All Things Bacon in the D

By: Toni Cunningham | May 17, 2013
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I’ve never met a person who doesn’t like bacon, and it’s safe to say if I ever do, we probably won’t be very good friends. Everyone loves bacon! There are blogs dedicated to it, bandages designed to look like bacon strips, even iPhone cases emblazoned with bacon.

In fact, this delicious, salty food is so popular, it has an entire festival dedicated to it. That’s right, folks. Baconfest Michigan 2013 is a culinary celebration of all things bacon, and will be held at the Royal Oak Farmers Market on Saturday, June 1. In honor of this impending event, I decided to investigate what kinds of bacon-centric dishes can be found year-round on local menus.

Not surprisingly, several Metro Detroit establishments honor this cured, salty, heavenly meat product by including bacon specialties on their menus. Forget boring ‘ol bacon and eggs and try one of these unique culinary creations:

One Eyed Betty’s, 175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale, has an appetizer that will satisfy all bacon lovers: Bacon with a Side of Bacon. The dish consists of braised pork belly, applewood smoked bacon and a fried poached egg.

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Good People Popcorn, 633 Beaubien St., Detroit, makes a Bacon Cheddar Popcorn, which is perfect for snacking on while watching a movie, sitting at your desk, or just in between bacon-y meals.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor, provides a great option if you’re looking to indulge in bacon-y goodness, yet remain somewhat healthy. The restaurant’s Bacon and Bleu Cheese Salad is gluten-free and consists of arugula, applewood smoked bacon, bleu cheese and red onion drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

Honest John’s, 488 Selden St., Detroit, serves a BLT with 10 slices of bacon on your choice of wheat, white, rye or Texas toast. Who really cares what kind of bread you choose, because did you catch the part about 10 strips of perfectly cooked bacon? It’s got lettuce and tomato on it, so that makes it healthy, right?

Vinsetta Garage, 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, features a Macon Bacon Burger on its lunch and dinner menu. The Angus beef burger is topped with smoked cheddar and four (yes, four!) different types of bacon: house maple bacon, pancetta, grilled Canadian bacon and house-made bacon jam.

Tony’s 1-75 Restaurant, 8781 Main St., Birch Run, is the ultimate eatery when it comes to bacon, no contest. The restaurant’s infamous BLT sandwich comes packed with an entire POUND of bacon. Same goes for the omelets. Please don’t ask me how many calories and grams of fat are involved, because I’d rather not investigate. If you choose to tackle this one, we’re all rooting for you (and your arteries).

Treat Dreams, 22965 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, features a rotation of ice creams daily, and recently the list included Pigs Gone Wild—a crème brulee ice cream with raspberries and bacon brittle. I can’t even find the proper words for how strangely enticing that sounds.

If you’d rather drink your bacon, consider visiting Ugly Dog Distillery, 14495 North Territorial Rd., Chelsea. That’s right, this company actually produces a bacon flavored vodka. I’ll give you a second to let that sink in. Or, head to brunch at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, where you can order a Good Morning Manhattan, composed of bacon-infused Bulleit bourbon and maple syrup, garnished with raisins and an orange slice.

There you have it, Metro Detroiters. Whether you choose to get your bacon fix at one of the aforementioned spots or save your taste-testing for Baconfest, you have my permission to go hog wild in either case.

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