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Meadowlark will serve Jerk Slab Bacon on a Stick for $4 at Bacon Fest 2015. (Photo submitted)
- Meadowlark will serve Jerk Slab Bacon on a Stick for $4 at Bacon Fest 2015. (Photo submitted)
How to go
What: Bacon Fest 2015 produced by Restaurant Raiders, a local foodie group associated with the Miami Valley Restaurant Association.
When: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16
Where : Lincoln Park and the Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering.
Cost: Admission is free. Bacon dishes range from $3 to $6.
Info: daytonbaconfest.com
Why go?
Sixteen locally-owned restaurants, including Basil's Market at 18 N. Market St. in Troy, will sling bacon during the third annual food and music festival.
What's on the menu?
Scroll to the bottom for all Bacon Fest menus. They all sound rather baconlicous.
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Basil's is kicking everything up with bacon, including smoked corn on the cob straight from Fulton Farms and served with bacon salt, pulled pork nachos topped with bacon, Gouda and bacon mac and cheese and pork belly tacos topped with crunchy bacon.
Basil's Todd Uhlir said bacon is great.
"The only way to make bacon better is to wrap it around pork," the restaurant's chef and owner said. "People love bacon. It is tasty. It is like a savory dessert."
Uhlir said some study say bacon is actually good for you in moderation. The keyword there is "moderation." He compared eating bacon to drinking wine in that respect.
"A glass or two is good, but don't drink three bottles," Uhlir said.
Fun side note: Uhlir is scouting area locations for an upscale bar he wants to open next year. Some of the dishes Basil's serves at Bacon Fest and other festivals it participates in this year may make it on the menu of the planned bar.
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Basil's on Market will serve Pork Belly Tacos for $5 at Bacon Fest. (Photo submitted)
- Basil's on Market will serve Pork Belly Tacos for $5 at Bacon Fest. (Photo submitted)
When to go
Amy Zahora, MVRA's executive director and Bacon Fest's organizer, said no one should be left out of this porky time.
There will be tons of bacon to go around, from bacon cheesecake from the The Dock Food and Spirits in Enon to the ever-popular bacon cheddar pierogies from Amber Rose in Dayton, she said.
The festival has grown even more baconey since its first year, Zahora said.
Additional vendors were added and the festival's footprint widened in 2014 in response to the long lines and food shortages during the first Bacon Fest in 2013.
Fourteen vendors participated in 2014. Sixteen will participate this year.
Zahora said the crowd will likely be heaviest at when the festival opens at 3 p.m. If you're looking for a lighter crowd, you should plan to arrive between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Who you'll hear
Enjoy free music from one Dayton band and and two Cleveland acts on the Fraze stage.
Here's the line up:
3 p.m. – Geeze Cats, a Cleveland based late '50s-early '60s pop & doo-wop band.
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
5 p.m – Nick Mitchell & Skeptical Cats, a Dayton area act that specializes in progressive pop original music and classic and English music from acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, Joe Cocker and Elton John.
7 p.m. – Southern Rock Superstars, a Cleveland-based band that performs hits from Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Blackfoot, ZZ Top, Allman Brothers and others.
What to eat?
Here are the menus, which are subject to change.
Amber Rose
- Bacon Cheddar Pierogi, $3
- Maple Bacon Fried Snickers, $3
- Applewood Smoked Bacon Cheddar French Fries, $3/small, $5/large
Archer's Tavern
- Plain Bacon-Wrapped Dog, $3
- Chili Dog (Chili, Cheese, Onions), $6
- PB&J Dog (Peanut Butter and Wildfire jelly), $6
Basil's on Market
- Smoked Corn on the Cob, $3
- Pulled Pork Nachos, $5
- Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese, $5
- Pork Belly Tacos, $5
Coco's Bistro
- Bacon Sliders: ground bacon and beef sliders topped with bacon onion jam, $5
- Bacon Creme Brûlée, $4
The Dock
- Bacon Crab Cakes with lobster sauce, $4
- Bacon Crab Cake Po' Boy Sliders, $6
- Bacon Cheesecake topped with candied bacon-chocolate granache, $4
- Bacon Cole Slaw, $2
Giovanni's
- Bacon Pizza Quesadilla, $5
- CBLT Wrap with creamy garlic wrap, $5
- Bacon & Pepperoni Roll, $3
Hickory River Smokehouse
- Loaded Pulled Pork Nachos topped with Bacon, $7
- Pulled Pork, Bacon & Queso Sandwich, $5
- Chopped Brisket, Bacon & Jalapeno Monterey Jack Sandwich, $5
- Mini Bacon Pulled Pork Sandwich, $3
Kowalsaki Hots
- Jumbo NY Red or White Hot Dog, $3 (original), $4 (w/bacon meat sauce)
- Cheeseburger with bacon meat sauce, $6
- Polish kielbasa with bacon meat sauce, $5
- Macaroni salad with bacon pieces, $2
- Soft Pretzel Sticks with nacho cheese and bacon pieces, $6
Marion's Piazza
Meadowlark/Wheat Penny
- Bacon Toffee, $3
- Jerk Slab Bacon on a Stick, $4
- Kingston Sandwich: Elvis is alive in Jamaica! Grilled Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich with Jerk Slab Bacon, $6
1776 Grill
Ritter's Frozen Custard
- $5 Different Ice Cream Sundaes, using our Vanilla Frozen Custard of course
- $4 Different Gelatis (Italian Ice served with our Vanilla Frozen Custard)
- $3 small vanilla cup
Add Bacon Bits to any of the above Ritter's dishes.
Sea Jax Tavern
- Sticky Burger, $6
- Bacon Apple Pie, $3
Sweetum's Chocolatier
- Chocolate Covered Bacon, $3
Wing Zone
- Smokehouse Burger – a 1/4 lb burger with Wing Zone Honey Q, topped with Cheddar and Jack cheeses, Smokehouse Maple Bacon, and an onion ring. $6/whole portion, $3/half portion.
- Cheddar Jack Cheese Fries topped with Smokehouse Maple Bacon, $3
- Boneless Wings – Honey Q, Thai Chili, or Buffalo Bliss, $3/4-piece order
Zetland Street
- Chilled Bacon Corn Chowder with corn nuts and fresh parsley oil, $3
- Wild Mushroom ragu flatbread pizza with candied bacon & goat cheese, $6
All of Zetland Street's bacon is from local family farms.
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
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