YOU GUYS. THIS IS LAST YEAR’S MENU.
We are still building the menu for 2019, but in the meantime, here’s what guests ate in 2018 at Baconfest.
FRIDAY DINNER
Bangers & Lace
TBA
Bar Roma – Fred Ramos
Spicy Pork Belly Meatballs
BBQ Supply Co – Dylan Lipe
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends – low & slow smoked bacon with sliced peaches and cilantro with a sweet tea & sriracha Glaze
Bliss Culinary Heaven – Tyler Nelson
Bacon & Grits – pork belly, honey grits, pickled slaw
Candyality
Hog Wild Caramel Popcorn Mix – secret recipe maple caramel popcorn with bacon bits and chocolate
Cantina Laredo – Damon Workman
BBQ Taco – 50/50 blend of slow roasted Mexican carnitas and delicious smoky bacon. served on corn tortillas and topped with a jicama red apple slaw with just a touch of creole mustard
Chicago’s Community Kitchens – Emily Cook and Abby Bicksler
Porky Puffs – bacon cream puffs with maple cream
Chicken + Farm Shop – James Garron
Fried Chicken Sandwich – buttermilk fried chicken topped with confit bacon, avocado aioli, fresno peppers, bread + butter pickles, cilantro, lettuce on a brioche bun
City Barbeque – Brian Carney
Smoked Double Pork Nachos – nachos with bacon and our smoked pulled pork and homemade nacho cheese. Along with a toppings bar with salsa, sour cream, jalapenos
Cooking Skills Academy – Paul Guerrero
Promiscuous Pork Belly – 48 hour red braised pork belly
CP West Loop – Ariel Cole
Here’s Squeal’n Johnny – jalapeno cheddar johnny cakes topped with bacon jam, bacon-infused bourbon maple syrup and bourbon whipped cream
Earl’s Drive-Thru BBQ
Bacon Brisket BBQ Beans
Edzo’s Burger Shop – Eddie Lakin
Pancakes-n-Bacon Milkshake
El Tapeo
Cerdo a la Pimienta – Peppered pork belly with a saffron orange gel and sautéed wild mushrooms
Farmhouse Chicago – Eric Mansavage
Piggymisu – an old favorite with a bacon twist!
Flo & Santos – Mark Rimkus
Polish Piggie Pierogi – bacon fried pierogi wrapped in bacon topped with bacon jam
Half Day Brewing Co – Bob Zrenner
Bacon Peanut Butter and Bacon Jam Doughnuts
Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar – Guy Meikle
Bacon Roasted Sunchoke and Cottage Cheese Pelmeni – bacon dashi, butternut squash kimchi, bacon dough
Howells & Hood – Brett Faldstein
Serrano Tamarind Pork Belly Bites – crispy pork belly, grilled pineapple, pickled Persian cucumber, serrano tamarind BBQ
Hubbard Inn – Jason Hedin
Doughnuts – with maple-bacon jus
Imperial Lamian – Alan Tran
Imperial Bacon Lamian – bacon-infused, hand-pulled noodles served with pork broth and braised pork belly
Italian Village Restaurants – Jose Torres
Bacon BBQ Truffle – Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon stuffed with chicken leg meat, Italian sausage, prosciutto i Parma and fresh sage; baked with bacon-infused BBQ sauce.
Jam Restaurant – Ian Voakes
The Elvis – Jam’s malted custard french toast, peanut butter, maple banana, bacon jam
Jordan’s Food of Distinction
Lobster Pork Cappuccino – slow braised applewood smoked pork belly with creamy shallot scented lobster bisque and chive oil
Kanela Breakfast Club – Ivan Gonzalez and Alexandria Swieton
Bacon Delight – In this dish we will be using bacon in many forms all to create one dish that represents us as #1 brunch place in Chicago by USA Today
Kinzie Chophouse – Susan Frasca
Sweet Bacon Corner – Whiskey, caramel, marshmallow, bacon bark
Chocolate bark cupcakes with maple frosting
Chocolate bacon truffles
Latinicity – Marcos Flores
Chori-Frita Slider – house-ground black angus & chorizo patty, manchego cheese, bacon mojo, crispy potatoes, brioche bun
Links Taproom – Dimitris Mallios
Dr. Filogood – bacon & pistachio baklava topped with caramelized bacon, vanilla pudding and pistachio crumbles
Miss Ricky’s – Moosah Reaume
Maple Chili Bacon Cruller – bacon Cruller stuffed with onion chili butter cream glazed with maple chili bacon floss
NIX Restaurant At The Knickerbocker hotel – Cliff Ostrowski
Porky’s Delight – roasted Butternut squash, brussel sprouts, crispy bacon, with balsamic fig syrup
Nonna Santi’s Biscotti – Jo-Marie Frigo
Polenta Bacon Biscotti
Old Grounds Social – Esteban Garcia
Bacon Wrapped Andouille with Maple Bacon Glaze
Park Grill – Alfredo Sandoval
Tamal de Cochinita Pibil – bacon infused corn masa, achiote braised pork belly pibil, Xnipec habanero salsa, pickled onion
Peckish Pig – Debbie Evans
Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Chorizo
Perfect Pasta, Inc. – Noel Umbricht
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Stuffed Gnocchi “Poppers” with Bacon Ranch
Porkchop – Eric Feltman
Bacon Cake
PR Italian Bistro – Stefano Roman
Frittole del Carnevale Veneziano (Venetian Carnival Donuts) – Venetian donuts with Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, grappa-soaked raisins, raspberry cream cheese, bacon bottarga, bourbon maple syrup
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel – Leah Turowski
Moody Reuben – bourbon-glazed pork belly, pickled red cabbage, smoked dressing, baby swiss, dark molasses bun
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee – Rich Labriola
Mini Maple Caramel Bacon Pecan Bars – our buttermilk cake donut is having a party and it invited all its best pals: maple, caramel, bacon, pecan …. and you!
State and Lake Chicago Tavern – Nathan Sears
Hiyashi Chuka (Chilled Ramen) – bacon dashi broth, traditional garnish, pickled egg, bacon togarashi, bacon fat mayu
Tap House Grill – Bob Zrenner
Cheddar Stuffed Bacon – beer battered bacon stuffed with Merkt’s cheese
The Delta – Adam Wendt
Bacon Cush – bacon tamale, charred pepper, mornay, chicharron
The Grill on the Alley – Geordan Stenson
The Grill on the Alley’s Bacon and Brussels – bacon, brussels sprouts, carrots, onions and balsamic vinegar
The Roaming Hog – Eddie Aguilar
Pork Belly Clay Pot – Vietnamese-inspired clay pot marinated pork belly, black garlic caramel sauce, puffed rice, pickled Thai chili sambal sauce, fresh herbs, sesame seeds
Velvet Taco – Grant Morgan
Cuban Pig – gruyere cheese, slow roasted pork, shaved ham, Nueske’s peppered bacon, bacon mustard, house brined pickles, flour tortilla
Victory Tap Chicago – Joe Farina
Bacon Ricotta Agnolotti with Bacon, Sage and Brown Butter – pasta stuffed with ricotta and bacon, sauteed with bacon, sage and brown butter
Vie – Eddie Duracka
Bacon Pibil – with creamed hominy, fried hominy, candied lime zest, cilantro, pickled cherry bomb peppers
WHISK – David Rodriguez
Bacon Mac and Cheese Sundae Cones
SATURDAY LUNCH
Autre Monde Café & Spirits – Dan Pancake
BLT Ramen
BACARO – Drew Starkey
Bacon Lasagna
Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits – Phil Griffin
Bacon Fat Grits – made with a crumbled candied bacon pimento cheese, topped with bacon lardons and a chive garnish
Birrieria Zaragoza – Jonathan Zaragoza
Sonoran Hot Dog – bacon-wrapped hot dog with Mexican fixings like pico de gallo, frijoles
Bistro Campagne – Luke Creagan
“Bacon and Eggs” – bacon rillettes on brioche, sauce gribiche, bruleed Pernod-fennel marshmallow, smoked maple
Bistronomic – Martial Noguier and Amanda Downing
Roasted Applewood Smoked Bacon Croquette – with escargot, brioche bread crumbs & green garlic aioli
BITES – Derek Intapura
Billionaire’s BLT Bao – Asian spiced candied bacon, Japanese mayo, romaine hearts, fresh tomato, shredded nori
Burger Bar Chicago – John McLean and Martin Murch
Belly-Stuffed Chicken Wing – with candied bacon glaze
Carnivale – Rodolfo Cuadros
Maple Bacon Pops – Cherrywood smoked bacon, pure Wisconsin maple syrup, fresh arctic ice
Chef Corey Rice
Beef Short Rib Bacon Mac Sliders
Chop Shop – Adam Grandt
The Third Little Pig – smoked chicken/bacon sausage, grilled Vidalia onions, bacon-Fresno giardiniera, violet mustard
Community Tavern – Joey Beato
Bacon & Apple Kimchi – served with scallion yogurt and rice crackers with bacon fat & sesame
Dmen Tap
Sacrilicious Currywurst – made with a sausage that breaks almost every biblical dietary law
Firecakes – Jonathan Fox
Candied Pepper Bacon Long John Donut – filled with a maple cream, coated with our house-made maple icing and finished with candied pepper bacon
Hearth and Crust – Jose “Chepe” Garcia
Arancini Affumicato
Hearth Restaurant – Michael Elliott
Bacon Rillette – with green garlic mustard, beer vinegar, and rhubarb on house pretzel
Honey Butter Fried Chicken – Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp
Bacon & Fried Chicken Ramen – with pimento cheese dashi and candied jalapeños
Hutch – Marc Wuenschel
Meatballs + Pork Belly Carbonara Style
Inspiration Kitchen – Rick Paniagua
Bacon Pistachio Beet Empanada – mint basil goat cheese drizzle
Jerk Modern Jamaican Grill – Dion Solano
Rum Butterscotch Jerk Candied Bacon
Kaiser Tiger – Roberto Jacobo
Bacon Tiger Tacos – Nueske’s bacon, cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, and chipotle Tiger sauce on a corn tortilla. No tigers were harmed in the making of this dish.
Kitty O’Sheas – Mario Garcia
Bacon Chocolate Creme Brûlée Lollipop – with salted caramel & snickerdoodle cookie crumble
Le Bouchon / La Sardine – Oliver Poilevey
Bacon Consommé with spring flavors
LOKaL
Candied Bacon & Waffles
Low & Slow BBQ/GMarket Chef – Gary Wiviott & Frank Kwiatkowski
Belly Pop
Margeaux Brasserie – Brent Balika
Braised Bacon Cassoulet
Market House on the Square – Dan Marquis
Applewood Smoked Bacon and Elote Corndogs
N’awlins Edibles – Cheryl Bowman
Grit Cake ‘n Bacon and Black Pepper Reduction – grits mixture, cut in a round shape and ladled with bacon and black pepper reduction
Old Town Social – Cordero Miller
Fried Bacon Wonton – wonton filled with a cream cheese, bacon filling
Orso’s – Victor Flores
Bacon Risotto Fritters – risotto balls stuffed with bacon and provolone cheese fried to a golden crisp
Paddy Long’s – Pat Berger
Bacon Jambalaya – Iberico bacon fat roux with wild boar andouille, garlic, green peppers, rice and Iberico bacon bits
Paulie Gee’s Logan Square
Bacon Through to the Other Side – Caramelized white cheddar crust with bacon bits, Logan Square dough embedded with bacon bits, pepperoni cups, housemate bacon jam, hot honey and bacon fat infused ricotta, hot honey drizzle.
Piece Pizzeria and Brewery – Jay Dawson
Applewood Smoked Bacon Pizza – paired with our Heavy Bag Porter
Porter Kitchen & Deck – James Keane
Bacon Chips & Dip – french onion style dip with Bacon chips
Rack House Tavern – Bryant Anderson
The Flying Swine – hickory smoked pork belly, fried chicken skin, homemade pickles, truffle Dijon sauce, micro cilantro, lemon zest
Roanoke
Bacon Butty – Nueske’s peppered bacon, HP sauce, buttered potato roll
Sheekar Delights – Diane Joseph
Bacon and Bourbon Gourmet Baklava – Freshly baked and chopped Nueske’s bacon is mixed with walnuts, hand-buttered and rolled with paper-thin phyllo sheets, then baked and drizzled with our legendary Bourbon-infused syrup and topped with bacon!
ShowPlace ICON Theatre – Joe Ritter
Bacon Popcorn – freshly-popped popcorn tossed in butter and a house seasoning blend with chunks of bacon
Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. – Grant Carey
Mom’s English Toffee with Applewood Smoked Bacon – English toffee, Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, dark chocolate
Sociale Chicago / Cafe Press – John McLean and Martin Murch
Bacon Banh Mi Biscuit
Spacca Napoli – Jonathan Goldsmith
Malu Miri Ripieno – Sri Lankan deep fried stuffed banana peppers with coconut milk reduction. Applewood smoked bacon, ground pork, red onion, tomato, smoked sheep’s milk cheese, ginger, turmeric, chili, curry and cinnamon
Table, Donkey and Stick – Ryan Brosseau
BLT – fresh house bread, bacon, tomato jam
The Duck Inn – Kris Delee
Bacon Fat Tamale filled with duck confit and Iberico Bacon XO Sauce
The Heritage – Sieger Bayer
Bacon & Red Floriani cornmeal dumplings – heritage honey brined bacon, ramps, aioli
The Signature Room at the 95th
Spicy Maple Glazed Nueske’s Bacon – cheddar cheese grits, pineapple & mango salsa
WhirlyBall – Nina Madsen
Baconchetta – woven bacon crisp with a pork belly pineapple mango chutney glazed with a bourbon cherry sauce, topped with whipped goat cheese
Wow Bao
Bao – Bacon Egg Cheddar Breakfast Bao
Berkshire BBQ Pork Bao
Wrigley BBQ – Mitch Liebovich
Beer Belly Cheese Soup – house-made maple smoked pork belly swims in a thick and rich beer cheese soup and topped with a jalapeño,bacon & parmesan biscuit
SATURDAY DINNER
312Chicago – Luca Corazzina
Bacon Ricotta Gnocchi – with carbonara sauce, cured egg and parmesan
676 Restaurant & Bar – Joshua Hasho
Applewood Smoked Bacon Samosas
ada st – Ryan Bair
Mezzeluna – with a bacon and caramelized onion filling
Angry Pig Tavern – Mark Hemmer
Bacon Tamales with Pork Belly – served with smoked salsa verde, bacon honey, queso fresco and pickled peppers
Bakin’ & Eggs – Bob Hartwig
Fat Elvis Cakes – bacon banana pancakes with whipped peanut butter and maple syrup
Baptiste & Bottle – James Lintelmann
Heirloom Blue Corn Gorditas with Bacon Al Pastor – (gluten free)
Bar Takito – Yani Sanchez
Three Sisters Polenta with Candied Pork Belly – premium cheesy polenta with pickled chilis, candied pork belly and freeze-dried corn
Barbakoa Tacos & Tequila – Abel Amador
Jalapeno Bacon Cheesebruger Tacos – our signature picadillo (ground beef) with added minced jalapeño for a bit of a kick, formed into a mini taco patty, then topped with secret sauce and bacon bits
Batter and Berries – Ken L. Polk
Deuces
BBQ’d Productions, INC
BBQ’d Bacon Fatty – Nueske’s Applewood smoked bacon, weaved in a blanket, stuffed with six different meats: bacon sausage, pork, brisket, bacon sausage, andouille, cheese, BBQ sauce, rub; served over a bed of our housemade Mama’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Broken Shaker – Sarah Docherty
Pork Liver Mousse – with plum conserva and bacon crispies
Carnivore Inc – Erik Williams
Winter BLT – braised Nueske’s bacon, tomatoes, lettuce
CheSa’s Gluten Free Food Truck – CheSa Rollins
Loaded Bacon Taco – Fried chopped bacon and ground chicken on a gluten-free corn tortilla, dressed with our chopped collard green garnish and BBQ sauce
ConEcepts – Turon Cummings
Candied Jalapeno Bacon Peach Cobbler – with bacon caramel cream sauce.
CURRENT
Kumquat-Bacon Brie Mousse Cone – pickled kumquat and cherrywood smoked bacon brie mousse served in a waffle cone
Edge of Sweetness – Paige Tyler
Bourbon Bacon Caramel Popcorn – grown-up version of your favorite flavors!
El Mariachi Tequila Bar & Grill – Rafael Alvarado
Nueske’s Smoked Bacon Street Roasted Corn Esquites – Nueske’s bacon, fire roasted corn, smoked green onions, queso coitja, pork chorizo infused mayonnaise, lime crema, chicharron-chile ancho powder
Flo Cafe & Bar – Leonard Sanchez
Wild Boar and Bacon Sausage – red chile jam, chicharrone
fourteensixteen – Bret Bohning
Bacon Ravioli – filled with bacon, garlic, Swiss chard and ricotta with pork belly cream and candied lardons
Green St. Grille – Kevin Killrakis
Bacon & Grilled Pineapple Chutney Stuffed Doughnut – rolled in a Sambal sauce
Half Sour – Graham Akroyd
Bacon Bagels – smoked cream cheese, tomato, lettuce, candied bacon
Hash House A Go Go
Bacon Jam Waffle – vanilla waffle with homemade bacon jam
Inovasi – John Des Rosiers
Darjeeling Smoked Pork Belly – cured and Darjeeling tea-smoked pork belly, chocolate, aji panca chile, mache salad
Kimski – Anthony Baier
Smokehouse Fried Rice – with Bacon, smoked chicken and Polish sausage (contains egg)
Kinfork BBQ and Tap – Bryant Anderson
Porkys Pickle – crispy fried egg roll filled with whipped cheese, bacon and pickles
Libertad – Marino Gil
Cherrywood Smoked Bacon – with black pepper-maple syrup cherry, fresh mozzarella and jalapeno
Mago Grill & Cantina – Juan Gonzalez
Guajillo Pork Belly – braised pork belly with tomatillo cream sauce, sweet guajillo BBQ and charred onion powder
McQ’s Bar & Grill – Alton Morris
Sweet & Sour Bacon Wings – jumbo chicken wings smothered with sweet & sour bacon sauce
Mercat a la Planxa – Diego Amat
Bacon Cigarette – Bacon Glass and Avocado
Michael Jordan’s Restaurant – Craig Couper
Bacon-Toffee Bread Pudding
Michael Jordan’s Steak House – Craig Couper
Sonora en Chicago – Chicago and Sonoran style hot dogs collide
Midnight Mac and Cheeserie – Kenneth Byrne
Mac and Cheese Bacon Bombs – a bacon wrapped mac and cheese ball
More – Patty Rothman
Bacon Maple mini cupcakes – brown sugar maple cake mixed with Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon topped with a maple brown sugar buttercream and a shard of bacon brittle – yum!
Pinstripes – Nicole Isabelli
Bacon waffle bread pudding on salted caramel gelato – applewood-smoked bacon waffle bread pudding, serve with salted caramel gelato garnished with crispy bacon
Public House – Jeremy Tannehill
Golden Bacon Scone – with a bacon-wrapped cherry
Smack Dab/Rogers Park Social – Axel Erkenswick
Bacon Jam Cinnamon Roll – sweet roll filled with bacon cinnamon jam, topped with classic icing.
Bacon Washed Irish Coffee – bacon-washed Chicago Distilling Blind Tiger Bourbon, Halfwit Roasters coffee, maple whipped cream.
Son of A Butcher – Rick Rodriguez
Maple Bacon Bourbon Popsicles
Steadfast – Ender Oktayuren
Bacon Pierogi with Chive Bacon Sour Cream
Bacon and Blueberry French Nougat
Sunda New Asian – Jess De Guzman
Bacon and Sesame Bread Pudding – with bacon and maple ice cream with a bacon fat sesame oil drizzle
The Dearborn – Aaron Cuschieri
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Roulade – Miller Amish chicken wrapped in Nueske’s bacon, stuffed with spinach, golden raisins, pistachios and Canadian bacon with applewood-smoked hen of the woods mushrooms and lemon-sage chicken glace
The Finery & Blacksmith Bar – Juliette Reyes
Strawberry and Bacon Ice Cream – with bacon chocolate and bacon caramel
The Ruin Daily – Mario Manzini
Bacon Slider – bacon pate, bacon dijonnaise, baby arugula, and house pickles
Three Floyds Brewpub – Pat Niebling and Scout Hughes
Bacon Egg Roll – pulled bacon, cabbage, chili, Dark Lord hot sauce, creme fraiche
Uncle Bubs BBQ – Kyle VerVynck
Deep Fried Nueske’s Bacon Mac and Cheese
Wood Fire Counter – Kevin Whittier
Bacon Wrapped Smoked Pork Belly – house-brined smoked pork belly wrapped in bacon
XO Marshmallow – Melissa Humphrey
Bacon Bourbon Fat Bottom Brownies – double chocolate bacon brownie, bourbon marshmallow, bacon crumble.
Yolk
Chicken ‘n’ Bacon Waffles
Virgin Bloody Mary Shots with Bacon
We will serve our bacon infused waffles topped with chicken and sausage gravy. We will also be sampling out shots of our award winning Bloody Mary mix with bacon.