The New State Fair Foods We're Most Excited To Try

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Along with ushering in the first day of summer, Tuesday also brought Minnesotans a look at the new foods they'll find this year at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

The Minnesota State Fair released images of the 31 new foods and drinks that'll be available to fair-goers try come Aug. 24. What stands out about the new entries is that none of them – at least at first glance -- seem to push the boundaries of what's acceptable to scarf down in public.

For instance, there's no deep-fried butter entry this year. Instead, we've got deep-fried avocado, severed with a ranch dipping sauce. But, really, that sounds delicious, especially on a steamy summer day. Actually, those creamy avocado slices are one of the most anticipated fair eats in the WCCO newsroom.

What else are we excited to try? Take a look:

Kylie Bearse: The Bacon Up Pup

This creation is a Belgian waffle on a stick (with bacon in the batter), dipped in chocolate, drizzled with maple syrup, and topped with whipped cream and bacon bits. The sugary gut-bomb can be found at Granny's Kitchen Fudge Puppies, outside the Food Building on Underwood Street.

Kim Johnson: The Chocolate Popover

If you're like Kim, you can only handle one sweet eat at the fair. This year, she's eying this hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate roll with a peanut butter spread served on the side. You can find it at LuLu's Public House over at the West End Market.

Pat Kessler: Swine & Spuds

In a swanky riff on the Midwestern meat-and-potatoes approach to food, these skewers come with bacon-wrapped pork belly – which is pretty much just fatty bacon wrapped in regular bacon – and mashed potato croquettes, topped with your choice of sauce: homestyle gravy, Korean barbeque or sweet chili sauce. Find these skewers in the Warner Coliseum.

Jason DeRusha: Deep Fried Avocado

The newsroom's top foodie says he's looking forward snacking on these because of the texture: creamy avocado vs. the crunchiness of the fried batter. The savory snack comes with chipotle ranch dipping sauce on the side. Find them at O'Gara's at the Fair, at the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.