Bacon is one of the most universally loved meat dishes in the world, the smell of which can summon housemates to the kitchen in an instant. But far from just a breakfast complement, bacon can be used in a variety of ways to make some unique and mouth-watering dishes. Here are just a few restaurants and stores in Edmonton serving up some of the best bacon dishes around.
This restaurant specializes in smoked meat, and their bacon bombs are the most popular item. It consists of multiple layers of bacon – house-made Italian sausage is stuffed with bacon, jalapeños and cheddar cheese, then wrapped in bacon and smoked. This Southern-style barbecue restaurant certainly loves wrapping things in bacon – the jalapeño poppers also come equipped with a layer of pork around them, and you’ll also find bacon in the freshly baked cornbread.
This massive Italian grocery market carries a variety of fantastic brands of bacon and bacon alternatives. They carry British back bacon and hickory smoked side bacon from Irvings Farm Fresh, a family business in Round Hill, Alberta. They raise Berkshire pigs without the use of antibiotics or hormones, and allow the pigs free range. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan (or even if you’re not!), you can also find vegan coconut bacon at the Italian Centre – it’s produced by the local vegan truck, Sailin’ On, and tastes amazing, no matter your dietary preferences.
Located in the Roots on Whyte building just off of Whyte Avenue, this cute grocery store stocks a bevy of organic and locally sourced products, and includes the Sunworks Organic Meat Shop. Try their bacon, which is made in their own certified organic processing facility. Their bacon is made from organic pork and certified organic and gluten-free spices, and is nitrite and nitrate-free.
You’ll find everyone’s favourite pork product all over the menu at Hart’s Table & Bar. There’s crispy bacon, sourced from Irvings Farm Fresh, on the cheddar and potato perogies, as well as in the BLT kale salad; bacon jam on the burger stack, which pairs a beef burger with crispy pork belly; more bacon on dishes such as the All Day Breakfast and the jalapeño Havarti mac ‘n’ cheese and turkey club burger. And, of course, bacon makes an appearance on their brunch menu – you’ll find it at the Benedict bar, where a traditional benny comes with back bacon.
The scallops on the dinner menu are nicely tucked into pieces of double-smoked bacon – there’s also a tomato bacon marmalade as part of the dish, as well as roasted cauliflower puree, risotto croquettes and herb coulis. The bacon-wrapped scallops are only available on the dinner menu but, if you happen to stop by at lunch, you’ll find smoked bacon atop the hearty beef burger.
The maple-glazed back bacon at Wildflower Grill is some of the thickest, most succulent bacon I’ve ever eaten – it would be a sin to have brunch without it. You can order it as a side dish or as part of the traditional eggs Benedict or eggs Benedict two ways – it comes atop the red wine poached egg with bearnaise sauce. You’ll also find this decadent pork treat on the club sandwich. If you prefer savoury to sweet, indulge in some back bacon, which comes in the quiche Lorraine. The restaurant even offers a bacon and cheddar croissant.