Summer 2013: Bacon Report

Summer = Bacon. And, actually, for me, Fall, Winter and Spring = Bacon, too. But, for now, I am reporting on summertime bacon happenings. For my anniversary, my sweet husband, who knows me too well, took me to the Salty Sow, (love that name on so many levels) where, I indulged in their very excellent Pork Belly. Marriage vows still strong: “in sickness and in health, in dinner and dessert…” You included that in your vows, right?

Another summer stop for us has been to drop by 24 Diner after our evening bike rides for a slightly lighter dish: Pork Belly Salad. (It’s not exactly a Weight Watchers’ approved power food, but at least we blended it with some exercise.)

But the summertime bacon event we would like to feature today actually comes to us from our guest blogger, Julianna Heck. (The apple-bacon does not fall far from the apple-bacon tree.) Julianna attended the First Annual Bacon Festival in Richmond, Virginia this summer and shares her eyewitness report below. Thank you Julianna for your first-rate bacon journalism.

Sizzling in Richmond  by Guest Blogger, Julianna Heck

We have all had one of those experiences that cartoons so easily portray. You’re in bed and a friendly animated smell cloud reaches your nose and pulls you across the room. Bacon. Mmmm bacon.  The porky greasy goodness of bacon sizzling can bring even the most steadfast vegetarian out from under her sheets directly to the breakfast table.

Now, imagine that same smell-cloud and multiply it by 100.  This is the scent you would have discovered above the Farmer’s Market in downtown Richmond, Virginia one Sunday this summer. The 1st Annual Bacon Festival delivered all sorts of bacon goodies from the extravagant to the classic.

Local restaurants and eateries from around Richmond prepared porky dishes for $3 dollars a plate. The festival was packed and only the most loyal bacon fans stayed…so everyone.

The lines were long, but well worth it when you reached the bacon-covered feeding tables. I indulged in pork belly sliders, fried oysters with bacon remoulade, and my favorite, the mocha maple bacon popsicle. Yes, it looks gross and it sounds gross, but it was quite a delight. It was cold, it was chocolatey, and it was bacony.

After a rather heavy lunch, I needed a light, crisp something to fight the grease that coated my digestive system, so I found a lovely rhubarb lemonade. It was a refreshing exclamation point to the end of a decadent meal.  All in all, the bacon event was a success and I eagerly await next year’s festivities.

Thank you again Julianna for the excellent pork report.  Note: Cathy Heck Studio artists are inspired by everything from soup to nuts to bacon.  Below, Julianna’s bacon repeat pattern. Just think of the delicious dreams you could have wearing some flannel jammies made from this design!