Heartlanding Through the Breadbasket

Monday September 6 (Labor Day)
 
Today is the last day I'll be Heartlanding through the Breadbasket- I guess all good things do have to come to an end.
 
I found out the weekend before that Zanzibar, the coffee house would be closed on Labor Day-however Java Joe's will be open, they did have a good iced coffe and I'll make sure I don't get another Dutch Letter..  I arrived a little after 7am and they were open. Java Joe's certainly rectified themselves, considering the disastrous experience I had the weekend before.
Besides a decent dark roast I had a fine Pecan Roll- fresh with a thick sweet glaze and a substantial meaty pecan flavor. Unfortunately I did not get any photos of the pecan roll
 
After breakfast I was back on the road and 3 1/2 hours later arrived at
 

 
The Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day with on and off drizzle I tried to make the best of it considering I didn't have an umbrella (I really didn't need one on this trip!)
 
Picture this day like the climax of a fireworks show- you know the last few minutes where everything is set off- so again the theme is "eat like you're never going back" because it's doubtful I ever will
 
My first stop was unexpected but it caught my attention
 

 
I could let you all guess what I had but I'll let you all in on it
 

 
Swedish Potato Sausage- It had a nice mellow taste- the grilled onions seemed so right but the bright yellow mustard was oh- so - wrong...I have a cranberry mustard at home that would have been a perfect match- or better yet- a Lingonberry Mustard- I'm sure it exists-
 

 
Hey if they have Lingonberry Ice Cream then I'm sure they have lingonberry mustard (no I didn't try any of the ice cream) however another perfect option would have been brown gravy- but that option wasn't available.
 
Anyway I passed many interesting concessions- and yes most food does appear to be on a stick- however it seems that  over here
 

 
They make it very clear that "nothin's on a stick"
 
Anyway as I passed
 

 
The deep fried candybars, my attention actually turned to
 

 
The Corn roast
 

 
For fresh off the stalk sweet corn. Just like 4 years ago, some the best  corn on the cob I've ever had..
 
Now I was just getting into the swing of things because just around the corner
 

 
 
Fried Cheesecake- but that's not what I wanted
 

 
Now this is what I wanted- I've been looking forward to this for over two weeks
 

 
Freshly fried- sharp- squeaky- cheese curds- much better than the ones I had at the Nook over two weeks earlier.
 
Here are some other cool concessions that I bypassed
 

 
 

 
Looks like garlic fries have made it to Minnesota
 

 
And of course what's a state fair without some religious entertainment
 

 
Which got me hungry for my next stop
 

 
A big ol' smoked turkey leg-
 

 
But decided to skip the bars, which I guess I could have
 

 
washed down with some "all you can drink milk"
 
now that I ate some poulty- I guess it was time to visit some poultry
 

 
or perhaps not
 

 
However I did make it to the
 

 
The moo booth 
 

 
To see what this gal produced (the moo both serves shakes and ice cream)
 

 
I also happened to catch an impromptu parade
 

 
The smell of cinnamon rolls caught my attention and as much as I wanted them
 

 
I didn't get any
 

 
That was because I had to save myself for my next stop- No hotdish on a stick this time- I learned my lesson the last time however
 

 
The Krumkake (pronounced "krumkahkah") was really good- yes I pronounced it wrong
 

 
I know that some people on the forum have a obsessive almost disturbing passion for bacon and squeal with orgasmic delight when they see bacon in various pornographic display- well this is for you (I personally couldn't care less)
 

 
of course any fair in Minnesota would not be complete without Walleye on a stick
 

 
I've heard of Nut Rolls but walked right by so I could hit my final stop
 

 
but it wasn't the "uffda brat"  it was
 

 
Lynn's Lefse
 

 
I went with the Lefse Delight
 

 
Lefse filled with Lingonberries and topped with whipped cream (some of you may be familiar with the wrist band I'm wearing- I wore it just about the whole time I was on the trip - what does it say?)
 
After spending a few hours at the fair it was time to say "Goodbye"
 

 
I drove back to the airport-
 
When I arrived at my Layover- Midway in Chicago- it was time for dinner.
Since I was no longer heartlanding in the breadbasket, it was time to eat some plebian rustbelt cuisine- Chi Town Style...
So I went to Gold Coast  Dogs inside the Airport and topped off my trip with
 

 
 
An Italian Beef- with Giardinara
 
and
 

 
A Chicago Style Dog
 
I was back home just before midnight..
 
 
Epilogue and Footnotes later on in the week

I ended you trip actually salivating.  Thank you, Dale for taking the time and effort to share your incredible food adventure.  Bravo!

Great stuff,Dale. A food cart here in portland introduced me to lefse which I had with cheese and ligonberries.

Excellent trip report!  Thanks for the posts.  And I could not agree with you more about Stroud's.  I was just at Stroud's for dinner a week ago for my first time and it was excellent!  Definitely going to be a must any time I am back in KC.
 
John

Excellent finish Dale--I'm so glad you included the Great Minnesota Get Together!  And a good tub of cheese curds to boot.  Did you make it around to see the dairy princess' butter busts?

This was an excellent trip report, wj.  I very much enjoyed it, and as I might travel to Minneapolis some time in the future, I am making notes about possible side-journeys.
 
Thanks for taking the time and effort to publish the text and photos.

Great trip report! I'm sorry to see it end though. Love the photos of the fair - ahhhhh....nothing like the smell of deep fried foods in the morning!
 

Great wind up at the Minnesota State Fair. I actually went twice this year to the fair which was a first for me. Also followed after you to Bemidji but tried a different place downtown, the Minnesota Nice Cafe for breakfast. I did not go and see the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statue. Enjoy your different perspective as an outsider of things I pretty much take for granted.

WJ
 
That my friend was an awesome report, well explored and photographed.  You made we want to explore, and enjoy that area of the states again.  Your choices of games and meals excellent.
 
That trip to the MN state fair looked like quite an adventure.
 
Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventure

Mr Chips,
 
Cheese with your lefse and lingonberries? Actually that would make sense, either a good Havarti or Jarlsberg would certainly go well.
 
Nancy
 
Sorry I didn't see the dairy princess or the butter busts- I was a man on a mission however on and off rain got in the way- so I had to go under cover a few times since I was sans umbrella

Epilogue and Footnotes
 
First and foremost I usually don't dedicate a trip report- however in this case  I will
 
I dedicate this trip report to Jane and Michael Stern- without them- the concept of Roadfood as we know it in all its shapes, sizes and forms would not exist therefore making this trip an unlikely possiblity.
 
I'll start out with the small stuff..
 
Best Museum-                 Mill City Museum
                                        Minneapolis MN
 
Best non food surprise- The Weather, long stretches of no rain
                                       and  low humidity
 
Best Coffee House-  Tie- Broadway Cafe and Roasterie
                                        Kansas City MO
                                        The Coffeehouse on Cherry Street
                                        Tulsa OK
 
 
Best Beer-                       Smoked Hefe
                                        Town Hall Brewery Minneapolis MN
 
Best Breakfast- 1st Place  Hell's Kitchen
                                        Minneapolis MN
 
                          2nd Place- Keys Cafe
                                         St Paul MN
 
                          3rd Place- Niecie's
                                          Kansas city MO 
 
Best Standbys-(non breakfast)- Top 5

                       (1st place)  The Breadbasket
                                                      Newton KS
 
                                             LC's Bar-b-q
                                                     Kansas City MO
 
                                             Tea Steak House
                                                     Tea SD
 
                                             Stroud's
                                                     Kansas City MO
 
 
                                              Tavern on Grand
                                                     St Paul MN
 
 
 
Best Meals-(non breakfast) (newly visited restaurants) - Top 5

                            (1st Place)     The Angry Trout
                                                           Grand Marais MN
 
                                                     TNT's Diner
                                                           West Fargo ND
 
                                                    Carol's Restaurant
                                                            Blaine MN
 
                                                   TC's Point After
                                                            Dewitt IA
 
                                                    Jess and Jim's Steakhouse
                                                               Kansas City MO
 
 
Top 5 Soups                      Chicken Borscht-
                                          Breadbasket Newton KS
 
                                          Knoephla
                                         Fried's  Family Restaurant Mandan ND
 
                                        Cream of Wild Rice
                                        Kafe Stuga- Harris MN
 
                                        Wild Rice
                                    Northern Lights Cafe Beaver Bay MN
 
                                        Beer Cheese Soup
                                        TNT's Diner West Fargo ND
 
 
 
Top 5 Desserts Sour Cream Raisin Pie
                          TNT's Diner West Fargo ND
 
                         Raspberry Rhubarb Pie
                         Rustic Inn Cafe Two Harbors MN
 
                         Sour Cream Raisin Pie
                          Farmer's Kitchen Atlantic IA (via long distance)
 
                         Banana Cream Pie
                         Riefe's Restaurant Davenport IA
 
                         Chocolate Zone and Hog Heaven Ice Cream
                         Murray's Ice Cream Kansas City MO
 
Most Incredulous  Chicken Fried Steak
                           Roosters Cafe- Jones OK
 
Most Overrated    Onion Burger
                          Robert's Grill- El Reno OK

 
Nastiest -             Beer Cheese Soup
                           Bison Turf- Fargo ND
 
                           Dutch Letter
                           Java Joe's- Des Moines IA
 
I don't get it award- Fleischkuechle
                                  Maid Rites, Loosemeats , Taverns Etc.
 
Least Favorite Desserts-  Lingonberry Bar-
                                          Cafe Finspang- Minneapolis MN
 
                                          Kuchen
                                          Little Cottage Cafe- Bismarck ND
 
 
Planned Stops that were Closed-  Lemon Wolf Cafe
                                                       Beaver Bay MN
 
                                                      Ann's Chicken Fry
                                                       Oklahoma City OK
 
 
 
  Future Trips -
 
due to being middle class without an endless flow of cash, upcoming condo renovations
trying to live a healthy lifestyle, and trying to remain rooted, future trips will be far and few between. I do plan to take at least one trip next year- it will be  a driving trip straight down I 70 to St Louis, I've never been to the new minor league park in Columbus OH and would like to see historic Gettysburg and visit the Roadfood acclaimed Farnsworth House with perhaps a Fried Chicken Smackdown in Indianapolis and Toasted Ravioli Smackdown in St Louis and will hopefully include side trips to Nick's Kitchen in Huntington and Horseshoe ventures in Springfield IL. This trip will take place while the renovations are being completed in my condo. If time allows, a detour to Milwaukee and Chicago will be in order.
 
Long Range plans will be a roadfood trip to coincide with the new Miami Ballpark in 2012
who knows where that would take me but I'm hoping it will be a marathon of a trip similar to the Rocky Mountain Highs and Big Skys Trip as well as the Heartlanding through the Breadbasket trip- after that I can only tell you that my trips will involve foreign lands and won't revolve around roadfood  unless the opportunity arises.
 
However this won't prevent me from taking short trips in and around New England and of course the NYC area where I have friends.
 
 
 
 
 
 

See you in 2012!

A spirited discussion of the beef commercial is going on here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/105876678.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyai_47cQiU47cQUzyaP37D_MDua_eyD5PcOiU

I was just in the twin cities this past weekend.  I didn't prepare ahead so I just went driving from my hotel to find a place to eat.  It was a residential area, so I wasn't finding much.  I was about to settle for Subway in a strip mall but as I walked up to the storefront I noticed the place next door:  Mavericks.  So I decided to try that instead - OH YEAH!  It was awesome.  I also tried the Brisket on Pumpernickel.  I also got a Jerk beef as well.  Both were outstanding!  The beef on rye was a great hearty combo, especially with some of the horseradish or BBQ sauce from the condiment bar they offer.  The Jerk beef had a good kick of spices.  The coleslaw side also had the horseradish bite.  I would go out of my way to get a meal from here again!