24 Aug 2024

From new classics to mixed up combos: Our rankings of the State Fair’s new foods for 2024

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A little weather might have delayed our hot takes on the new foods at the Minnesota State Fair, but we persevered for you!

As usual, the Pioneer Press crew started bright and early on Thursday, the first day, to taste through all 33 official new foods. We got drenched and finished attacking the list Friday with fresh palates, rested legs and dry clothes.

Just like last year, we’re ranking the best, the worst and everything on a stick in between. Some foods didn’t make the top 10 or the bottom 10 — eat those at your own risk.

Family, friends and fairgoers offered their taste buds and opinions for our rankings, too.

Here’s what we tried and what we think. What was your favorite new food? Think we screwed up? Let us know at eat@pioneerpress.com.

THE BEST

Counting down to our No. 1 favorite 2024 Minnesota State Fair new food.

10. Ba’bacon Sour Cream + Onion, $14

What is it: Sour cream and onion hummus topped with beef bacon, sumac tater tots, caramelized onions, scallions, French onion creme fraiche, black cumin seeds and chive oil. Served with pita puffs dusted with sour cream and onion powder

• Jess Fleming, Eat Editor: That’s so much better than last year’s taco disaster. It’s really good.

• Jared Kaufman, reporter: The beef bacon is really good. More places should make that!

• Kathy Berdan, former Pioneer Press arts editor: That’s yummy, so much flavor. I’d eat that again.

Our bottom line: This lives up to how delightful we know Baba’s can be.

Find it: At Baba’s, on the east side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues, just south of Little Farm Hands.

Korean corn dogs at Chan’s, a new vendor at the Minnesota State Fair for 2024. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

9. Korean Corndogs (topped with hot Cheetos), $15

What is it: Hot dog and mozzarella cheese, battered with panko, deep-fried and finished with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Option to add a coating of fried potatoes or to substitute toppings for hot Cheetos with spicy mayo.

• Jared: The actual hot dog is shorter than I expected based on the size of the corndog. I really like the spiciness of the Hot Cheetos. It’s so rich, though. I probably couldn’t eat this entire thing.

• Jess: That’s nice and crispy, and I like the melty cheese. It’s just at the tip, though. I thought it’d be wrapped around the whole dog.

• Lisa Antony-Thomas, Jess’ friend: It even stains my fingers like Cheetos!

• Kathy: That’s great. It looked kind of scary!

Our bottom line: Really pricey for what it is, but a fun cultural twist for the Fair.

Find it: At Chan’s Eatery, on the east side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee avenues.

8. Crab Boil Wings, $20

Crab Boil Wings from Soul Bowl at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Chicken wings marinated in hot sauce, grilled and then fried with corn, chicken apple sausage and potatoes. Tossed in a “crab boil” butter and finished with a lemon wedge and parsley.

• Jared: I love the flavor on those wings. They’re under-salted, but definitely tasty, and the corn is good, too. This whole thing is way too expensive, though.

• Clare Fleming, Jess’ daughter: The potato fell apart in my mouth. So overcooked.

• Jess: Crab boil seasoning on wings is creative, and they’re really good. They should’ve stuck with just wings — we don’t need the rest of this stuff! At the Fair, we’re snacking. Give me a basket of wings, for half the price.

Our bottom line: A bit expensive and too many components for what it’s worth, but you can’t stay mad at those wings.

Find it: At Soul Bowl, in the Food Building, east wall.

7. Buffalo Cheese Curd & Chicken Tacos, $14

Buffalo Cheese Curd & Chicken Tacos from Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos, a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Fried buffalo-flavored cheese curds and chicken topped with blue cheese slaw, drizzled with buffalo sauce, and served in a fried flour shell.

• Jess: That’s everything I hoped it would be.

• Jared: That’s solid, but I just want it all to be more — bolder buffalo, cheesier curds, better chicken. I know they can do better than this; their pickle taco was one of my favorites last year.

• Talia McWright, reporter: It’s really salty for me.

• Austin Rau, fairgoer from Minneapolis: It’s savory, with the dark meat chicken. The spice level is a bit low for me, but maybe good for people who don’t like spicy. I’d have it again.

Our bottom line: Could stand to be spicier, but Richie’s has quickly established cheese curd tacos as a new State Fair classic.

Find it: At Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos, on the north side of Judson Avenue between Liggett and Clough streets, outside the Sheep and Poultry Barn.

6. Dill Pickle Tots, $8

Dill pickle tots at Tot Boss are a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Fried tater tots tossed in dill seasoning with a hint of vinegar flavor.

• Jess: Take a classic Fair food, put a twist on it that people like, and have it still taste good. Well done! And they’re aggressively dilly, which is a good thing.

• Lisa: Those are good. They should be served with ranch. Or Top the Tater!

• Jared: Oh, yeah. This is what it’s all about. Give me these all day.

• Kathy: Maybe I’m getting tired of dill. A pickle inside the tot would be good, though.

Our bottom line: It’s pickles and tater tots, people. Come on. A bit too salty, though.

Find it: At Tot Boss, on the east side of Underwood Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues, south of Kidway.

5. Shroomy “Calamari,” $14

What is it: Oyster mushrooms hand-breaded and deep-fried. Served with a side of chipotle sauce.

• Jess: God help me, I kind of like this.

• Jared: That’s good! The batter is spiced really well. This is way better than anything else French Meadow has had in recent years, for sure.

• Brooke Hanson, Kathy’s friend: It’s a bit greasy, but the texture and flavor are good. The sauce it’s served with has a nice, soft heat. And it’s good to have an enjoyable vegetarian option!

Our bottom line: Finally, making a gluten-free and vegan Fair food doesn’t mean making something inedible.

Find it: At French Meadow Bakery & Cafe, on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.

4. Marco’s Garden, $14

Marco’s Garden at Brim, one of the Minnesota State Fair’s new foods for 2024. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Local rhubarb jam, thyme-marinated locally sourced tomatoes, farmer cheese, jalapeño and honey served with a side of grilled gluten-free flatbread.

• Jared: Great flavor — the cheese and tomatoes are both simple and tasty. The pita bread is a little too crispy, though.

• Jess: It’s so rare to get fresh vegetables at the Fair! This is something I’d actively seek out again.

• Lisa: I like the jalapeños with the tomatoes especially. It is a bit hard to bite the bread.

Our bottom line: A welcome burst of freshness amid greasy Fair fare.

Find it: At Jammy Sammies by Brim, at the North End, northwest section, across from the North End Event Center.

3. Quesabirria Taquitos, $16 for 3

Quesabirria Taquitos from El Burrito Mercado at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Deep-fried, rolled tacos filled with beef marinated in red sauce and cheese, topped with salsa verde and crumbled cheese.

• Clare: Really good! They taste really fresh. Simple and delicious. And it’s a nice contrast to all the sweet foods we’ve been eating.

• Jess: Fresh and juicy. That’s great.

• Jared: Savory, crunchy, snackable. Perfect. This is one of the best things we’ve eaten all day.

• Talia: Yeah. That tortilla and sauce are both great.

Our bottom line: Eat this right now.

Find it: At El Burrito Mercado, in the International Bazaar, south center section.

2. Deep-Fried Ranch Dressing, $12

Deep Fried Ranch from Lulu’s Public House at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Ranch dressing filling made with ranch seasoning, buttermilk and cream cheese in a panko shell, deep-fried and dusted with ranch powder. Served with a side of hot honey.

• Jared: Wow, that rocks. It’s creamy and savory and crunchy, and really clever. I’m sorry I was so skeptical about it! I’ll eat my words.

• Jess: It doesn’t taste like ranch all that much, but it’s really good. Without that hot honey, though, I think it would be too one-note salty.

• Jared: Oh, I disagree, I prefer it without the hot honey.

• Talia: It’s kind of cream-cheesy, like a wonton. The fried coating is a little thick, though, and kind of overpowers it.

• Clare: The filling is also a bit chunkier than I thought it would be. The flavor is so familiar and nostalgic, though.

Our bottom line: An unexpected home run. This is how you do a a Fair food right, by taking a Minnesota staple and putting a clever but still delicious twist on it.

Find it: At LuLu’s Public House, at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater.

1. Koshari, $15

Chicken Koshari at Koshariba Egyptian Cuisine, a new vendor at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Rice, pasta, chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, garlicky vinegar “dakkah” sauce, and topped with fried onions; served in three varieties — chicken, beef and vegetable.

• Jess: Oh yeah, I’m going to eat so much more of this.

• Jared: Such a delightful, comforting flavor. This is quite good. And the crunchy onions are perfect. I’m getting this every single year now.

• Kathy: It’s Egyptian hotdish!

• Ravyn Silva, Kathy’s friend: That would fill me up — for a good price! — without making me feel horrible.

• Imani Cruzen, reporter: That’s a good mix of textures, between the chickpeas and the rice and the onions. And it’s not too acidic, either, despite the tomato.

Our bottom line: It’s Egyptian hotdish, we can’t put it better than that. We love seeing more ways Minnesotans can bring delicious food to the Fair.

Find it: Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine, south of the Grandstand Building under the Grandstand Ramp.

THE BOTTOM TEN

Counting down to our absolute least favorite 2023 Minnesota State Fair new food.

10. Afro Poppers, $6

Afro Poppers from Afro Deli at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Bite-size pastries infused with an African blend of spices — ground vanilla, cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg – deep-fried and coated with choice of coconut flakes, sugar or served plain. Topped with choice of drizzle — mango chutney, caramel or chocolate.

• Ed Fleming, Jess’ husband: Tastes like what you’d expect: A fritter. Not too much more, really.

• Clare: I’m getting some chai flavor in there. I like them.

• Jess: Pretty unremarkable, honestly, but at least they’re well-executed.

• Jared: They don’t look like the promo picture at all, really. I’m happy, but I know Afro Deli is better than this.

• Talia: They’re kind of inconsistent. Some have more sauce than others.

Our bottom line: A fun take on fried dough, but there’s room for improvement.

Find it: At Afro Deli, located in the Food Building, east wall.

9. Turkey Kristo, $16

Turkey Kristo from Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Minnesota-made Texas toast from Pan-O-Gold Bakery, sliced Ferndale Market turkey, CannonBelles white cheddar cheese, apple butter made from locally sourced Westcott Orchard apples, and house-made spicy brown mustard mayo, dusted with powdered sugar.

• Jess: I’ve had better Monte Cristos in a diner. The turkey is just OK.

• Jared: I don’t get much of either the apple butter or spicy mustard at all — that mustard would really help cut the sweetness. It’s really all texturally one-note. Kind of an unexpected miss from the farmers.

• Calli Olson, fairgoer from Minneapolis: It’s good, but it’s a one-time thing. Not in a bad way, necessarily, just that I go to the State Fair once a year and there are other foods I’d rather be eating.

Our bottom line: We love the Farmers Union Coffee Shop, but this is not worth it.

Find it: At Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets.

8. Swedish Ice Cream Sundae, $8

What is it: Vanilla ice cream covered in lingonberry jam, sprinkled with Swedish ginger cookie crumble, and garnished with a ginger cookie heart.

• Kathy: It’s just vanilla ice cream, and not even good vanilla ice cream. It’s like they just took jam from their fridge and ice cream from their freezer.

• Jess: Ours came with a broken heart cookie, and that’s how I feel — broken-hearted that we waited in line for this.

• Jared: That’s nothing special.

Our bottom line: If you’re going to keep it simple, you’ve got to make sure it’s good, too.

Find it: At Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall, on the north side of Randall Avenue, just south of the Progress Center

Savory eclairs in two varieties are sold at Scenic 61 by New Scenic Cafe at the Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

7. Savory Éclairs in Two Varieties, $25 for both

What is it: Choux pastry éclair shell; one banh mi-inspired and filled with pork confit, chicken liver pâté, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber and sriracha mayo, garnished with micro cilantro, and the other filled with lobster meat, celery, mayo, Cholula hot sauce, lime, chives and salt and pepper, topped with dried corn and micro cilantro.

• Lisa: The banh mi is good, but it’s missing jalapeño!

• Jess: The éclair is nice, the pork is juicy, but I do want spice. And I’d prefer a regular lobster roll over this. For $25, I expected much more.

• Kathy: Why would you eat any seafood other than walleye at the State Fair?!

Our bottom line: The fillings are nowhere near good enough to justify the extraordinary price tag.

Find it: At Scenic 61 by New Scenic Café, on the east side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues, just south of Little Farm Hands.

6. Lady’s Slipper Marble Sundae, $10.50

Lady’s Slipper Marble Sundae from Bridgeman’s Ice Cream at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Bridgeman’s strawberry ice cream, lemon marshmallow cream and ladyfinger cookies layered in a cup and topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

• Talia: I actually kind of like it, but I don’t think I could eat the whole thing.

• Jess: At least it’s lemony, but it’s definitely overly sweet. I don’t think it lives up to Bridgeman’s stellar rep from the past few years.

• Clare: I was hoping the ladyfingers would be soft, like in tiramisu.

• Jared: I wish it were just a cupful of this strawberry ice cream. I also don’t love the texture of the lemon cream.

Our bottom line: The flavors are strong, but a cup is the wrong serving vessel and the cookies sink the ship.

Find it: At Bridgeman’s Ice Cream, located on the northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Liggett Street.

5. Walking Shepherd’s Pie, $10

Walking Shepherd’s Pie from O’Gara’s at the Fair, a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Two handmade hot pastries filled with braised ground beef, mashed potatoes and a blend of onions, carrots and peas tossed in herb gravy.

• Jared: There’s no substance! Or flavor, really. The filling is barely there, and it’s mostly just under-seasoned mashed potato.

• Clare: Not exciting. That’s kind of bland.

• Jess: Yeah, bland and mushy.

Our bottom line: This is not that good.

Find it: At O’Gara’s at the Fair, on the southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.

4. Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick, $10

Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick from Waffle Chix, a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Belgian waffle filled with strawberry shortcake cookie dough, topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, and served on-a-stick.

• Clare: Well, it tastes like a waffle with strawberries … oh, but apparently when you put a waffle on a stick, it doesn’t cook all the way through.

• Jared: It just doesn’t need to exist. It’s sticking to my mouth in a way I do not love.

• Jess: I can see kids liking this. It tastes sort of artificial.

Our bottom line: Unnecessary and undercooked.

Find it: At Waffle Chix, located on Judson Avenue between Liggett and Clough streets.

3. Patata Frita Focacciawich, $12

Patata Frita Focacciawich from West End Creamery at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: “Patata Frita” kettle chip-flavored ice cream created by Minnesota Dairy Lab, sandwiched between focaccia bread from Wrecktangle Pizza. Topped with a blend of honey butter, kettle chips and herbs.

• Jess: That’s so hard to eat, and the flavor combo is just not that great.

• Jared: It’s impossible to cut, and even harder to pick up and eat like an ice cream sandwich. The ice cream itself is fine, I guess, but that focaccia texture just does not make sense here at all.

• Alyssa Kaufman, Jared’s sister: Is the focaccia herby? What is that?

• Talia: This feels like a drunken mistake.

• Clare: It tastes like I mixed up my leftovers.

Our bottom line: Hard to eat, and not enjoyable when you do.

Find it: At West End Creamery, at West End Market, northwest section.

2. Raging Ball, $14

Raging Ball from Herbivorous Butcher at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Deep-fried sesame mochi dough ball with vegan cheeseburger filling. Made with house-made vegan burger mix, vegan cheddar cheese, grilled onions and pickles. Topped with bacon-flavored powdered sugar.

• Talia: The plant-based meat isn’t bad, but I don’t know what that white stuff is. You could not convince me to be vegan with this.

• Ed: The cheese — is that supposed to be cheese? — has a weird gelatinous texture.

• Jess: It tastes better than it looks or smells, but there’s an odd, off-putting sweetness I’m not loving.

• Jared: Stop it. This turns ME into a raging ball.

Our bottom line: Nope.

Find it: At The Herbivorous Butcher, located in the Food Building, south wall.

1. Strawberry Lemonade Donut, $10

Strawberry Lemonade Donut from Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Hand-cut yeast-raised donut frosted with lemon buttercream, rolled in strawberry lemonade crunch, and garnished with lemon gummy candy and freeze-dried strawberry slice. Served with a strawberry lemonade-filled pipette to squeeze in more flavor.

• Jess: Bad doughnut, awful frosting.

• Clare: Tastes like something you’d get at a gas station.

• Jared: The doughnut itself isn’t very good … I think you can get better at a gas station.

• Talia: The lemon is not coming through like it should. Tastes artificial. It looks happy, but it tastes sad.

Our bottom line: An already bad doughnut made worse with overly sugary, unpleasant-tasting frosting.

Find it: At Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts, located between West Dan Patch and Carnes avenues and Liggett and Chambers streets, south section.

THE MIDDLING MIDDLE

Not the best; not the worst. Simply… the rest. These are listed in alphabetical order.

3 Piggy Pals On-A-Stick, $12

Piggy Pals On-A-Stick from Sausage Sister & Me at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Three smoked sausage slices wrapped in bacon, filled with a cream cheese mix, and drizzled with barbecue sauce. Topped with a jalapeño slice and served on a stick.

• Ed: Better than I thought it would be. It’s very bacony.

• Jess: That’s good. It’s spicy meat, but well-executed spicy meat.

Find it: At Sausage Sister & Me, in the Food Building, east wall

Blazing Greek Bites, $8

Blazing Greek Bites from Dino’s Gyros, a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Deep-fried bites made from a blend of chickpeas, tomato, roasted red pepper, scallions and cayenne pepper. Served with a side of roasted red pepper hummus.

• Brooke: I like the flavor, but I’m not big on the texture. It’s like eating deep-fried hummus, though. Too mushy.

• Jared: I feel like they’re trying to do a spin on falafel, and I wish they’d done a better job.

• Jess: Hey, this is halfway to actually spicy! Finally!

Find it: At Dino’s Gyros, on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson & Underwood streets.

Chile Mango Whip, $12

What is it: Mango Dole Soft Serve in a cup rimmed and topped with chamoy and Tajín. Garnished with a tamarind candy straw.

• Jared: That spice is really nice with the mango whip. I’m on board with this.

• Jess: Light, refreshing, great on a summer day. We’ll take our fruits and veggies where we can get them.

• Kathy: I personally am not sure it’s necessary to have the hot sauce. But I typically don’t like mixing spicy/savory with sweetness.

Find it: At Tasti Whip, on the northwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street.

Cookie Butter Crunch Mini Donuts, $12

Cookie Butter Crunch Mini Donuts at Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds, a new food for the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Vanilla-flavored mini donuts coated with vanilla sugar, topped with Biscoff cookie butter drizzle and cookie crumbles, and served in a bucket rimmed with cookie butter and cookie crumbles.

• Lisa: I kinda don’t hate them! Maybe too messy to be worth it.

• Jared: That’s really enjoyable, actually. I’m a little frustrated by the bucket being rimmed with cookie butter and sugar, because it’s drippy and kind of wasteful.

• Jess: I am going back for a second one, so I don’t know what that says. I feel like all the cookie butter is on the rim and not on the actual donuts.

• Kathy: All the drizzle is on top. The ones on the bottom aren’t that different from regular mini donuts.

Find it: At Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds, on the east side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee avenues.

Deep-fried Halloumi Cheese, $10

Deep-fried Halloumi Cheese from Holy Land Deli, , a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Halloumi cheese, crafted from a blend of sheep and goat milk, wrapped in pastry dough and deep-fried. Served with a side of sweet chili sauce.

• Jess: Spongy, salty, creamy goodness enclosed in a nice crisp wrapper. A+ Fair food.

• Clare: Not sure how I feel about the texture of the cheese.

• Jared: Shrug. Halloumi deserves better than this.

Find it: At Holy Land Deli, located at the International Bazaar, southeast corner.

Fried Bee-Nana Pie, $6

What is it: Handmade pie filled with Minnesota honey, fresh banana and Biscoff cookie butter; battered and deep-fried.

• Clare: Not bad. I honestly thought it would be a lot sweeter than it is. And banana flavor is usually overpowering, but not here.

• Jared: What? That’s so sweet. I do like that you can taste the flavor of the good quality honey they’re using, though.

• Jess: I fully expected to hate this, but I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s cheap, too.

• Talia: It’s just good! I agree, I don’t really notice the banana right away.

Find it: At Sabino’s Pizza Pies, in the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum, north side.

Grilled Purple Sticky Rice, $10

Grilled Purple Sticky Rice from Union Hmong Kitchen, , a new food at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Purple sticky rice grilled over an open flame until crunchy, then topped with choice of shredded Hmong beef jerky or pickled mushrooms.  (We chose the pickled mushrooms.) Garnished with fresh herbs and finished with Union Hmong Kitchen’s Krunchy Chili Aioli.

• Talia: The flavor is really good, and the cilantro makes it really fresh.

• Jared: There are good components, but it’s too dry overall.

• Jess: I love the texture, nutty flavor and pickle-y mushrooms, but the rice might be undercooked and it could definitely use more sauce.

Find it: At Union Hmong Kitchen, located at the International Bazaar, south wall, west corner.

Ham and Pickle Roll Up on a Potato Skin, $8.75

Ham and Pickle Roll Up on a Potato Skin from Route 66 Roadhouse Chicken at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Three fried potato skins filled with a blend of sour cream, cream cheese, chopped pickles and ham. Topped with potato chip crumbles.

• Clare: Tastes like a dill pickle chip! These are good.

• Jess: Not exactly a dill pickle rollup, but pretty tasty nonetheless.

• Ed: Tasted like I expected it to.

Find it: At Route 66 Roadhouse Chicken, located in the Food Building, northwest corner.

Mocha Madness Shave Ice, $10

What is it: Fluffy shaved ice with caffeine-free coffee flavoring and an overflowing caramel macchiato cold foam center. Drizzled with chocolate syrup and garnished with dark chocolate espresso beans.

• Jess: Light and fluffy and coffee-y. I could crush this.

• Jared: That sweet inside is fun, and I love how chocolatey it is.

• Ravyn: I might not have bought this on my own, because I usually like fruit shaved ice more, but I’m glad I’m eating it. I really like it.

Find it: At Minnesnowii Shave Ice, on the west side of Nelson Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues.

PB Bacon Cakes, $12.75

PB Bacon Cakes from Blue Barn at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Thick-cut bacon dipped in pancake batter, griddled and topped with peanut butter whipped cream, grape jelly and banana chips.

• Clare: Ooh, that’s good. There’s a lot of that whipped cream, but it’s not too sweet — really smooth and buttery.

• Jess: Honestly, they kind of nailed it. It’s more bacon than it is pancake. Overall, can’t complain.

• Alyssa: Oh, I think the whipped cream is just… fine.

•Jess: Whoops, I got whipped cream on my camera lens.

Find it: At The Blue Barn, at West End Market, south of the History and Heritage Center.

Swedish ‘Sota Sliders, $10

Swedish ‘Sota Sliders from Hamline Church Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Hamline Church Dining Hall’s Cranberry-Wild Rice Meatball formed into patties, paired with dill Havarti cheese and a red relish of beets, red onions, red peppers, lingonberries and cranberries, served on two brioche buns.

• Jess: That meatball is good. I never say this, but I think the cheese is unnecessary!

• Jared: I’d eat that relish on toast, it’s so good. The meatball patty thing itself is just OK.

Find it: At Hamline Church Dining Hall, located on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Underwood and Cooper streets.

Sweet Corn Cola Float, $12

What is it: Minnesota-made sweet corn cola and sweet corn ice cream in a cup, finished with whipped cream, popping candy and house-made frozen caramel.

• Jared: I love this. I’ve always liked their corn ice cream, and the corn pop is weirdly good. This feels like a fun, clever Fair food. I got a glob of frozen caramel, though, and that feels like a mistake.

• Talia: It doesn’t really read “corn” to me overall. Maybe savory ice cream flavors just don’t work.

• Clare: I would drink a cup of just the cola. The pop rocks are fun, too.

• Jess: Ew. The cola makes it better, but I think it’s too sweet.

Find it: At Blue Moon Dine-In Theater, on the northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street.

Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch

Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch from RC’s BBQ at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)

What is it: Double-smoked slab bacon tossed in RC’s red barbecue sauce and topped with hot honey and chili crunch, served over a bed of white rice, and garnished with green onions.

• Jess: It’s a bit spicy but not crazy. The bacon is well-done, cooked properly. And smokey, too! I think it’s great.

• Carol Gaupp, fairgoer from Coon Rapids: I love the crunchy bits on top. It tastes more like rib meat, which I was not expecting, but it’s tasty.

• Fred Burgos, fairgoer from Bloomington: I do like the sauce, but for me, it could be crunchier.

Find it: At RC’s BBQ, on the north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets.

Wrangler Waffle

2024 new Minnesota State Fair food Wrangler Waffle Burger from Nordic Waffles.

What is it: Fresh all-beef patty and signature Whataburger Patty Melt Sauce layered with American cheese and served in a caramelized onion-infused Nordic Waffle.

• Jess: The waffle looks so pale and flaccid, but the caramelized onions in there actually make it pretty good. I wish the cheese was more melty.

• Jared: The sauce is also a bit spicy, which I like, but I do wish the waffle were crispier or at least a little more substantial.

• Alyssa: The point of the waffle as the “bun” is for a sweet-and-salty thing, though, and I’m not sure I’m getting enough of that balance. It’s basically a patty melt.

• Cathy Kaufman, Jared’s mom: But the packaging is good; it’s easy to carry around.

Find it: At Nordic Waffles, at West End Market, south section.

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24 Aug 2024

Working Strategies: Revisiting working from home 4 years later

by | posted in: News | 0

Amy Lindgren

Remember the pandemic? Silly question. Everyone does.

What everyone might not remember is what things were like pre-pandemic. For example, pre-2020, it was fairly rare for a whole family to say “Let’s do a video call tonight!” We wouldn’t have expected all the households to have all the parts — internet, camera, know-how — who was going to tell the grands how to download the app?

Now video calls are a daily routine in some homes. Also a matter of routine now are online grocery shopping, touchless menus in restaurants, and virtual classrooms, all of which shot up in usage during the pandemic.

For American workers, perhaps nothing made more of a lasting impact on the landscape than the sudden ability to work from home. Just a few years ago, remote work was considered a perk or (ahem) a remote possibility.

In the spring of 2020, as we all recall, that situation changed nearly overnight. According to Statista.com, the United States went from just 8% of full- and part-time employees working completely remote in 2019 to 70% a year later. Note that clicking that link might bring up a paywall.

That was followed, of course, by declines in that percentage as the nation regained confidence in personal contact. But even with the steady descent from the peak, the number stands at 27% today, or three times higher than the percentage of those working remotely than just five years ago.

The numbers for hybrid workers follow a similar pattern, with 32% working occasionally from home in 2019, and 54% doing so now.

More than the numbers have changed. Expectations also changed. Now workers expect this option to be available, and job search patterns have adjusted accordingly. Those wishing to work fully remote are able to shop the entire country for their next job, rather than mapping out the commute before applying.

As we start our fifth year in this “brave new world” of working from home, it’s a good time to ask how things are going. What began as a necessity in 2020 is settling into a choice, for both workers and companies. Is it still the right one?

If you are one of the hybrid or remote workers captured in these statistics — or if you would like to be — the following points are worth pondering.

Advantages of remote work

Following are the most commonly cited pluses associated with working in a remote or hybrid capacity. If these aren’t true for you, can something be adjusted to ensure you’re benefitting more fully?

• Schedule flexibility. For some workers, this means being able to log out to volunteer at the kids’ school, then working later in the evening to catch up. Others enjoy choosing which days to come into the workplace and which ones to work from home.

• Location flexibility. If you’re truly remote, then it really doesn’t matter where you park your laptop. Some workers leverage the opportunity to combine work and travel while others never leave the living room.

• Hassle-free mornings and fewer expenses. Packing a lunch, ironing a shirt, gassing up the car — these tasks are firmly in the rearview mirror for some workers. Also fading in the distance: The costs associated with lunches, commuting and wardrobe updates.

Disadvantages of remote work

Every coin has two sides and that includes remote and hybrid work. If these disadvantages are piling up, it may be time to renegotiate or even consider a shift back to the workplace.

• Loss of boundaries. If you’re “always on” you may not be gaining as much as you think from this situation. Being always on indicates you may be working more hours than you’re paid for, and losing personal time in the bargain.

• Loss of personal space. At first it was an adventure to fit the little Ikea desk into the corner of the dining room. After four years, it may feel more intrusive than adventuresome to look over your guests’ shoulders at your workspace while hosting gatherings. It may also be costing more than you thought, if your electric or internet bills have bumped up during this time.

• Potential loss of promotion. There’s still a concern, backed up by statistics in some cases, that remote workers are slower to receive promotions than their on-site counterparts. That might not happen in fully-remote companies, but a decrease in mentorship and training can still befall remote workers.

When you review these lists, and add your own input as well, you may find areas for adjustment. If so, there’s no time like the present. The sooner you make improvements, the sooner you can benefit more fully from our ongoing work-from-home evolution.

Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

24 Aug 2024

High school football: After years of struggles, Roseville aims to continue the climb

by | posted in: News | 0

Roseville High School’s football stadium bleachers and press box were built into the side of a hill adjacent to County Road B2 West. Just to the right of the stadium seating, ample grassy hillside still exists – a reminder of what existed before.

Within that hill are two well-defined, barren dirt columns – a reminder of the work that’s been done and, hopefully, the success that will follow.

“We’ll go attack that,” Roseville coach Andy Stephenson said. “That’s part of what will get us prepared.”

Roseville football coach Andy Stephenson closely watched a drill during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

They’re products of foot traffic. Raiders football players are on that hill throughout camp, trudging up it five times or more per session. That number escalates if reminders are needed to increase effort and hustle.

“It’s dusty every time we run up, because we’ve wore the grass down so much,” senior lineman Owen King said.

“It shows everything that our program resembles,” senior linebacker Dylan Hageman said.

Or at least the image current players and coaches hope to portray.

Everyone can fondly recall Roseville’s run to the state semifinals in 2013, powered by a potent passing offense featuring the likes of quarterback Jacques Perra and receiver Jesper Horsted.

But the Raiders have had just one winning season since. They went winless in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Stephenson took over in 2023, coming in from a program in Spring Lake Park that is entrenched in sustained success. This would not be that, certainly not right away. The coach knew as much.

He entered the job focused on building a successful culture based on three things: belief, accountability and resiliency. Shirts reading “Raise the BAR” are visible all over Raiders practice.

Belief and accountability are obvious traits of any successful team or organization.

But resiliency is an underrated facet of a fruitful rebuild. You are going to get knocked down many, many times on your trek from the bottom to the top.

Stephenson’s first game on the Roseville sidelines came in last fall’s season opener against Woodbury. The Royals returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown. Roseville responded, when Javon Minor did the same on the Raiders’ ensuing return.

But then Woodbury again housed the following kickoff en route to a 55-14 victory. Stephenson estimates Roseville produced maybe one defensive stop all night.

“Literally my head is spinning over there,” Stephenson recalled as he gazed at the Raiders’ sideline. “Like, ‘This is how it starts?’ ”

Roseville’s first four games of the season came with an average margin of defeat nearing 23 points. Stephenson’s wife was constantly reminding him to remain patient. He had to stay with it and continue preaching fundamentals and work ethic. Consistency was crucial.

It’s easier for adults to understand that philosophy than kids. But, luckily for the coach, Roseville players are nothing if not resilient. You’ve had to be in this program of late.

Get beat down, get back up, show up the next day and go to work. Playing football at Roseville is not like it is at perennial powers such as Eden Prairie or Lakeville North. There, King noted, you can join the team and be constantly celebrated and hyped up on Friday nights.

“We don’t really get much,” Minor said. “We walk around the halls and people are saying how bad our team is or ‘Oh, are we going to win a game this year?’”

Hageman, King and Minor all started on varsity as sophomores. That season, eight of Roseville’s nine losses came by 30-plus points. When the results are that bad, what keeps you coming back to the field?

“The love for my game,” Minor said, “and the love for my teammates.”

Roseville senior lineman Owen King pursues the ball carrier in a drill at practice on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

He noted he has played with many of his current teammates for six-plus years. He’s witnessed their daily struggles on the field and in the weight room, and they his. They’ve sacrificed and suffered by one another’s sides day after day, year after year.

“We’re not just teammates anymore. At this point, we’re brothers,” Minor said. “It’s like a different kind of love and bond. I felt like we could really turn this program around if we just worked toward one thing.”

Which was to make a name for themselves, and their program. Players get tired of hearing how bad they are. They aimed to change the narrative.

Stephenson’s arrival was the spark that ignited the flame.

Hageman noted when he joined varsity as a sophomore, the environment didn’t match his expectations. But Minor said when the new coach arrived in March of last year, players were intrigued by the energy in his voice and intensity in his demeanor. Eyes were opened. Maybe this could be something.

It wasn’t right away, obviously. That loss to Woodbury was rough, and a near replica of past results. But Stephenson continued to recognize and celebrate the small gains made from there. The following week against Eastview, Roseville got a stop on its opening defensive series. Progress.

Come Week 5, Roseville went toe to toe with Buffalo, the eventual subdistrict champion. The Raiders forced seven turnovers that game and were in it until the final minute before falling 21-12. After the game, Stephenson was beaming.

“I was like, ‘You guys are probably looking at me strange, but you finally lost the right way. You were able to compete to the end,’ ” he said. “ ‘Now, you’re ready to win.’ ”

Sure enough, the following week Roseville beat Hopkins 30-0 to snap the program’s 24-game losing streak. The game after that, the Raiders went down to the wire with White Bear Lake before falling 10-7.

The success produced affirmation and trust in the process, and the people delivering it.

“At the beginning of last summer, (coach) was talking about buying in and putting 100 percent into the program. And you can see the benefit of what you get from it,” Hageman said. “During the latter half of the season last year, I could definitely see us clicking, and it felt really rewarding seeing us get turnovers.

“It just felt successful, and I don’t know, I haven’t felt that way really yet in this program.”

Even just that smidge of success — one victory and a handful of competitive losses — created momentum that carried into the offseason, Stephenson’s first full one with the program. Perra and Horsted each separately visited the team this summer to deliver messages about what’s required to achieve success. Overall buy-in continues to build.

“You can see it in their eyes, their mindset,” Stephenson said. “They flipped a switch, as well, wanting and embracing that mindset.”

The ball is rolling in the proper direction.

But this is no time to let up. Stephenson was conducting a media interview this week while his players were breaking down at the conclusion of pre-practice warmups, when he stopped, mid-answer.

“No,” he said to himself, “hold on.”

The coach marched over to the field.

“Hey, do it again, set the tone! Set the tone! Let’s go!” he yelled before returning to the sidelines. “Reminders, sorry. Not enthusiastic enough.

”The dog days, if they don’t bring it, it carries over to everything else, too.”

Accountability. Players noted those such instances are weekly occurrences.

“He tries to make sure we’re following on the right path and nobody is slipping,” King said. “And if somebody is slipping, he will make sure everybody knows, so that everybody can be at the standard that is expected.”

“He always pushes for the most out of us,” Minor said. “He’s not only doing a good job coaching, but he’s doing a good job trying to train us into young men.”

That’s what Hageman feels this entire Roseville football experience — falling down repeatedly and having to get back up only to again face potential failure — is doing for he and his teammates.

“We’re not given anything. That’s one thing Coach Stephenson says a lot. You’ve got to earn things. Things aren’t given to you here. You should not be expecting anything,” King said. “That’s the mindset that we all have and need to have — you need to put in the work to get the results you want. And I feel like we’re really starting to get that as a team.”

Roseville has designs on a resurgence this fall. King feels the Raiders, who open the 2024 season Thursday in Woodbury, can be a .500-plus team this season. Hageman noted the issue at Roseville was always more about effort than talent.

The Raiders have put in plenty of the former this offseason. They have the hill to prove it.

“I feel like if we’re ever down in a game, we can look up there and remember, ‘We pushed through that, why can’t we push through this?’ ” Minor said. “It’s a good bar for yourself to reach the top and touch the fence.”

The climb continues.

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24 Aug 2024

Why some residents of European hot spots just want tourists to stay away

by | posted in: Adventure | 0

Laura King | Los Angeles Times (TNS)

AMSTERDAM — For people who live in particularly picturesque quarters of charming European cities, the words “Instagrammable” or “Tik-Tok famous” can feel like harbingers of doom.

Or harbingers, at the very least, of intense annoyance.

Across the continent, this has been a summer of visitor-related discontent. The stresses of overtourism sometimes spur irate displays directed at outsiders — such as attention-grabbing anti-tourist protests in Barcelona last month, with demonstrators wielding water pistols, or hostile graffiti popping up in places like Athens.

In some of the more iconic way stations on Europe’s tourist trail — Amsterdam and Santorini, Prague and Bruges, Dubrovnik and Florence — the downsides of being all-too-well-loved destinations are becoming more and more apparent. At the same time, tourism projections point to an even more crushing influx in years to come.

Even in areas where the economy is heavily dependent on tourism — or perhaps particularly in such places — activists are increasingly vocal about travel practices that drive up prices, strain services, hurt the environment and erode the quality of daily life.

A big event like the Summer Olympics in Paris can sometimes have a paradoxical effect — drawing those who want to attend, but at the same time putting off others who fear inflated prices and unmanageable throngs.

As the Games ended, initial visitor tallies pointed to an overall bump, but thinner-than-usual crowds and last-minute price cuts in areas away from the main sports venues.

When disgruntled feelings erupt, sometimes it’s the result of tourists behaving badly — in some cases, very badly indeed. But through sheer dint of numbers, even well-intentioned visitors can be a burden.

“There’s this phenomenon of all of us considering travel a right, of thinking, ‘Well, I’m allowed to go anywhere,’” said Charel van Dam, marketing director for the Netherlands Board of Tourism. “But there are obligations to fulfill that have to do with how we travel, and how we behave when we travel.”

The Netherlands, for example, expects around 60 million annual visitors by decade’s end — dwarfing the country’s population of about 18 million. Such lopsided numbers are common across Europe.

Grumbling about excess visitors is nothing new. In recent months, though, the local backlash has been making headlines.

The Barcelona protesters, incensed by skyrocketing rents linked to short-term holiday rentals, doused open-air diners in the famed Ramblas district — a gesture that tourism officials insisted did not reflect widespread public sentiment.

Elsewhere in Spain, street marches have popped up repeatedly on the island of Mallorca, where demonstrators brandished cardboard models of sleek private jets and cruise ships to decry the arrival of what they say are overwhelming numbers of visitors.

Travelers’ affronts in Europe’s tourist zones are sometimes glaringly apparent: pounding music from late-night parties, or puddles of vomit on doorsteps in quiet residential streets. But the slights can be subtler as well.

“Sometimes, I feel like they think I’m just part of the scenery,” said Janeta Olszewska, a 29-year-old emigree from Poland who works in Amsterdam’s famous floating flower market. “It’s so strange when visitors can’t even say ‘Good morning’ before they begin telling me what they want.”

In some locales, the business of promoting tourism has morphed into brainstorming over ways to manage and contain it. In Venice, where the tourist tide is as much a hazard as the seasonal acqua alta, authorities began charging day-trippers a 5-euro fee (about $5.40) in April.

But critics protested that the $2.4 million in revenue the city took in over a period of three months only pointed up the magnitude of the overcrowding problem.

“It was a great failure,” Giovanni Andrea Martini, a Venice City Council member who opposed the program, said in an email.

“It was supposed to be a system for managing tourism flow, but it didn’t manage anything — tourists entered the city in greater numbers than on the same days last year.”

Some European cities, including Copenhagen, have embarked on a carrot-not-a-stick approach. A pilot program that began in the Danish capital last month, dubbed CopenPay, offers small perks like free ice cream to visitors who engage in eco-friendly behaviors such as picking up trash or using public transport.

Other venues are trying a dual track: Amsterdam, for example, is seeking to crack down on public drunkenness, discourage gawkers in the famous red-light district and curtail holiday apartment rentals — going so far as to inaugurate a “Stay Away” campaign aimed mainly at British stag partyers — while enticing visitors to venture outside the tiny confines of the city’s canal-lined center.

“You do catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” said Van Dam, the Netherlands’ tourism marketer, citing the success of sustainability initiatives such as hotels giving guests a free drink in the bar if they decline daily room cleaning.

Industry professionals and municipal authorities acknowledge that tourism is a trade-off: often an economic boon, sometimes a social bane.

In heavily touristed parts of Amsterdam, access to ordinary goods and services tends to dry up up as the commercial balance tips toward the wants and needs of visitors. Want an Aperol spritz, some CBD oil, or a ceramic Dutch-clog refrigerator magnet? No problem. But residents say finding penny nails or laundry pods or a spatula can involve a tiring trek.

Sometimes, touristic obsessions are a source of bafflement. At central Amsterdam’s landmark Athanaeum bookstore, whose eclectic periodicals draw a loyal clientele from across Europe, customers and staff alike were briefly mystified by the long queues at a nearby koekmakerij — a cookie shop.

They quickly figured it out: The place was all over Instagram.

“It was only one particular kind of cookie, and at first we thought, ‘How can that even work as a business?’” said Reny van der Kamp, 59, who has worked at the bookstore for more than 20 years. “Well, we found out. They actually had to have crowd control.”

Eventually, the cookie purveyor moved to bigger quarters about a quarter of a mile away. On a recent summer morning, the line stretched out the door.

Often, the public-nuisance aspect of tourism is confined to a small area of a given city, but then creeps gradually outward. Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, within the central ring of canals but traditionally a quiet residential area, is now frequented by selfie-snapping visitors — many of them drawn by rapturous descriptions on social media of the neighborhood’s winsome domesticity.

“Now and then, people actually crane their necks to look into our windows,” said Ricky Weissman, 43, an American special-effects designer who moved to the Jordaan a decade ago with his wife. “And you’ll see someone peeing on the side of someone’s house — it’s like, ‘Why? You can find a bathroom anywhere!’”

But he considers such intrusions to be offset by the surroundings. Their daughter, born here, is 5 now, and speaks Dutch and English.

“It’s a fairy tale, really, living here,” Weissman said.

Locals’ cherished routines are often disrupted, however — sometimes in dangerous ways. Commuting briskly by bicycle one day, Nashira Mora, who works as a tour-boat booker, had no time to react when a pedestrian — a visitor, she found out — suddenly came to a dead stop in the middle of the bike lane, eyes phoneward, oblivious to approaching cyclists.

“I went right over the handlebars,” the 26-year-old said ruefully. “Luckily, no one was hurt. And my bike was OK. But …” she trailed off and shook her head.

In many tourist centers, the coronavirus pandemic was a revelation for residents. For all the stress and isolation of lockdowns, and the immense tragedy of lives lost to the virus, landmarks usually avoided because of visiting hordes were suddenly empty — and fully revealed in all their glory.

“It did perhaps make people think about what it would be like to have their own city back,” said Mari Janssen, a 25-year-old studying Russian literature.

Locals and tourists often lead separate but parallel existences, more or less ignoring one another’s presence. The two worlds bump up against each other in places like the Albert Cuyps market, one of Amsterdam’s largest collections of open-air vendors.

Some merchants — a cheesemonger, a produce vendor, a baker — said that they had long counted local householders as their main customers, but that picnic-sized portions for tourists yielded cash bonanzas.

The change in the market’s character, however, was wearing on some. At a stand selling stroopwafel — a sweet concoction of layered wafers held together with syrup — a small group of foreign visitors began excitedly shouting orders at vendor Sylvia Lassing, 63, even as she was handing someone else their change.

“It’s a lot, sometimes,” she sighed during a lull a few minutes later.

A flower seller, asked about the tourist trade, irritably mimed how some outsiders would manhandle his delicate blooms — brilliant purple irises and Van Gogh-worthy sunflowers — and then walk away without buying anything. But he understood, he said, that few would want to take a perishable bouquet to the airport or a hotel room.

As a visitor turned to leave after chatting with him, though, he waved his hands in an emphatic gesture to halt them.

“Wait, wait!” he said. “Here, have a daisy.”

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.