While we weren't part of the record-breaking crowds Thursday or Saturday, my wife and I hit up the Minnesota State Fair on Friday and I found three things you have to try.

Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
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This year's Great Minnesota Get-Together has only been up and running for four days, but has already smashed attendance records on Opening Day and again on Saturday, when over 222,000 people went through the gates. Luckily for us, Friday was a little lighter (thanks to the rain early in the day) which made for shorter lines to grab some of that incredible Fair food.

I found three things I really liked about this year's new food additions-- and no, they're not all beers! Okay, ONE of them is, but still, you have to check these out if you're heading to the Fair this year.

Up North Puff Pastry - We split this one, and it was incredible! It's a Porketta sausage, cheese curds, coarse grain mustard and chopped dill pickle baked in a puffy crust sprinkled with pepper and sea salt. And it was really good. You'll find it at Sausage Sister & Me in the Food Building.

Nordic Waffles - You'll find these in the new West End Market, and they come in several different varieties-- from savory to sweet. I tried the S’More waffle with marshmallow crème, crumbled graham crackers and Nutella. My waffle was a little soggy, but I've been heard great things about their Slammin’ Salmon On-A-Stick (Norwegian smoked salmon with cream cheese & green onions).

Surly Brewing's 'The Kloser' IPA and Lift Bridge Brewing's Key Lime Pie - Both these locally-brewed Minnesota beers are new at the Fair this year, and, of course, I tried them both. The Kloser is a collaboration with former Twins pitcher Glen Perkins and is available at the Ball Park Cafe. It's pretty good and is similar to Surly's Furious IPA.

Lift Bridge Brewing's Key Lime Pie beer is available at Cafe Caribe and comes in a glass rimmed with green-colored organic coconut palm sugar. It's not an IPA, so it's waaay less hoppy, but did have a light, refreshing taste. (Of course, my favorite is still Lift Bridge's Mini Donut Beer, which you can ONLY get at the Fair, at the Ball Park Cafe.)

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc

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