April 6, 2010 by Marianne

April 6, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon News , Bacon, beer, Boston Bacon & Beer Festival

Wow! If ever there was an event that I wish I could be queen of, this is it: The Boston Bacon & Beer Festival, being held on April 24 in  Boston’s South End. That’s right. Beer, Bacon & Boston. More than 30 restaurants and at least a dozen breweries are coming together to help you find just the right beer for any of their bacon-themed treats. I’ve been to (and LOVE) beer festivals. I’ve had a great time at our own little Bacon Day festivals. But this…this is a dream come true. I’m drooling all over my keyboard here.

As you can imagine, this party has been a big hit. It’s already sold out once, but they’re planning to make some more tickets available tomorrow morning, April 7. So if you live in the Boston area and don’t have your tickets yet, please get online and get them tomorrow. Do it for me. Someone’s got to represent RBS. And to all the organizers of this food & beverage Nirvana, I will raise a beer and bacon toast in your honor on that day and hope to join you in 2011!

Thanks, Aaron, for letting us know about this great event. Proceeds of the Bacon & Beer Festival will benefit some pretty great charitable organizations. Please go to their website and check out all the details!

August 27, 2009 by Marianne

August 27, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon News , Bacon, Double Down, KFC

Wow. I don’t know what to say about KFC this morning. I once got really sick after eating KFC wings, so am perhaps over-cautious about their products. And I do admit their snackers look good to me, but they have really outdone themselves this time. Their new product, the Double Down, is only available in limited markets (two cities at this point), and for good reason.  They need to give this idea some deep consideration before unleashing it on an unsuspecting America.

The Double Down, you see, is a bacon and cheese sandwich with fried chicken filets for buns. Let me say that again: FRIED CHICKEN FOR BUNS! I know, this is the kind of thing you’d expect me to stand up and cheer for, but I just can’t. Maybe it’s a mood or a phase I’m going through, but the idea of eating two pieces of fried chicken with bacon, cheese and sauce snuggled between them, with my bare hands no less, is enough to make my stomach turn. Yep, there it goes, turning away.

For more on this story, check out MSN’s Willie Geist giving you the full low-down on the Double Down and its fast food predecessors:

KFC’s shocking new sandwich

Thank you, Chrissy. I’ll be on the lookout for this potential heart attack to invade our fair city.

August 19, 2009 by Marianne

August 19, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon News , Anthony Bourdain, Bacon, No Reservations, Travel Channel

On Monday night my husband and I were feeling a bit lazy and uninspired, so much so that we ended up watching a veritable marathon of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Which is not to say we don’t enjoy the show; indeed, we applaud his fervent championing of all things pork. But when we’re feeling feistier, his arrogance can drive us up the wall. One episode is usually enough to send my husband channel surfing, mumbling with disdain about chef’s who can’t stomach seeing where their meat comes from.

On the evening in question, the Travel Channel re-aired Anthony’s trip to San Francisco, one of the few big cities we enjoy. I was anxious to see which of the plethora of amazing restaurants he’d hit up, and how many different types of cuisine he’d highlight. I was delighted when he started with a totally fresh and unique place, the Pirate Cat Radio Cafe.

It’s an actual radio station/coffee shop, and most of the items on the menu are vegan, with one outstanding exception: The Maple Bacon Latte. This beauty of a beverage is made with actual maple syrup and the mysterious sounding “refined” bacon. According to DJ monkey, it takes 10 pounds of bacon to make 4 ounces of this condensed meat product, and it sounds like it makes one hell of a coffee. I still don’t understand how a vegan cafe can justify it, but I’m not going to complain. I just hope they’re still serving them next time I make my way up North. As of this writing, you can watch the clip in question at the Pirate Cat’s website.

Bourdain’s very next stop on this magical munchery tour was at the Tadich Grill, where he ate something that sounded absolutely revolting to me. It was called a Hangtown Fry, and it was basically an oyster and bacon omelet. Mind you, this wasn’t breakfast time, this was more like a happy hour snack. I don’t know about you, but oysters almost never sound good to me (with the notable exception of the Oysters Palace here in Santa Barbara). Even bacon doesn’t really make this dish sound any better, but if I was drinking the sizable Martinis that he was, you might just get me to try it. Omelets and martinis…a combination that may hold a place in my future.

I have to admit, I lost interest when he stopped talking about bacon and Brutus started begging for a walk. But it was enough to make me crave a trip to the Bay, and start planning an eating agenda for that eventuality. That latte is SO mine.

August 17, 2009 by Marianne

August 17, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon News , G-Monkey Productions, iBacon

Sometimes I’m sitting in my office, window open to allow in a cool breeze, and what wafts in instead? The smell of cooking bacon. I work downtown, and fairly close to several restaurants. This sensory distraction drives me insane and creates a false sense of starvation, even for the vegetarians in the office.

If this weren’t enough, G-Monkey Productions has come up with iBacon, an iPhone application that allows you to cook four sizzling strips of bacon, right on your phone. You can use the tongs to flip individual slices or all four at the same time. You can get grease splatters on your screen and remove them with a swipe of your finger. Drain your bacon grease, set off the smoke alarm…yep, sounds like a typical Saturday morning at my house. Finally, when the bacon is done to your liking, tip your phone up and chomp ‘em down! Mmm…virtual bacon.

So this little game is totally amusing, and made just for me. Like iBeer was made for my husband. Problem is, even after watching the demo, I’m famished! Oh well, for just 99 cents, I’ll deal with the hunger to have a laugh.

Thanks, Mark, for sharing your product with the world!

July 27, 2009 by Marianne

July 27, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon News , Bacon home

Bacon lovers in the Bellingham, Washington area, have I got a home for you. The historic Bacon Home has been standing for more than 100 years, and now it can be yours!

Actually, it’s a gorgeous house in my second-favorite state. If only I had a million dollars to spare! Thanks, Mykie, for keeping us posted on all the lastest in Bacon real estate.