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: That’s S’more Like It Malt from The Dairy Goodness Bar

    Review: That’s S’more Like It Malt from The Dairy Goodness Bar

    Who offers the best ice cream malts at the Fair? The debate between three solid contenders is fierce: the venerable Kiwani’s Malt stand next to the Fine Arts building,the Gopher Dairy Bar outside the Cow Barn, and the Dairy Goodness Bar inside the Dairy Building. Picking one is like picking a favorite child; they’re all so good in so many ways. However, lately the Dairy Goodness Bar has set itself apart from the pack by offering a one-year-only “Flavor of the Fair,” lasting 12 days and then disappearing forever. Each year’s flavor is selected by an online vote between three options conducted in April. This year’s winner is the affirmatively named That’s S’more Like It, a vanilla malt with chocolate syrup, graham cracker cereal squares and mini-marshmallows. If you loved the unhealthy breakfast cereals as a kid, this is the malt for you. The vanilla malt combining with the cereal squares and Lucky Charms-style marshmallows results in a taste similar to a scoop from a big bowl of cereal (bonus points if you used to drizzle Hershey’s syrup over your cereal, I guess). My only complaint here is the ingredients could have been better mixed into the cup; after the first third of the malt, no more graham or marshmallow remains, leaving you with just the superlative vanilla malt. At $6, the price is a little high for a 12 oz. malt.

    Ratings (0-4):

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

    Overall Score: 16 (Blue Ribbon Best)

  • Fair News Round-Up — August 25th, 2018 Edition

    Fair News Round-Up — August 25th, 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

    Day Two is behind us, and it was a rainy mess, but still a lot of fun with lower than normal crowds. I think anyone that braved the weather found out that the Fair is fun regardless of what the weather is like. As mentioned in yesterday’s Round-Up, Day One did indeed set an attendance record for the first day of the Fair with over 120,000 people walking through the gates! Today should be another huge day as weekends are always crazy at the Fair. Here’s what people have been discussing about the Fair online today:

    • A ton of publications put out their reviews of the Fair’s new foods in the last 24 hours: CITY PAGES (with a shout out to this very site towards the bottom of the article, thanks City Pages!), The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, EATER MINNEAPOLIS, and the STAR TRIBUNE food critic Rick Nelson has his formal write-up published as well.
    • Twitter user Mike Henderson dug out this AWESOME THROWBACK Minnesota State Fair poster from the 50th Fair way way back in 1909. Why don’t they have cool posters like this anymore?\
    • Twitter page Twin Cities Geek has their own unique way to rate the Fair’s newest foods: CHARACTER ALIGNMENTS. Every one of these is spot on; the Rainbow Cloud Roll is totally a chaotic evil, and I can’t wait to try it.
    • Star Tribune music reviewer Jon Bream has his thoughts on last night’s big Grandstand show with reunited country music act SUGARLAND. They sounded pretty good from what I could hear from outside the venue!
    • Star Tribune columnist Jennifer Brooks did an amazing job LIVE-TWEETING her way around the Fair on Day Two, on her mission to pat all the animals.
  • Review: Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl from Cafe Caribe

    Review: Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl from Cafe Caribe

    Each year, some enterprising vendor brings the latest trendy food to the Fair to capitalize off that item’s flash popularity, often just for that item to disappear a few years later when the trend fades. Remember the wave of all the new foods with Sriracha a few years ago? The Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl is this year’s variation on this theme, but it’s important to remember that it’s trendiness is not necessarily a detriment. Instead, Cafe Caribe has smartly turned out a Fair-friendly version that is vibrant and fresh, and provides a palette cleanser from all the deep fried foods and sweets that are everywhere. Large cubes of raw Ahi tuna sit atop a colorful mix of diced tomatoes, green pepper, avocado and mango, all placed over a bed of warm white rice. The tuna avoids all the ways that fish at the Fair can go wrong, and you get a good portion of it. The mango, avocado and peppers all radiate from the bowl like beacons of pure flavor. This bowl is expertly crafted, and a welcome change of pace for the Fair. All of this at a $9.50 price point that is in line with what this should cost. See, following the trend doesn’t always mean a bad thing when it’s done this well!

    Ratings (0-4):

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

    Overall Score: 17/20 (Blue Ribbon Best)

  • Daily Schedule Highlights — Saturday, August 25th

    Daily Schedule Highlights — Saturday, August 25th

    The Minnesota State Fair is in full swing as it enters the first weekend! Good luck dodging the crowds as the weekend traditionally brings many more visitors to the Fairgrounds than the first two days experienced.

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

    • 8:00am: Horse Show Draft Horse Halter (Compeer Arena) — watch the beautiful Belgian, Clydesdale and Percheron horse breeds get led by talented trainers around the arena ring.
    • 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 5:00pm: Minnesota 4H Dog Agility (Pet Pavilions) — check out the brand new Pet Pavilions on the north end of Machinery Hill and watch dogs race through an exciting obstacle course.
    • 10:00am-1:00pm: The Current Activity: Rock the Cradle Pop Up (MPR Booth) — children of all ages can get hands-on with musical instruments at this educational and fun event presented by Minnesota Public Radio.
    • 11:00am: Trivia Mafia (Star Tribune Booth) — compete with your fellow Fairgoers in pub-style trivia related to stories pulled from the Star Tribune archives to win fabulous prizes.
    • 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm: Raptor Displays and Flying Demonstrations (DNR Building Garden Stage) — Make your way to the DNR Garden Stage for Last Chance Forever Conservancy’s raptor show, which they have presented at the Fair for many years running. Owls, falcons and hawks swoop over the crowd and the intelligent conservationists dazzle with facts about these majestic creatures.
    • 11:30am-2:15pm: Minnesota State Fiddle Contest (West End Market) — hear the finest fiddle players in the state compete in five different divisions face off in a musical battle for supremacy.
    • 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: Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion) — truly talented youth musicians will perform musical selections in the open air Labor Pavilion stage.
    • 3:00pm, 4:00pm and 5:00pm: The High 48s (West End Market) — a five-piece bluegrass band out of Minneapolis capable of mixing the old school Americana sound with contemporary influences.
    • 3:00-7:00pm: The Current Live Broadcast: Oake & Riley in the Afternoon (MPR Booth) — this special edition of The Current’s weekday morning show promises special guests throughout the broadcast from this evening’s Grandstand show.
    • 4:00pm: Trampled by Turtles with Chris Riemenschneider (Star Tribune) — Duluth-based band Trampled By Turtles sit down for an interview with the Star Tribune’s music critic ahead of their huge Grandstand show later on.
    • 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.
    • 6:30pm: The Current’s Music On-A-Stick featuring Trampled by Turtles, Lord Huron, and Lissie (Grandstand) — tonight’s Grandstand performance is a huge triple-bill featuring some of the best acts indie rock and Americana music, headlined by Minnesota’s own Trampled By Turtles.
    • 8:00pm: Ipso Facto (International Bazaar) — Minneapolis-based reggae, jazz and funk legends together since the 1980s will ensure that the International Bazaar is the place to dance and party well into the night.
    • 8:00pm: Mayda (West End Market) – R&B and pop collide into the powerful Mayda, who will light up the stage at the Schilling Amphitheater.
    • 8:30pm: BoDeans (Leinie Lodge Bandshell) — pioneers of alternative rock, the band have opened for a number of major musical talents for large arena shows since their formation in the 1980s.
    • 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: Strawberry Mint Fro-le from The Blue Barn

    Review: Strawberry Mint Fro-le from The Blue Barn

    If you need a hot day cooldown during the Fair, this is a viable option as long as you don’t mind getting a little drunk off your refreshment. This vibrant pink frozen lemonade has a stiff taste along with the tart flavor, but the sprig of mint both garnishes the beverage and contrasts some green color to the concoction. The biggest flaw is the price: at $9 for 12 ounces, it’s a steep price to pay.

    Ratings (0-4):

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

    Overall Score: 13/20 (Fairly Fresh)