Our Fair Faves – Comparing Fair Notes

We’ve only recently awoken from our powdered sugar and trans-fat-induced coma, but fear not, even in our weakened and bloated state, we’ve lovingly woven together a recap of the best, the strangest, and the downright inedible food that the Great Minnesota Get-Together has to offer. As we do most things half-baked, we’ve surely missed a Midway’s worth of the more delectable fried lumps of [insert exotic animal of your choice here] on a stick. Please enlighten us with your favorite State Fair artery cloggers. Just add them by commenting to this posting.

Schroeder’s

The Food Snob
“There’s no place to eat,” I whined to our editor, who has become accustomed to my histrionics. He calmly suggested Schroeder’s, noting that it is a popular lunch spot at the crux of the Monitor’s fiefdom. It was lunchtime, we were hungry, why not? It was also a reunion for our Without Reservations crew, since Chowhound left our company for greener pastures and more benjamins.

Tin Cup’s Place

Cheapskate

This is how it’s been for about 70 years: You live somewhere near Rice Street. You go to Mass at St. Bernard’s. You go to eat, drink, tap your toe to accordion music, and try to win a whole bunch of raw meat at Tin Cup’s. I learned this from a couple of different friends who grew up in the twin shadows of the St. Bernard’s spire and the giant blinking Tin Cup’s signage. When they heard I was going to Tin Cup’s they said, “I’ve spent half my life there.”

Shish

The Cheapskate

I had the very best mousaka of my life (I usually spell it moussaka but I’m going with the official Shish menu here). It was the special of the day, so I hope you are as lucky as I was when you visit Shish. The eggplant and potato slices were perfectly cooked, the seasoned ground meat layer was subtly scented with cinnamon or something similarly delightful and unexpected (to my palate at least), and the custardy top layer was light as a feather and delicately flavored. Yum.

Café BonXai

The Food Snob

“This must be St. Paul’s best-kept secret,” exclaimed one of our merry band of diners after tasting the array of delicious dishes that appeared in front of us at Café BonXai. Well if it’s up to me, this Hmong-owned French/Thai/Italian restaurant will become a household name, at least in Midway-Como.

The Happy Gnome

The Food Snob

Gnomes are among the most benign of the legendary creatures. Their name comes from the Greek word for knowledge and according to legend (according to Wikipedia), gnomes hoarded secret knowledge just as they hoarded treasure. Hence, the namesake of the Happy Gnome restaurant, bar and musical torture chamber (more about that later), must know something that Without Reservations doesn’t. Hoping that it was fine food, the Without Reservations crew – accompanied by our cub reviewer Bassett Boy – went to unearth the Happy Gnome’s treasure.

Que Nha Restaurant

The Food Snob
Frankly, it was difficult to snub my other favorite Asian restaurants along University Avenue and try Que Nha. With Tai Hoa just across the street, Hoa Bien up a couple of blocks and Cheng Heng (not Vietnamese I grant you) down a ways, the idea of trying a new place was making me insecure. Too many choices can drive a person mad.

India Palace

The Food Snob

What does India Palace restaurant have in common with the motley crew who review restaurants for the Midway-Como Monitor?

 

India is arguably the most diverse country on earth, with dozens of ethnic groups and religions jammed together.  Mostly the center holds, but the disparate viewpoints occasionally escalate into bitter strife.  That in a nutshell reflects the dynamics inherent in the churning relationship between me, the Bachelor and the Cheapskate. 

Hoa Bien

The Food Snob
Hoa Bien is the “Little Engine That Could” of Vietnamese restaurants. It has never achieved the fame of Mai Village, nor the ‘best kept secret’ status of Tai Hoa, nor the passionate following of Saigon – all three just down the street on University Avenue.

Abettos Deli

The Food Snob

How much caviar can one person take?

 

After two weeks on an upscale cruise ship, faced with an endless procession of delicacies: foie gras, rack of lamb, dark chocolate, tiny crustless sandwiches, exotic fruit tarts, yadda, yadda, yadda – it was a relief to get back to real food.  I mean huge portions of carbs, slabs of meat, and glorious trans fats.  So, I’m probably more enthusiastic about my meal at Abettos Deli than under normal circumstances.