What’s Really Cooking At The Fair
Look, we all love the Minnesota State Fair for the usual deep-fried classics and the electric vibe that sweeps through Falcon Heights every late summer. But this year?
The fair ate up the old playbook and spit it out with a bold new flavor. Honestly, we tried more than 80 new eats, and a handful stood out like rockstars at an open mic night. Take the Somali Street Fries from Oasis Grill & Hoyo Sambusa, for example. These fries are no joke—loaded with crispy battered goodness, Somali-spiced beef, and drizzled with punchy basbaas sauce that wakes up your taste buds like a double espresso. It’s this mash-up of cultures that makes the International Bazaar a must-visit spot. You want something that hits you like a late-night snack with your best friends, these fries are the ticket. The vibe is casual but the flavor?
Next level. Then there’s Afro Deli’s Afro Bean Pops. If you’re vegan or just curious about how to make beans sing, these crispy bites are a masterclass. Creamy, chunky, and balanced with cilantro and jalapeño basbaas—served in a cute little package you actually want to keep. It’s proof you don’t need meat to make a dish that sticks in your head and leaves you craving more. And if you want to get a little wild, the Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop’s Bison Meatball Sub is no wallflower. At $17, it’s a bit of a splurge, but bison packs a punch in flavor that regular beef just can’t match. It’s hearty, it’s Midwestern, and it’s the kind of sandwich that reminds you why the fair is more than just rides and games. Here’s the thing: the fair’s food scene is snapping out of its comfort zone, and it’s exciting. It reflects Minnesota’s growing diversity and the way food can pull people together, no matter where they’re from. This isn’t just about grub—it’s a cultural jam session on a paper boat.
The DFL Drama Nobody Saw Coming
Alright, shift gears from the fun fair foods to the political circus unfolding in Minneapolis. The Minnesota DFL dropped a bombshell last week by revoking its own endorsement of state Sen. Omar Fateh in the mayor’s race. Yeah, you heard that right—the party pulled the rug out from beneath its own guy, and it’s got everyone talking. Fateh, a democratic socialist who was riding high after snagging that endorsement, now finds himself in political limbo. The state party’s Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee revealed that the whole endorsement process was a mess—think electronic voting systems that undercounted votes by 176, leading to a candidate getting unfairly booted from the race. The report basically said, “Let’s pretend the first two rounds of voting never happened.”
This move is unprecedented and, frankly, feels like a punch to the gut for grassroots organizers and voters who backed Fateh. His team fired back hard, accusing the state DFL of being an out-of – touch establishment club that’s more interested in protecting big donors and Mayor Jacob Frey’s seat than representing the people. Fateh’s co-campaign manager called it “disenfranchisement” and vowed the campaign would push forward regardless. Here’s what’s interesting: Fateh’s rise was part of a larger trend in progressive politics—think Zohran Mamdani in New York City, another democratic socialist who flipped the script on traditional power players. The DFL’s decision exposes a real fault line in the party between old-guard politics and insurgent grassroots movements. It’s almost like the party’s scared of its own shadow. Bottom line, this is about more than just one endorsement; it’s a battle for the soul of Minneapolis’s left. Can Fateh survive without the party’s support?
That remains to be seen. But the whole episode is a vivid reminder that politics is messy, unpredictable, and sometimes downright dirty.
Vikings Backup Woes And What’s Next
Switching gears again to something a lot of Minnesotans care deeply about: the Vikings. Let’s be honest, the team is looking like it’s juggling flaming chainsaws behind the scenes, especially when it comes to who’s backing up J. J. McCarthy at quarterback. The Vikings cleared some salary cap space recently by trading starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. You’d think they’d be all in on using that extra coin to stabilize the QB room, especially with key receivers like Rondale Moore out for the season, Jordan Addison under suspension, and Jalen Nailor nursing injuries. The need for a solid backup is glaring. Here’s the rundown of the possible backups:
1. Sam Howell. Yeah, the guy they traded for. Dude’s NFL experience is promising but his preseason performance looked like he forgot football is a contact sport. Not exactly confidence-inspiring. 2. Brett Rypien. He knows the system, but the fact the Vikings still brought Howell on suggests they’re not sold on Rypien as a serious option. 3. Mark Rypien. Remember him?
The Super Bowl champ from the 90s. He’s around and ready. For a second, it sounds like a joke, but desperate times, right?
4. Max Brosmer. The camp’s feel-good story, but with almost zero NFL snaps to his name, counting on him to back up your starter?
Risky move. 5. Anthony Richardson. The Colts’ young gun looked promising but didn’t win the starting job there. The Vikings reportedly liked him before the draft. Would they trade up now?
Probably not, since a young backup with starter aspirations could complicate McCarthy’s groove. Here’s the takeaway: the Vikings are in a tight spot. Their receiving corps is depleted, and their QB depth chart looks shaky at best. If they want to keep playoff hopes alive, they need to make some savvy moves in the next few weeks. Otherwise, we’re looking at a season where the backup situation becomes a headline all on its own.
How It All Connects
So what do the fair food, the DFL mess, and the Vikings QB drama have in common?
They’re all snapshots of Minnesota in 2025—a place where tradition meets change, and where old ways clash with new realities. At the State Fair, culinary innovation mirrors the state’s growing cultural mosaic. Political upheaval in Minneapolis highlights deep divisions within the Democratic Party and the fierce battle over who gets to speak for the city’s future. And on the football field, the Vikings’ struggles reflect the brutal reality of pro sports where injuries, salary caps, and roster decisions can make or break a season. None of these stories are isolated. They’re about identity, power, and survival—whether it’s a Somali fry vendor staking a claim in the food scene, a socialist candidate fighting the party machine, or a team scrambling to find the next best quarterback. Minnesota’s changing, fast. And if you want the real story, you’ve got to pay attention to the whole picture—the flavors, the fights, and the football. Because at the end of the day, it’s all part of what makes this place tick.
