Back in January, Bacon Fest proved to be exceptionally popular with food lovers as well as lucrative for local restaurants and pubs that participated.
Fast forward to summer, and restaurateurs are eager to get involved with a new Bacon Fest-sponsored event: "Bacon Fest Sacramento presents BLT Week 2012."
It's the perfect bacon theme for summertime, especially with tomatoes reaching their peak.
What is BLT Week? I caught up with Brian Guido, the man behind Bacon Fest, to get the details.
"We're having a weeklong celebration of our favorite summer sandwich," Guido said. "Several restaurants will feature a BLT for the week. I think it's going to be great. I'm imagining places like Kru, which could feature a BLT roll."
So far, about 20 restaurants have signed up to be involved to present their take on the BLT, with Bacon Fest offering to publicize each restaurant that wants to participate. Restaurants are free to be as creative as they wish in coming up with their featured sandwich. When the time comes, we'll try to taste as many of the featured BLTs as possible and report back in this space.
Guido says he still remembers one of his favorites - a BLT with foie gras at Mulvaney's a couple of years ago. That sandwich, of course, would now be outlawed (the foie gras ban went into effect July 1). But Mulvaney's, well known for its love of bacon, will surely come up with something equally delicious. Guido is also a fan of the BLT at Magpie Café showcasing fried green tomatoes and braised pork belly.
In addition to the week of BLT noshing, there will be a BLT crawl; 100 or so folks on bikes, split into two groups, will travel from restaurant to restaurant enjoying a bite-size sample of the featured BLT. Tickets are $30 and include the food, a Bacon Fest T-shirt and one or two beers." Get tickets here at Brown Paper Tickets. The crawl is July 21, starting at 11 a.m. at Mulvaney's B&L (1215 19th St., Sacramento).
The list of stops on the crawl is still being finalized, but it's already settled that the ride will end at Bows & Arrows Collective (1815 19th St.) at 6 p.m. with a party until 9 p.m. For more on the crawl, check out the Facebook page here.
"We don't make any money. If there are any costs, we pay for that and the rest will go to charity," Guido said.
"People ask me why I do it. I love this town and we're fortunate to have a bounty of great ingredients, and people who source these ingredients and do great things with them."
Blair Anthony Robertson is The Bee's restaurant critic. Follow him on Twitter, @blarob.
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