From sandwiches to milkshakes to cupcakes, the word of the month in Chicago is Bacon.
April is Bacon Month here in the Windy City, culminating in BaconFest Chicago at the end of the month. Chefs across town are coming up with some creative concoctions to celebrate and help the less fortunate.
Participating restaurants are offering special bacon dishes and a portion of the proceeds from each will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Along with donations from local restaurants, $75,000 dollars in ticket sales to BaconFest Chicago will also go to the food depository. So for the rest of this month bacon lovers can indulge a bit in the name charity.
For more information, log on to Baconfestchicago.com
¡AY CHIWOWA!
311 West Chicago Avenue
Pork Belly Taco ($7) – crispy pork belly, pico de gallo, pickled radishes, chorizo chipotle aioli, corn tortilla
Atwood
1 West Washington Street
Bacon ($8) – Bacon “slab”, Bacon fat fried capers and Brussels, lemon-garlic aioli
Bistro Dre
2965 North Lincoln Avenue
Bacon and Quinoa Crusted Whitefish ($22) – with a Lemon and Fennel Vinaigrette
Bottlefork
441 North Clark Street
Wood Grilled Ground Bacon Burger ($17) -Vermillion Blue + Shoestring Potatoes + Special Sauce
Bread & Wine
3734 West Irving Park Road
Smoked pork belly mortadella ($13) – smoked pork belly mortadella, bacon mostarda, spicy greens, pickled onion
Bridge House Tavern
321 North Clark Street
Bacon-n-Barley ($13) – Thick-cut grilled Nueske’s bacon, barley, oyster mushrooms, asparagus, white bean and parmesan puree, maple brown butter.
Burger Bar Chicago
1578 North Clybourn Avenue
Belly Up Burger ($15) – Premium ½ pound Angus Beef burger topped with cider-braised pork belly, fresh apple slaw, finished with roasted garlic aioli
Carlucci
1801 Butterfield Rd (Downers Grove)
Gnocchi Bolognese ($TBD) – Hand-rolled fresh ricotta and herbs gnocchi, applewood smoked bacon bolognese with powdered bacon
Edzo’s Burger Shop
2218 North Lincoln Avenue
1571 Sherman Avenue (Evanston)
Maple-Bacon Milkshake ($5.50) – Vanilla ice cream blended with maple-bacon salted caramel and crispy Nueske’s bacon bits.
EPIC Restaurant
112 West Hubbard Street
Bacon, Bourbon & Cheese Agnolotti ($27) – Bacon & Black Truffle Cream finished with Bacon Almond Oil.
Firecakes
68 West Hubbard Street
Maple Glazed Pineapple Bacon Donut ($1.89)
Fork
4600 North Lincoln Avenue
Wake’n & Bake’n ($11) – A dish inspired by bacon meant to get the body, mind & cholesterol up!
The Gage
24 South Michigan Avenue
The Smoked Salmon BLT ($TBD Lunch Only) – with dill-marinated cucumber and caper Aioli
GingerSnap Sweets & Such
1416 West Irving Park Road
Bacon Nougat Nougat candy ($8) – with bacon & pecan
Howells & Hood
435 North Michigan Avenue
Pork Belly Reuben ($15) – Corned pork belly, bacon braised cabbage, bacon fat 1000 island dressing, sweet Swiss, pumpernickel
Italian Village Restaurants
71 West Monroe Street
Baked Lasagne Carbonara ($17.75) – Pasta sheets layered with Parmesan cheese, Nueske’s bacon Bolognese and Béchamel topped with Nueske’s bacon Carbonara sauce and fresh peas. (Offered at dinner only)
La Madia
59 W. Grand Ave.
Bacon Bruschette ($9) - Bacon Bruschette – whipped ricotta, spinach, roasted tomato & balsamic glaze
La Taberna Tapas on Halsted
1301 South Halsted Street
Bacon wrapped dates ($7) -Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with chistorra, sherry solera reduction.
May Street Cafe Contemporary Latin
1146 West Cermak Road
Flan de guava con bacon y jalapeño ($6.50) – Applewood smoked bacon-infused flan with puréed guava and jalapeño
nana
3267 South Halsted Street
Mini Bacon Slider ($7) – A crispy bacon loaf is made by braising bacon with onions, carrots, chiles, herbs and pork stock, then shredding and shaping into a terrine, cooling and breading with panko and rendered bacon. Once seared, the bacon is piled onto a bacon slider bun with a tomato-chipotle-bacon jam and cabbage slaw tossed in a horseradish-bacon aioli.
Old Town Pour House
1419 North Wells Street
Ace Pear Cider Braised Pork Belly ($14) – Smoked Tomato Relish, Bacon Cream, Pickled Habanero
Old Town Social
455 West North Avenue
Mini Bacon Banana Cupcakes ($6 for two cupcakes) – Banana bread-like cupcakes filled with homemade bacon “nutella.”
Paramount Room
415 North Milwaukee Avenue
Angels on Horseback ($9) – Bacon wrapped crispy fried oysters with horseradish cream
Call 312.829.6300 for availability and to reserve today!
Perennial Virant
1800 North Lincoln Avenue
Bacon Toast and Eggs ($13) – Bacon Bread, Hash browns, Crispy Bacon, Fried Egg
Red Door
2118 North Damen Avenue
Bacon Wrapped Articoke with Romesco ($4) – Baby Artichoke half is stuffed with chicken liver then wrapped with bacon. Served with Romesco Sauce
Rockit Bar & Grill
22 West Hubbard Street
Buffalo beer battered fried bacon ($9) – buffalo beer battered fried bacon with celery, buttermilk blue cheese and jalapeno ranch dipping sauce
Rodan
1530 North Milwaukee Avenue
Sinigang Rodan-Style Tamarind Glazed Grilled Pork Belly ($15) – with taro root puree and tempura baby bok choy
Saigon Sisters
567 West Lake Street
Bacon laab ($12) – Minced pork with bacon rice balls lettuce wrap
Southport and Irving Restaurant
4004 North Southport Avenue
Bacon-cheddar kale wontons ($12) – crispy wontons stuffed with Neuske’s bacon, Wisconsin white cheddar and kale. Finished with a chili mustard.
The Salsa Truck
116 North Aberdeen Avenue
Track the Truck / Twitter
Sonoran Hot Dog ($6 or $10 with chips, salsa and a drink) – Bacon wrapped hot dog with black beans and chipotle crema.
Three Aces
1321 West Taylor Street
Bacon Scrapple ($11 Brunch only) – Bacon Scrapple with housemade bacon sriracha, sweet potato puree, fried egg, scallions, fried black kale.
Troquet – River North
111 West Huron Street
Pork Belly ($TBD) – Seared Pork Belly “a la plancha” with homemade whole grain pomme puree.
Ugly Mug Café
1458 West Chicago Avenue
VelociWraptor ($7.75) – A mouth-watering combination of turkey, bacon & white antique cheddar cheese, freshly made guacamole, spinach, tomato and jalapeno’s wrapped in a tomato tortilla. Served with a side of tortilla chips.
Wildfire
159 West Erie Street
Pork Belly Slider ($TBD) – pork belly, pickled red cabbage, maple horseradish cream
