Fairly Unbalanced

Minnesota State Fair food reviews, news and more

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I am a lifelong Minnesota State Fair enthusiast from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I’ve attended over 30 years of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, trying nearly every food on offer and wearing down numerous pairs of shoes. I draw on my years of Fair experience to guide you through the hits and misses of my favorite event of the year.
  • Review: Chicken Momo with Tomato Chutney from Midtown Global Market’s Momodosa

    Review: Chicken Momo with Tomato Chutney from Midtown Global Market’s Momodosa

    As brick-and-mortar restaurants have come and gone from Midtown Global Market’s village of merchants, the Minnesota State Fair has also seen a wide variety of vendors take over the time-shared Midtown Global Market booth on the east wall of the International Bazaar. While none occupy the space for long, just six days each year with many not returning year-over-year, their stand has earned a reputation for offering unique new foods from all over the world, and has been a launchpad for stand-alone Fair vendors like Hot Indian Foods.

    Newly appearing in the International Bazaar this year is Momodosa, specializing in fast casual Nepali and Indian cuisine. Their highlighted new food is the Chicken Momo, a steamed dumpling filled with ground chicken, cabbage, onion, and ginger, served alongside a neon-orange tomato chutney for dipping. We loved every element at play here, a vibrant cavalcade of flavors that took over the senses, from the powerful scent of the chutney to the warmth and softness of the dumplings, and of course the incredible taste contained within. Served six to an order, we wished for more when we finished them, if for no other reason than to sop up the remaining chutney that was generously poured into the serving boat, which was spicy but not overpowered. Dumplings are a worldwide food staple, and we’ve seen them done and executed well on the Fairgrounds before, but these were the best bar none.

    One downside is the $13 price, meaning this will be a mealtime commitment for many Fairgoers at expense of other items they may want to graze on. If you love trying foods from all over the world, we think this offers up something unique to the Fairgrounds that tastes as international as anything else on offer in the land of Americanized food offerings.

    Ratings (0-5):

    • Taste: 5
    • Appearance: 3
    • Novelty: 3
    • Value: 3

    Overall Score: 14 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)

  • Review: Farmer’s Berry Crumble from Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop

    Review: Farmer’s Berry Crumble from Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop

    While we’ve generally loved all of the meal-sized menu items available from the Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, the large red coffee house just inside the Minnesota State Fair’s Main Gate, their baked goods have been more of a mixed bag, some great and others a total miss.

    New for 2023 is a Farmer’s Berry Crumble, a flattened muffin that appears more akin to a tart, comprised of Madeleine batter, oat streusel, and an unfortunately non-descriptive “mixed berries.” We were certain to taste blueberries scattered throughout, their dark hue apparent through the otherwise golden brown pastry. Otherwise, it appeared to be comprised of strawberry and perhaps rhubarb as well, going off of taste alone. What we’re more sure about is that this tasted fun and fruity, though some bites were devoid of berry entirely as they were arranged scattershot. Pieces of the pastry missing berry allowed the oats shine however, and the pastry itself was perfectly prepared and had a good crumb to it. This would have been divine if it were served warm, or alongside other accoutrements like ice cream, but it was still enjoyable as it was.

    $7 is a perfectly acceptable charge for a sizeable baked good on the Fairgrounds, making it an easy add-on to any coffee order for a quick start, makeshift breakfast to begin your Fair day. We’re happy to see Minnesota Farmers Union has put together another successful new food item to add to their cache!

    Ratings (0-5):

    • Taste: 4
    • Appearance: 5
    • Novelty: 2
    • Value: 4

    Overall Score: 15 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)

  • Daily Schedule Highlights – Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

    Daily Schedule Highlights – Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

    The Fair is half over! It’s hard to believe we’ve already had six full days of the Fair and we’re now entering the back half of the 12 best days of summer. If you haven’t made it out to the Fair yet, you’re running out of time. And if you’re running out of time, that means that’s all the more reason to use our helpful schedule highlight tips to make the most of your Fair experience! Wednesday is Kids Day, with special deals and discounts all over the Fairgrounds, as well as Theater Day at Dan Patch Park.

    Below is a selection of what we think is most worthy of checking out on Day Seven; for a full daily schedule, visit the Minnesota State Fair official site at mnstatefair.org:

    • 10:30am and 11:45am: Minor Mischief A Cappella (Leinie Lodge Bandshell) — “With its roots in vocal jazz, Twin Cities-based Minor Mischief A Cappella loves to sing a wide range of genres, including pop, country, soul, R&B and opera. This vibrant, fresh-faced quintet presents a highly energetic show with a fun relaxed stage presence and a vast variety of dazzling arrangements” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “The Weather”
    • 10:45am, 12:00pm, and 1:15pm: Dirty Shorts Brass Band (International Bazaar) — “A New Orleans-style brass band, playing a unique blend of jazz, blues, Dixie, swing and gospel music. Honoring the style and tradition of New Orleans brass bands past and present, this Twin Cities-based group captures audiences with high-energy performances.” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “Gloryland”
    • 11:00am, 2:00pm, and 4:30pm: All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash (The North Woods Stage) — Watch all the fun tricks and athletic feats these various breeds of trained dogs can achieve in this showcase of canines!
    • 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm: Country Roads: Dennis Curley Sings the Music of John Denver (Schilling Amphitheater) — “Headlined by Dennis Curley with a fantastic six-piece band, this tribute to John Denver delights fans of all ages. The songs are interspersed with personal recollections of growing up with this music, as well as sentimental and funny stories, and are sure to bring a smile to your face” (Minnesota State Fair).
    • 1:00pm: Bee Beard Demonstration (Agriculture-Horticulture Building) — watch as two brave volunteers are given a beard of over 10,000 honeybees, with a presentation by University of Minnesota apiary scientist Gary Reuter. Get those cameras ready!
    • 1:00pm and 2:30pm: Jonny Lyons & The Pride (Leinie Lodge Bandshell) — “A mix of original material and classic hits, the shows are full of electrifying energy from ‘50s and ‘60s sock hops and the soulful sounds of ‘60s and ‘70s R&B and Motown” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “King Creole”
    • 2:00pm: Minnesota State Fair Parade — The daily parade, with a route that runs from the Dairy Building north past the Leinie Lodge Bandshell and Baldwin Stage to the Eco Experience and then back south, features marching bands from across the state and vibrant floats.
    • 3:15pm, 4:30pm, and 5:45pm: Intoxicats (International Bazaar) — “Hailing from Hawaii and Minnesota, spy band Intoxicats combines tiki, exotica and surf with a new wave, alt-rock twist. With amazing horns, guitar, vocals, drums and bass, they play the music of Blondie, The B-52s, The Cars, Prince and more” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “Hammer In My Heart”
    • 3:45pm and 4:45pm: Shaun Johnson + The Big Band Experience (Leine Lodge Bandshell) — “A rare newcomer to traditional pop, Shaun Johnson + The Big Band Experience fuse a big band spirit with an inventive edge. This Emmy Award-winning crooner and band of accomplished musicians center their sound on innovation to create a unique experience for each performance” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “All Because of You”
    • 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00pm: The Holy Rocka Rollaz (Schilling Amphitheater) — “High-energy Minneapolis trio The Holy Rocka Rollaz brings the classic sound of early American rock ‘n’ roll. Using vintage instruments and having spent years studying the styles of all the early rock legends, this band knows how to deliver the spirit and sound of one of America’s most treasured eras” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “Always”
    • 5:00pm: Dad Bod (MPR Booth) — “Rooted in… vulnerable lyricism and dreamy guitar, the full band adds stabs of shoegaze and distortion, expanding their unique sound” (First Avenue artist bio). Listen: “Blue and Violet”
    • 6:00pm: 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Competition (Warner Coliseum) — This just might be the single best event that the Fair puts on each year, as llamas and alpacas, along with their handlers, dress up in themed costumes for a competition that seems to get crazier and more outlandish each and every year. The crowds this event has drawn have necessitated moving it into the much larger Warner Coliseum. Trust us when we say you do not want to miss this one.
    • 6:00pm: MSF Amateur Talent Contest (Leinie Lodge Bandshell) — Watch as contestants in various age divisions compete for the opportunity to advance to the Talent Contest Finals, held Sunday, September 3rd in the Grandstand.
    • 7:00pm: Yung Gravy with special guest bbno$ (Grandstand, $29+) — “Nostalgic and often-jubilant melodies paired with heavy trap drums form the usual canvas for his signature baritone voice. Showcasing effortless flows and endlessly quotable lyrics, Yung Gravy paints something truly unique while clearly having a good time doing so. In the span of six short years, Gravy has transformed from SoundCloud stalwart to platinum powerhouse” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “Goodness Gracious”
    • 8:00pm: The Cedar Cultural Center presents The Global Get-Together (International Bazaar) — “The Cedar Cultural Center promotes intercultural appreciation and understanding though global music and dance. Come explore the vibrancy and diversity of the Twin Cities’ art scene as the center presents… Ukrainian artists” (Minnesota State Fair).
    • 8:00pm: Gully Boys (Schilling Amphitheater) — A Minneapolis grunge quartet that evokes comparisons to Garbage and Hole and commands your attention with their powerful yet melodic sound. Listen: “See You See”
    • 8:30pm: Nikki Lane (Leinie Lodge Bandshell) — “Mixing the honky-tonk atmosphere of vintage country with the clever bite of indie rock, her music is tough, witty and bold, inhabiting Nashville archetypes while upending them at the same time” (Minnesota State Fair). Listen: “Denim & Diamonds”
    • 9:00pm: Future Projections’ Canopy/Calliope (Grandstand Ramp) — “A fantasia of imagery and sound, Canopy/Calliope is designed to delight and enchant the senses through ‘light painting’ and photo collages” (Minnesota State Fair).

    Quoted descriptions attributed in parenthesis.

  • Review: Cheesecake Curds from LuLu’s Public House

    Review: Cheesecake Curds from LuLu’s Public House

    We were so looking forward to trying these and anticipating them to be a delight that perhaps it was inevitable that we would wind up disappointed with anything other than a masterpiece. In premise, it makes so much sense that we’re astonished that no one had tried it previously, but in practice we see why it’s easier conceived than executed.

    Eli’s Cheesecake bites are encased in a funnel cake batter and deep-fried before receiving a dusting of powdered sugar and accompanied with a strawberry dipping sauce. We would have preferred LuLu’s source their cheesecake from a Minnesota bakery, but we’re not certain it would have mattered as the cheesecake largely goes missing behind the batter, particularly in the smaller pieces where it was nearly impossible to find at all. When eating a larger piece, we were surprised with the consistency to real cheese curds, with a similar texture and mouth feel, though without the cheese squeak and stretch. We were impressed that LuLu’s managed to avoid these being too sweet, even with the added sauce, which we thought had a muted strawberry flavor that didn’t overpower; however, the sauce should have been thickened to help it adhere to the fried coating better on each dip. Whereas powdered sugar is often liberally applied, here it was so sparing as to be non-existent, with just a few small particles and many pieces completely devoid.

    At $9 for a diminutive boat and several pieces that were small and worthless, this was as disappointing a value prospect as it was in the taste category. We think there might still be potential in this concept, but this was perhaps the worst effort we’ve seen from the usually stellar LuLu’s; we’d recommend opting for the also-new Fruity Cereal Milk Biscuit from them if you’re in need of a sweets fix in the West End Market.

    Ratings (0-5):

    • Taste: 1
    • Appearance: 2
    • Novelty: 3
    • Value: 0

    Overall Score: 6 out of 20 (Better Luck Next Year)

  • Review: Scottish Sausage from Sausage by Cynthia

    Review: Scottish Sausage from Sausage by Cynthia

    We love any Minnesota State Fair vendor that is prepared to take their specialty and reinvent it, playing jazz with the ingredients to create something new to offer in an effort to grab attention among a cavalcade of other options on the Fairgrounds. Sausage by Cynthia has a hefty roster of cased meat varieties from around the globe, and their latest is perhaps their most adventurous yet.

    Rather than a sausage served in a bun like most of their menu, the Scottish Sausage is offered up as a sausage crumble on top of “tatties,” a lumpy bowl of peppery mashed potatoes. The sausage is plentiful and rich in flavor; the product description states that it’s spiced “reminiscent of a traditional haggis,” and while we’ve never tried the Scottish delicacy to confirm the veracity of that statement (waiting on someone to offer that up at the Great Minnesota Get-Together…), we did spot oats throughout the mixture and a number of spices that blended together to make a very intriguing taste. We weren’t as impressed with this sausage as we were by the blend of spices in their Moroccan Sausage Bowl that debuted in 2018, and occasional gristly bits through off the dining experience, but it does an admirable job of continuing their theme of sausages of the world. The staff in the booth implored us to add a mustard whisky sauce to the dish, but we found it to be overwhelming on most bites and too distracting; it livened up the potatoes but was no substitute for a well-executed gravy, and the whisky element got completely muscled out by strong mustard.

    Unfortunately this was too small and too expensive at $11, and it was a warm “stick-to-your-ribs” kind of meal that is not particularly suited to Fair eating anyway. The addition of a flag bearing the Royal Banner of Scotland is a fun touch and was attention-grabbing enough to have an inquisitive stranger ask us about what we were eating, but ultimately we felt this was primarily a miss that isn’t worth most people’s time.

    Ratings (0-5):

    • Taste: 2
    • Appearance: 2
    • Novelty: 3
    • Value: 1

    Overall Score: 8 out of 20 (Better Luck Next Year)