Food + drink: Fair degreased

Count 2011 as the year when deep-fried novelties finally took a back seat among new foods at the Minnesota State Fair. Seasonal and local flavors -- and fresh, on-the-spot cooking, minus the grease -- are finally grabbing the spotlight.

Food-loving fairgoers know to visit the Blue Moon Dine-In Theater for fabulous wood-fired pizzas and jazzy Korean tacos. Now they'll also be lining up for the sweet corn ice cream (4 out of 4 stars, $5 and $6). They make it fresh on the premises, and douse three scoops of the gently flavored frozen stuff with a trio of tasty toppings. It's tough to pick a favorite: a warm cinnamon-scented blueberry compote, a bacon-flecked butter sauce and crunchy spiced candied peanuts.

The innovators at Giggles' Campfire Grill have conjured up yet another reason to trek up to the fairgrounds' northern quadrant. This time, it's a Caprese salad -- on a stick, naturally -- that's drizzled with a rich balsamic and laid out in a banana boat filled with field greens (yes, field greens at the fair) and a wild rice-cranberry-citrus salad. They call it Northwoods Salad on a Stick (4 out of 4 stars, $5.50), and this tasty exercise in fresh flavors is not just for vegetarians.

Just when it seemed San Felipe Tacos couldn't get any better, it comes out with an Asian-accented pulled pork burrito (4 out of 4 stars, $8), wrapped in a spinach tortilla and stuffed with cabbage, a cucumber-red pepper-jalapeño salsa and sesame and wasabi dressings. It has crunch, color and a flurry of complementary flavors. Terrific.

Hand the fair a blue ribbon for showcasing quality Minnesota-made products, like the eight varieties of brightly flavored sodas (4 out of 4 stars, $3) made by century-old Spring Grove Soda Pop in the state's southeastern corner. Goodbye, Coca-Cola, hello, lemon sour! And the Ball Park Cafe is wisely featuring a handful of fabulous Gopher State craft beers on tap (4 out of 4 stars, $4.50 and $7.50), including three by Surly, two by Lift Bridge and one by Schell's. Check them out in a handy three-pour sampler.

Several sandwiches make positive impressions. Best is the superb turkey Reuben (4 out of 4 stars, $7) at the French Meadow Bakery & Cafe, which boasts a tangy sauerkraut, a house-made Thousand Island and excellent rye bread. Vegetarians will enjoy what the Meadow has rightly billed as an "incredible" grilled cheese (3 out of 4 stars, $5), a lightly browned mouthful of white Cheddar, Swiss and tomato on sourdough.

Der Pretzel Haus reinvents the hot dog by wrapping an all-beef-er with spirals of salt-flecked pretzel dough. Because Pretzel Dogs (3.5 out of 4 stars, $5) are baked rather than fried, it's a much lighter alternative to the Pronto Pup. Love the three mustards, too.

At Turkey to Go, the addictive pulled turkey sandwiches -- mildly seasoned, wonderfully juicy and made using Minnesota-raised birds -- just got better with a half-pound version (3 out of 4 stars, $8.50). Across the street, T-Bonz Grill specializes in a pair of these-could-easily-feed-two sandwiches: a pita stuffed with grilled chicken, tomatoes and shredded lettuce (2 out of 4 stars, $8), and a jumbo Italian sausage smothered in grilled onions (2 out of 4 stars, $7).

Jerk seasoning, used sparingly, adds welcome spice to a generous basket of crispy, skin-on Jamaican Jerk Fries (3 out of 4 stars, $4) at Harry Singh's Original Caribbean Restaurant. A vinegar-mustard sauce -- served on the side for heat-cautious Minnesotans -- adds plenty of extra kick.

The hefty portion sizes are major selling points for the headliner at Chan's Chicken on a Stick (2.5 out of 4 stars, $6), notable for its mix of dark and white meat and a sweet -- maybe too sweet -- teriyaki glaze. Also neat but too sweet: the Breakfast Lollypop (2.5 out of 4 stars, $3) at Axel's Bull Bites, a kind of breakfast sausage-meets-corn dog -- a savvy idea, but soaking in a gusher of fake maple syrup. The Green Mill makes pizza on the go easier with its Pizza Ka Bob (2 out of 4 stars, $5), a trio of semi-puffy mini-calzones (in cheese, sausage and pepperoni versions) skewered on chopsticks.

Minne's Diner is hawking its Original Minneapple Pie (3 out of 4 stars, $5). The crescent-shaped deep-fried apple pies are head-and-shoulders above McDonald's, with a surprisingly tender crust, plenty of firm apples and tons of cinnamon.

For something cool, check out the frozen cup of chai on a stick (3 out of 4 stars, $3.25) at Farmers Union, with its mellow pumpkin undertones; it's made by St. Paul's Grand Ole Creamery. Another sweet worth sampling is the light and portable fresh fruit wrap (2.5 out of 4 stars, $4.50) at Fried Fruit on a Stick, which is exactly as advertised: a flour tortilla rolled with a freshly chopped fruit cocktail, a swipe of cream cheese and a cinnamon-sugar dusting. Nice. Ditto the cute Dirt Dessert (2 out of 4 stars, $3) at Spaghetti Eddie's, a parfait-esque blend of crushed Oreos and luscious cannoli cream with a Gummi Worms garnish.