One more weekend of the Wisconsin State Fair! Get your fill of all the new foods, some of your old favorites, and don’t forget the cheese curds. This year I found many trends beside the iconic fair food-on-a-stick. I saw many BALLS of goodness and SAUSAGES in so many ways! Here are some of the great food finds at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2022.
BLACK BEAN BURRITO BALLS – $8
Let’s get the BALL rolling with this dish vegetarian dish. You receive four meatball sized balls which have a superbly crispy crust, fried drak, golden brown. The crust provide the bit of heat which was smoke smoky than spicy, which most will appreciate. The inside was a nice mash of whole beans and corn and cheese holding it together. I appreciated the chili lime sauce it came with which gave the balls a pop of acidity. These burrito balls prove you don’t need meat to be a great fair food or a Sporkies Finalist.
CHILI CHEESEBURGER COLOSSAL ONION - $20
This is your original Bloomin’ Onion, but ordered chili cheeseburger style, you get this massive meal with chili and nacho cheese poured on top and garnished with chives and bacon bits. While prices have increased everywhere, my party and I all agreed that paying the extra $5 for the toppings was not worth it. First, you don’t get all that much and it’s extra messy, but most of all, the chili overtakes the entire flavor of the dish. The standard iconic dipping sauce that comes with the original is still served with it, which is fantastic, but again the chili over powers all other flavors to be enjoyed. This colossal topped onion proves that sometimes, you just don’t mess with the original.
PENO PRETZEL POPPER BRAT - $15
Neil’s first shock was this was the price point. That was eased when it was served. This item is enough for three people to share - which is what they did. All three of them not only liked it, but decided it was worth the price. The bratwurst was thick with a good flavor. The pretzel dough was a little tricky to eat as it came unraveled with each bite. The flavor on this was also wonderful. The white cheddar sauce added a little moister that seemed to work. The house-made jalapeno cream cheese was great. The only trick was dipping the bratwurst in the cup. The fresh Jalapenos were a bit spicy and might be too much for someone who does not like spice, but they are easily removed. I would get this item again and can understand how it won first place.
GUMMY BEAR BRAT - $8.25
Just like the name implies, this is a bratwurst infused with gummy bears served on a bun topped with a honey mustard drizzle and gummy bear garnish. The official description fails to mention two other items included in this offering. There is also pickle relish on the bun, and the bun itself seemed to have a sort of flavor. It was also pink in color. Only two of our crew were brave enough to try this, said Neil. I rather enjoyed the odd mix of sweet and savory. The other person who tried it did not. I believe after one bite, the quote was “Oh no. Not for me.” I found the texture combination odd, but intriguing. While I would not make this a regular choice, I would recommend giving it a try. Especially if you have a willing crew to help you out. One incredibly fun bonus when ordering this item is the entire crew was wearing gummy bear earrings. They even posed for a picture!
CHURRO ICE CREAM - $6
While this was extremely refreshing on such a hot day, I was left pleading for more Churro! This heaping, twirled ice cream was light and refreshing and you can chose from either a chocolate, strawberry or hot fudge drizzle on top. Aside the vanilla soft-serve was one stick of Churro – one. While the Churro was pleasantly dense and flaking with cinnamon and sugar, I thought the churro flavor would be more incorporated. - maybe some crushed churro throughout the ice cream or even just some cinnamon powdered on top the drizzle. But since not, I would have liked another whole churro stick.
FISH BOMBS - $11
Just as it’s described, these lightly fried bombs taste just like a fish fry in a ball. They’re fried golden brown, enough to hold the Cod, slaw and potato together. The three ingredients are finely grated to homogenously coincide together to provide a consistent bite every time. The bomb is extremely moist and heavy and the two balls are each twice the size of regular meatballs. I enjoyed most the flavor of the potato pancake, which symbolizes authentic German fish fry’s. I also loved the little bits of acid that would sneak uo from the coleslaw and the lemon wedge it was served with also added that needed bite to cut the richness of the bomb.
PICKLE CHEESE CURD TACO
The flavors were all there and evenly shared. The battered curds were melted enough to be enjoyable, while the fresh lettuce and pickle complimented the warm curds with their crispness. Nick Just, a member of the party I was with, said it is worth the buy!
BRANDY OLD FASHIONED S’MORE ON A STICK - $6
After my first bite, I immediately thought I was biting in to an orange Charleston Chew candy bar. The thickness of the creamy almost nougat texture was the main reminder, and was tastefully flavored by the candied orange slice on top. Coated in chocolate, this dessert will certainly cure your sweet tooth.
CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH LATTE - $8.50
The only part that lived up to it’s name was the cereal coated rim. The drink was a cold brew coffee with a splash of “cereal flavored” milk. However, there was no sweetness what-so-ever in this drink – the only flavor is coffee. If you’re looking for the flavor of your childhood favorite cereal, this isn’t it. If you like coffee, it’ll be fine; but for the price point, I’m sure there’s better coffee deals around the fair.
*Not a new food, but a must mention*
FAMOUS REUBEN
After so many new options, Neil wanted to return to an old favorite. He visited one of his favorite stands at the park – Krautland; him and his family have been going here for quite some time. The Reuben is piled thick with both meat and sauerkraut, this sandwich did not disappoint. There was just enough thousand-island dressing to make the flavors meld. Not only one of the best Reubens at the fair, but one of the best I have ever had. All of the food at this stand is amazing, but you will thank yourself if you order the Famous Reuben. One word of caution, make sure you have a lot of napkins. This sandwich is almost as messy as it is tasty.
ARCTIC BUG BLAST SLUSH
An icy slushy is just what the Doctor ordered on a hot day – with a side of protein. This blue raspberry slush is for the daring since it’s topped with edible bugs and scorpion! My son always loves trying new things and he heard slush and bugs and was all in. While he tried and didn’t mind the edible bugs a year or two prior, this time he wasn’t too found. Not sure if it was the combination of earthiness and icy sweetness or he simply likes eating bugs by themselves. Either way, he was bold. I recommend mixing them in so when you sip, you don’t know if it’s a bug or ice.