Monday, August 28, 2006

Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair

Yesterday we went to the fair for a late afternoon and early evening of live animals, dead animals (on sticks), and other assaults on our senses.

The Miracle of Birth barn is really cool. Baby pigs, sheep, chicks, and other animals have either been recently born or will be during the course of the twelve days of the fair. There were hundreds of people in here when we arrived. (After walking past a few cows, I whispered to my daughter that perhaps the cows were in charge and it was we humans who were on display.)

We split quite a bit of food, and here is my brief review of them.

I don't remember the name, but there was a sausage stand near the entrance. I enjoyed a bowl of "Chaurice" with wild rice, corn, and onions. After a few bites, I realized that "Chaurice = Chorizo." B+

The second round featured a roasted turkey leg that cost $7.50. This was one of the more expensive items, but it was quite tasty and was plenty to go around. A-

The fair french fries were a solid A.

The cheese curds were okay. Some may be aghast at that, but outside of the fair, I don't think I would eat them. C.

We walked around and burned off the equivalent of a few cheese curds, and then went into the butterfly house. If you are going to the fair, please check this out. It is on the corner of Dan Patch and Underwood. It is a $3 donation per person and well-worth it. We spent at least half an hour in there! It was beautiful and quite fun!

I had to try the spaghetti and meatball on a stick. It was basically a breaded-and-fried (what isn't at the fair) spicy meatball with a side of sauce. It was a solid food item, and I think this combined with some of the other protein-heavy dishes helped balance out feeling sick from too much fat and sugar. B+

We finished our trip to the fair with some desserts. My daughter had an ice cream cone that I merely scoffed at, as we adults had some fried Snickers on a stick. A couple asked me if they were good. I said that these are the epitome of the fair experience, and that you must love and hate them at the same time. They are a caloric nightmare and very sweet, but tasty and a state fair cultural treasure. A+

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3 comments:

jefe said...

What - no pronto pups or mini donuts? You have much to learn young padawan! Sounds like a great time.

The Old Stooge said...

The State Fair cheese curds are nothing special. One must go to *sigh* Wisconsin to really get some good curds.

Joe Erjavec said...

Jeff,

I know, I'm new at this. I don't have the years of experience you do, O wise man.

DS,

I don't know if I can eat any more after this weekend!