Karl's State Fair Food Faves: Going Back for Seconds
Best new Fair foods from 2024 worth eating again
Hello Roseville! My name is Karl Stenborg and I have worked at the State Fair for over 20 years. I’ve eaten almost everything that’s been made there. In fact, for the past two years I have tried everything on the official New Foods List.
Here are my favorite new foods from 2024 that will be available again this year:
3 Piggy Pals On-A-Stick - Sausage Sister and Me
Food Building, east wall
This is one of my favorite food vendors of all time and last year’s new food was fantastic. It’s bacon, sausage, and jalapeño, and it’s on a stick!
Crab Boil Wings - Soul Bowl
Food Building, east wall
Usually I would recommend sharing this pile of chicken wings, corn, sausage and potatoes, but I was hungry and ate the whole thing myself.
PB Bacon Cakes - The Blue Barn
West End Market
Pancake battered bacon on its own would be something special but then you get peanut butter whipped cream and jelly. It’s sweet and savory and slices nicely for sharing.
Ba’bacon Sour Cream + Onion - Baba’s
East side of Underwood St. between Lee & Randall Avenues
These hummus bowls are delightful! They all come with little pita puffs that are perfectly sized for dipping.
Fried Bee-Nana Pie - Sabino’s Pizza Pies
Warner Coliseum, north side
This was my favorite dessert of last year! It contains Biscoff cookie butter, bananas, and honey, and is pancake battered and deep fried. It features honey from Minnesota bees thanks to Bolton Bees & Honeys.
Paella - Paella Depot
South side of Judson Avenue between Clough & Nelson Streets
This was my favorite new food vendor from 2024. The paella was one of the few things I ate more than once. It’s not deep fried or on a stick but it’s gluten free and delicious.
Crab Cake Benedict Breakfast Sandwich - Fish and Chips Seafood Shoppe
Food Building, northwest section
This one was on the unofficial new foods list, something I didn’t even know existed until I was almost done eating the 33 official new foods last year. It was so surprisingly delicious I may have to get one for breakfast on day one of the state fair this year.
Stay tuned to find out which of the new foods of 2025 are my new favorites!
Karl Stenborg has lived in Roseville since some time in the late 1980s and has worked as a ticket taker at the MN State Fair for over twenty years. When he's not hanging out at the Fairgrounds, he spends his time disc golfing and supporting the local craft breweries. He can also be found attending the Minnesota United soccer games and going to concerts all over the Twin Cities.
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