Photographs by Caitlin Abrams
Healthy(ish) Minnesota State Fair Foods 2019
It’s the time of year when we don our sneakers and belt bags and eat fried food in 90-degree weather (ope!) with gazillions of other Minnesotans scootin’ past ya. But renewing your Minnesota membership (no, not your Real ID) doesn’t have to be deep fried or make you spend the first week of September on the treadmill.
We all know that the State Fair isn’t a salad buffet, but your fair trip doesn’t have to be a grease plunge. Give your intestines a much-needed break before hitting the all-you-can-drink milk stand with one of these healthy options. There’s also a rising trend of allergy-friendly foods at the fair (for our gluten- and dairy-free friends).
Vegan
Daryl’s Dog House | Regular corn dogs coexist alongside vegan corn dogs, here.
French Meadow Bakery and Cafe | The Earth Sliders here are fried “chicken” sandwiches, and the “Meat” Balls and Marinara have plant based parm and grilled sourdough bread—just like Joey Tribbiani would want it. And don’t forget dessert: a vegan chocolate banana scone.
Fried Fruit and Fried Olives | The vegan peppadew olives, a dish of non-fried gluten-free garlic-stuffed olives nestled in a Peppadew pepper with variety of sauces, just might make you say those two special words: olive you.
The Herbivorous Butcher | Call this vegan headquarters at the Fairgrounds. The ops here include Lord of the Bings, a “beef” mix with caramelized onion, carrot, bean thread noodles, “cheese” sauce, and an egg roll, and Crunchy Balboa, a tortilla with tater tots, roast “beef,” “bacon,” cheese sauce, seasoned sour cream, and some veggies.
Holy Land | Vegan and gluten-free friends, gather ’round for the basil hummus with spicy walnut topping! In the other hand, the homemade garlic parmesan chips it comes with are not V or GF. *sigh*
Island Noodles | This stand’s signature dish, the Island Noodles, include 20 vegetables (!!) and buckwheat noodles. With optional chicken, this baby can be vegan.
Jammy Sammies by Brim | Why aren’t all lemonade stands serving Jam’nade? Brim pours some sugar on the fair via organic lemonade infused with either locally made blueberry jam, topped with mint sprigs, or strawberry jam and jalapeño slices.
Midtown Global Market’s MomoDosa | Served alongside mint-cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney, the veggie pakora is vegan and dairy free—that makes it doubly delish, right?
Que Viet Concessions | There are some MinneVegetarian egg rolls at this authentic stand that should make any non-vegan do a double take. (Psst, they’re also gluten free!)
West Indies Soul Food | With fresh ginger, turmeric syrup, a dash of bitters, and lemonade, the Turmeric Ginger Lemon Surprise is, as you might guess, vegan and gluten-free.
Dairy-Free
Dippin’ Dots | These nostalgic beads in a bowl have evolved since the early days and now include dairy- and gluten-free options.
Jammy Sammies by Brim | Dairy- and gluten-free Grilled Sota Sandwich consists of cinnamon bread, local blueberry marmalade, and nut butter—like all the best childhood meals.
Key Lime Pie Bar | As the late summer inferno raises temps, the desire for brain freezes skyrockets. Quench it with a non-dairy and GF frozen fruit bar.
West End Creamery | Cows everywhere appreciate the non-dairy ice cream at this cone shop.
Gluten-Free
Bridgeman’s Ice Cream | Vanilla ice cream, hot honey, spicy peanuts, whipped cream, and a cherry on top (literally!) make up the sweet ’n’ spicy combo of the gluten-friendly Bee Sting Sundae.
The Anchor Coffee House | Gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins and gluten-friendly Scotcharoos have us asking, why do we need that pesky gluten anyways?
Auntie M’s Gluten Free | All your fried faves—cheese curds, funnel cakes, corn dogs—and all GF. Whether you need non-gluten ops or are simply curious, these fried bubs feel inherently healthier than the “regular” thing.
Dino’s Gyros | If your TikTok feed is filled with clips of Greek islands, get your fix with Tirokroketes (GF and vegetarian). These bad boys have spicy feta, cream cheese, mozzarella, house seasoning, gluten-free panko, lemon juice, and parmesan. Say cheese!
French Meadow Bakery and Cafe | Longstanding purveyor of health food amid at the fried event of the year, French Meadow offers gluten-free bread and cowgirl cookies (also vegan!). Plus, Nana’s Caramel Sundae Cake, which is a gluten- and dairy-free slice of heaven (aka apple spice cake). The Sconuts, buttermilk scone dough with chocolate, marshmallow, Nutella, and powdered sugar, are also gluten-free—and making our mouths water!
Midtown Global Market’s Arepa Bar | It’s not often that we make a blanket statement about GF foods, but here we are: All the arepas are gluten free, here. And (!!) the vegan arepa has black beans, fried sweet plantains, cabbage, carrots, green onions, and parsley.
Route 66 Roadhouse Chicken | Your starchy dreams are coming true in gluten-friendly potato skins with topping choices galore. We’d like to think these are better for us than potato chips.
Sara’s Tipsy Pies | Better than Thanksgiving, these pies with a splash of fun include gluten-friendly options: the Tipsy Pecan Tart and a version of the Minty Magic Tart.
Sonny’s Food | This joint is giving the corn dog an upgrade with its gluten-free beer-battered brat on a stick.
Just Healthy(ish)
Baba’s | If you love the new Lyndale Avenue locale, hit up Baba’s fair stand for the vegetarian Coco Nuts Bowl.
Strawberries ’n Creme | What says summer more than fresh strawbs with non-dairy whip on top? Yes, it’s dairy-free, but it’s also not fried and feels like the perfect precursor to whatever fried something on a stick comes next.
