’s the million dollar question.
This year’s fairgoers face a particular challenge: Higher prices.
Unfortunately, inflation and shrinkflation have hit the fair quite hard this year. As a longtime fairgoer who pays attention to prices, it seemed like everything cost about $2.00 more this year.
The fried-thing-on-a-stick that you paid $8 for last year is now $10. The $12 sandwich is now $14.
And portions have shrunk. We noticed that some of our favorite food items seemed to be smaller this year.
It’s no surprise, as we have all felt the effects of rising grocery costs in the supermarket. Food stand owners face those same challenges.
But back to fair food: One thing you can do to save money on food at this year’s fair is to not waste money on food that doesn’t taste good.
That’s where we come in.
Here are more of the new foods we tried at the MN State Fair 2024 – some we loved, and one we really didn’t.
Chicken and Chorizo Paella – Paella Depot: $14
Haley Nelson for Bring Me The News
Location: South side of Judson Avenue between Clough & Nelson streets
Paella at the State Fair? Why not?
While paella may not fit squarely into the “fair food” box, we really liked this dish. It was light on the meat (chicken and Spanish chorizo) – we only found one piece of chicken in our bowl – but the flavors were great.
There were some nice caramelized bits in the mix. The saffron and Chorizo are imported from Spain, but the booth threw us Minnesotans a bone and touted the paella as “The Hotdish of Spain”.
Shroomy 'Calamari' – French Meadow Bakery & Café: $12
Haley Nelson for Bring Me The News
Location: North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson & Underwood streets
While we enjoyed the shroomy “calamari”, we noticed that the dish was really light on flavor.
The mushrooms were mild and the batter was crunchy and chewy at the same time, which is to be expected with a gluten free batter.
Despite this, we liked it, and you probably will too if you like deep-fried vegetables. The creamy chipotle sauce served on the side helped. And we always appreciate gluten-free and vegan options.
Bánh Mì Éclair – Scenic 61 by New Scenic Café: $12
Haley Nelson for Bring Me The News
Location: East side of Underwood Street between Lee & Randall avenues, just south of Little Farm Hands
The bánh mì éclair was inspired by the traditional Vietnamese sandwich. But instead of a crusty baguette, the toppings are nestled into a tiny choux pastry éclair shell.
To be honest, we expected something bigger. The éclair small but the flavors were good: Salty pork confit, creamy pâté, tangy pickled vegetables.
It’s a tasty little bite if you’re starting to get full – but still want to try one more new food. IYKYK.
Sweet Corn Cola Float – Blue Moon Dine-In Theater: $11
Haley Nelson for Bring Me The News
Location: Northeast corner of Carnes Avenue & Chambers Street
Sweet corn based-desserts aren’t something I seek out, but the sweet corn cola float piqued my interest.
Just how corn-y was this float? With a double dose of sweet corn cola + sweet corn ice cream, plus whipped cream, a homemade caramel and Pop Rocks on top, the answer is shucking: This float really couldn’t have been any sweeter if they tried. The actual corn flavor was relatively mild.
Our recommendation: Unless you’re looking for a major sugar rush and subsequent crash, consider getting a dish of Blue Moon’s sweet corn ice cream plain – without all the sugary extras.
Korean Corndogs – Chan’s Eatery: $12 to $15
Haley Nelson for Bring Me The News
Location: East side of Underwood Street between Murphy & Lee avenues
Chan’s Eatery is a new food vendor at the fair, so technically, everything here is new. But the Korean corndogs caught our attention.
We tried the original Korean corn dog, consisting of half hot dog and half mozzarella cheese with a crunchy panko coating and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Considering this was the last stop of the day, we weren’t hungry at all. But we couldn’t stop eating the corndog. It was fresh, hot, crunchy, and cheesy – with just the slightest hint of sweetness from the dusting of cinnamon sugar. Get one.
Pro tip: They also serve mochi donuts that looked delicious.
