Got a hankerin’ for hog? Need to add some sizzle to your Saturday? Then look no further than Bacon & Barrels.
The second annual event in Los Olivos—named one of the top five festivals in California by The Huffington Post—will be held at the Saarloos and Sons field July 18 through 20.
The three-day outdoor festival celebrates bacon in every form imaginable and craft barrel beverages.
Central Coast chefs will think outside of the bacon box serving up culinary creations, and local artisans will bring their best bourbon, beer, wine, and scotch.
But attendees seem to have more in common than an obsession with bacon and high-end spirits.
“I think people who enjoy bacon have a really great sense of humor,” said Holly Holliday, co-owner and event director of Bacon & Barrels.
“When you love something that is fatty and flavorful and a guilty pleasure for most, and you love cocktails, and you love having a good beer and good wine, I think you’re probably a lot more fun as a person. I think you’re probably not a buttoned-up person and you enjoy life. Those are the people that honestly I want to hang out with.”
Bacon & Barrels kicks off on Friday, July 18, with “The Whole Hog” V.I.P. Dinner.
Chef Jeff Olsson of Industrial Eats and chef/pig farmer Jake O. Francis of Valley Piggery will create a four-course, all-bacon dinner.
“We’re using one of Jake’s hogs that’s currently grazing approximately 1 mile from Saarloos and Sons field right now,” Holliday said.
She added that the chefs are designing their menu based on the whole hog, “Using pretty much everything—so it’s going to be a pretty epic dinner.”
The Friday dinner starts with a charcuterie course, to be followed by crispy pig head and fried pork trotters with aioli and arugula salad. Next up is pork-stuffed pork shanks with seasonal vegetables; sweet tea-brined roasted pork loin with a peach-rosemary glaze; and Andouille sausage links with pretzel bread, beer-braised candy onions, and mustard. Everything will be paired with wines from Saarloos and Sons winery.
On July 19, attendees have a chance to visit more than 140 food and libation booths during the big event.
Participating chefs who are promising to “pump it up” this year include the Nichols brothers from Sides Hardware and Shoes, Budi Kazali from The Ballard Inn, Maegen Loring, and Jacob Moss of Lido at Dolphin Bay Resort and Spa, among others.
“Last year, we had everything from braised bacon from Succulent [to] bacon with chocolates from Stafford’s, [and] Full of Life Flatbread will be back. Last year, they did a braised pork belly flatbread, and I expect them to do something along the same lines this year,” Holliday said.
“Root 246 is back again. Last year, they did these great pork belly sandwiches,” she added. “And, of course, Sides is coming back. They are our reigning Jefe del Porko winner from last year. They did these amazing bacon sliders made from their house bacon.”
And as for the beverages, Holliday said, “A lot of our mixologists tend to go very heavy bourbon with a bacon accent. Re:Find comes in and does an amazing cucumber vodka cocktail, which is wonderful because it’s going to be hot out there. It will be nice and refreshing. Sidecar, I believe, is working on a bacon Bloody Mary, a version of The Carnivore that they serve during their Sunday brunches. New this year is The Marquee from Santa Barbara. They do a lot of high-end mixology there.”
Chefs and mixologists bring their A-game and their best bacon and barrel-inspired creations, competing for the Gold Pig Award. The 2014 Jefe del Porko winners will serve their winning masterpieces in the V.I.P. (Very Important Pig) tent on Saturday.
And all that eating and drinking is accompanied by live music; The Monroe opens for headliner The Silent Comedy.
This year, Bacon and Barrels is expanding to three days, with the Bacon, Bellini, Bloodies Brunch on Sunday, July 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. back at Saarloos and Sons field.
Louise’s Kitchen is catering; Sidecar is hosting a Bloody bar and a Bellini bar.
“They go above and beyond with their Bloody Marys,” Holliday raved.
After a weekend of pigging out, you may feel like you need a system cleanse, so Sidecar will be serving their Green Mary: green juice made from kale, spinach, cucumber, green apple, jalapeño, and gin.
“It’s going to be a fun Sunday,” Holliday said. “Finish your bacon for the weekend before you start your diet on Monday.”
Wine and Food columnist Wendy Thies Sell likes her bacon extra crispy. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2014.
