The Great Minnesota Tummy Ache

My first summer visit to Minnesota was with Jeff in August of 2000, when he took me to Switzerland, Paris and London for my college graduation gift. It was cheaper to fly out of MN than SF, so we spent some time in his hometown visiting his friends who were quickly becoming some of my besties, enjoying the humid MN days and warm summer nights..a welcome change from the freezing SF summer. After our amazing European adventures that included hang gliding above Interlaaken, romance in the city of love, hanging out with our hot bartender Travis Fimmel who went on to become a famous CK model/actor in London and a whole lot of fabulous culture, amazing food and gorgeous scenery, Jeff introduced me to just about the polar opposite of our previous two weeks: the MN State Fair. From the beauty queens made of butter to the suckling baby piglets to a little place known as Spamville, I was amazed and transfixed. I'd never seen anything like it. Ever. Sure the OC Fair brought out all sorts of chubsters and white trash eager to pork down pronto pups and go on not-so-safe rides that turn your brain to soup, (they're assembled by carnies people, I repeat: assembled by carnies ) but the MN State Fair was a whole new ball of deep fried fat on a stick. Ever since then I have made sure I attend the "Great Minnesota Get Together" (oh gash, you betchya) once a year.. that's all I can handle. Twice and I might explode. I'm not even really sure why I find it necessary to attend.. I always eat too many Sweet Martha's cookies after an array of fried things that don't blend together well in my tummy and wind up feeling sick, but its fun to people watch (ie spot fatties), visit the baby animals and try the new fried items introduced each year. I've sampled the fried candy bar, which was delish but left me with a face full of powdered sugar and melted chocolate and friends laughing at me, the fried pickles that were good but not something I need to have again, corn on the cob, gyros and fish tacos just because I needed something normal with all that grease and the usual cheese curds, pronto pups, soft pretzel with nacho cheese, Famous Dave's ribs, french fries with lots of ketchup and of course a warm bucket of Sweet Martha's cookies, con leche. I didn't get too adventurous with the food this year but did try a Philly cheese steak that was pretty good, again to eat something not cooked in a deep fryer, which is surprisingly hard to find at the Fair. I still haven't tried the dark chocolate bacon and just don't think I can do it. But, I have filled my yearly quota for deep fried fat on a stick and am all set for Fairs until August rolls around again next year.