Can There Be Such A Thing As To Much Bacon?

Bacon Fest Chicago 2011 at the UIC Forum. http://baconfestchicago.com/ This was the third year for this event. Unfortunately the first we had heard about it. 57 chefs creating marvelous bacon concoctions for your gluttonous pleasure.

Waiting in anticipation of Bacon!

redFLAME PIZZERIA, Bite-sized BLT pizza and bacon inspired bruschetta with garlic and goat cheese.

The Elvis: Home-made crunchy peanut butter, fried banana, honey peppered bacon on griddled banana bread.

The Elvis Burger.

Stephanie Izard, Chef owner Girl & The Goat.

Stephanie was great, taking time to take pictures and say a word with her fans!

Caramelized pork belly with escarole and maple pineapple chutney from Miramar Bistro.

BBQ pork bao and Bacon, Egg & Cheddar bao from Wow Bao

694 Wine & Spirits, Benton's Bacon on Bacon-braised Texas toast with aoli, tomatoes and iceberg.

694 Wine & Spirits.

Bacon: "magic of roses” tea gelee, daikon, bee pollen, by Quince.

Caramelized pork belly with wilted escarole and a maple pineapple chutney, by Miramar Bistro.

 Roasted pork belly with Meyer lemon marmalade, buttermilk biscuit and pine-nut aillade, from Vie.

From Naha, Slow roasted slab bacon with rhubarb and Burton's sorghum.

My husbands #1 pick, Best of Baconfest! From Naha.

Becker Lane Belly:quick cure and confit with Anson Mills grits, blue Mediterraneo cheese, and verjus-pickled cauliflower, from Inovasi.

ING Restaurant, Bacon Dumpling with bacon date consomme.

Bacon Manhattan Milkshakes with cherry pearls, from Chalkboard.

Aleppo pepper cured pancetta with Vandenboom Farm egg, Tuscan kale and warm onion vinaigrette, from Cafe Spiaggia.

The Hearty Boys, Steve McDonagh  & Dan Smith.

Steve Mc Donagh, Gale Gand and Dan Smith.

an interview for some TV show with Big Jones.

Bacon & Foie Gras Moon Pie from Big Jones.

Pork belly & grit hash, smoked gulf shrimp, bacon E.N.C. vinegar sauce, from Lillie's Q.

Bacon "Drumstick" cone, bacon caramel, bacon ice cream, bacon chocolate and crispy lardons, by ING.

Applewood Smoked Bourbon bacon jam, crispy polenta cake, St. Andre cheese fondue, from Sable Kitchen & Bar.

Empanadas with Dreymiller and Kray cinnamon bacon, dried Seedling strawberry, toasted almond, salsa verde, from Terzo Piano.

Bacon & Eggs- house cured Duroc pork belly, quail egg,  aged Wisconsin cheddar grits, and smokey bacon broth, from Stanley's Kitchen & Tap.

Bacon rillette lollipop with maple bacon cotton candy, and a shot of bourbon, from Longman & Eagle.

Bacon rillette lollipop with maple bacon cotton candy, Longman & Eagle.

Chocolate Vodka, bacon infused vodka.

BLT, bacon infused vodka.

About 100 people took pictures of my husbands T-shirt or with him because of his shirt. We saw it many places on line later!

Bloody Mary.

I don't really like Bloody Mary's but this one was very very good!

"All Bacon Chicago Style Italian Beef...well, pork" from Socca.

Berkshire Pork Maxwell Street Burger- butterkasse cheese with crisp belly bacon, from Park Grill.

Park Grill.

Bourbon Bacon Cream Float - maple bourbon ice cream, candied bacon jimmies, from Park Grill.

We had a great time. My husband said it was his single best food experience so far!