2025 Minnesota State Fair - Falcon Heights, MN

 This year, I had to do things a little different, as compared to previous years. I had a bad blood test and the doctor made some pretty significant threats that if I didn’t change a LOT about my diet, there would be some more permanent medication changes that I’m not interested in. I Wasn’t sure I’d even go to the fair this year, which is how serious I’m taking these ultimatums my doc gave me. That being said, I decided to cut out some of the more terrible things for me and scale back the amount of things I ingested. Let’s see how my second round of blood tests pan out in a few weeks to find out if this really was ok to do… 

I always like to give people an idea of how long it takes to get to the fair. I live 8 miles from the fairgrounds. On a Tuesday night at midnight, I can get there in like 18 minutes. On Fair Opening day, I left my house just before 7:00am. It took me 15 minutes to get within a mile of the fairgrounds and then I waited in traffic for like 55 minutes to go the last mile. Just be ready for that. It did seem busier this year’s opening day, but I did also take a different route than I usually do. And when I say busier, I mean.... this is my view on opening day at 8:00am. As you can see, it's totally packed. hahaha. Just wait a few hours and it will be shoulder to shoulder bodies.

 

The past year or two, I’ve heard about Peachey’s Baking Company – they have an “Amish Donut” that people wait in line for hours. I figured if I got there in the morning, I’d have a better shot at getting one of these things. I only had to wait 57 minutes in line for this donut. 

It’s a good donut – like a better than most mom and pop donut shops – but I’m not sure I’d tell you to wait in line for it. I suppose if you’ve eaten Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme donuts, then this is definitely going to be better than either of those. But don’t waste your time in line or your $6 for one plain glazed donut. 

I occasionally get hyped for a fun beverage at the Fair, but it’s usually one with booze in it. This year, I thought I’d better try the Cherry Bigfoot Limeade Float from Tasti Whip – remember, I’m trying to do better this year. It’s cherry soft serve ice cream in a cup of lime-aid. It’s served with an umbrella, which automatically qualifies it for a tiki drink, as well. It’s pretty darn good, honestly. I could see this being a serious thirst quencher on a 90-degree Fair day. I was happy with this one, plus when you carry this thing around, it gets attention and people ask you about it. I left a trail of small children begging their parents for ice cream in my wake – you’re welcome.

I had my eyes on a non-fried item from Giggle’s Campfire Grill – the new Timber Twists. These are manicotti shells (yes, like the pasta tubes) stuffed with Italian sausage, mozzarella, cream cheese, and BBQ seasoning, then they wrap it in bacon and cook it in a woodfired smoker. It’s almost like an Italian sausage or brat, but instead of a brat skin, it’s a pasta shell. It is honestly delicious, but it does have a lot of weird textures going on. I saw people eating it with their hands, but they are covered in BBQ sauce, so I just speared mine with a fork and ate it like that. This one is worth getting, but again, be ready for some textural issues. 

By this time, the beer booths were open, so I headed to the West End Market to try a couple things from Schell’s. I started with the Blackberry Bramble. This wasn’t exactly what I thought it was, but it was ok. It drank more like a seltzer than a beer, which isn’t my jam, and there isn’t a ton of flavor in it. They serve it at the West End Brews booth and also LuLu’s Public House, so pick the shortest line to bet this drink. I wish it had more flavor AND more body, but I at least tried it.

I had initially planned to try the Pineapple Upside Down Cake Slushie from Lift Bridge, but whenever I see people with the Grainbelt Blu beer with the frozen beer foam topper, I just have no will power. I have it almost every year, and every year, it’s the best drink I have all day. This year was no different. It’s so delicious.

 

Honestly, folks, that’s the whole trip. I spent two hours at the Fair and more than one of those hours was waiting in line for a donut. That massive line made me realize that I pretty much NEVER stand in line for food at the State Fair, thanks to only trying new foods that people are scared of. Let’s hope the 3 miles I walked (yes, I turned on my walking app so I could balance out my calorie intake with my output) helped counteract enough of the carbs that I pass my upcoming blood test! Wish me luck…. 

Mainly, wish me luck so I can relive my 15,000 calorie usual adventures at next year’s State Fair!!!

22 Northmen Brewing Company – Alexandria, MN

We took the scenic route home when we were up north a few weekends ago and there “just happened to be a brewery” on the route we took. This brewery is part of the Carlos Creek event compound that includes a wedding venue, a vineyard and winery, a pizza restaurant, an outdoor entertainment space, food trucks, and the brewery. 

The brewery is very much a Viking theme, but a very expensive and polished Viking theme. Alexandria is a fancy boating community, and 22 Northmen made sure they could meet the needs of the original boat people (the Vikings) and the modern day boat people. 

There are axes that function as door handles on the main Viking-lodge-doors, and there are all kinds of shields on the wall above the bar. 

It’s a very tall Viking lodge with lots of seating. Many of the drinks are a little tongue-in-cheek or double entendres, so if you’re a prude, be forewarned.  

All of the beers I had were really quite good, so I’d recommend them all. 

·      Norwegian Haze – Hazy IPA (really good)

·      Barrel Aged Night Axe – Stout (sooooo good)

·      Joe Dort – Lager (really good)

·      Black Lager (really good)

·      Punch Face – Sour (pretty good)

We got a wood-fired pizza from Stoke, and it was awesome. We got the Spicy Hawaiian – jalapeno bacon jam, pepperoni, pineapple, bacon, onions, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, hot honey, and fresh parsley. Thin crust, but not doughy in any spots. We couldn’t finish the whole thing, so we brought our leftovers in the car… and then ate those leftovers before we got home.

 

We will be back to this place in the future, and hopefully, we will be able to enjoy the outside space, and perhaps some tasty wine. If you’re up in this area anytime, then you really should check this place out. There’s stuff for wine people, beer people, food people, and outdoor people. Or heck, have your wedding here!

There's a lovely carved dejected viking out in front of the building, as well!!

 

http://www.carloscreek.com

 

Mr. Mustacheo – West St. Paul, MN

West St. Paul got a new restaurant that opened this week and based on the menu alone, I knew I had to eat there. When the wife suggested it, it didn’t take much arm-twisting to get me in the car. I scoped out the menu ahead of time to help narrow down some decisions. They’ve got a big push for their mexi-wings and tacos, but there are other things on the menu, as well. They have some boneless wings, quesadillas, a sushi burrito, some sandwiches, a type of burrito bowl, some good sides, and even a few unique salad options. Check out their menu before you go so you can make some good decisions.  

We ordered some Pipian wings, and my wife was feeling invincible, so we got pineapple habanero wings (the hottest wings on the menu), taco al pastor, fish taco, and an order of waffle fries. We also got Limoncito to drink. There’s a salsa bar with mild, medium, and hot salsa, so you can grab whatever your flavor is while you wait for your food – they’re very quick, so it won’t be long. All the salsas are homemade, and have deliciously unique flavors – very happy with the three options.

 

The wings were fantastic. I’m not afraid of heat, but I’m also not the guy that walks into a wings place and orders the hottest wings on the menu. The pineapple habanero wings were really awesome though – don’t get me wrong, they’re hot, but not pointless hot – they actually have flavor. A lot of my daredevil friends would say they aren’t hot enough, but I was really happy with them. More of a thick sauce, than a drizzle sauce, but bright flavors and not angry ones you sometimes get when people are just trying to hurt their friends. 

 

The Pipian wings were a flavor I haven’t had before – the website describes it as a “creamy ancestral blend of pumpkin seeds, herbs, and chili”, which I’m now a huge fan of. Lots of meat on all of these wings, and I’ll be looking forward to working my way through all of the flavors on this list. These wings actually DO have Mexican flavors in the sauces, which is why they’re called mexi-wings – the chef really makes those flavors shine.

The Taco Al Pastor was filled with so much delicious pork and pineapple chunks - look at the photo to see how full these tacos are. I tried bites with all three salsas and decided the mild green salsa was the best combo for me. But they didn’t skimp on the fillings, so I was really happy with this order. 

 

The Fish Taco had a great breading on it and lots of fillings, as well. All of the salsas were good on this one, so don’t be afraid to order this one. There’s a bit of an upcharge for the fried fish (and for the shrimp), but it’s totally worth it. Live a little!

 

The waffle fries I thought would be boring, but they were very heavily seasoned and fried perfectly. We ended up dragging the waffle fries through the sauces from our wings and were really happy we did – in fact, the best dip was the pineapple habanero sauce with the fries.

 

And I would also suggest getting the Limoncito – it’s a drink made with limes, sugar, and muddled mint – like the lime version of a lemon shake-up with a mojito flavor. Soooo good. 

And, they have an axolotl on the sign for the restrooms, so you know they appreciate the fun things in life.

 

The owner (yes, he does have an awesome mustache) came out and chatted with us to make sure we were happy and we assured him everything was delicious and we needed to try more things on the menu. We will definitely be back to Mr. Mustacheo. Tell your friends and neighbors to go check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

https://mrmustacheo.com/