Photo courtesy of Big Bite Events.
Big Bite Bacon Fest‘s inaugural landing at The Queen Mary was a bust of, you guessed it, epic pork-portions, but this year’s prospects appear to be more fruitful.
Deep fried bacon wrapped peanut butter balls? Ice cream french toast with spiced bacon? Did you hear that right? Can such tantalizing treats exist?
Apparently they can, thanks to Big Bite events. The second annual Big Bite Bacon Festival will land in Long Beach again, for another go at bringing all things bacon-infused to bacon lovers visiting from up and down the coast. The Big Bite Bacon Fest will return to The Queen Mary Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 with more bacon-based drool-worthy delicacies than ever before.
Mark Entner, chief bacon officer of Big Bite Events, told the Post this year’s event will be one of the largest bacon festivals on the West Coast. He guaranteed that attendees will have a much larger and varying selection of Southern California’s bacon creativity to try out, compared to last year’s ill-reviewed attempt to feed the hungry masses. The Post noted that last year’s event failed to deliver on its promises, featuring only 10 restaurant tents while advertising over 40 bacon dishes and brews to sample for a price tag of $55 to $65.
“We are doubling the bacon and beer offerings this year,” he said. “We added a second event day and third tasting session to accommodate the huge bacon-loving audience in Southern California[…]”
Dozens of local restaurants, including nine-and-counting from Long Beach, will offer culinary samples of their own unique bacon-inspired spins. Meanwhile, more than 15 local breweries will offer craft beer samples to whet that appetite and wash down a salty, savory two days of pork-filled goodness.
Star bacon purveyors, such as Long Beach’s own Red Leprechaun with their coveted pulled pork sliders, Stuff N’ It Burgers’ stuffed bacon bombs, Fry Fry Truck’s bacon-filled Twinkies and bacon cheddar french fries and Go Fushion & Grill’s pork-adillas, will offer plenty of samples to pick and choose from or handle in their meaty entirety.
Featured barbecue shops Bigmista’s Barbecue and Sammich Shop, Handy’s Smokehouse, Bundt’s on Melrose, Prince and Pantry, Sweet Dixie Kitchen, Gladstone’s, Auld Dubliner will represent all the city has to offer. Additionally, Dia De Los Puercos (who generated the event’s most outstanding line last year) will be serving up their infamous hog pocket, bacon churros and spicy bacon corn slaw.
Artesana Pops will feature their intriguing bacon ice pops, Slater’s 50/50 will bring to town their award-winning B’B’B’ bacon burger, Waffle-Oh will their bacon waffle-ohs and Sugar Spin will send out samples of their salted caramel bourbon spiced candied bacon cotton candy, a morsel made of more than just a mouthful of words.
A few of the local breweries providing samples will include Absolution, Ale Smith Brewing, Angel City Brewing, ACE Cider, Bootlegger’s Brewery, Coronado Brewing, Golden Road Brewery, Hangar 24, Lagunitas Brewing, Ninkasi Brewery, The Bruery, Green Flash Brewing, Sierra Nevada and Stone Brewing.
And if your full stomach can handle it, Entner says guests shouldn’t miss running through the inflatable Bacon Maze, taking the Bacon Bunge Challenge or stopping by a butcher presentation. Live music by Long Beach’s Radio Domingo will be featured, along with beer and bacon pairing presentations and endless games of Bacon Pong, whatever that might entail.
Double the vendors and double the offerings will, fingers crossed, create a much more favorable outcome in terms of reviews this year.
The event company also announced a new partnership with Team Red, White and Blue as the official charity of the 2015 Big Bite Bacon Fest.
“Team RWB is both honored and excited to partner with Big Bite Bacon Fest for 2015,” said Sarah Roberts, Pacific Northwest Regional Director of Team RWB, in a statement. “Having the opportunity to celebrate community through social events such as the Big Bite Bacon Fest is one way in which Team RWB members are able to connect with each other, get involved and help strengthen their communities.”
Big Bite Bacon Fest announced the company is proud to support Team RWB by giving a portion of the event proceeds to their non-profit organization.
“This non-profit organization supports America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity,” Entner said. “Big Bite Bacon Fest will donate $10,000 to Team Red, White and Blue.”
Even if you go home the least big hungry, you can hop back into your car knowing you doled out your dollars for a good cause.
The second annual Big Bite Bacon Fest includes a choice of a daytime or evening tasting session on Saturday, August 1 and one daytime tasting session on Sunday, August 2. VIP bacon lovers will gain entry to the event one hour prior to all other guests, have access to the exclusive VIP bacon lounge with shaded seating and tastings, receive a souvenir cup, access to private restrooms, and the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the majestic Queen Mary ship.
For more information about this pork-tastic event and to purchase tickets visit the Queen Mary’s website here or visit Big Bite’s website here.
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