Highly Opinionated: An Eater Editor’s Favorite Foods at the Minnesota State Fair

Highly Opinionated: An Eater Editor’s Favorite Foods at the Minnesota State Fair

A personal fair food itinerary

Everything has changed. I’m a convert these days, through and through. (I owe much of this to my partner, who grew up near the fair and taught me to chill with the milk.) I love saying the fair’s street names when I cross them because I think it’s so cool that the fairgrounds has street names. Every year I go into Ye Old Mill and pray that tiny boat will deliver me out of the watery darkness and back into the light. I love the hot-glued butterfly cocoons and the Giant Slide and the politically subversive crop art, and especially the little beauty salon for sheep behind the swine barn. I love the impeccable vibes at the labor pavilion, and the elderly folks housing vanilla soft-serve at 8 a.m. And, of course, I love the food.

My ride-or-die is the grilled peaches at the Produce Exchange. I’ve said my piece on late-August peaches, and there is no better place to get them than this. Naked, topped with tangy goat cheese or dollops of cream, it doesn’t matter — this stand serves softball-sized, in-season, irresistible peaches from Washington and Colorado. I spend all year thinking about the nitro ice cream at the Food Building, which has the texture of creamed honey. The Agricultural Horticulture Building serves delicious ice cream made with actual honey, too, which is light and a little crystallized.

Because the Twin Cities have such excellent and abundant cheeseburgers at local restaurants, I don’t always get one at the fair. But when I do, it’s the wild rice burger with onions and mozzarella, also at the Food Building. My other favorite for a filling meal is the buttery pork schnitzel sandwich at the Farmers Union Coffee Shop, though it’s hard to imagine a better salty-sweet combo than the lightly fried walleye on-a-stick and the birch beer (a birch tree-derived cousin of root beer, with a lighter, toffee-like taste) at the Food Building. I also love Union Hmong Kitchen’s galabao, feather-light steamed buns stuffed with pork and herbs and best dunked in chili sauce.

Just south of the Food Building is the Key Lime Pie Bar, which sells frozen dark chocolate-dipped slices of Key lime pie for $5. These are tart and creamy, and the cold chocolate is endlessly satisfying to bite into. I always hit Fresh French Fries, across from the Dairy Building. (Basic, I know, but I love French fries more than anything, and I can’t resist the golden crisp on these.) Over by the grandstand, the sweet corn roast has the most enthralling energy of any stand at the fair and is a can’t-miss. Sweet Martha’s is nearby, and honestly, I waver — I love these cookies’ gooeyness but they’re a tad too sweet for me. They’re worth it, though, when paired with the aforementioned all-you-can-drink milk stand.

My final must-have is an order of deep-fried Oreos. I’ve heard it said that deep-fried candy bars were the last truly great invention at the fair, and I don’t agree, but they certainly capture the fair’s irreverent, golden-fried ethos. There are a few new foods that I hope stay forever — the Amish doughnuts from Peachey’s Doughnut Co., which taste like extra-heavenly Krispy Kremes, stood out among the 19 new dishes I could get my hands on. Other standbys have recently caught my eye: I’m a new fan of the Butcher Boys’ tender London broil steak sandwiches near the grandstand, and I also noticed that Goertzes’ Dairy Kone serves cherry-dipped soft-serve, a comforting dupe for anyone mourning Dairy Queen’s recent discontinuation. Those are next on the hit list.

Where to find these favorites:

Grilled peaches: At the Produce Exchange, on the northwest corner of Carnes Avenue and Underwood Street, just outside the Food Building.

Nitro ice cream: In the Food Building, in the northeast corner.

Honey ice cream: In the Agriculture Horticulture building.

Wild rice burger: In the Food Building, on the east side.

Pork schnitzel sandwich: At the Farmers Union Coffee Shop, on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper Street and Cosgrove Street.

Walleye on a stick and birch beer: At the Walleye on a Stick stand in the food building.

Galabao: At Union Hmong Kitchen in the International Bazaar.

Chocolate-dipped Key lime pie: Just south of the Food Building in the courtyard.

Fresh French Fries: On the north side of Judson Avenue between Nelson Street and Underwood Street.

Sweet corn roast: Just east of the grandstand, at the southeast corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Nelson Street.

Sweet Martha’s: On the north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett Street and Chambers Street; other locations on Carnes Avenue and in the North End.

All-you-can-drink-milk: At the northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Clough Street.

Deep-fried Oreos: At the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson Street and Underwood Street (look for the yellow-striped awning)

Amish doughnuts: At Peachey’s Doughnut Co., on the north side of Randall Avenue at Cosgrove Street, just across from the Swedish egg coffee.

London broil steak sandwiches: At Butcher Boys, just east of the grandstand, on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Nelson Street and Underwood Street.

Cherry-dipped soft-serve: At Goertzes’ Dairy Kone, just outside the Food Building on Cooper Street.