Diet Bacon?

 

Should “diet” and “bacon” ever be in the same sentence? Thanks to PhotoShop it is. But even if this were real, not even bacon flavor could make me drink diet soda. Via whatever-the-weather.

Bacon Take Down-er

After last weekend’s Great (or just okay) Greenpoint Mac Off and Sunday’s Bullshit Brooklyn Bacon Take Down—lesson learned: Never go to hipster infested (and in Radegast Hall’s case—stroller ridden?) bars promising food unless tickets are secured in advance. Both events lured me to parts of Brooklyn that I don’t particularly like and/or are difficult for me to get to. At least the Mac Off was free and I got to sample a couple of the macs. But the Take Down was so chaotic. I didn't stay and luckily didn’t pay. A commenter on Eater says:

“The organizers of this event should make sure that there is an organized line so that you are not required to be a pushy douchbag just to get to the items you paid for. Anyone defending the mass attack on a table is a douchbag who doesn't mind people knowing it (and in w-burg? what a surprise!). If this was free event, I would understand.”

Yes. Surprise, surprise...

Review: Daisy’s Diner

Brunch at Daisy’s on 5th Ave and 9th in Park Slope.

Side of bacon:

Review: Hea

Dinner at Hea on 13th and 3rd in the East Village.

Kurobuta pork belly:

Sad Panda

Again, I don’t normally blog about random shit but what’s up with this forlorn panda moping about downtown? Carrying a Duane Reade bag? Baby bear needs some bacon... 

Bacon Sales Sizzle

Even in this rough economy, bacon sales are up 10% according to CBS News. Just goes to show, bacon will never die!

Why the hell aren’t there any bars in New York that do the free bacon thing??

The Bacon Effect

This is exactly the effect bacon has on me. Note to self: steer clear of Union Square. Thanks to Becky for the great picture!

Speaking of Union Sq. (on a totally un-bacon-related subject) I seriously miss the old veggie peeler guy. He passed away last month. RIP Joe!

Bad Bacon Habits

I have been given 2 bottles of Bacon Salt which I have yet to try—probably because I am wary of things that taste like bacon but include no actual bacon. Apparently, teenagers (and what appears to be middle-aged, pony-tailed office workers) have found that Bacon Salt goes better up their noses than on their eggs. Snorting the stuff has become a growing trend? J&D have put up a website warning against the appalling habit. Looks like someone’s getting creative with their marketing... Hmm, what kind of scandalous youtube video can I make to hawk skin care products?

Review: The Redhead

Dinner at the Redhead on 13th between 1st and 2nd Aves.

The Redhead burger with Neuske’s applewood-smoked bacon:

Bacon Inspiration

After a baconful weekend, I came into work with the usual Monday morning blues. That is until my intern came in with home-made bacon chocolate chip cookies! His amazingly decadent recipe was based off the cookies he used to make at Levain Bakery on the UWS—obviously substituting butter with bacon grease and adding bits of bacon. A nice, extra bacon-y touch: the chocolate chips are actually chunks of Vosges Bacon Bar! He may learn nothing from me at this job... but at least he was inspired my bacon grease cookies! I think these are WAY better—thanks Roberto!!

Review: Hot Diggity Dog

Lunch at Hot Diggity on Prospect Park West and Prospect Ave. in Windsor Terrace.

Bacon and cheese dog:

Review: The Farm on Adderly

Brunch at The Farm on Cortelyou and Stratford in Ditmas Park.

Side of bacon:

A Bacon Filled Weekend

Friday night I had dinner at the Redhead in the East Village. I've heard good things about the food but really... I went for the bacon peanut brittle. It has a spiciness that overpowers the bacon flavor but overall I still say it's a great combination. Every thing’s better with bacon, right? Including the bacon cheese burger I ordered.

Several hours and several bars later, I ended up at the Double Down Saloon for their infamous bacon martini which did in fact come with a slim jim stirrer. Although I very much enjoyed it, I believe this was the drink that did me in. I don’t quite recall the rest of the night... 

With a massive hang over, I woke up Saturday afternoon and made my way over to The Farm on Adderly. Not even a huge side of bacon could get me out of my zombie-like state (damn you, Double Down!). What better way to deal with a bacon martini hang over than with more and more bacon? After a nice walk from Ditmas Park to Windsor Terrace, I stopped in at Hot Diggity Dog for a bacon and cheese dog. Finally I felt somewhat human again. Thanks to Lieh for taking the hot dog pics and for putting up with my pamphagous appetite for bacon!

Sunday should have been my day to rest but there was the Great Greenpoint Mac-Off which I was sure would involve bacon at some point. Unfortunately the 1st of 4 places ran out of their mac & cheese with bacon and the rest didn't include bacon. Stupid Greenpoint... 

Still hungry and disappointed, I headed over to the Smoke Joint in Fort Greene for something to satisfy my pork craving. There was no bacon here but I have never, ever had a hot dog as amazing as their black angus dog topped with pulled pork. Last month I had high hopes for the bacon wrapped, deep fried Chang Dog at PDT. What a let down... but the bacon was not a fault—Crif Dogs are really awful! Guess bacon doesn’t make everything better.

Party Perfect

Wouldn’t it be a fantastic surprise if you picked up an hors d'oeuvre and the toothpick was as tasty as the treat that it’s holding? Imagine serving bacon wrapped dates—or bacon wrapped anything—with these Bacon Flavored Toothpicks!

Thanks to Kwanza (via I♥Bacon) for the tip!

Baconscapes

Some very creative landscapes created from bacon and other edibles by photographer Carl Warner. Didn't Oscar Mayer do a print ad for their bacon with a breakfast foodscape made of eggs, hash browns and a road paved with bacon? Ah, if only all the world were made up of pork products...

Thanks to fellow baconista Carrie for the pics!

Exceptional

I would never randomly blog about anything non-bacon-related but for Park Avenue Winter I can make an exception. I reverted to my Catholic school days on St. Patrick’s Day and donned the school girl look for a fantastic free meal. 

Here I am with 10 of my “classmates”—all pamphagous foodies. About 85% of the restaurant dressed the part including Broke Ass Stuart and friend. I can’t imagine how PAW can afford to do this. I was expecting some Restaurant Week bullshit... small portions, bad service, limited menu, etc. But this was truly an exceptional experience all the way through. Each school girl was treated to a full three course meal and two drinks. In addition, two sides were provided for each table. The portions were huge and the service on point. 

An amuse bouche compliments of the chef. Deep fried cheese things are a great way to start a meal. Photo via foodactually. 

Filet mignon with braised short ribs and root vegetables. Meat garnished with meat—genius! (Which is exactly what I wrote in our little love note to the chef).

My very complicated dessert: pistachio brown butter cake with an ice cream log rolled in crushed pistachios over red wine pears and a pear sorbet on a merengue. And classmate Patty’s dessert, "the chocolate cube.” Both photos also via foodactually.

Thank you Gossip Girl! xoxo...

Review: Dram Shop

Dinner at Dram Shop on 9th St. between 5th & 6th in Park Slope.

Irish nachos (aka bacon and cheese fries):

Char No.4

Char No.4—not unlike Chanel No.5—has it’s own intoxicating scent: smoked meat. I started off with smoked and fried pork nuggets and the house smoked, thick-cut bacon. BIrthday boy Gristle had the clam chowder with potato, leeks and bacon. That's a whole lot of pig.... The bacon was good but a little too fatty for my taste. We all know what Mr. Cutlets says about the meat-to-fat ratio! I would say this was about 35% meat to 65% fat. It was still a nice treat before my grilled hanger steak. The entree was the real star of the meal along with several delicious, well made, whiskey cocktails. 

Extra points for the knowledgeable bartender and the warm, friendly waitstaff—especially the hostess who told me how much she loves Jurlique!

Drink Your Meat and Potatoes

Yeah, that's sounds gross... sorry. But this new bacon-infused potato vodka sounds fantastic! Bakon Vodka will be available next month in limited quantities—unfortunately only in the Northwest. What the hell, Black Rock Spirits?!! Do you think we don’t want to make Rosemary Bacontinis in the Northeast? 

Thanks to fellow foodie Carly for the the tip!

“Fuck you, you pig!”

...is what Anthony Pisani of Somerville, MA said to officer Michael Capasso when he tried to stop Pisani from attacking employees of The Hill Tavern. It all started when Pisani barged into the tavern’s kitchen and began eating their bacon! His pamphagous appetite led to charges of disorderly conduct, assault and battery, and resisting arrest. These filthy drunks and wife beaters are making bacon-lovers look bad.

Buy Bacon. Get Free Delivery on Fresh Direct.

For all you pamphagous bargain hunters and online shoppers:

Now through March 31, enjoy FREE DELIVERY whenever you buy $10 or more in the dairy section of Fresh Direct. Use this promo as many times as you like until March 31. Just enter promo code: MOO every time you check out. The best part is bacon is in the dairy category!! They have nitrate-free Berkshire bacon as well as organic choices from Applegate Farms. 

Bacon Saves the English Language

Only a pamphagous meat lover could devote an entire blog to bacon.

I recently discovered savethewords.org—a site where one can adopt a word. Hundreds of words are dropped from the dictionary ever year because society has neglected and abandoned them. The Baconista Blog pledges to help save one of these long-forgotten words. My adopted word is PAMPHAGOUS (adj.): eating or consuming everything.

Bacon Will Never Die

The Slate claims that bacon mania is over. I’m sorry, but when was bacon ever not popular??

True, there has been some over exposure in the media lately but I really don’t care what dirty hipsters have to say about NY Times articles. Bacon is NOT a trend. Bacon is a way of life.

From Bacon Explosion to Book Deal

Jason Day and Aaron Chronister created a huge bacon buzz for their blog with the Bacon Explosion. They have now signed a 6 figure book deal! Eatmedaily.com reports that “Barbecue Makes Everything Better” will actually NOT include the famous bacon recipe that got these guys so much attention in the first place. 

Good for them, but if you ask me—bacon makes everything better. Now, if only blogging about bacon could get me somewhere...

Review: Little D Eatery

Appetizer at Little D on 7th Ave between 14 & 15th in Park Slope.

Iceberg wedge with buttermilk & cheddar dressing and bacon:

Review: Richard’s Tiki Bar

Lunch at Richard’s on Las Olas Beach in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Inside-out blue cheese and bacon mini burgers: 

Every Day Should Be Bacon Day

Farmers in Korea have declared March 3rd to be Samgyeopsal Day. After all, what better day to celebrate “three layer fat” than the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the year. Personally, I celebrate bacon every day!