Baconfest Chicago 2010

The shirt I picked to wear to BACONFEST… I thought it was hilarious.

PLEASE DON’T EAT ME…

Well it was funny until on one of the tv interviews we did…. the guy asked me if I was a vegetarian. No, seriously. He asked me if I was a vegetarian….. okay… end rant… cuz I’m too excited to talk about BaconFest :D Yep, so now, back to BaconFest….

Yes, My travel buddy and I traveled from the East Coast to the… errr.. Mid…dle North Part of America… just to come to BaconFest[well and for me to see Rick and Carlos, but that’s for the next entry or so… AND I wanted to show my buddy-in-crime just why Chi-town was so awesome… esp in their food scene] but going to BaconFest was highly motivating.

Stan Mansion
Logan Square
April 10, 2010

I look boozed up… I took this AFTER the day was over…. and even tho I did a lot of booze… I was mainly boozey looking from all the food :] Drunk on Bacon….

 

FIRST SHIFT

Sharp right and this is the first thing you hit…… seriously.. sucks with everyone else to compete with such a yummy dish.. good thing everything else was yum too hahahaha or else people would be sad….

Chef Michael McDonald of one sixtyblue
Chicken-Fried Cherrywood Smoked Bacon with Cherry Ketchup and Homemade Pickle on a Miniature Brioche Bun

This was such a great way to start the festivities… sooo delicious. The fried chicken was soooo yum yum, pounded flat and then you get to the bacon and the yummy ketchup :] The brioche was delish too… just enough bread… the bread-meat-sweet ketchup ratio was perrrfect. Not to mention the pickle. LOVE the pickle. Sometimes it’s all about the pickle….

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Chef Heather Terhune of Sable Kitchen and Bar
Neuske’s Cherrywood Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Ewe’s Blue Cheese

I’m not usually a fan of bacon-wrapped dates because I feel like it’s just one trying to overpower the other and unless there’s nuts there’s no crunch… and usually the cheese inside is too overwhelming too :[ And Ewe’s cheese… and not only that but a blue cheese was just too much for me. :[ I feel bad I wanted to like it, I really did… but I could taste the overwhelmingness as soon as it entered my mouth before I even bit down…

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Chef Paul Fehribach of Big Jones
Bacon Fat, Buckwheat Shortbread, House Pecan Wood-Smoked Bacon, Passionfruit and Apricot Convserves, and Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon Pralines
Bacon Pralines, House Pecan-Smoked Gunthorp Bacon, Burton’s Indiana Sorghum, Sweet Potato Biscuit, Pickled Mustard Seed

I’m such a sucker for their ice cream… and their gumbo, but their pork belly [also had in GCM BBQ last year] is just as yummy yummy too :D As was today’s…. The praline was just incredible and sooooo bacon-y… and grainy mustard is just perfect. Texturely this made me oh so happy :] Yay again for Big Jones

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Chef Toger Herring of Socca
Triple Bacon Veal Meatballs and Asparagus with a Lemon Thyme Bacon Sugo

This was DEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!!!!! Definitely a favorite of the day :D Full of flavor and not overly or underly spiced and just melted into my mouth… loved the bacon around it as well. Happy belly!

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Chef Dan Smith of The Hearty Boys
Bacon Blueberry Corncakes with Bourbon Brown Sugar Syrup and Sweet Cream

This was SOOOOOO GOOD…. you could taste the fatty bacon grease in the pancakes. Just a touch of syrup and cream and popping of the blueberries… subtly bacon-y but not so much you get confused with the savory vs sweetness of it.

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Chef Steven Hubbell of Veerasway
Jaggery Cured Compart Duroc Bacon with Roasted Cashew Upma and Green Chili Upma, Mustard Greens and Pickled Bacon

Unfortunately, the bacon was a bit cold but the flavors were really really great. I especially loved all the indian spices that totally accented how great bacon was. The indian take on bacon was just lovely :]

Which makes me wonder… why no pork curries?

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How to make your own bacon demo

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Chef Chris Pandel of The Bristol
Bacon Corn Dogs with Bacon Maple Mustard

These were delicious. MMMM… Bacon Maple Mustard… mmmmm Corn Dogs.. I could eat Corn Dogs everyday… these need to make a comeback in gourmet foods :D

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Chef Thomas Bowman of Otom
Vacuum Oven Pad Thai Bacon

This was soooo goood :] AHHHH, SO SO GOOD. The Pork Belly just mellllllllted in my mouth and just… YUM.. the textures and everything :D The squirt of lime.. happy happy…

and Candied Bacon Tea Cookies

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Chef Randy Zweiban of Province
BLT-style Pork Belly Sandwich with Honey-Ancho Glazed Bacon and a Lettuce, Avocado, and Piquillo Salsa

This was AMAZING. LOOOOOOVED the spice.. just wish there was less bun and more pork belly. I ended up taking the top bun off and eating it open faced. I loveeed spice and avocado. FAANNNNTASTIC :D LOVE.

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Chef jared Wentworth of Longman and Eagle
Bacon Waffle with Brown Sugar Bacon Ice Cream and garnished with Candied Dehydrated Bacon

This was sooooo bacon-y and delicious. While I thought the ice cream by itself, I couldn’t eat too much of it, with the waffle it was SUUUUUUUPURB!!! The candied bacon was soooo goood as well… nom nom nom nom nom, crunchy sweet bacony goodness…

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YAYYYY for Bacon Cat

Chef  Charlie Socher of Café Matou
Brochette de Moules a la Toulonnaise.  A Prevencal-Style Brochette of Mussels, Bacon, and Spring Onion Garlic Clove served with Oregano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon

This was very light and refreshing… altho the garlic clove totally overpowered everything else.. and while there was bacon…. I’m not sure it all went well together unless you ate everything in one bite. Basically I ate a garlic clove, swallow, ate a mussel, swallow and had a tiny piece of bacon…. separately.. :T

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Chef Giuseppe Tentori of Boka
Canadian Bacon Gnocchi with Morel Mushrooms and Artichoke Sauce

The morels were really good.. as was the artichoke sauce… but the toasted gnocchi just didn’t have any baconness to it at all :[

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After drinking  a deliiiiiicious 50/50 Bloody Mary we grabbed some beers and headed down to the vendors…

 

– VENDORS –

We ended up buying tons of stuff.. BaconLand Game.. Figurines… Necklaces… Books… Gummies and T-Shirts and etc.. :D Happy happy happy day.

The guy next to me tempted me with bacon – soooo good ;D

We ended up buying a book and meeting the author and getting his autograph [who was super awesome btw… stupid me for not getting a picture with him]

MORE Cupcakes

Maple Bacon Cupcake

R tried a Bacon Bacon Cupcake [middle tier]

BLT Cupcake.. which was really good but the savoryness of it and the buttercream made me feel… confused.. hahaha brain and stomach confused… the cream tasted like sour cream & onion LOL…

LOVED the Black Truffle Salami :D

We also ended up getting TWO free jars of Baconaisse … but since it’s hard to bring back on a plane… stupid liquids rule, we had to leave them behind…. that and Baconaisse kinda scares me….

the first shift ended at 2 and the next one didn’t start til 3 so we had a lot of time inbetween to wander and goof off outside.. we even got interviewed again this time not for the documentary [which is when the guy asked if I was a veg… but I did say “Don’t eat piggies *showed off shirt* I’ll eat them for you” I hope they put it in ;D

Continuing on… we got interviewed for Attack of the Show! on G4 [best nerdy part was that R knew what it was and I didn’t hahaha] so if you see it, please tell me :D

UPDATE: 4/20/10 – Found the Clip but our interview was cut out of it.. [maybe cuz we were interiewed outside and lots of wind that day] just a quick split second clip of me eating hahahaha…

 

SECOND SHIFT

Somehow we were inside before anyone else was allowed to be… so we went to say hi to Rick for a bit and grab some drinks at the bar ;D

I got the Bloody Mary with the Bakon Vodka and R got the Chocolate Milk with the Bakon Vodka.. both were delish! Altho I still liked the 50/50 one better… altho in general I’m a fan of more tomato-y and thicker Blood Marys… sucks that my first one that I truly liked was Rick Gresh’s at The 3 Sisters Event at Red Light…. mmm cooked thick chunky blood mary loving… altho the make your own at The Southern, formerly known as Chaise Lounge were reallllly good too… I think I can say I’m a fan of bloody marys now :D

First Stop, one of the BEST Stops

Luigi?

No it’s Mexican-for-a-Day Chef Rick :D

This guy is a f*ing GENIUS.

Chef Rick Gresh of David Burke’s Primehouse
Bacon Tacos with Fresh Bacon Tortillas, Truffled Cabbage, and Ramp Salsa

Think about it.. bacon fat in freshly pressed and made-right-there tortillas… and the truffled cabbage was just sooooo freaking amazing. I don’t even know how to describe these… Rick’s area was full of people and he could never make enough to fill up the nail boards he made.

Had one.. or two.. *cough* maybe more of these… see so excited to eat it I couldn’t take a nonblurry pic…

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Chef Troy Graves of Eve Restaurant
Bacon and Cod Sausage with a Bacon-Ramp Vinaigrette

Very very unexpected how great this was. Another one of the favorites. You see fish and you think… oh no fishy, but noooo it was soooo tender and unfishy at all…. it worked PERFECTLY with the bacon… yea… many servings of these were consumed by moi ;D

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Chef Mark Steuer and Sous Chef Sean Spradlin of Paddy Long’s
Irish Breakfast of Bacon Fat Braised Pork Belly with a Milk Stout Glaze, Rye Blood Sausage Pudding, Pickled Cabbage Leaf and topped with a Bacon Fat Fried Quail Egg

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Chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr. of The Purple Pig
Spring Pea Bacon and Pecorino Salad

I loved that there was a dish with some fresh green veggies in it. I told the chefs that too ;D Hahahaha… crunch crunch crunch happiness… nice and fibery to help the pork move along ;D

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Sous Chef Nathan Sears of Vie
Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, Panisse, English Peas, Braised Onions, and Smoked Paprika

Just watching them cook it and smelling it… omg this was falling apart and amazing. Heavenly. But then it’s Vie and how could they ever do wrong? Never!

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Isn’t an oozing egg just totally sexy? Hahahaha… I remember talking with the chefs about how it was such a perfect jiggly egg. Jiggly wiggle eggs = yolky perfection = happy Tiffie.

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Chef Patrick Sheerin of The Signature Room
Bacon in the style of Pastrami, Kimchee Coleslaw, Crispy Rye

All of this was perfection. Two of these, I believe, – at least – were consumed in a short amount of time. The crisp rye at the end was just greattt :D

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Now this next dish, gives me wet dreams ;D

Chef Derek Simcik of Atwood Café
Bacon-Snickers Bar and Bacon Cappuccino

Yep had this.. maybe more than one or two times ;D The guy at the stand, I wish I found out what he did there for the resto but he was just so happy and talkative :D Anyways. You take a bite of snickers and then drink some cappuccino.  The frozen and the hot worked amazing. I wish I told everyone it was the worst dish of the day so I could eat 1908123 servings…

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Chef Jason Hammel of Lula Café
Texas Millionaire Hominy consisting of Lula’s Own House-Made Bacon, Pork Belly from Gunthrop Farms, Hominy from 3 Sisters Garden, Jalapeno Peppers, and Prairie Breeze Cheddar Cheese

[we actually went to their sister resto, nightwood, for brunch the next day :D] It was delish but huuuuuge blob of it and a bit on the dry side… wonderfully flavored and spiced tho… yum… loved the crust :D

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Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno
Malfatti al Amatriciana-Ricotta Gnocchi with a Ragu of House-Cured Pancetta, Red Onion and Tomato Sauce with Fresh Marjoram

This gnocchi was farrr better than the one from first shift.I may be biased since I love pancetta.. but honest-to-blog I think this was far better ;D HAHA, I just pulled a Juno on you.

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Chef Chris Lateano of Southwater Kitchen
Bacon Rillette’s Coddled Egg Dressing, Pickled Ramps and Bacon Fat Griddled Briouche Croutons

The rillettes and the bacon fat toast jut MELTED in my mouth. MANYYYY plates were eaten and in my belly. Seriously it just melted away and made me see heaven. :D One toast, one bite … no need to even be lady like anymore… teehee

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Chef Gilbert Langlois of Chalkboard
Vanilla Bacon Ice Cream with Aji Amarillo Caramel Sauce with Bacon Cotton Candy Curry Bacon Crumble

Waaa to not having the original Bacon Cotton Candy, but yayyy for Curry Bacon Crumble…

We went a couple rounds on this second shift :] Round and round and pretty rehit all of the spots.. and then some ;D

Other fun Baconness

GO PAUL KIM!!!

Me and Bacon Man :D I had another picture but it came out blurry [blame R]

Happy and full of Bacon. SO much bacon in fact, I gave up drinking my last beer cuz the bacon couldn’t be squished down any further…

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Instead of posting who actually won… I’m gonna have my own little Bacon Award show… First of all, personally I loved the second shift better. I think they showcased the bacon/pork belly a lot more… whereas in the first one some of the pork was too subtle. For example the toasted gnocchi and the mussel/garlic/bacon kebob. :[ Lacking in Bacon. I mean comeon… Canadian Bacon shouldn’t even count as a bacon.. it’s just ham. And ham ain’t no pork belly, fool~

Best Dessert
Bacon-Snickers Bar
Chef Derk Simcik of Atwood Cafe

Most Unique
Bacon Tacos with Fresh Bacon Tortillas, Truffled Cabbage, and Ramp Salsa
Chef Rick Gresh of David Burke’s Primehouse

Most Melt In Your Mouth
Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, Panisse, English Peas, Braised Onions, and Smoked Paprika
Sous Chef Nathan Sears of Vie

Most Falling Apart Delicious
Triple Bacon Veal Meatballs and Asparagus with a Lemon Thyme Bacon Sugo
Chef Toger Herring of Socca

Most Unexpectedly Delicious
Bacon and Cod Sausage with a Bacon-Ramp Vinaigrette
Chef Troy Graves of Eve Restaurant

Best Slab of Pork Belly
Vacuum Oven Pad Thai Bacon
Chef Thomas Bowman of Otom

Most Bacon-y Tasting
Bacon Waffle with Brown Sugar Bacon Ice Cream and garnished with Candied Dehydrated Bacon
Chef Jared Wentworth of Longman and Eagle

Healthiest but Still Tasty
Spring Pea Bacon and Pecorino Salad
Chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr. of The Purple Pig

Best Burger
BLT-style Pork Belly Sandwich with Honey-Ancho Glazed Bacon and a Lettuce, Avocado, and Piquillo Salsa
Chef Randy Zweiban of Province

Tastes Different From What It Looks Dish But Still AMAZING
Bacon Rillette’s Coddled Egg Dressing, Pickled Ramps and Bacon Fat Griddled Briouche Croutons

ANNNNNDDDD… the
Ultimate Winner of the Day…
Chef Rick Gresh of David Burke’s Primehouse
Bacon Tacos with Fresh Bacon Tortillas, Truffled Cabbage, and Ramp Salsa

It took took the cake bacon!
1. Taste 2. Presentation 3. Creativeness

Ok I may be a little biased ;D HAHAHA… but honestly it was just awesome…. I think it was the sombreros and mustaches hehehe

Coming here also made me think of what to make on my own… if I were to submit my own bacon recipe

Honestly after BaconFest we went to see Gabriel Iglesias at the Chicago Theater…

This is him doing one of my favorite jokes that he does —-

DONKEYYYYYYYY!!

See more of my videos of him on my youtube channel… I got some goooood ones ;D Including how he got naked on stage once… TEEHEE… anwyays….

So after the show, we were gonna go eat at  Publican but decided a meatless dinner might be nice so we ended up at Green Zebra…. and I still craved some pork.. I was talking about how the udon would be delish with some pork belly.. ahh such a fatty at heart ;D But yea, posts about Green Zebra tomorrow!!! Along with Primehouse

Me with all our Bacon Swagggggg… WOOHOOOOO!!!!