Bacon & Chicken Lollipops by Kitty O’Shea | Photo Cred: Anne Petersen 2019
From humble beginnings to nationally renowned, the annual Baconfest earns the title as one of the most prestigious eatery festivals in the world. Celebrating everyone’s favorite breakfast item in a satisfyingly unique way, Baconfest gathers top chefs and reputable restaurants in Chi-town to carefully curate exquisite dishes, bacon being its prized centerpiece. For the past years, hundreds flocked to the savory smell of crispy cuisine to sample novel treats and sip boozy bacon-inspired cocktails, all for a great cause too!
This year’s annual Baconfest is switching it up a bit with the debut of the first-ever Da Best Fest, beginning on Friday, April 17, 2020, from 6 pm-10 pm at the UIC Dorin Forum (725 W Roosevelt). Instead of solely bacon-driven dishes, Da Best Fest will feature a wholly diverse landscape of Chicago’s favorite dishes, from Italian beef, hot dogs, pizza, and flaming saganaki, to jibaritos, aquarium-smoked rib tips, chicken Vesuvio, shrimp de Jonghe, malort, and more.
“Da Best Fest was born out of a love of Chicago’s home-grown cuisine and its distinctive neighborhoods,” said Seth Zurer, Co-Founder of Da Best Fest & Baconfest. “The fest will be a fantastic mix of classic takes and intriguing interpretations. It will be a great introduction to those not familiar with some of these canonical dishes, like The Mother-In-Law or Sweet Steak Sandwich. I hope to see some truly unique creations that take these beloved bites and turn them inside out to blow everyone’s minds. Da Best Fest will be a consumable love letter to Chicago and all of its delicious parts.”
Chicagoans will get the opportunity to explore over 40 chef-crafted samples from exhibitors. Each ticket type includes seven drink tickets accessible to a wide variety of beers, wines, and cocktails.
Lupita Garcia by Flo & Santos | Photo Cred: Anne Petersen 2019
Following that Friday, the Bacon Fest will promptly begin on Saturday, April 18. This year, the fest reigns in two sessions. Sessions are Saturday lunch, from 11 am – 12 pm (VIP Hour) and 12 – 3 pm (General Admission) to Saturday dinner, from 6 – 7 pm (VIP Hour) and 7 – 10 pm (General Admission).
Proceeds go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which feeds the hungry in the Chicagoland area. So far, the annual fest has succeeded in generating over $480,000 in charity! Last year, Baconfest debuted some exciting bacon dishes such as the Bacon Chicken Lollipop, curated by Kitty O’Sheas, and of course, the Baconfest-exclusive Bacon-Katsu Ramen made by Mike Satinover. This year, we can only fathom what the Baconfest has in store for us! Check below for admission details and get your ticket while you still can!