A culinary tour of the best the Iowa State Fair has to offer. Everything from the classic food on a stick to the local food vendors.
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A culinary tour of the best the Iowa State Fair has to offer. Everything from the classic food on a stick to the local food vendors.
Be sure to take as many pics as you can of troopers standing around wherever there happens to be air conditioning... :bounce:
oh, and EASTSIDE!!! :doh:
Last year LEO's told me concerning media that they were not to have their pics or names revealed. Is this true?
The Iowa State Fair is a mix of law enforcement agencies working harmoniously with the Iowa State Fair security.
LOL @ EASTSIDE
LEE TOWN AGAINST THE WORLD!
:rofl:
Not sure about the actual policies regarding pics, but as usual I doubt you would get an officer to pose for a picture... They end up on the internet and usually go downhill from there. That doesn't stop you from taking a picture of them, though they may find it strange! ;)
Arrival the first day.
The Jacobson Exhibition Center
http://www.iowastatefair.com/events/...ion-center.pdf
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Some big tractors
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One of the Sky Gliders
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Looking east from the Grand Ave. entrance, the Grandstand is on the left.
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...all this walking is making me hungry!
THE FIRST CORN DOG OF THE 2010 IOWA STATE FAIR
...well, it was my first.
This is Shelbi, it is her first year working the fair. Her favorite food is, well, corn dogs!
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I had better get a beer with this.
This is Jasmine, it is her 10th year working the Iowa State Fair. Her favorite fair foods are, Aunt Mary's Grinder, The Roast Beef Sundae and Cheese Curds.
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Yummm!
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dammit, now I want a corn dog :mad:
Every year the most common phrase heard is "Meet Me At The Bud Tent!"
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The girls working the tappers did not want their picture taken. Ok.
I went to tip them and they said there was no tipping allowed this year because they were raising money for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Home.
Ok, so where is the place to drop money? There is not a place in the Bud Tent to make a donation. I voiced my opinion and took my beer and left.
Think Floyd was playing two shows on one of the free stages.
Think Floyd USA - The American Pink Floyd Show
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG5s-Pa0IYA]YouTube - Think Floyd USA Promotional Video[/ame]
This was an AWESOME show
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The Mid American Energy display.
MidAmerican Energy Company
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More about that later
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Since Jasmine was so adamant about Aunt Mary's Grinder being the best, I had to go check this out!
Aunt Mary's, over 26 years at the Iowa State Fair
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On the left is Jeanette, she has worked here for 7 years. On the right is Kenna, she is Aunt Mary's niece. Jeanette's favourite food at the fair is the s'mores. Kenna's is Aunt Mary's Grinder!
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This was a very tasty sandwich. Coarse ground Italian sausage with a perfectly seasoned tomato sauce.
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Carl's Gizmo, 64 years at The Iowa State Fair
http://carlsgizmo.com/
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Carl's daughter, Carla, is now the owner of this institution. Her favourite food is the new quesadillas at the southwest corner of the fairgrounds.
The Travel Videos, Shows, and Guides - Travel Channel featured the Gizmo at the Minnesota state fair. Andrew Zimern declared the Gizmo "Nirvana on a bun.
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This all beef sandwich hit the spot. A perfect amount of sauce to meat to cheese ratio.
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Jennie Grinder, over 40 years at the Iowa State Fair
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I have known or worked with many of these people over the years.
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This has been my all time favourite grinder sandwich for many years, do you think Jasmine could be right? Is Aunt Mary's THE BEST GRINDER?
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THE VERDICT
These are three very distinct yet very similar sandwiches. They are all steeped in history and have touched many generations of fair goers. There is not anywhere outside the midwest that compares to these.
I have declared a three way tie. This is something that you must try and taste yourselves. There has never been anything close to a tie as this in any category of my reporting. Come out next year and try these culinary gems!