Fairly Unbalanced

Let’s face it — Minnesota and New Mexico are two states that don’t have much in common with each other. The disparity in climate and landscape alone is enough to cause disbelief that both states are within the same country at all. And as for the difference in cuisine, well… many Minnesotans think ketchup is too spicy. Thus, it was somewhat out of left field when Blue Moon announced they were introducing a pair of hot dogs topped by green and red Hatch chiles at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. Of course, the Fair is where Minnesotans can become a little more adventurous and try some items that they’d shy away from on a menu at any other time, but would these be a hit? And could they authentically match New Mexico cuisine done right?

Luckily, while I’m inexperienced with the foods of New Mexico, I did have two former residents of the Land of Enchantment with me to try these hot dogs slathered in vibrant verde and rustic red concoctions. All three of us were in agreement that these were delicious hot dogs — more accurately, one hot dog split in half to comprise two hot dog “sliders” — and made for a satisfying quick meal. Both dogs were loaded with an abundance of red onion, though the queso cheese promised in the official description was absent (a frustrating trend we’ve experienced among several vendor’s new food items this year). I had a preference for the taste of the green chile half, though the smokiness of the ripened red chile paired better with the beefy hot dog itself, and both were a delight. Not to be overlooked, the prickly pear cactus slushie shooter included as a side to each order was a revelation, a refreshing and cool beverage to help us Minnesotans cool off our mouths after all the heat the chiles are bringing — Blue Moon may want to consider offering a larger version on their menu, as I would have gladly drank more of this delicious slushie.

Considering the price points on the Fairgrounds of other protein-packed food items and the gastronomic attention to detail involved, getting this complete meal for just $10 seems like one of the best deals among this year’s new foods and an appealing price point for anyone to give this a try. Perhaps Blue Moon was anticipating some trepidation from local eaters with a careful palette. The only drawback is you’ll need to find a place to sit to eat these, as the sloppy chile dogs don’t comport well with walking around as one should expect. Otherwise, Blue Moon has yet another hit on their hands, showcasing their ornate ability to feature flavors from all over the map and execute them well. What they come up with next will be just as unpredictable as each move they’ve made over the last few years, but we can’t wait to see what their inventive kitchen continues to put forward!

Ratings (0-5):

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

Overall Score: 18 out of 20 (Blue Ribbon Best)

A portable trailer featuring a bright red and white livery has popped up near the main entrance to Machinery Hill’s Eco Experience building — Waffle Chix is one of 2022’s new vendors, but their product is eerily reminiscent of the recently-departed Granny’s Fudge Puppies that sat just outside the Food Building for decades prior to being contentiously removed from the Fairgrounds in 2019. Fans of the Fudge Puppy, a Belgian waffle in a unique corndog-esque form factor loaded with toppings of your choice including an iconic whipped cream, were upset at the stand’s demise. Around the same time (but seemingly coincidentally), Waffle Chix was founded and began making the circuit of smaller fairs and festivals, building their business from the ground up and finally being accepted into what they consider one of the top fairs from a business perspective in the nation, our beloved Great Minnesota Get-Together.

Waffle Chix offers three products on their menu, and their namesake is the Chicken in a Waffle On-A-Stick; the Waffle Chix name seems to originate from this product rather than any women among their ownership, despite their misleading logo depicting two women in aprons holding the product aloft that is prominent throughout their stand. We were hungry for a sweet treat on our visit however, and eager to compare the Brownie Waffle Stick to our memories of the cult classic Fudge Puppy, so we parted with our $8 and put in our order, quickly being fulfilled by the staff on hand.

What we received was instant nostalgia — any differences between the Waffle Chix and Fudge Puppy offerings were minimal. The warmth and chocolate content of the waffle reminded us of our childhood, and inhaling the powdered sugar on each bite coated our taste buds in a way that was a visceral reminder of the entire Fudge Puppy experience. Sadly, the chocolate sauce drizzled on top of the waffle could not compare to the quality of ingredients that Granny’s once included, but the brownie-rich interior of the waffle was rich and enjoyable down to the last bite, which didn’t take long with how much we enjoyed the experience.

Based on prices we’ve seen around, $8 for a fun dessert like this was a perfectly fair price, and this is a signature treat that you could appease any fussy child with — or a fussy adult with a sweet tooth. While we still dearly miss Granny’s Fudge Puppies, it is good to see a similar product return to the Fairgrounds, controversial vendor politics aside. We look forward to trying their other two food options on upcoming return visits, reviews coming soon!

Ratings (0-5):

• Taste: 4
• Appearance: 4
• Novelty: 3
• Value: 4

Overall Score: 15 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)

In 2021, Hot Indian Foods relocated to a vibrant booth within the Food Building, quickly becoming one of the crowded venue’s most eye-catching vendors with their bright signage and fun attitude. It’s a fitting aesthetic, given that their presence over the years at the Minnesota State Fair has been one looking to freshen up and innovate what’s on offer. New food items like 2019’s Behl Puri have served up something unique on the Fairgrounds not easily replicated by other vendors, creating an identity all their own and cornering the market on Indian cuisine. Not only have they carved out their own notable niche, they have served up some stellar food; the Behl Puri has stuck with us as one of that year’s most memorable and delicious new foods.

This makes it all so much more crushing to report that their goodwill as an up-and-coming new food vendor has come to a screeching halt with this year’s new offering, three styles of kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream. This is perhaps the biggest departure between what had been advertised and what is actually served in Fair history; the three flavors of ice cream were depicted on the Official New Foods List vibrantly, alluring prospective customers with brightly-colored ice cream pops that hinted at freshly-applied toppings like nuts and sprinkles, and promising creamy flavorful ice cream with ingredients not common to sweet treats in the United States. In actuality, what we were served was two scoops of disappointment when the staff merely reached into a cooler and pulled out two Vadilal branded pre-packaged ice cream bars and handed them to us. This was not a freshly made, unique treat that Hot Indian Foods had concocted special for the Fair, but rather the same novelty that could be purchased — at half the price — at any international grocer around town. The sprinkles pictured for the Mango flavor were non-existent, and while the ice cream itself was a unique creamy experience via the condensed milk base, we felt ripped off at how boring it was compared to what was promised. At least the mango version had an enjoyable flavor, unlike the other one we ordered, the astonishingly poor Saffron/Almond/Pistachio. This too was missing the nut topping shown in its official photo, and we found the saffron flavor and the nutty texture to be off-putting.

These ice cream bars are priced competitively relative to other ice cream items across the Fairgrounds at $5 each, but considering they can just as easily be enjoyed off the Fairgrounds for $2.50, a price we found at a Twin Cities area grocery store, and you can have the exact same experience that you can get on-site, the price point is the final nail in the coffin for one of the worst new foods we’ve had yet in any year. We’ll be nice and award a single point for a tasty mango flavor, and a point under novelty for introducing us to a new style of ice cream, but a score of 2 still feels overly generous after how Hot Indian Foods has deceived their customers.

Ratings (0-5):

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

Overall Score: 2 out of 20 (Fried-Out Flop)

Based in Northeast Minneapolis, Holy Land has built an empire in the world of Middle Eastern food from humble beginnings as a small market and restaurant to a brand found in grocery stores nationwide. One other location you can easily find Holy Land’s exceptional products is in the southeastern corner of the International Bazaar, where they have been offering gyros, kebabs and more for several years, with remarkably fast counter service and a reputation for quality food at reasonable prices.

This year, Holy Land is debuting their Chicken Tandoori Rolls, served two to an order, a foil-wrapped paratha flatbread that has been filled with a well-seasoned shredded chicken, onions and peppers, alongside a pre-packaged specialty avocado cilantro lime sauce. The tandoori spice will strike you immediately with both the richness of flavor it imbues upon the chicken and also the warm amber hue it adds to its appearance. Less evident were the onions and peppers which seemed to get lost among the hearty helping of chicken these rolls are given; occasionally we would find a bite that had tiny bits of pepper, while the onion may have stewed down to nothingness. The accompanying avocado cilantro lime sauce ensures that this is a memorable Fair snack, a vibrant green-colored sauce that delivers on all three of the promised ingredients and their flavors, adding freshness to the otherwise greasy flatbread rollup.

$12 for two diminutive rolls is a big ask, even if they are filled with a considerable amount of protein. If you find a friend to share an order with and split the cost it would make for a quick pick-up-and-go snack on the Fairgrounds, something that may stave off your hunger for later choices. As a full meal, while these were tasty we’re not sure this would be the best route for both filling your stomach and fulfilling your Fair food desires.

Ratings (0-5):

• Taste: 4
• Appearance: 3
• Novelty: 2
• Value: 2

Overall Score: 11 out of 20 (Fairly Fresh)