Fairly Unbalanced

Minnesota State Fair food reviews, news and more

recent posts

about

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: Spumoni Tsunami by Bad Weather Brewing Company from Mancini’s al Fresco

    Review: Spumoni Tsunami by Bad Weather Brewing Company from Mancini’s al Fresco

    As the craft beer offerings at the Fair grow in number and in complexity, a mini-trend that has popped up is the rimmed cup adding bonus flavor and novelty to the alcoholic beverage it surrounds. One of the first to do this, and still the best execution of it, was the Mini-Donut Beer from Lift Bridge Brewing at the Ball Park Cafe stand, that paired its incredible beer with a cinnamon sugar rim to create an irresistible combo that is a Fair must each year since its inception. Other beers followed in Lift Bridge’s image, and the newest addition to the fancy cup club is the Spumoni Tsunami with its pistachio-laced plastic adorning the serving vessel for the tasty lager inside. Those with allergies beware, there isn’t signage informing consumers their beer includes pistachio, and while I’m certain they can serve the beer without it, the pistachio garnish is the most interesting thing about this craft creation. Meant to elicit comparison to the Italian ice cream that makes up the first half of its name, the strawberries and vanilla the lager is infused with mostly disappear. The end result is still a lightly-colored lager that is drinkable and refreshed me in the middle of a hot day at the Fair, but failed to impress much more beyond the fancy pistachio ring.

    Ratings (0-4):

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

    Overall Score: 15/20 (Fairly Fresh)

  • Fair News Round-Up — August 28th, 2018 Edition

    Fair News Round-Up — August 28th, 2018 Edition

    Welcome to the Fairly Unbalanced Fair News Round-Up!

    This feature will run daily during the Minnesota State Fair and feature the best of news articles, blogs, social media posts and more about the Fair from across the internet. Have an interesting item we missed? Send it to us at fairlyunbalancedmn@gmail.com

    Monday was a wild weather day at the Fair, with some of the free stages and rides evacuated during a severe thunderstorm. Hopefully everyone out at the Fairgrounds yesterday stayed safe, and hopefully that is as bad as the weather gets for the rest of the run of the Fair. Here’s what people have been discussing about the Fair online today:

    • The St. Paul Pioneer Press goes BEHIND THE SCENES of the “History-on-a-Schtick” performance that the Minnesota Historical Society brings to the West End Market stage at the Fair twice each day for the last four years.
    • Minneapolis Star Tribune photographer Aaron Lavinsky gives us a BIRD’S EYE VIEW of the Fairgrounds with his series of photos high in the sky. There’s some stellar photos in this set that give a whole new perspective.
    • A pair of reviews of Sunday night’s Grandstand show with Earth, Wind and Fire from the newspapers on both sides of the river: Ross Raihala REVIEWS THE SHOW for the Pioneer Press, while Chris Reimenschneider GAVE HIS TAKES on the music legends for the Star Tribune. Both reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and continuing the string of great shows this year at the Grandstand.
    • The Fair is built to create lifelong memories for Minnesotans, so when the Star Tribune asked readers to share their FAVORITE FAIR MEMORIES, there were no shortage of stories to tell.
    • It’s no secret that the official State Fair app is pretty terrible, so Reddit user Applesaucesome created an awesome CUSTOM GOOGLE MAP for the location of all the new food items this year at the Fair. I’d suggest using this in addition with our own Fairly Unbalanced New Foods Checklist for descriptions of the location that go beyond the pinpoints on the map.
    • KARE 11 has some ideas for perfect Fair BEER AND FOOD PAIRINGS, because you need to make sure to have the right beer to wash down all that deep fried food.
  • Daily Schedule Highlights — Tuesday, August 28th

    Daily Schedule Highlights — Tuesday, August 28th

    Fun fact: the Minnesota State Fair only has one Tuesday each year, and this is it! Let’s make the most of it by checking out some of the great events the Fair has to offer today. Today is Military Appreciation Day at the Fair, with demonstrations and presentations about the armed services throughout the Fairgrounds, especially around Dan Patch Park.

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

    • 10:30am and 11:45am: The 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Band (Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage) — celebrate Military Day at the Fair with a special performance from the members of the Minnesota National Guard that make up the Red Bull Band, which has been in service for 118 years.
    • 12:15pm: Agrilympics Celebrity Farm Animal Calling Contest (Moo Booth) — local celebrities compete for the title of best animal caller as they test out their best impressions of various creatures.
    • 12:30pm and 5:00pm: Sean Emery (Family Fair Stage) — this one is great for the kids, though usually the biggest laughs come from the adults in the audience. Sean Emery is a State Fair legend, performing his juggling act at the Family Fair Stage for decades. I can personally attest, after watching dozens of performances and doing a whole lot of growing up in the meantime, Emery’s act has never lost its luster.
    • 1:00pm: Trivia Mafia (Star Tribune Stage) — play a game of team trivia with questions pulled from the Star Tribune’s archives for fantastic prizes.
    • 3:00pm, 4:00pm and 5:00pm: The WoodPicks (West End Market) — hailing from Northern Minnesota, this five piece band performs original songs and their own versions of classics from the realm of country and Americana music.
    • 3:30pm and 4:45pm: Ben Haggard (Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage) — the son of country music legend Merle Haggard, Ben Haggard has the pedigree of music royalty as he ventures into a music career all his own.
    • 6:00pm: Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest (Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage) — watch as contestants in various age divisions compete for the opportunity to advance to the Talent Contest Finals, held Sunday, September 2nd in the Grandstand.
    • 8:00pm: The Dustbowl Revival (West End Market) — a massive eight-member band out of California will keep the party going at West End Market well into the evening with their unique blend of funk, bluegrass and roots music that is high-energy and danceable.
    • 8:30pm: En Vogue (Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage) — the 1990s are back! R&B hit-making trio En Vogue headline the Bandshell with hit songs like “Never Gonna Get It” and “Whatta Man,” and look to wow audiences with their show-stopping vocals.
    • 9:15pm: Laser Encore’s Laser Hitz Show (Eco Experience) — lasers and music combine for a visual spectacle each night of the Fair, outside the Eco Experience building.
  • Review: Walleye Balls from Walleye On-A-Stick

    Review: Walleye Balls from Walleye On-A-Stick

    Simplicity is sometimes a virtue for Fair foods. This is not one of those times. Sadly, what you see is what you get with these deep fried and basic walleye balls. Luckily, the walleye inside is quality, but the potatoes in the mix are similar to a greasy hashbrown, and there’s way more potato than walleye. The lack of any dipping sauce is disappointing, as these would be perfectly dippable and would really benefit from some additional flavor beyond fried potato. A lemon wedge does come with the dish, and a squeeze of lemon does help bring the walleye to life. At $7 and of middling stature, these are an easy pass.

    Ratings (0-4):

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

    Overall Score: 10/20 (Better Luck Next Year)

  • Review: Messy Giuseppe from Mancini’s al Fresco

    Review: Messy Giuseppe from Mancini’s al Fresco

    There’s no room for vanity at the Fair. Try as some might, looking your best while out in the heat, walking several miles and consuming far too many calories is nearly impossible. The Messy Giuseppe sandwich embraces Fairgoers’ sloppiness and matches that with an inelegant but no less delicious sandwich. This sandwich is roughly a Sloppy Joe with a little trademark Mancini’s Italian flair. The ground beef and pork sausage blend is bellisimo, and the traditional red marinara sauce topped with parmesan cheese will evoke memories of old-school Italian restaurants. Placed atop warm Italian bread, this is a large portion meal that may not be the most appropriate for Fairgoers but will hardly make anyone complain about portion sizes. Unfortunately, as good as it is, it is a little basic, and one would hope for a more fun spin on this rather simple sandwich’s version on offer at the Fair; the only novelty here is in the fun name. It’s also pretty much impossible to walk while eating this one unless you really don’t care about appearances. This sandwich should come with reserved seating at a table, because you will need it if there’s any hope of not spilling upon yourself. At $7.75, anyone looking for a cheap meal to get them through the Fair on a budget has to consider this a strong option.

    Ratings (0-4):

    • Taste: 3
    • Appearance: 2
    • Novelty: 0
    • Value: 4
    • Portability: 0

    Overall Score: 9/20 (Better Luck Next Year)