The Minnesota State Fair released its 2022 list of new foods, and this year’s list does not disappoint.
All of the requisite items are represented: fried delicacies never seen before in polite society, new makers ready to stake their claim on State Fair fame, and sweet treats that will satisfy on the hottest days of summer. Some favorite old stands have come up with new twists on dishes and unexpected flavor pairings that just might edge into decadent genius.
No matter what, you know we’ll be there, celebrating the full return to the Great Minnesota Get Together (and welcoming new vendors Arepa Bar, Bridge n’ Barrel Root Beer, the Herbivorous Butcher, Nautical Bowls, Rick’s Pizza, Soul Bowl, Union Hmong Kitchen and Waffle Chix). The only question: which new dish should we line up for first?
The 2022 Minnesota State Fair runs from Aug. 25 through Labor Day.
These are the 38 official new State Fair foods for 2022:
1. The Hideaway Speakeasy’s All Quacked Up
An open-faced duck egg sandwich stacks shaved ham, aged cheddar, tomato and spinach on sourdough bread with paprika aioli.
The Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section.
2. Arepa Bar’s Three Arepas
Three varieties of fluffy corn flour pockets stuffed with pulled pork; pulled chicken and avocado puree; and vegan, slow-stewed black beans with sweet plantains. Plus, cold lime drink Papelón con Limón.
Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall (Available Aug. 31-Sept. 5 only).
3. Baba’s Beauty and the Buffalo and Coco-Nuts Hummus Bowls
Ranch hummus is topped with Buffalo chicken, crumbled blue cheese, scallions, Buffalo sauce and a Buffalo dust. Hazelnut chocolate hummus (vegan) has chocolate chips, hazelnuts, shredded coconut and bananas.
East side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues.
4. Hamline Church Dining Hall’s Birthday Cake Paleta
This party on a stick, with hunks of birthday cake, was created by locally owned La Michoacana Rose for Hamline Church Dining Hall’s 125th year at the fair. Additional ice pop paleta varieties available.
North side of Dan Patch Avenue between Underwood and Cooper streets.
5. Blue Barn’s Breakfast Gnocchi
Pasta dumplings are for breakfast at the big blue barn. A bed of potato gnocchi is topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, pesto cream, shallots and balsamic glaze.
West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center.
6. Sausage Sister’s Buzz’n Hot Honey Chicken Sausage Kebob
Chicken sausage from this reliably fun vendor is skewered with cornmeal biscuit chunks and drizzled with hot honey. It’s all served on a bed of coleslaw.
Food Building, east wall.
7. Mancini’s Celebration Cake On-A-Stick
Mancini’s cake and it’s not even your birthday! This mini-version of their famous cake is dressed up with white frosting and can be personalized with a short message on site.
North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.
8. Gass Station Grills’ Chick N Swiss Sausage
Grilled chicken sausage is made with chunks of Swiss cheese and asparagus, ground pineapple, bacon and jalapeño, served on a bun.
West side of Cooper Street between Dan Patch and Judson avenues, outside southeast corner of the Food Building.
9. Holy Land’s Chicken Tandoori Rolls
Chicken is seasoned with tandoori spices, mixed with onions and peppers, wrapped in paratha flatbread and grilled. The rolls come with a side of avocado cilantro lime sauce.
International Bazaar, southeast corner.
10. Tejas Express Chilaquiles Breakfast
Fried corn tortilla strips are sautéed with guajillo chile salsa and topped with scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, avocado and crema.
The Garden, north wall.
11. Aldo’s Concha Bacon Burger
Go savory and sweet. An all-beef patty is topped with raspberry aioli, lettuce, pepper jack cheese, pickled jalapeños and bacon. It’s served on a crackle-topped sweet bread concha.
Warner Coliseum, west side.
12. German Root Beer & Popcorn’s Cotton Candy Float
All the fluffy sweet goods come in this float: cotton candy soda is poured over Kemps vanilla ice cream and topped with a cloud of cotton candy.
East of Chambers Street, just south of the Grandstand.
13. Snack House’s Deep-Fried Ice Cream
This house-made ice cream bar is coated in corn flakes, deep-fried, drizzled with raspberry and blueberry sauces, and topped with sprinkles for good measure.
Warner Coliseum, south side.
14. Union Hmong Kitchen’s Dej Qab Zib (Sweet Refreshment)
This creamy, vegan refresher from new vendor Union Hmong Kitchen is a blend of coconut milk, lychee syrup, lime and mint, served over ice.
International Bazaar, south wall, west corner.
15. French Meadow Vegan Earth Sliders and “Meat”balls and Marinara
Vegan offerings from French Meadow include Earth Sliders: fried “chicken” patties topped with spicy sauce, shredded lettuce and pickles on a grilled bun. And Italian herb-seasoned “meat” balls sautéed in marinara sauce, sprinkled with non-dairy cheese.
North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.
16. Bridgeman’s Gray Duck Sundae
Bridgeman’s black licorice ice cream is topped with marshmallow cream, crunchy mini marshmallows, whipped cream and a bright red cherry.
Northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Liggett Street.
17. The Herbivorous Butcher’s two vegan entrees – Poultrygeist and Steak-xorcist
From this all-vegan new vendor, Poultrygeist is fried “chicken” and the Steak-xorcist is chicken fried “steak,” both topped with “sausage” gravy and fried onions and served on Texas toast. Combine the two and you’ll have the Monster Mash.
Food Building, west section, south wall.
18. Hot Indian’s Kulfi
Indian-style ice cream, made with condensed milk, nuts and infused spices, comes in three flavors: almond, cashew and pistachio; mango; and saffron, almond and pistachio. All kulfi are gluten-free and vegetarian.
Food Building, east wall.
19. Blue Moon Dine-In Theater’s Lemon Cookie Tortilla Chips
Lemon sandwich cookies are deconstructed and reimagined. Four large tortilla chips made from a blend of cookies and corn are served with “center-of-the-cookie” cream dip and topped with lemon curd.
Northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street.
20. RC BBQ’s Minne Hot Hot
RC’s firing up the smoker with pork rib tips tossed in a spicy Nashville hot sauce and served with their Comeback Sauce.
North side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets.
21. Minneapple Pie’s Minneblueberry Pie
Minneapple brings homey comforts to the fair, this year with a new blueberry pie. Flaky crust is filled with tart, sweet blueberries and served with vanilla ice cream. (Vegan if served without ice cream.)
South side of Judson Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.
22. Andy’s Garage’s Molotes
Deep-fried corn masa empanadas, gluten-free, come with a choice of two fillings: shredded chipotle chicken and elote style (filled with roasted corn, topped with mayo, cotija cheese and Tajin seasoning).
Taste of Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall (Available Aug. 25-30 only).
23. Union Hmong Kitchen’s Mov + Nqaij (Rice + Meat)
A gluten-free base of purple sticky rice (mov) comes with choice of sauce and protein. On deck are Hmong sausage, Hilltribe chicken thigh or lemongrass turmeric tofu. Sauce it with chef Yia Vang’s own Tiger Bite sauce. New vendor.
International Bazaar, south wall, west corner.
24. Blue Moon Dine-In Theater’s New Mexico Chile Dog Sliders Two Ways
Two mini beef dogs feature New Mexico’s red and green chiles, roasted on site. Mixed with pork chorizo and topped with queso and red onion. Served with a prickly pear cactus slushie shooter.
Northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street.
25. Nordic Waffles’ Belly Full Nordic Waffle and Vanilla Dream Nordic Waffle
Two sandwiches build upon Norwegian-style waffles. One, infused with onions, is stuffed with pork belly, coleslaw and jalapeño jam. The other is coated in cinnamon and sugar and filled with vanilla custard cream.
West End Market, south section.
26. Rick’s Pizza’s Pickle Pizza
A new vendor this year offers a hand-tossed pie with house-made dill ranch sauce, topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, dill pickles and dill weed seasoning. Also: cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizza.
West side of Cosgrove Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues.
27. Holy Land’s Pink Guava Slushie
Fresh pink guava juice is the star of this ice-cold slushie, sure to cool you down on the hottest of fair days.
International Bazaar, southeast corner.
28. Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop’s Pork Schnitzel Sandwich
A Minnesota take on the pork tenderloin sandwich, local loin is pounded thin, breaded and fried and served on a toasted bun with pickled cabbage and mustard mayo.
North side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets.
29. O’Gara’s At the Fair’s Reuben Rolls
An old favorite from the former brick-and-mortar O’Gara’s (RIP) features corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, deep-fried in an egg roll wrapper, with Thousand Island for dipping.
Southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.
30. Soul Bowl’s Soulsicle
Fried chicken on-a-stick gets the Soul Bowl treatment, with a topping of candied yam sauce and cornbread crumbles. This new vendor also has Donut Peach Cobbler and Queen B (blueberry-lavender) lemonade.
Food Building, east wall.
31. Jammy Sammies by Brim’s Sundae Sammie
Grilled cinnamon bread is layered with Minnesota strawberry jam, vanilla cream, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, toasted peanuts, confetti sprinkles and flaked sea salt. Can be made vegan or gluten-free.
North End, northwest section, across from the North End Event Center.
32. iPierogi’s Sweet Cheese Blintz
A classic Eastern European sweet treat, this soft-baked crepe is rolled around a vanilla cream cheese filling and topped with powdered sugar.
Food Building, south wall.
33. The Blue Barn’s Sweet Potato Poutine
The always inventive Blue Barn offers vegetarian poutine built upon sweet potato waffle fries topped with cheese curds, Beyond chorizo sausage, turmeric gravy, pico de gallo and fresh cilantro.
West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center.
34. West Indies Soul Food’s Tandoor-Fired Jerk Chicken Mini’zza
This soul food star vendor is back with a tandoor-baked mini pizza on buttermilk naan crust, topped with chicken, bell pepper and onion, mozzarella and its signature Jamaican Jerk Sauce.
International Bazaar, south wall.
35. Dino’s Gyro’s Tirokroketes
Leave it to Dino’s Gyros to find more ways to deep-fry cheese. This year, panko-crusted balls of spicy feta, cream cheese and mozzarella are fried and sprinkled with lemon juice and Parmesan.
North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.
36. LuLu’s Public House’s Tot Dog
There are corn dogs and there are Pronto Pups, and now this: an all-beef hot dog dipped in corn dog batter, rolled in a mix of minced tater tots, cheese and onions and deep-fried.
West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater.
37. West Indies Soul Food’s Turmeric Ginger Lemon Surprise
This quencher from a longtime fair vendor blends West Indies Soul Food’s own recipe for Caribbean lemonade with fresh ginger, turmeric syrup and a dash of bitters.
International Bazaar, south wall.
38. Daryl’s Dog House’s Vegan Corn Dog
Yet another vegan option for meat-free fans of fair food classics. This one is a plant-based hot dog enrobed in vegan corn dog batter and fried.
South side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.
