Minnesota State Fair's new food list doesn't skip the deep fryer
Details: Over a dozen of the 33 new foods are listed as fried or deep-fried, including pizza cheese curd tacos, cheese curds in funnel cake batter and a cheeseburger that uses deep-fried PB&J Uncrustables as buns.
While not always fried, the desserts could overwhelm a sweet tooth — cannoli gelato nachos, cinnamon sugar pie crusts and a croissant waffle topped with sweet cream and cotton candy top the list.
Zoom out: The Fair's yearslong diversification of vendors has also continued, with five of this year's eight new vendors serving international fare like Dubai chocolate, Filipino fried spring rolls and Hungarian pastries.
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Travel + Leisure
7 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
Exclusive: Celebrity Chef Sandra Lee Is Hosting America's Oldest State Fair—and Then Kicking Off an 18-Month Tour of Fairs Across the Country
There's nothing more American than a fair. And this year, the York State Fair, in southeastern Pennsylvania, celebrates its 260th anniversary as the country's oldest, in special partnership with Emmy- and Gracie-award-winning celebrity chef Sandra Lee. Lee plans to cut the opening ceremony ribbon, crown the Fair Queen, and host a variety of festivities over the first two days of the event, which runs from July 18-27. 'When I learned about the heritage, the legacy, and the impact this fair has had on our nation, I knew this was where I had to launch my tour,' the celebrity chef told Travel + Leisure in an exclusive interview. A guests view from the York State Fair. The event is also the kickoff celebration of Lee's 18-month 'Best in Fair' tour. The star of the Netflix competition series 'Blue Ribbon Baking Championship' is working with other state fairs—including Oklahoma, South Carolina, and more to be announced—just in time for America's big 250th anniversary in 2026. With hundreds of food vendors, best-in-class livestock shows, a home-brewed beer contest, and a moving heroes parade with veteran recognitions, the York State Fair is a major draw for those looking for summer fun and community along the East Coast. The grounds are easily accessible by car from hubs like Baltimore, New York City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Visitors can also expect appearances by major acts including Good Charlotte, Alabama, Rascal Flatts, T-Pain, and Foreigner. From Left: Guests riding the swing chair swing; Patrick Ball, the CEO of the York Fair. 'It has made us a bit of a tourist destination,' Patrick Ball, the CEO of the York County Agricultural Society, told T+L. (State fairs contribute $1.1 billion revenue in Pennsylvania, with York alone driving $99 million). 'Visitors stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants, and really take in the community.' Lee credits the launch of her entire career to fairs: she won a blue ribbon at the LA County Fair back in 1992. Here, the celebrity chef shares more on what visitors can expect at the main event. T+L: Sandra, why are you excited about this particular event? SL: "Fairs are homespun fun. York is the oldest state fair in the United States. I would like to call it hallowed ground. The economic impact that these fairs have has never been shared on a whole–they are a juggernaut as a financial contributor to the community. I'm excited about the Blue Ribbon award ceremony, because that leans right into my Netflix show. In any fair, there are hundreds of entries for ribbons. We're going to do chocolate cakes, angel food cakes, and kids' events–some kids might be entering a jam, or a baked good, like a brownie or blondie. The fair is also hosting its first-ever drone show." T+L: There is a symbolism to fairs, no? SL: "It's one of the most beloved pastimes in the United States. It's actually an international pastime. A lot of people don't realize that all these other countries have their own version of the same exact thing." T+L: And they are very family-focused. SL: "Whether you are nine months old or 90, you love going to the fair. Everybody has a great fair story from their childhood. I remember the first time I saw Garth Brooks, he was at the Indiana State Fair, and my sister and I went and had the best time. I saw the Judds at the Washington State Fair, and that was unbelievable. I've been to almost every fair in this country." Whether you are nine months old or 90, you love going to the fair. Everybody has a great fair story from their childhood. — Sandra Lee T+L: What's going to be your first bite? SL: "I'm going to go for the pink cotton candy first. I'm all in and totally focused on fairs this year. That is my summer of fun." T+L: Would you join in the cow-milking contest? SL: "Game on, if I'm going directly against Patrick Ball. I'm a little competitive that way. If Patrick wants to take me on a cow-milking contest, I will do it–and I will win."
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Hani's bakery delights and boasts a life changing PB&J — the best in the city
The best peanut butter & jelly in town lurks behind a door with the letter 'D' — marking a former Dunkin Donuts that's now Hani's Bakery + Cafe, the city's hottest place for fabulous baked goods and sandwiches. The doorhandle 'D' might stand for delicious or decadent, both of which apply to Hani's, located at 67 Cooper Square. It's the neighborhood's biggest draw since the rotating Astor Place Cube was installed in 1967. Hani's is a labor of love by celebrated former Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Miro Uskokovic and his wife, Bon Appetit senior food editor Shilpa Uskokovic, who took over the space late last year. 8 Miro Uskokovic and his wife Shilpa Uskokovic conceived Hani's and developed its delectable menu together. Mark Weinberg 8 The peanut butter and jelly sandwich 'is the most American thing,' according to Uskokovic, who prides himself on his traditional US menu staples — and grinds the peanuts for it in-house. EMMY PARK 'We debated whether to keep the 'D' and decided it was pretty cute,' Uskokovic chuckled. Uskokovic, who first came to the US from Serbia shortly before 9/11, set out to make his pastries, cookies and other goodies all-American — not influenced by Eastern Europe or France. 'I became known for my American desserts at Gramercy Tavern and other restaurants, and PB and J is the most American thing,' Uskokovic said. Hani's is a simple, ultra-clean space with a few booths and counter chairs, although most customers take their purchases out. Doughnuts, buns, croissants and rolls gleam inside a glass case. A sign lists a rotating lineup of sandwiches. 8 Hani's, located in the east village, takes a space formerly run by Dunkin' Donuts, and the chain's conspicuous 'D' logo is still on the door. EMMY PARK 8 Hani's turkey club sandwich eschews the traditional third slice of bread to pack in plenty of filling, complemented with a chunky pistachio and kale pesto. EMMY PARK 8 A tripple chocolate chunk cookie topped with sea salt from Hani's. They certainly don't skimp with these chunks! EMMY PARK For me, the life-changer was the PB & J. I've eaten the combo in every conceivable form since I was a child, even including a peanut-butter-and-jelly lobster nightmare in Miami. Hani's version, for a mere $6, laughs at all of them. Like the bakery items, it's meant to be 'nostalgic, but artisanal,' Uskokovic said. The single, thick slice of milk bread, which like all baked goods is made in-house, is toasted to a crackling turn. The peanut butter is ground in-house from Bazzini peanuts. Thick raspberry jam was from locally grown fruit. Unless you want to make a mess, I advise attacking the open-face sandwich with a fork and knife. Think comfort food sent to finishing school. It was as satisfyingly full-on tongue and palate as a juicy steak, but more fun with its interplay of creamy peanut butter and sweet jam atop the crusty bread — the summer picnic lunch of my dreams. 8 The bakery counter at Hani's — where hungry customers usually clean them out of stock by 3 p.m., hours before closing. EMMY PARK 8 The interior of Hani's bakery, located at 67 Cooper Square. EMMY PARK 8 A 'deliciously gooey' malted milk-glazed cinnamon bun from Hani's. EMMY PARK The turkey club ($17) needs 15 minutes to assemble, and is worth the wait. It's a skyscraper of a sandwich using two slices of buttery, multigrain bread, rather than the common three. Lightly salty turkey slices share the space between them with lots of crisp bacon, orange and gold tomato slices and pistachio and kale pesto. 'We make the pesto a bit chunky,' Ukoskovic said. The result has a pleasing, tapenade- like texture. Hani's baked confections have a timeless quality that made me forget Cronuts. The best-sellers are the triple-chunk Valrhona chocolate cookie and lusciously moist, malted milk-glazed cinnamon buns. But my choice was raspberry tea cake, a gluten-free number made with almond cake, labneh cream (strained yogurt), Mexican herbs and sugar. The almond flour is made with corn milk drawn from a Brooklyn granary. It's just $6.50, less than you'd spend on a slice of commercial layer cake in a diner. Hani's is open only from 7:30 a.m. daily on Monday through Thursday until 4:30 p.m., although they tend to run out of many items by 3. It's open until 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, but Uskokovic said they're adding from 6-10 p.m. on those days. 'There's always a line outside on weekends. We apologize to our neighbors about it and we bribe them with treats,' he laughed.
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Minnesota State Fair's new food list doesn't skip the deep fryer
The Great Minnesota Get-Together's new foods list is a throwback to a core fair food belief: the more fried, the better. Details: Over a dozen of the 33 new foods are listed as fried or deep-fried, including pizza cheese curd tacos, cheese curds in funnel cake batter and a cheeseburger that uses deep-fried PB&J Uncrustables as buns. While not always fried, the desserts could overwhelm a sweet tooth — cannoli gelato nachos, cinnamon sugar pie crusts and a croissant waffle topped with sweet cream and cotton candy top the list. Zoom out: The Fair's yearslong diversification of vendors has also continued, with five of this year's eight new vendors serving international fare like Dubai chocolate, Filipino fried spring rolls and Hungarian pastries.
