Summer time means, among so many other things, fair time and king among those fairs is The Great Minnesota Get-Together, The Minnesota State Fair.

The Minnesota State Fair has recently announced it’s food line-up and part of that are 31 official new foods and seven new food vendors to the expansive menu. In total, nearly 500 foods are available at 300 different concession locations throughout the fairgrounds.

---

New foods

Bada Bing Sandwich: Italian-inspired warm flatbread sandwich with ham, salami, melted mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, fresh basil and creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Blueberry Key Lime Pie: Blueberry Key lime filling in a graham cracker crust, topped with whipped cream and fresh blueberries.

Boozy Berries & ‘Barb Trifle: Five-layer cold trifle with vanilla pound cake, lemon curd, Cannon River Gris wine and blueberry compote, more pound cake and Gris and rhubarb compote, topped with mint-infused fresh whipped cream and Gris and blueberry coulis.

Breakfast Potato Skin: Deep-fried potato skin stuffed with scrambled eggs and peppers, topped with blackened beef chislic – a South Dakota bar food staple – and drizzled with bearnaise sauce.

Carnitas Taco Cone: Carnitas with a sesame-garlic ginger sauce, cabbage, lime and queso fresco, topped with green onion and sour cream and served in a deep-fried cone-shaped tortilla.

Carolina Pit-Smoked Brisket Taco: Beef brisket pit-smoked over hickory charcoal, shredded and topped with smoked Gouda cheese, a pickled kale crunch made with kale, Brussels sprouts, carrots, radicchio, napa and red cabbage, with a drizzle of BBQ sauce; served in a flour tortilla with tortilla chips.

Cheesy Sriracha Funnel Cake Bites: Bite-sized funnel cake pieces infused with a blend of Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella cheeses, deep-fried and finished with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and chives, and served with homemade Sriracha aioli dipping sauce. Ranch or garlic butter dipping sauce is also available.

 Cuban Fusion Fajita: Carnitas-style roast pork, deli-sliced ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and Juanita’s Fajitas’ signature mustard folded into a flour tortilla.

Deep-Fried Dilly Dog: Pickle stuffed with bratwurst, dipped in batter and deep-fried.

Duck Drummies: Duck wings coated in a batter and seasoning blend, deep-fried and served with Giggles’ own tequila lime dipping sauce.

Feta Bites: Deep-fried Greek pasta dough stuffed with feta cheese, cream cheese and Dino’s Greek seasoning. Served with a creamy olive tapenade.

Fried Tacos On-A-Stick: Two stuffed tacos – one filled with green chorizo and potatoes and one filled with a vegetarian black bean and corn mix – deep-fried, topped with crumbled cheese and a drizzle of guacamole salsa and served on-a-stick. (Aug. 28 – Sept. 2 only).

Grilled Sota Sandwich: Cinnamon nut butter and Minnesota blueberry marmalade served warm on Irish soda bread. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Halo Cone: A swirled blend of cotton candy and blue raspberry soft serve ice cream in a halo of vanilla cotton candy and sprinkled with a mix of candy toppings. At Rainbow Ice Cream, located in the Grandstand, upper level, east section near the stairs tower

The Hot Hen: BBQ chips topped with smoked pulled buffalo chicken, blue cheese fondue, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, green onions and blue cheese crumbles.

Irish Whiskey Boneless Wings: All-natural white chicken chunks, breaded, deep-fried, tossed in Irish whiskey BBQ sauce and garnished with chopped scallions. Gluten-free.

Jamm’in Brisket Grilled Cheese: Slow-smoked brisket, red onion jam, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses and RC’s hot BBQ sauce.

Joey Mary: An iced coffee slushie topped with a skewer of gluten-free baked goods, including a chocolate bite, honey toffee crunch and almond cookie.

Lamb T-Bone Chops: All-natural, 100 percent grass-fed grilled lamb loins seasoned with Mama Fatima’s Holy Land Marinade.

Lavender Lemonade: Pink lemonade made with fresh lavender leaves.

Mini Donut Latte: A traditional latte with house-made mini donut flavoring, whole milk and espresso topped with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar.

No Bologna Coney: Italian mortadella pork sausage flavored with pistachios and Mancini’s pepper blend, served on a buttered and toasted split-top bun, and topped with mild muffuletta olive and pepper salad.

Nordic Waffles in Pebbles & Bam Bam and Al Pastor varieties: Two new fresh-made waffle wraps: Pebbles & Bam Bam with warm Reese’s chocolate peanut butter cups and fruity cereal; and Waffle Al Pastor made with Mexican-style marinated pork, pineapple, onions, cilantro and salsa verde.

Peaches n’ Cream Nachos: A bed of cinnamon sugar pita chips with Bridgeman’s Peaches n’ Cream ice cream, peach topping, a drizzle of honey and crushed pecans, finished with whipped cream, a cherry and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

Shrimp & Grits Fritters: Aged cheddar grits, gulf shrimp, onions and Creole seasoning, deep-fried and served with aioli dipping sauce. Gluten-free.

Snow Cap Mini Waffle Sundae: Mini waffle topped with a scoop of Izzy’s cream cheese ice cream, warm real maple syrup and a maraschino cherry.

Stuffed Cabbage Roll: Cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground pork and rice, prepared with tomato sauce and served with a dinner roll.

Tipsy Pecan Tart: Pecan pie infused with Dubliner Irish Whiskey and baked in a buttery shortbread shell. Gluten-free.

Turkish Pizza: A Turkish-style cracker-thin flatbread, authentically named Lahmacun, topped with spicy minced beef, onion, tomato, lettuce, cucumber salad, parsley, fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon and garlic sauce, then rolled or folded.

Warm Cheesecake Tart: Cheesecake in a tart crust served warm with choice of chocolate, salted caramel or strawberry glaze or without topping.

Wingwalker Donut Flight: An assortment of hot, deep-fried cake donut holes and three syringes with DIY fillings – Bavarian cream, chocolate custard and Minnesota lingonberry jam.

---

New vendors

Blue Ox Burger Bar: Serving build-your-own hamburgers, cheeseburgers and bacon cheeseburgers (with ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles and more); breakfast sandwiches (sausage or bacon with egg and cheese on a toasted English muffin); crinkle-cut fries; tater tots; and assorted beverages.

Brim: Serving the Grilled Sota Sandwich (cinnamon nut butter and Minnesota blueberry marmalade served warm on gluten-free Irish soda bread); Joey Mary (iced coffee slushie topped with a skewer of gluten-free baked goods); coffee slushies; brewed coffee; blueberry lemonade; and mint green lemonade. Flavorings and colors made with organic and natural ingredients.

Funky Grits: Serving Shrimp & Grits Fritters (aged cheddar grits, gulf shrimp, onions and Creole seasoning, deep-fried and served with aioli dipping sauce); gluten-free. Also selling bottles of Cry Baby Craig’s hot sauce.

iPierogi: Serving stuffed cabbage rolls (cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground pork and rice, prepared with tomato sauce and served with a dinner roll); pierogies in three varieties (meat, potato and cheese, and meat/potato/cheese combination, garnished with bacon and caramelized onion and served with sour cream and arugula on the side; vegetarian option on request); Polish sausages (with homemade sauerkraut); and blintzes (sweet cheese rolls sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate syrup).

Kora’s Cookie Dough: Serving deep-fried chocolate chip cookie dough topped with powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle; and cookie dough on-a-stick in five flavors: classic chocolate chip, Grandma’s sugar cookie, monster cookie, Reese’s peanut butter, and Oreo fudge. All five flavors can be dipped in chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips and rolled in sprinkles or peanuts. Sugar cookie variety is vegan-friendly.

Strawberries ‘n Crème: Serving fresh strawberries with non-dairy whipped topping; and fresh-brewed iced tea with strawberry flavoring.

Thelma’s Handmade Ice Cream Sandwiches: Serving 10 varieties of ice cream sandwiches made with two cookies and ice cream: Snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, cayenne chocolate chip, strawberry sugar cookie, banana peanut butter, mint double chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter, s’mores, and gluten-free snickerdoodle.

---

For more on food offerings, visit www.mnstatefair.org.