On Saturday morning, I read an opinion piece by Will Winter – “Healthier, Minnesota-grown foods needed at State Fair” in the Star Tribune. At first, I was with Winter all the way. Yeah, we do need less fried, unhealthy food at the Fair. But, then the next day, as I made my first of three annual visits to my beloved Minnesota State Fair, I began to find holes in his opinion that the State Fair doesn’t have enough local, healthy food and beverage options.
Now, to be fair… it is the State Fair. Most of us aren’t going to the fair to eat healthy. But, if you’re like me and can’t tolerate much fried food, there are lots of good alternatives. And, there are Minnesota options around every corner.
One of my first destinations last Sunday was the International Bazaar. My first food came from the Midtown Global Market booth, a coop project staffed by three different restaurants during the 12 days of the Fair. On Sunday it was Jakeeno’s. Their offerings included prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears; a crisp green salad with sliced pears, gorgonzola cheese and candied walnuts; and garlic cheese bread. I chose the salad and was delighted. It was fresh, crisp, creamy and sweet.
On Tuesday, my second visit to the Fair, breakfast was a roasted turkey sandwich from the Turkey to Go booth which roasts only Minnesota-raised turkey. Their booth is located next to the all you can drink milk booth. The fresh french fry booths use potatoes from Big Lake, Minn. French Meadow Bakery is at the Fair, along with Holy Land Deli, West Indies Soul Food, Dino’s Gyros. The Salty Tart sells their famous macaroons along with fresh fruit – apples, peaches, plums, bananas. You can even buy a big bowl of icy cold watermelon across the street from the Horticulture building. Honey ice cream studded with sunflower nuts has been a long-time favorite.
Samples were also widely available. I tried Ocean Spray Cranberry juice with lime. Peace coffee was available in the EcoExperience building. While sipping my coffee, I wandered around and learned about green homes and composting. Many sites at the Fair offer local beers, including Surly and Finnegans.
Before leaving for the day on Tuesday, I made my way to the Minnesota wine wing of the Horticulture building. What started a few years ago with a half dozen local winemakers has exploded in size and wine options. There’s even wine flavored ice cream.
This is just the start. I haven’t even talked about the frozen yogurt, fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate or with cream. So, yes, drool over the homemade, ribbon strewn goods in the Creative Activities Building. Then, just walk down the street and discover some new local and healthy fair foods.
