Every year, Minnesotans eagerly await the newest culinary innovations at the fair. True to form, many of this year's new novelties tend toward the deep-fried, on-a-stick and unabashedly gluttonous. Here are the five new items we anticipate the most.
5. JAMAICAN JERK FRIES
Here you get all the crispy, potato-meat comfort of fries, but "turned up a notch" with Jimmy Cliff kisses of allspice berry, scorching scotch bonnet and thyme. Additional spices and condiments are available if you like to breathe fire while cruising the midway for hotties.
- Harry Singh's Caribbean • Food Building (east wall)
4. DEEP-FRIED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH
In addition to its Space Age spiral-cut fried spuddery-on-a-stick (the Tornado Potato) and the covered-in-chocolate version (the Chocolate Tornado), Sonny's offers something to satisfy even the most calorie-irreverent fairgoer. We recommend waiting until after you do the human Sling Shot in Adventure Park before indulging in this one.
- Sonny's Spiral Spuds • Food Building (northwest corner)
3. BREAKFAST LOLLYpops
These lollies sound lovely, and not just for breakfast: They're made from sausage patties dipped in corn muffin batter, deep-fried and served with maple syrup, on a stick. This makes them particularly convenient, as they free up an arm to hold a Coors Light or play air drums Rick Allen-style while attending the Def Leppard concert (Friday at the grandstand).
- Axel's • Food Building (outside, southeast corner)
2. SWEET CORN ICE CREAM
The Blue Moon compounds our fervent Midwestern love affair with sweet corn by mixing its tender kernels into creamy vanilla ice cream and serving it in a cornbread waffle cone. We'll opt for the sundae version, which features your choice of wild blueberry or ... caramel bacon sauce. Yes, caramel bacon sauce. Contemplate that while admiring the physiognomy of Princess Kay of the Milky Way's pretty butter head.
- Blue Moon Dine-In Theatre • Carnes Av. & Chambers St.
1. CHOCOLATE-COVERED JALAPENO POPPERS
Props to Andre for coming up with this utterly insane idea. We have no idea whether these poppers -- simultaneously spicy, chocolate-laden and deep-fried -- will be awesome or not-awesome, but they sure do make us curious. They might best be enjoyed with some equally over-the-top entertainment, like some free Morris Day & the Time at the bandshell Thursday and Friday. America, have you heard? There's a brand new dance and it's called "The Bird."
- Andre's Watermelon • Underwood St. next to Ye Old Mill
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