3 dishes to fuel your State Fair hangover year-round

We’ve already tracked down local pickle pizza makers, and there’s no shortage of places to get a solid cheese curd. Now we’re adding these standouts — two that debuted this year — to our post-fair culinary tour.

From the team behind Urban Growler Brewing Co., Minnesota’s first woman-owned microbrewery, local mocktail brand Urban Glow hit it out the park in its inaugural year at the fair. We’ve been craving their zero-proof creations, from refreshing Cosnos and Nojitos to bold Dirty NoTinis and Grilled Peach No Fashioneds, ever since.

So it’s great news to learn that select mocktails — Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Autumn Mule and Bonspiel Blue — have been added to Urban Growler’s St. Paul taproom menu ($4, 16-ounce can; $7 pint) along with zero-proof mixes that rotate seasonally. And Urban Glow’s reach continues to expand. Four-packs of Autumn Mule and Bonspiel Blue (suggested retail price $10) can soon be spotted at liquor stores, bars, grocery stores and restaurants, according to Jill Pavlak, who runs the company along with head brewer Deb Loch.

2325 Endicott St., St Paul, urbangrowlerbrewing.com

While it might not be served on a stick like at the fair, the family behind the giant egg roll stand Em Que Viet features its most famous dish at both of their restaurants. That version features two large egg rolls ($13) in an order. And while not as giant as the fair version, rest assured that they’re still sizeable and generously stuffed with that ground pork filling with carrots, cabbage and bean thread noodles that we have come to love. All of this encased in Em Que Viet’s signature, thick bubbly golden wrapper, of course.

Em Que Viet, 1332 Grand Av., St. Paul, emqueviet.com and Que Viet, 2211 NE. Johnson St., Mpls., quevietmn.com

Hoyo, one of the featured vendors at Midtown Global Market’s fair stand this year, has made it easy to enjoy both its lentil and beef sambusas far and wide. Started by three Somali women, they’ve been in major expansion mode and their pastries can now be found in more than 75 grocery stores. In addition, Hoyo’s signature sauces — tamarind and date as well as the fiery basbaas — can be found in select stores.