tastes like memories
Since the beginning, most recipes for dishes served at the Hamline Church Dining Hall have come from church members featured in the church cookbooks. The ham loaf recipe was submitted to the church cookbook by Gladys Helling and hasn’t changed since it was first served at the state fair in the 1930s. Gladys helped supervise the dining hall operation beginning in the 1930s.
The Epiphany Dining Hall, later called the Epiphany Diner, opened on the first day of the fair in 1956. The diner was an excellent way for the church to raise money. In its heyday in the 1990s, the diner served over 30,000 meals during the best 12 days of the summer, with more than 70 volunteers each day cooking, cleaning, serving, and welcoming fair-goers from across the state into the diner.
Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall first opened in 1949, serving hearty breakfasts and simple but delicious lunches. While the Hamline Church Dining Hall is older and larger, Salem has something no other food vendor at the fair has. Swedish egg coffee. Egg coffee’s smooth yet strong flavor brings people back to the dining hall each year and has earned the nickname, lutheran latte.