Here are the new vendors coming to the Minnesota State Fair, plus 34 new foods

Listen to this article 3 min

Seven new vendors will set up shop at the Minnesota State Fair this year, according to the fair's announcement Tuesday.

Two of these vendors are local favorites: Afro Deli, whose owner recently was recognized as the national small business person of the year, and Midtown Global Market's MomoDosa. Others come from outside of Minnesota, such as Pennsylvania-based candy-maker Wow Fudge and Sarasota, Fla.-based bakeshop Peachey’s Baking Co.

While these new vendors make their debut, veteran vendors will cook up fresh and imaginative concepts such as a Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun from Shanghai Henri's or a dill pickle lemonade paleta from local Mexican frozen treats shop La Michoacana Rose.

Here are the new vendors at the Minnesota State Fair:

Twin Cities-based fast-casual African fusion restaurant. Location: Food Building, east wall.

Afro Deli will serve fried beef, chicken and veggie sambusas that will be served with a spicy Somali dipping sauce. The vendor will also have fried sweet plantains, Somali tea, and fresh mango juice.

Location: Grandstand Concert Venue.

A new State Fair concession vendor whose menu will include a burger, a “Brucy Lucy” bratwurst, a chicken press sandwich, a Lil Smoky Hot Dog, Pretzel Nugs, Facepunch Pretzels, Deep-Fried Baked Potato, as well as other snacks, candy and drinks.

Location: Northeast corner of Lee Avenue and Underwood Street

This vendor will serve bags of churros with caramel or fudge sauce; churros filled with strawberry, Nutella or Bavarian cream; churro sundaes with vanilla bean or cinnamon ice cream; and aguas frescas in watermelon, mango, pineapple and strawberry lime flavors.

Aug. 24-29. Location: East wall of the Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar.

The Minneapolis-based momo vendor will serve a Chicken Momo With Tomato Chutney (blend of ground chicken, cabbage, onion, ginger and other spices steamed in a dough wrapper and served with tomato chutney). Plus, Masala Dosa (South Indian crepe of rice and lentil batter, ghee, and served with tomato chutney and coconut chutney); Veggie Pakora (shredded cabbage and onions dipped in chickpea batter, fried and served with mint and cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney, vegan and gluten-free); and Mango Lassi (smoothie made with mangoes, yoghurt, powdered cardamom and cloves).

Sarasota, Fla.-based bakeshop. Location: North side of Randall Ave. at Cosgrove St., outside the Progress Center

This vendor will serve Amish doughnuts and southern sweet tea. The two doughnuts at the fair will be a vanilla glazed and a peanut butter cream doughnut topped with house-made vanilla custard, peanut butter crumbles and whipped cream.

Location: Northwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street.

Tasti Whip will serve cold beverages and desserts including Dole Soft Serve and Dole Floats in pineapple, mango, strawberry and lemon flavors.

Pennsylvania-based candy-making company. Location: South wall of the Creative Activities Annex.

Wow Fudge handcrafts more than 70 varieties of copper kettle fudge. At the State Fair, the vendor will serve strawberry rhubarb, blueberry cheesecake and St. Paul Pickle flavored fudge.

Here are the 34 new foods at the State Fair:

Baba's Location: East side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues

A traditional hummus from local Middle Eastern food brand, served with harissa barbacoa, corn, queso fresco, chili dust, shatta (hot sauce), crema, cilantro and pita puffs.

French Meadow Bakery & Cafe Location: North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood Streets

The two pastries are described as a combination of a bagel and croissant. The Everything Cream Cheese Ba-Sant is rolled in poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes, black pepper and sea salt with a scallion cream cheese filling. The Sweet Corn Ba-Sant is filled with fresh sweet corn custard and garnished with crunchy caramel corn.

Nordic Waffles Location: West End Market

Shakopee-based Nordic Waffle will serve its waffles with a griddled bacon-wrapped Kramarczuk hot dog served with cheddar cheese, pickle slices and crispy onions and drizzled with burger sauce..

Holy Land Location: International Bazaar, southeast corner

Minneapolis-based Holy Land's blended basil hummus will be topped with crushed walnuts, crushed red chili pepper, garlic and olive oil. It will be served with house made garlic parmesan chips.

Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Location: Northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Liggett Street

From Woodbury, ice cream company Bridgeman's will serve vanilla ice cream with hot honey, spicy peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top.

Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds Location: East side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee avenues

These doughnuts are flavored just as it sounds and coated with vanilla sugar, drizzled with icing and dusted with sugar crystals and sprinkles.

Green Mill Location: East side of Cooper Street between Randall and Wright avenues

This year, Twin Cities restaurant franchise Green Mill is cooking up a scratch-made jumbo pizza dough pretzel that will be hand-twisted and stuffed with Ellsworth cheese curds, pepperoni and a Green Mill blend of Italian spices. Brushed with garlic butter and topped with diced pepperoni, herbs and parmesan cheese, it will be served with Green Mill pizza sauce

LuLu's Public House Location: West End Market

Eli's cheesecake pieces are covered in funnel cake batter, fried and dusted with powdered sugar and salt. They can be served with strawberry dipping sauce.

Spinning Wylde Location: North of Wright Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets at Family Fair (new location)

St. Paul candy store Spinning Wylde's Cloud Coolers come in three lemonades served topped with a cotton candy cloud. Summer Strawberry – strawberry lemonade topped with strawberry fields cotton candy; Happy Huckleberry – huckleberry lemonade topped with blackberry jam cotton candy; and Flower Power – violet lemonade topped with lavender love cotton candy.

Shanghai Henri's Location: International Bazaar

Lutefisk, a 12-hour, lye-cured fish from Olsen Fish Co. will be served with a steamed lotus bun filled with cabbage, carrots, cilantro and yum yum sauce. It will be also covered in hoisin sauce, baked and tossed with sesame seeds.

The Herbivorous Butcher Location: Food Building, west section, south wall

A new dish from Minneapolis vegan restaurant consists of a deep-fried tortilla filled with vegan roast beef, bacon and cheese sauce, plus peppers, onions and a hashbrown patty. Served with vegan Follow Your Heart seasoned sour cream.

Richie's Cheese Curd Tacos Location: North side of Judson Av. between Liggett and Clough Sts.

From a Minneapolis food truck, this crispy vegetarian taco enfolds batter fried white cheddar cheese curds, dill pickles, cream cheese, lettuce and a fruity raspberry chipotle sauce.

Coasters Location: Southeast corner of Carnes Av. and Liggett St.

PB&J bacon mini donuts on a stick is the deep-fried delight of this dish, which is drizzled with peanut butter and raspberry dessert sauce.

Oodles of Noodles Location: Food Building, east wall

Another deep fried vegetarian dish is butternut squash filled ravioli that are deep fried and topped with a maple cinnamon sugar. On the side, there is whipped ricotta.

Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop Location: North side of Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts.

This sandwich made with local ingredients includes: Cornmeal from Whole Grain Milling Co. coating green tomatoes, a brioche bun from The Good Bread Co., mustard mayo, made from Lost Capital Economic's coarse spicy ale mustard, and locally grown lettuce. The vegetarian version comes with charred sweet corn relish, and the BLT option comes with bacon from Pastures a Plenty and Hidden Stream Farm.

LuLu's Public House Location: West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater

Betty and Earl's biscuit is covered with fruity cereal milk and cereal bits, drizzled with cereal-flavored icing.

Union Hmong Kitchen Location: International Bazaar, south wall

Chef Yia Vang is coming back a second time with his mom's recipe of a Hmong-style steamed bun filled with ground pork, egg and spices. Served with choice of Krunchy Chili Oil, Kua Txob Hot Pepper Sauce or Lemongrass Scallion Dressing.

Hamline Church Dining Hall Location: North side of Dan Patch Av. between Underwood and Cooper Sts.

Hamline Church Dining Hall is giving the breakfast sandwich treatment to their ham loaf, adding a fried egg-in-a-hole toast, cheese, a tangy glaze and caramelized onions.

The Blue Barn Location: West End Market

Blue Barn's deep-fried halloumi cheese sticks are drizzled with hot honey and a crunchy honeycomb cereal topping.

Blue Moon Dine-In Theater Location: Northeast corner of Carnes Av. and Chambers St.

Minnesota Dairy Lab will be introducing an ice cream that uses European-style butter as a base. It will be served on brown sugar cinnamon toast, topped with buttery syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes.

Sara's Tipsy Pies Location: Food Building, northwest wall

Sara's is cooking up two Parmesan crusted Italian hand pies served with garlic butter dipping sauce. One comes with a 7 Vines Winery red wine-spiked pizza sauce, sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. The second comes with Alfredo sauce over chicken, mushrooms and spinach.

Jammy Sammies by Brim Location: North End, Northwest section

Jammy's Sammies are adding two similar themed lemonades to their usual fair of jam sandwiches. Blueberry Mint Jam'nade is made with blueberry jam and garnished with mint sprigs. Strawberry Jalapeño Jam'nade mixes strawberry jam and jalapeño slices.

Nordic Waffles Location: West End Market, south section

Urban Growler is making a nonalcoholic lemonade seasoned with tangy dill pickle spices and garnished with a crunchy slice of pickle.

Quench'd Location: South side of Dan Patch Av. between Nelson and Underwood Sts.

This fresh-squeezed lemon juice sorbet is served in a frozen half-lemon shell and is garnished with mint.

Cafe Caribe Location: South side of Carnes Av. between Chambers and Clough Sts.

Fries, lobster, garlic and herb butter, say no more. Cafe Caribe is also topping the whole ordeal with bacon, chipotle mayo and green onion.

RC's BBQ Location: North side of West Dan Patch Av. between Liggett and Chambers Sts.

Smoke master Charlie Torgerson is coming in with low-smoked St. Louis-style ribs that are caramelized in RC's Sticky Huli Huli sauce and sprinkled with furikake, green onion and cilantro.

Soul Bowl Location: Food Building, east wall

Chef Gerard Klass' is introducing pickles infused with sweet-and-fruity Miami mango punch.

Minneapple Pie Location: South side of Judson Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Edible cookie dough stuffed inside hand pies, dusted with powdered sugar and served with either vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Hamline Church Dining Hall Location: North side of Dan Patch Av. between Underwood and Cooper Sts.

La Michoacana Rose, a Twin Cities-based family-owned business, will be selling paletas (Mexican frozen treats on a stick) that come in two flavors: the creamy Mini Donut Paleta and the Dill Pickle Lemonade Paleta.

Mike's Hamburgers Location: Northeast corner of Carnes Av. and Nelson St.

Pickle fries are thinly sliced, coated in cornmeal and a seasoned mustard batter and fried. The fries will be served with chipotle dipping sauce.

Arepa Bar Location: Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar

Available Aug. 30 to Sept. 4 only, chef Soleil Ramirez's Venezuelan crispy corn arepas come stuffed with smoked roast beef, avocado purée, tomatoes, red onions and arugula. The menu will also come with other new additions like yuca fries and the creamy coconut cocada drink.

Sabino's Pizza Pies Location: Warner Coliseum, north side

Sabino's is adding a charcuterie board to its pizza menu, which will be served with Minnesota-made meats, cheese, pickles and an herb-crusted cracker "board."

Giggles' Campfire Grill Location: Southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street at the North Woods

Giggles is adding walleye pops to its walleye cakes. The pops are made with smoked fish mixed with a cheese blend, dill pickle relish, garlic and spices before being rolled in panko and deep-fried. They are served with lemon and a dipping sauce.