Who Makes the Beef Sticks Minnesota Renaissance Festival

SHAKOPEE — Hear ye, hear ye, lords and ladies: The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is here!

The annual festival opened terminal calendar month and takes place every Saturday and Sunday, plus Festival Friday (Sept. 29), through October. ane.

Just as they accept for the past 46 years (the offset Minnesota Renaissance Festival took place in 1971) merry off-white-goers tin can partake in revels from jousts to mystical quests — and, of course, fabulous festival foods.

Steve O'Brien, nutrient and drink coordinator for this year's Minnesota Renaissance Festival, said the festival has "a real eclectic arroyo to nutrient," one that fits with its as colorful and varied entertainment options.

"In that location's always something going on, something dissimilar," O'Brien said. "And if you similar nutrient how I do, it's very exciting!"

The festival features 45 food booths offering almost 145 entrees, according to O'Brien. Those booths volition feed approximately 300,000 people over the seven weekends of the festival.

O'Brien said the festival handles such a big audience past catering to their desires when it comes to food.

"We get a lot of feedback from the customers," he said. "This twelvemonth, I'1000 monitoring what's happening on our Facebook folio, where there's a lot of conversations happening. (The customers) let us know what they like and don't like."

Based on customer likes and dislikes, besides as contained vendor availability and the offerings available from Usa Foods, O'Brien and his team get together a menu for the festival.

"Most vendors are well-established in a menu, but in that location are opportunities to expand on those," O'Brien said. "This year we had a testing of various new products that US Foods have and came up with some new ideas as to what we wanted to serve hither. It'southward kind of a meeting of the minds."

Though the festival serves many modern foods, like deep fried Twinkies and dark-green chili cheddar churros, the most popular food options lean towards the more medieval.

"Popovers, turkey legs, corn on the cob, soups in a bread basin — those are all well-established (festival foods) that people consume quite regularly," said O'Brien.

Simply the festival coordinators don't necessarily set out to recreate the Renaissance on their menus.

"I don't know if it'southward and so much that we pick out Renaissance foods. We desire to pick out foods that people would enjoy, comfort foods," O'Brien said. "And if that happens to exist Renaissance food, perfect!"

Among the "comfort foods" selected for the festival this year are flatbread pizzas, sweet naan pies, and SPAM and pineapple sliders.

"I've tasted them and they're delicious!" said O'Brien of the sweet and savory sliders. "I know some people are like, 'Ugh, SPAM,' but it's really quite adept. It'south Hawaii'southward favorite meat! We hope things like that volition have off, that people will try it and like it."

Another new offering is the Unicorn Sundae, which O'Brien said is a brightly-colored, child-oriented sweet care for that includes cotton candy-flavored ice cream, strawberry syrup, whipped cream and a lollipop.

"The kids are going to be up all night after eating that one," O'Brien laughed.

O'Brien's job doesn't end at creating and coordinating menus for the festival; he'southward a regular guest who enjoys walking the fairgrounds, reaping the fruits of his labor while ensuring everything is running smoothly.

"I'll get see a evidence, walk around, encounter the artisans, mayhap picket a glass-blowing demo," he said. "Simply while I'm eating, I don't usually wander — I sit and soak it in."

O'Brien'southward favorite festival foods? He has a few, just his ultimate pairing will tickle the fancy of whatsoever meat-'n-beer lover: "I'll get a turkey leg and a Guinness beer," he said. "That's condolement food to me."

In O'Brien's capacity as "the food guy," but also as a festival lover in his own correct, he's offered some helpful hints for festival first-timers and experts alike. Read on for his tips and tricks to get the most out of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

Follow Alyssa Zaczek on Twitter @sctimesalyssa, email her at azaczek@stcloudtimes.com, or call her at (320) 255-8761.

NEW FAIRE FOOD FOR 2017

This year's Minnesota Renaissance Festival features 12 foods that are new to the carte du jour. The new foods include both vegetarian and gluten-free offerings.

• Beer cheese pretzel sticks
• Breaded avocado slices
• Maple bacon kettle corn
• Buffalo chicken fries
• Craven chicarone
• Craven shawarma on naan
• Pickle juice icy
• Pork loin sandwich
• Flatbread pizza
• Fruit on a stick
• SPAM and pineapple sliders
• Unicorn sundae

YE OLDE FAIRE TIPS AND TRICKS

Steve O'Brien loves the Minnesota Renaissance Festival like it's his task — because it is! As the self-proclaimed "food guy" for the festival, the nutrient and beverage coordinator knows a thing or ii most enjoying the day's festivities to the fullest. Hither are some of his helpful hints for traipsing the faire:

• Come for the nutrient, simply stay for the entertainment. "Nosotros've got a ton of amusement happening constantly," O'Brien said. "They're funny and absolutely wonderful shows." (Insider secret: Penn & Teller did their first prove together at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Aug. nineteen, 1975).
• If yous want the full festival experience, y'all must come more than once, according to O'Brien. "You tin can't run across it all in one day," he said. "Information technology's just not possible, so you have to come up more than once!"
• Have kids, will travel: O'Brien said there'south plenty for petty ones to practice and encounter. "Over the years, (the festival) has evolved to be more family friendly," he said. With enchanted areas like the Fairy Wing Forest and Mermaid Cove, plus activities and encounters like scavenger hunts, knighting ceremonies and even a real-life "unicorn," it's unlikely that your brood will become bored.
• Did you know you tin can find every meal of the day at the festival? It's true! There are options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus snacks and dessert in between. "I'm a scotch egg kind of guy, so I caput to that berth for my breakfast. Or bangers and mash, I like them both," O'Brien said. "For lunch, I'll sit down down with my beer, and it would probably be time for a turkey leg. At that place's no bad time for a turkey leg — unless you've had three already!" Bank check out the festival program to map out your favorites for each daily feast.
• Best daily entertainment? "Catch the parade!" O'Brien said. "It happens every day at 11:30 a.m. and it features the whole Royal Court, including the King and Queen, of class." Of course.
• Have dietary restrictions? The festival has you covered. "Check the program when you arrive if you're a vegetarian or gluten-free," O'Brien said. "Nosotros note in the programme all the foods that are suitable for those restrictions." You can also check the food listings online, where gluten-free foods are marked with a blue circle and vegetarian foods with a green square.
• Last but not least, have a minute to soak it all in. "Notice a table well-nigh your favorite amusement, find the crowd and picket them get effectually," O'Brien said. "I'm a large people watcher, and believe y'all me, there are plenty of people to watch of all shapes, sizes, dressing up as this or that. Nosotros have everybody from Chewbacca and the Ewoks to real Renaissance people."

IF Yous GO ...

What: Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

When: nine a.m.-7 p.g. weekends Aug. nineteen through Oct. 1, plus Labor Day and Sept. 29.

Where:12364 Anecdote Blvd., Shakopee.

Cost: At the gate, it'south $23.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors, and $14.95 for children 5-12. (Children four and nether are costless.) Advance tickets are slightly less expensive. Complimentary parking.

More information: http://www.renaissancefest.com/

ryderthrunt.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.sctimes.com/story/life/food/2017/09/04/whats-ye-olde-new-again-minnesota-renaissance-festival-foods/590516001/

Share this post