Dave Terry, the distance coach for the North High School boys and girls track teams, goes to the State Fair all 12 days every year.
The past couple of years he has led a street-by-street run through the Fairgrounds with carefully curated food stops along the way.
He has 10 — make that 11 — foods he won’t leave the Minnesota State Fair without eating.
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“I’m so confident with my selections that they’re not really suggestions, they are commands: ‘You have to have this. You have to try this,’” he said. “It’s got to be done, you see? It’s my Top 10 Food Commandments.”
Big Fat Bacon on a Stick: It’s big, it’s fat, and it’s bacon. I always get that. That’s like a daily vitamin.
Libby’s Soft Serve Ice Cream: Best soft-serve cone I’ve ever had in my life.
Funnel Cakes’ Funnel Cake with strawberry topping: It’s reasonably priced, and it’s served fresh. It’s got a nice crunch to it, and it’s not too sweet because, well, I’ll tell you a little trick, okay? They put the strawberries in the middle, but you can always take one of those plastic forks or knives and spread it around, so it’s not quite as sweet.
Minnesota Honey Producers Association’s Honey Lemonade: It is the most refreshing beverage I have. I refer to it as a healthy electricity. It’s sweet and sour together. It’s just a perfect infusion of both.
Cranston’s Scotch Egg on a Stick: It’s a great way to start off the day. It’s a large egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried. It’s a good breakfast food on a stick. The guy’s name is Joe. He makes his own homemade horseradish sauce. It’s not overpowering. It’s creamy. I still think about the time I dropped half of one. What a waste that was. The ants had a field day, though.
The Strawberry Patch’s Strawberry Shortcake: It’s just kind of melt in your mouth savory. It’s moist, drenched with syrup, along with strawberries and whipped cream. The biscuit isn’t dry, which I thought it would be the first time I had it.
The Pork Chop on a Stick at Peterson’s Pork Chops at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Peterson’s Pork Chop on a Stick: I’ve never had a bad one. It’s charred to perfection. And when it is charred a little bit, don’t let that scare you. You have to have the seasoning with it. It’s free. It’s in a shaker.
Ragin’ Cajun’s Jambalaya: It’s in the Beer Garden. This is a new one for me. It’s, like, at the top of my list. It comes in a small bowl, but there’s so much flavor, and it’s just enough. It really is. I was really impressed. I could have that on a daily basis.
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Mancini’s Porketta Pork Wings: They’re reasonably priced. I’ve just never had ribs quite like that before. Most people haven’t. I guess a rib shank, and it’s got a seasoning on it, and it just falls right off the bone. It’s really good. You get the whole thing.
Corn Roast’s Roasted Corn on the Cob: It’s roasted corn, so it does have a different flavor to it. I avoided it at first because I thought, ‘Well, it’s corn, right? What’s the big deal?’ But the first time I had it, I remember it was charred, and I thought it was burnt, so I turned it in for another one. The lady working the stand said, ‘Well, those are the best ones,’ and she was right! So now I wait to get the most charred one. They put butter on it, and then you can season it with salt and black pepper.
The Sandwich Shop’s Monte Cristo: I had to add this one. Once you take a bite, you’ll know. The only deep fried sandwich at the fair. Choose the raspberry sauce. It’s a winner.
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