Iowa State Fair Crowns Porky Parm Gnocchi as 2026 Best New Food
Fairgoers have made their choice: the Porky Parm Gnocchi from Destination Grille is the official winner of the 2026 People's Choice Best New Food Contest at the Iowa State Fair. The announcement came on Aug. 21 after a week of voting that ran from Aug. 13 through Aug. 19.
The winning dish beat out two other finalists, the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll from Winn & Sara's Kitchen and the Ultimate Minneapple Pie from Minneapple Pie. All three dishes represented the creativity and comfort food culture that Iowa fairgoers have come to expect.
What makes the Porky Parm Gnocchi a winner?
Destination Grille, based in Grimes, has built a reputation at the fair for inventive and largely gluten-free offerings. The Porky Parm Gnocchi combines gluten-free potato gnocchi with Graziano sausage in a cream Parmesan sauce, finished with pesto, shaved Parmesan and parsley. The dish also comes with a 250th year flag and a souvenir pig, adding a playful touch that resonated with voters.
This is not the first time Destination Grille has made waves at the fair. The restaurant's Lobster Corn Dog was a Top 3 New Fair Food in 2024, and this year's win cements its place as a fair favorite.
The other finalists were strong contenders
Winn & Sara's Kitchen, out of Indianola, was aiming for a three-peat after winning Best New Food in 2024 and 2025. Their All-American Scrambled Egg Roll wraps bacon, sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs and cheddar in a crispy shell, topped with cheesy ranch. Priced at $15, it tapped into the fair's love of breakfast at any hour.
The Ultimate Minneapple Pie, a newcomer from St. Michael, Minnesota, offered a deep-fried apple pie served with vanilla and cinnamon ice cream and homemade apple syrup. At $14, it leaned into the nostalgia dessert trend with a warm-cold, crisp-soft contrast that appealed to traditionalists.
A look back at past Best New Food winners
The contest has a long history of spotlighting creative fair food. Past winners include the Ultimate Bacon Brisket Bomb from The Rib Shack in 2015, the Apple Eggroll from Applishus in 2018, and the Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese from What's Your Cheez in 2023.
Winn & Sara's Kitchen took the crown in 2024 with the Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Roll and repeated in 2025 with the Bacon Chicken Ranch Egg Roll. Their streak ended this year, but the competition remains one of the fair's most anticipated events.
Why the Iowa State Fair food contest matters
The Best New Food contest is more than a popularity vote. It drives foot traffic to vendors, shapes food trends for the coming year, and gives small Iowa businesses a platform to reach tens of thousands of fairgoers. For Destination Grille, the win is a significant boost that could translate into year-round recognition beyond the fairgrounds.
For fairgoers, the contest is a chance to participate directly in the fair's culture. Voting is simple, and the stakes are high for the vendors who spend months perfecting their entries.
Frequently asked questions about the 2026 Best New Food winner
Where can I find the Porky Parm Gnocchi?
The winning dish is available at Destination Grille's booth at the Iowa State Fair for $14. The restaurant is based in Grimes and is known for its creative, gluten-free fair offerings.
How does the Best New Food contest work?
Fairgoers vote on their favorite among three finalist dishes during the fair. The winner is announced after voting closes. The contest has been a staple of the Iowa State Fair for over a decade.
Has any vendor won Best New Food more than once?
Yes. Winn & Sara's Kitchen won in 2024 and 2025 before finishing as a finalist this year. The Rib Shack has also won twice, in 2015 and 2022.
This article was written by John Damon for Just The News Iowa.