The Great Big Bacon Picnic - Sept. 24-25, 2016

Hailed by top food bloggers as “The Bacon Event of the Year” in 2015, The Great Big Bacon Picnic is back in Williamsburg, Brooklyn next week, Sept. 24-25, 2016. This indoor/outdoor gourmet bacon festival features UNLIMITED bacon and booze from over 100 chefs, restaurants, food trucks, brewmasters, distillers, mixologists, and culinary experts. Sounds like a dream come true!

Guest blogger, Gail Worley from The Worleygig covered the event for Skulls & Bacon last year and she'll be representing again this year! See her recap of last year's Great Big Bacon Picnic.

In addition to stuffing your face and catching a buzz, the High & Mighty Brass Band will be performing, you can participate in the 1st ever Bacon Toss contest (catch the bacon in your mouth!), and a Great Big Food Nap area where attendees can rest up for the next round.

Some featured dishes that will be in attendance:

Bareburger Maple Sriracha, candied bacon slider with pickled red onion, Boston bib lettuce, Sriracha aioli, on a pretzel bun

Brooklyn Colony’s Breakfast Bacon Empanada

Sweet Chili’s The Porkgasm - Spicy Vietnamese Caramel Glazed Pork Belly


The event will feature three different sessions of inspired bite-sized bacon dishes and the best in craft beers and top-shelf spirits:

• Saturday Brunch 12:00pm – 2:30pm with VIP access from 11:00am
• Saturday Happy Hour 5:30pm – 8:00pm with VIP access from 4:30pm
• Sunday Brunch 1:00pm – 3:30pm with VIP access from 12:00pm

For a list of participating restaurants, sponsors, and to purchase tickets, visit greatbigbacon.com/.

**10% of the net proceeds will be donated to various charities, such as  City Harvest, and vendors are encouraged to use local suppliers and farmers who produce  organic and sustainable ingredients.

Here's a quick peek at last year's festivities:

Going Hog Wild at the Great Big Bacon Picnic

A Guest Blog for Skulls & Bacon
By Gail Worley from The Worleygig



If you weren’t able to make the scene at the Great Big Bacon Picnic, which took place over the weekend of May 16th and 17th, you missed what will surely go down in Bacon Legend among those lucky enough to attend as the Bacon Event of The Year – assuming, of course, that it becomes an annual event! And we will be praying it does!



Held at the old Pfizer Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a mix of Indoor and Outdoor space provided the absolutely perfect venue for what felt like an early start to Summer, as Bacon fans arrived in herds to taste bacon-infused food and drink from over 100 chefs, brew masters, and distillers who showered attendees with unlimited bacon, extraordinary spirits and local craft beers! Bacon Picnic!



Everyone was in a great mood and the enthusiasm was palpable. It didn’t hurt that this was perhaps the best organized food event I’ve yet attended. Wait times at each booth or food truck was minimal to non-existent, and service with a smile was the order of the day. In order to accommodate the schedules of as many people as possible and avoid event burn-out, the Great Big Bacon Picnic was divided into three two-and-one-half-hour sessions (two on Saturday and one on Sunday.) I attended the Sunday afternoon session, proudly representing for Skulls and Bacon, as we ate bacon until we wished to see no more bacon. Yes, Bacon-overload (though exceedingly rare) is possible.

Here are some photo highlights from the day!





Musical entertainment was provided by Brooklyn’s own High & Mighty Brass Band, whom I spotted lounging the VIP tent between sets.

I began my journey of Bacony Delights by first hitting up all the vendors in the outdoor space, which was set up with the aforementioned VIP tent, plus shaded picnic tables, and picnic blankets on Astroturf for those not hiding from the sun.



Among food trucks and booze booths, the former Pfizer parking lot was also home to the first-ever Bacon Bar: a self-serve smorgasbord dedicated exclusively to endless servings of many different varieties of Bacon. It was a perfect appetizer to the main event!



Who doesn’t love Maple Bacon?




This Canadian Bacon tasted more like delicious roast Pork Loin to me. All good!



During the events, there was judging by not only fans, but also panels of experts, for cash prizes in a variety of categories. Tellers with Black Pepper Bacon won the Judge’s Award for Presentation at Saturday’s evening session.




I enjoyed my bacon Buffet while sipping a chilled Angry Orchard Cider in the VIP tent! Eventually though, I had to go back out into the sun, because the Bacon was calling me.



BacoBurger Steak Company grilled up a mess of their Bacon and Beef blended burgers, served as both sliders on buns, and meat-only morsels dressed up chimichurri style with pickled onions.





Big D’S presents Bacon Tempura with Wasabi Aioli Sauce was a big hit with everyone. They served it up quick!



Fans enjoy delicious Bacon Tempura on a Stick! Because everything tastes better on a stick!




Hard Times Sundaes served no Sundaes, but they served an amazingly juicy Bacon Cheeseburger with sweet grilled onions!



I washed this down with cold Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit Infused Vodka Beverage. Ah, refreshing!




I was next drawn towards the indoor area of the event, which promised shade, a bathroom, and a place to wash the pig off my hands. Plus: More Bacon!Here are a few photos of the Bacon Things I ate once I got inside.



Bacon Gruyere Mini Scone! Bacon, Cheese, Bread – whats not to love?





Hilldale’s Deviled Egg Topped with Crispy House-Smoked Pork Belly; because you never say No to a Deviled Egg – especially one topped with Bacon!



Cent’Anni Gnocchi Carbonara with Smoked bacon, Onions and Spring Peas. So rich, and quite a generous portion!




There were booths selling Bacon Swag as well, such as this fashionable United States of Bacon T-Shirt! It looks comfy!We also sampled a few prize winning recipes!




Late day Saturday, the Judge’s Awards for Creativity went to Urbo for their insanely delicious Smoked Bacon Stuffed Oreos.



Seriously, these little guys are some of the best-tasting things you could ever put in your mouth. Sweet Bacon Heaven!



Snowdonia’s Maple Bacon Welsh Rarebit took the People’s Choice Award with its blend of melted cheeses on artisan bread, sprinkled with Candied Bacon.



It’s looks pretty tasty, but check this out:



Sure, that’s how they melted the cheese, but we couldn’t help but wonder what was the secret ingredient that made this dish taste like you were, literally, eating fire? My guess is that there was a secret layer of Sriracha under that melty cheese. Let the eater beware.



Possibly our very favorite savory Bacon dish of the day, Streets’ outrageous Tuna Bacon Truffle Sushi Roll, was awarded the Judge’s Awards in both the Deliciousness and Creativity categories. Well played!



The concept of blending delicious fresh Ahi tuna sushi with crisp smoky bacon and truffle aioli was just too genius to be ignored! The deepest, most bacon-frenzied crowd of any booth at the event said all there was to be said.



We had a crazy fun time at the Great Big Bacon Picnic and hope to return next year!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Big big thanks to Gail from The Worleygig for covering this event while I was on vacation in California. Man, I wish I could have been there. If it happens again next year I definitely plan on being there!

Effervescent Bacon Drink Tablets

Effervescent Bacon Drink Tablets -$3.50

Even I think that the bacon madness may have gone a little too far with this but...it is kinda cool in a weird novelty way. I'm pretty sure the people at Archie McPhee are high all the time, you need to be to think up things like this. If you drop one of these magic tablets into a glass of water it will instantly begin to dissolve, creating a cascade of bubbles that will infuse the water with a delicious bacon flavor. They say they work just as well in milk or juice but that's kinda gross. Each tin contains about fifteen tablets.

Thanksgiving Gumballs - $3.50

There's no bacon in these Thanksgiving gumballs but I think they're neat although I don't expect them to be that tasty. They remind me of the three-course dinner gum from Willy Wonka although I hope these don't require a trip to the Juicing Room. Each tin contains about twenty-two gumballs in the classic flavors of Thanksgiving - turkey, cranberry and pumpkin pie. While we're on the subject, scientists are working on gum that would taste like a three-course mean. For realz.

In other exciting bacon news, a few weeks ago, I was checking out an amazing looking recipe for Praline Bacon Ice Cream on the excellent ice cream blog, Scoop Adventures. Ice cream maker extraordinaire, Lindsay, made some for the Bacon Takedown in New Orleans.


She was also giving away 10 pounds of bacon from Hormel and an awesome Bacon Takedown apron. I entered and actually WON! I've been handing out free bacon to friends and family and the Bacon Takedown apron looks great hanging in my kitchen. Thanks so much to Lindsay and please check out her blog, it's got some really interesting ice cream concoctions!

I'll be on vacation in L.A. starting later this week and my goal is to find the Lardon Bacon Truck. Wish me luck!

More Skulls Than You Can Shake A Fist At

It's been way too long since I've been able to get a post up and the skulls have been piling up. I'm completely out of money to buy more skull things yet I can't pass them up. I'm thinking of selling a kidney or something to scrape up some dough.

Grandin Road has the swankiest Halloween Skulls. The skull window panel is to die for and the skull tablecloth and pillows are fabulous.

Damask Skull Window Panel - $22.00

Close Up:


Gothic Skull Table Toppers - $49.00

Gothic Skull Throw Pillows - $24.00

Even Kohl's is getting in on the skull action with some nice tableware and kitchen towels.

Flocked Skull & Crossbones Table Runner - $29.99

Skull & Crossbones Flocked Placemats - $6.99

Skull & Crossbones Kitchen Towel - $5.99

Some tasty skull chocolate lollipops from Godiva aren't cheap but you know that chocolate is to die for.

3 Skull chocolate Lollipops - $15.00

I hate licorice but these are just too cute.

Licorice Skulls from Harry & David - $7.95

If you're into baking, Wilton has fantastic skull stuff. The cake pan seems to be sold out in most places so if the 3-D skull cake pan strikes your fancy you probably need to get in on that pretty quick.

Wilton Skulls Baking Cups - $1.99


Wilton Skull Cupcake Stand - $5.99

Wilton Skull Parasol Pix - $1.99


Wilton Dimensions 3-D Aluminum Skull Pan - Sale $24.49
Even with just a powdered sugar coating this skull cake is awesome.


Tomorrow I head to Macy's where my brother spotted some fancy skull pillows that they don't have on their website. My credit card is ready and what's the problem with a little debt anyway?