Dining: Putting taste to the test

One constant at the Minnesota State Fair is knowing that the fairgrounds will be overrun with a bumper crop of new-to-the-fair foods, inspiring hordes of hungry, curious fairgoers to go in search of the Next Big Thing. Here's my assessment:

Locavores will be all over Countryside Market. Don't miss the pair of refreshing, gently flavored Minne-sodas (****, $4); the ruby-tinted one uses chokecherry syrup, and its amber companion gets its offbeat flavor from maple syrup. Another nice touch is the pleasant caprese salad on a stick (***, $6), which skewers fresh basil, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, splashed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The fair's best new-old stand? French Meadow Bakery & Cafe has gone on a growth spurt, converting the former Schumacher's space into a breezy beauty and adding a bevy of new products. Best is a Reuben-inspired variation (****, $5) that stuffs corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese into a rye-kissed dough. Also divine: the plus-sized, super-moist vanilla cupcakes (****, $3.75).

Anyone strolling near the south end of the Agriculture/Horticulture Building can't miss the tiny Salty Tart outpost. "You guys like coconut?" barked owner Michelle Gayer to some fairgoers. "Then you'll love my coconut macaroons." These beauties (****, $2 or 3 for $5) aren't called Crackaroons for nothing. Another sweet spot is Thomasina's Cashew Brittle. Co-owners Thomasina Petrus and Leslie Wilson have put their out-of-this-world candy into convenient on-a-stick form (****, $1.50). They're also selling two quarter-size brittle bites for a quarter. A taste treat for 25 cents? That almost never happens at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

It's great to see Harry Singh's Caribbean Restaurant in a Food Building berth. The Minneapolis restaurant lives up to its "Oh, God, it's hot" motto with a doughy crêpe wrapped around fiery jerk-style chicken (** ½, $5), but what really hits the hot spot is the zingy ginger beer (*** ½, $3). Next door, My Sausage Sister & Me is splitting a tender buttermilk biscuit and smothering it in rich gravy peppered with a Tex-Mex pork sausage (*** ½, $5) and serving this stick-to-your-ribs breakfast all day. Speaking of breakfast, Tejas boasts a winner -- a steak-peppers-onions-scrambled eggs burrito (***, $5).

Stuffed is an understatement when it comes to the vegetarian double-crust stuffed pizza (***, $4) at the Pizza Shoppe. The crust is a bit soggy, but each slice is jammed with spinach and artichokes. Famous Dave's flaunts its provocative names, and this year's "Peach-Glazed Pig Cheeks" (** ½, $5) is no exception, a kind of short ribs (complete with a spicy slow-burn heat and a sticky-sweet finish) somehow stuck on a stick.

Fair vendors are constantly striving to hit the novelty food jackpot (remember deep-fried candy bars?). Top dog this year is Axel's trashy Nacho Mama Dog (*** ½, $4). Dip a greasy taco sausage in corn tortilla batter, drop it in the deep fryer, then slather it in molten cheese sauce and pico de gallo. It's a guilty pleasure that tastes like a sloppy deep-fried Frito.

Lightly breaded and fried sunfish filets (***, $7) are this year's newcomer at the ever-innovative Giggles' Campfire Grill. When paired with the stand's thick-cut fries ($2), the combo morphs into a classic Wisconsin fish-fry moment. Finally, cool yourself off with one of a dozen refreshing paletas (***, $3 or 2 for $5), Mexican-style ice pops from Fiesta in America, which also boasts a colorful collection of Mexican candies. My one wish: that the stand was hawking the superb paletas from St. Paul's La Chiquita instead.

Maybe next year.