Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of reviews of food this week at the Freeborn County Fair.

 

Is there a fair food that isn’t amazing? If so, I have yet to find it — and it’s not because of a lack of trying — but I do have a couple suggestions.

New this year to the fair is the Minnesota Brat Dogs stand. It offers a few different varieties of brats for customers to choose from. My personal favorite was the smoked brat with jalapeno and pepper jack cheese. The cornbread-like coating on the brat dog is delicious on its own, but I suggest trying it with honey. It’s divine! A couple of my fellow tasters really enjoyed the wild rice with cheddar brat, as well, so if you don’t like something with a little bit of a kick, that may be a better choice for your palate. For those who like to play it safe, they have a Polish brat dog, too. Each brat dog is $6.

Another one of my favorites was the tater bales from the Burger Barn. While the Burger Barn is not new to the fair, this menu item is. Tater bales blend three of my favorite foods into one — potatoes, cheese and bacon. They also have chives inside and are served with a side of spicy ranch. I don’t think they could have found a more complementary sauce for this dish. An order of potato bales is $8.