Baconfest Chicago 2013 happened this Saturday April 20th. It blew our minds.  Below is a recap and a break down of stats/awards/finalists.

We hosted c. 3,000 guests and 128 restaurants, 12 alcohol sponsors and 13 experience partners over two sessions (Lunch and Dinner).  Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats donated more than 5,700 lbs of bacon to participating restaurants.  You can see the menu, and find out where in the city these dishes are being served – HERE.

Our guests bought $4,300 worth of raffle tickets and donated over 2,500lbs of food for our charity partner The Greater Chicago Food Depository.  Our matching sponsor Bacon Lovers Deli Meats from Eckrich matched guest donations pound for pound, contributing another 2,500lbs for the food drive. Baconfest handed over a 5-foot long check for $50,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

All told, Baconfest Chicago 2013 is responsible for getting over 260,000 meals to those in need in Chicagoland. Bravo to you, Nation. Slow emphatic claps.  Many thanks to all of our guest chefs and sponsors who came together to celebrate Bacon for the Greater Good!

We presented 7 Golden Rasher Awards this year. For the food, we had one main award per shift – Most Creative Use of Bacon. NOTE:  Rather than try to come up with a “best” dish from among 60+ different unique options (not possible), we asked our judges to select the dish that blew their minds with its out-of-the-box approach to the use of bacon in a delicious context.  We also gave awards at each shift for the Best Front of House Table Presentation.

(We will add more photos as they become available.)

Lunch Session Awards 

Lunch – Best Front of House
Benny’s Chophouse – Chef Aaron Lindgren (below)

Lunch – Most Creative Use of Bacon (Winner):
Lockwood at the Palmer House  – Chef Joseph Rose - Slow poached egg with bacon ragout, bacon dashi, nori (below)

Lunch – Most Creative Use of Bacon (Finalists):

• Browntrout – Chef Sean Sanders: Bacon, sunchoke and ramp risotto
• Barn & Company – Chef Gary Wiviott:  Bacon Bacon Bacon Baby Back Bones – Bacon fat slather, bacon-infused dry rub, bacon fat mop, bacon-wrapped hickory-smoked ribs with bacon guajillo BBQ sauce
• Untitled – Chef Joseph Heppe:  The “Love Me Tender” – Pork belly panino with smoked banana, truffle caramel, and cashew butter
• One North – Chef Will Palguayan:  Pork Belly Adobo

____________________________________________________________

Dinner Session Awards

Dinner – Best Front of House

Fresco 21 – Chef Cameron Grant:  they had a Chicago skyline made of pork products (below)

and bacon roses:

Dinner – Most Creative Use of Bacon (Winner):
Three Aces - Chef Matt Troost (***for the 2nd year in a row.  AMAZING): The “Wake n’Bacon” – bacon scrapple with bacon sriracha, bacon-salt cured egg yolks, and a bacon – Malort Julius (below)

Dinner – Most Creative Use of Bacon (Finalists):

• CRU Kitchen & Bar – Chef Alex Shalev:  Bacon bread pudding with house-made kimchi and bacon caramel
• Saigon Sisters – Chef Matt Riordan:  “Black Pearl” Bacon Nem Nuong – Bacon fish meatballs, squid ink tapioca, nuoc cham dressing, cucumber, chili oil, Viet herbs
• Vera – Chef Mark Mendez:  Bacon banana rice pudding with Marcona almonds and Nutella
• Bridgehouse Tavern – Chef Mark Hemmer:  Peanut butter and Nueske’s bacon bread pudding, wrapped in bacon with bacon and bourbon caramel, bacon sugar and fried rinds

Other 2013 Golden Rashers

Chefs, sponsors, partners, volunteers, guests – we salute you!  Your love of bacon is an inspiration and we couldn’t be happier that you were there.

If you’re just now learning about Baconfest – welcome!

Sign up for our mailing list to receive information about upcoming events, including the First Annual Baconfest San Francisco at Fort Mason Center on Friday, October 11, 2013.

Greetings Bacon Nation:

This information is for those who already have tickets.  The event was SOLD OUT.  Please do not come if you do not already have tickets.

Those of you who already have tickets to Baconfest Chicago should have received a confirmation e-mail with pertinent details, but in case there are questions, here is some general information.  (e-mail info@baconfestchicago.com with questions).

Location:
UIC FORUM
725 West Roosevelt Road
For directions, see: http://www.uic.edu/depts/uicforum/directions.shtml

AND TO BE 100% CLEAR, Baconfest Chicago 2012 is happening at the UIC Forum (not the UIC Pavillion).

When should we show up?

That depends on which session (Lunch or Dinner) you purchased tickets for and if they are VIP or General Admission.  You should definitely make sure you have your tickets to confirm when to attend.  Here is the schedule:

10:30am – VIP and General Admission check-in desks are open for the LUNCH SESSION.

11:30am – Doors open for LUNCH SESSION VIP ticket holders.

12:30pm – Doors open for LUNCH SESSION GENERAL ADMISSION ticket holders.

3:00pm – LUNCH SESSION ends.  Event is closed.

4:30pm – VIP and General Admission check-in desks are open for the DINNER SESSION.

5:30pm – Doors open for DINNER SESSION VIP ticket holders.

6:30pm – Doors open for DINNER SESSION GENERAL ADMISSION ticket holders.

9:00pm – DINNER SESSION ends.  Event is over.

Some Tips:

1.  BRING YOUR TICKET AND YOUR GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PICTURE ID - We need to see your ID for two reasons: We will be checking IDs against names on tickets and we will card hard for drinks at the fest.  If you cannot demonstrate that you are of legal age, you will not drink.

2.  WHAT IF MY NAME’S NOT ON MY TICKET? - If somebody else bought your ticket and didn’t put your name on it, please be with them when you go to check in.  We will not be able to check in anybody whose name is not on their ticket unless the purchaser is present.

3.  WEAR COMFY CLOTHES  -  Dress is casual.  Wear COMFY SHOES – it’s a milling around eating and moving kind of event.  It is NOT a sit-down dining situation.  Wear whatever you’ll be comfortable standing and moving in for your time with us.

4.  BRING CANNED FOOD for the Greater Chicago Food Depository Food Drive.  Those who donate food will be rewarded with free raffle tickets.  The more non-perishable food you bring, the more raffle tickets you’ll receive.  If you don’t bring food, you can also buy raffle tickets for cash. And the raffle prizes are INCREDIBLE! More info here: http://baconfestchicago.com/raffle-2013

Other Recommendations

PARKING:  Ample parking is located in a pay lot two blocks west of the UIC Forum at 1135 S. Morgan St. Lot 5. ($9)  http://g.co/maps/4y77t

PUBLIC TRANSIT:  Options are plentiful.  The Blue line stop is (UIC HALSTED) and the Halsted Bus stops right at the corner of Halsted and Roosevelt.

See you Saturday!!!!!

Love,

Andre, Michael and Seth
www.baconfestchicago.com
facebook.com/baconfest
twitter.com/baconfestchi

Greetings Bacon Nation (and more specifically, all those with tickets to Saturday’s SOLD OUT Baconfest Chicago),

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again:  Baconfest Chicago is NOT merely a celebration of Bacon-gluttony, (though yes, that’s undeniably the huge selling point – we understand.)  For the fourth straight year, we, the Baconfest Triumvirate, along with our roster of fantastic sponsors and guest chefs are coming together to support a charity partner we deeply believe in: THE GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY (GCFD).  We are thrilled to collaborate with an organization doing such valuable and necessary work providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community.

In addition to our donation from proceeds, we are also co-hosting a Food Drive and Raffle for the GCFD at the event.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

On April 20th, please bring donations of non-perishable food with you to Baconfest Chicago 2013 for our Food Drive.  Why?

• If Karma is not reason enough, guests who bring non-perishable food for the drive will be given raffle tickets to win some truly amazing prizes.  For every 2 cans of food donated, guests will receive 1 raffle ticket.
• AND A BONUS:  One of our sponsors, Eckrich, has come on board as a matching partner for 2013!! Eckrich will match pound for pound everything we collect with a donation of Bacon Lovers Deli Meats up to 2500 pounds for the GCFD.  This is AWESOME.  Just AWESOME.  Thank you Eckrich for joining us in support of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
• Not into schlepping food?  Rest assured you can still help by purchasing raffle tickets at the event.  Tickets will cost $5 per ticket.  $20 will purchase 6 tickets (2 extra for the bulk purchase).  100% of raffle sales goes directly to the GCFD.
• What are these raffle prizes?  See the glorious list below.

The GCFD  will be raffling mega-gift-packs to include items from the following Baconfest Chicago 2013 generous sponsors:

• Baconfest Chicago – Baconfest SWAG!
• Bakon Vodka - Bakon Vodka Bloody Mary Kit – One bottle of Bakon Vodka, one bottle of their signature Bloody Mary Mix, pepperoni straws and recipe/guide
• Big Fork Brands - Big Fork Cooler & Grill kits (1 lb. Big Fork Bacon Sausage, tongs, thermometer, and towel all in a portable Big Fork cooler)
• Candid Wines - Selections from Girasole Wines and Tenuta Santome Prosecco
• Dreymiller and Kray - Gift boxes of an assortment of their bacons (all delicious)
• Four Eyes Hand Made – “A Cut Above the Rest” – Hand drawn, screenprinted t-shirt illustrating the cuts of the pig. From spare rib and loin, to belly adjoined, wear your favorite cut proudly. Available in men’s and women’s sizes
• Greenbush Brewing Co. - $30 gift certificate to their Taproom in Sawyer Michigan and a 6 pack!
• Jones Dairy Farm - A Case of Signature Hickory Smoked “Dry Aged” Bacon
• Know Your Flag – A Unique T-shirt designed by artist Meng Yang of Know Your Flag
• Labatt Blue – Labatt Blue Signature Hockey Sticks
• Mozo Shoes - Offering pairs of shoes (MOZO Bacon Shoes – lightweight, slip-resistant and made for long hours on your feet) from their chef signature series
• Nueske’s - Duluth Trading Company Cooler/Briefcase Combo Bags filled with food and cookbooks (“Zingerman’s Guide To Better Bacon,” “Garlic & Sapphires,” “Hungry Monkey,” and “White House Chef”)
• Pabst Blue Ribbon – Pabst Blue Ribbon official hoodie, iPhone 4 case, t-shirt and sleeping bag
• Salted Caramel - Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn “Pig Out” (24oz bag) and Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn Strong Man T-Shirt
• Spencer’s Jolly Posh Foods - Packs of his amazing artisan gourmet sausages and meats
• Templeton Rye - Bottles of Templeton Rye

Got tix for BFC on Saturday?  Toss a few cans of food in a bag and bring them down to the Food Drive for some raffle tickets!  Best, most Bacony raffle in town, guaranteed!

Thanks Bacon Nation.  See you Saturday!

Andre, Michael and Seth

Dear Bacon-Nation:

In case you don’t already know this as a fact, Baconfest Chicago 2013 is 100 % SOLD OUT! It has been since shortly after tickets went on sale in February.  There are no more tickets available and no one without a ticket will be admitted to the fest.

We’ve been reading some tweets and Facebook posts indicating that folks are thinking of  “stopping by” etc. We’ve also been getting e-mails from people inquiring about purchasing tickets.  We’ve even gotten people asking if there will be people walking around the venue the day of with tickets for sale.  They won’t!

In the interest of saving anyone without tickets heartache, misery and a wasted trip to the UIC Forum on Saturday April 20th, if you do not already have tickets, please do not come. We love you all, but we will have to turn you away.

Sorry to be so blunt about this, but we just want to make sure everything is clear.  There will be no additional tickets issued.   Folks without tickets will not be admitted in the building under any circumstance.

Happy warm-weather April!

The Baconfest Chicago Team

Today, we are delighted to release the list of dishes that Baconfest chefs will be presenting on April 20.  We’ve spent the last few days poring over these dishes and every time we look, we get more and more excited for the fest.  We think you’ll be excited too.

Ticketholders – enjoy this preview of the fest; plan your route around the festival floor; fuel your bacon dreams.

If you’re not a ticket holder, we’ve got something for you too.  As we did last year, we’ve recruited our chefs’ help to make sure that everyone in Chicago can experience a taste of Baconfest on their own.  Use the information below detailing which restaurants will be serving their Baconfest dish at their own restaurants to design your own independent Baconfest Chicago eating itinerary.  Bacon for all!

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437 N. Rush Street
Chicago IL 60611
312.222.0101

Hours:

Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Dinner: Monday – Thursday: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Bar Bites: Monday – Friday: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

About:

A classic Chicago Steakhouse located right off the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush restaurant has the best. From mouth-watering steak and seafood dishes to fabulous risottos and pastas, executive chef Christian Fantoni from Bergamo, Italy creates the most artistic and delicious dishes in Chicago.

Our culinary philosophy is creative, healthy and fresh. This is what you will experience when you dine at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush.

EXECUTIVE CHEF – CHRISTIAN FANTONI

Chef Fantoni was the son of the cook for an Italian prince in Bergamo, Italy, and developed a passion for Northern Italian cuisine at an early age with his culinary fairytale upbringing. It was there that he learned the importance of creating a complete dining experience in addition to preparing mouthwatering food.

“I came to the United States from Italy without speaking a word of English. I learned not only the language but also how to translate my traditional recipes for the American palate. I wanted to honor the traditions and prestige of the American restaurant scene but stay true to my country’s cuisine,” says Chef Fantoni.

After graduating from the Technical and Professional Culinary School in Bergamo, Italy, Chef Fantoni moved to New York City in 1994 where he worked in esteemed kitchens like Le Bernadin and Le Cirque. He then served as executive chef at Fiamma Osteria in 2007 where his revamped menu is accredited with maintaining the restaurant’s Michelin star rating. From his experiences, Chef Fantoni learned the art of precision at Le Bernadin and developed a passion for guest hospitality at Le Cirque where he immersed himself in customer service from learning customers by name to finding a spiny lobster for a special request by actor Robert De Niro. Chef Fantoni’s career highlights include cooking at the James Beard House and helping to host holiday parties with celebrity chef Mario Batali. After moving to Chicago in 2008, Chef Fantoni served as executive chef for Bice Restaurant and gained corporate chef experience with Portillo Restaurant Group.

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1 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 750-9700

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturdays 5-7pm (opera season)

About:

One North Kitchen & Bar puts a new spin on the downtown brasserie and wine bar. Mahogany and slate flooring, deep leather booths, flagstone walls, floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen come together to welcome you into a sophisticated, yet casual atmosphere. Chef Will Pagulayan‘s menu offers refined yet approachable Contemporary American fare, showcasing market fresh ingredients and bold flavors.

Chef Bio:

Will Pagulayan, Executive Chef, at One North Kitchen & Bar. Chef Will attended Western Illinois University and graduated with a B.A. Graphic Design, and a Minor in Marketing. After a few years Chef Will realized that in the kitchen is where he is the happiest; cooking brings back memories of when he was at home cooking with this Dad. Will then decided to enroll at Kendall College in Chicago IL.

After two years at Kendall, Chef Will had the opportunity to work in Paris, France and stage at the Hyatt Hotels in Paris. Every weekend he would stage at different restaurants, from Michel Bras, to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Paris, and other Michelin starred restaurants.

After returning to Chicago in 2007 Chef Will had the opportunity to work with Chef Graham Elliot Bowles of Graham Elliot and GEB, from there he then went to work for Chef Michael McDonald at One SixtyBlue. After a year at One SixtyBlue, Chef Will became the Sous Chef at Evanston’s Bistro Bordeaux under Chef Frank Mnuk.

Now Chef Will is manning the kitchen of One North Kitchen & Bar on Wacker Dr. across from the Chicago Lyric Opera. “I like to make thing’s really simple but flavorful, I like to try new things and whatever is available. I will always be thankful to all the Chef’s that I’ve worked with because without them I would not be where I am today.”

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24 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 372-4243

Hours:
SUNDAY: 10am-10pm (bar open until 12 am)
MONDAY: 11am-10pm (bar open until 12 am)
TUES-FRI: 11am-12am
SATURDAY: 10am-12am (bar open until 3 am)

Chef Bio:

PETER COENEN, CHEF DE CUISINE

Chef de Cuisine Peter Coenen oversees the daily kitchen operations and menu development for The Gage, a beloved downtown Chicago restaurant featuring rustic European and American fare foe lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

With a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University, Coenen previously served as a sous chef at The Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, USVI (a AAA Five Diamond resort) and as sous chef at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Blufton, South Carolina (a Forbes Five Star property). Just prior to joining The Gage, he worked as a junior sous chef at Chicago’s Michelin-starred BOKA restaurant.

Coenen grew up on the campus of Berkshire School, a private boarding school in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, where both of his parents were teachers. There, the majority of his meals consisted of cafeteria-style food, yet he would look forward to every Saturday night when his father prepared steak on the grill, which he served with boiled potatoes and endive. This weekly ritual ignited Coenen’s love for food and motivated him to explore a career in the culinary arts. He began cooking, and never looked back.

Trained in classic French cooking at Pot Au Feu in Providence, Rhode Island, Coenen thrived under the foundational direction of Executive Chef and mentor John Richardson. While working under Executive Chef Kirk Gilbert at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Coenen gained respect for a farm-to-table philosophy while preparing Southern cuisine with modern techniques and plating. Coenen’s culinary style today truly reflects his life story – which is punctuated with New England roots, classic French training and a dash of Southern influence. Prior to relocating to Chicago, he also traveled through France, Germany, Italy, England and Spain, which opened him up to the spectrum of European cuisine. These rich, cumulative experiences inspire Coenen’s menus daily at The Gage.

About The Gage:

The Gage, at 24 S. Michigan, is situated in a group of three buildings (18, 24 and 30 South Michigan) collectively known as the Gage Group. They were built in 1889-1890 by Holabird & Roche for the millinery firms of Gage Bros. & Co., Theodore Ascher & Co. and Edson Keith & Co.

The facades, which resulted from master architect Louis Sullivan’s collaboration with Holabird & Roche, demonstrate two different approaches to the Chicago School, a design movement that led to the creation of modern commercial architecture. With their simple external structure visually expressing the underlying skeleton and little applied ornamentation, the buildings by Holabird & Roche foreshadow the Chicago skyscrapers of the 1960s and 1970s. The facade designed by Sullivan (at 18 South Michigan) exemplifies Sullivan’s more expressive approach and was one of his last commissions.

The Owners – The Gage is owned by the Lawless Family who hail from Galway, Ireland and have been in the hospitality industry since 1977. In Ireland, the Lawless family owned and operated several renowned bars, restaurants and hotels including Gallows Prospect Hill, Taaffe’s Shop Street, Trigger Martyns (now Tigh Coilin) and The Twelve Pins, a full service 20-bedroom hotel which included a bar and acclaimed restaurant.

The Lawless family moved to the U.S. in 1997 and acquired an existing restaurant in Wrigleyville. They completely reconcepted and renovated the establishment and opened Wrigleyville’s first Irish bar, The Irish Oak (www.irishoak.com) in 1998. The Irish Oak remains a favorite of locals and tourists alike and has just celebrated its seventh anniversary. Featured recently in the Sun Times, the “Oak” is Zagat guide recommended and was voted Best Irish Bar 2004 by Citysearch and Winner of both the AOL City Guide 2004 for Comfort Food and the 2004/2005 Silver Platter Award.

In 1998, the Lawlesses looked North and acquired Winners, a sports bar in Lincoln Square, together with a partner. They oversaw a complete renovation of the establishment to reflect a more modern Irish bar/restaurant and The Grafton was opened in late 2002. Today, The Grafton has attracted a loyal clientele and the establishment is among the most successful in Lincoln Square.

In early 2006, the Lawlesses divested their share in The Grafton in order to focus on The Gage.

The Gage was opened in early 2007.

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1061 W Van Buren St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 421-6666

What’s the Blue Plate Difference?

Working with an array of partners and resources throughout the city, we provide boutique-style catering services to corporate, nonprofit, social and cultural institutions. Blue Plate has earned national recognition for our standards of service, creativity and exemplary cuisine, and we take pride in being one of the top hospitality companies in Chicago. That’s the Blue Plate difference.