My sister's fiancé is always on me to call him when I get to Des Moines as he likes to hang out. I was going to be in Des Moines this week and I called him a few days ago to let him know that I would be spending a night in the city. The only problem was that he and my sister had plans - they were going to the Iowa State Fair for a concert that same night. "But come to the fair and hang out with us before the show," he implored. I told him that I wasn't certain when I would get in town as I was coming down from Minneapolis. But I made it in town earlier than I thought and I ended up meeting them at the State Fair where we sat at the Craft Beer Tent and hung out. I walked them to the grandstand before the show started, then I went on a quest to find the "People's Choice" winner of the best new food at the fair this year - the "Georgie's Roast with the Most" wrap from G. Mig's stand.
G. Mig's 5th Street Pub is a bar/restaurant in the Valley Junction area of West Des Moines. Owner/chef George Migliero was the long-time chef at the private Wakonda Club starting there in 1995 before leaving there to take over the 5th Street Pub in 2012. Migliero was named the Iowa Restaurateur of the Year in 2014 and in 2016 he decided to put a stand out at the Iowa State Fair. Each year since, he has been a finalist for the "Best New Food at the Fair" award and last year he won a fair contest for having the best salad that included tofu on it. (Seriously.)
After leaving my sister and her fiancé, I took a quick look on my phone to find out where G. Mig's stand was and it turned out that it was near the southeast side of the Varied Industries building. When I got there, the line wasn't long. When I finished, it turned out the line was well over a dozen people deep.
All were, no doubt, wanting to try what I was having, the pot roast beef wrap. It consisted of cheddar tortilla wrap stuffed with tender slow-roasted beef along with a mixture of white rice, crumbled chorizo sausage, roasted green chiles, cheddar-jack cheese, a sweet corn salsa, crispy tortilla crumbles and finished with a drizzle of sour cream. A wonderful and thick green chile salsa was available to add to it, which I did liberally.
And it was wonderful. The beef was tender, the sweet corn salsa was very prevalent in the taste, the green chiles added a big of a smoky flavor, and the hint of a spiciness from the chorizo was evident. But the salsa verde was simply outstanding.
I normally get a Gizmo from Carl's Gizmo when I go to the fair, but the last couple times I went there, I thought it wasn't worth what they were charging for. (They've made them smaller and were charging more for them.) But for $10 bucks, the "Georgie's Roast with the Most" wrap was worth the price and then some. If you're going to the State Fair this weekend, it's my high recommendation that if you're hungry and looking for something to eat, then search out the G. Mig's stand south and east of the Varied Industries building for the People's Choice winner for 2019.
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