BaconFestYEG is back for its second year!
The baconiest (that’s a real verb) event in Edmonton takes place June 30, 2015 at the Jubilee Auditorium Lobby and grounds and features gourmet, one-of-a-kind bacon dishes from 10 Edmonton restaurants, bacon-themed drink specials, music, comedy, prizes, a lovable dude dressed in a bacon suit, and more! I’m giving away a pair of tickets to the event (scroll down) but first –
One of the participating restaurants, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse, is doing a bacon special throughout the month of June!
They’re offering a Baconfest feature – where for $64.95 per person, you get their unlimited, all you can eat Brazilian steakhouse meat offerings (12 different meats + 60+ hot and cold side dishes) and bacon-wrapped bacon-wrapped petite tender (beef), marinated BBQ pork belly, bacon-wrapped chicken thighs, AND a chocolate cake with bacon caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and caramelized bacon. (Plus – part of their regular meat selection includes bacon-wrapped chicken thighs).
For the month of June, Pampa is offering this BaconFestYEG feature leading up to BaconFestYEG on June 30!
It’s a great value if you’re already headed to Pampa for dinner (which would be $49.95 a person), for not much more, you’re adding all that extra bacon plus a really good bacon dessert (where dessert would be a separate, additional cost if you were just dining from the regular all you can eat menu).
I was invited by Gastropost Edmonton go try Pampa’s bacon specials last week and was pretty excited to go! It had been a few years since I’d been to Pampa. At the $50 per person price point normally, it’s pretty steep and becomes somewhere most people would probably go for occasions and not every day (though I know a lot of people do just go to it as an every day occurrence, which, let’s face it if I had the money I wouldn’t turn down all you can eat meat most nights, lol).
Summer = refreshing, girly, fruity, cocktails!
Pampa’s got all of these refreshing, summer drink specials on right now – so if you go for Pork / BaconFestYEG Month, you need to try the cocktails! The raspberry one (I’m a bad blogger as I did not write down what the exact drink concoction was, but it’s the middle back drink in the above photo) was so fruity and delicious.
The Pao de Queijo Brazilian cheese buns are addictive and delicious.
The Brazilian cheese buns Pao de Queijo (which are gluten free) are so good. It’s such a simple dish like a cheese puff without the cream, and is addictive. I had 4 as soon as they set the plate down (which probably isn’t the best move as it will likely hinder your ability to stuff the most meat into your stomach, but… so good… so worth it).
Can everything in life be bacon-wrapped?
Our group – expectedly – took lots of photos of all da bacon.
Close up of the bacon-wrapped chicken thigh, omnomnom.
The marinated BBQ pork belly at Pampa!
The pork belly – like all the meats – gets cut right at your table. Super fatty (as it should be) and delicious. My favourite meat cuts were the garlic rump steak, rib eye, bacon-wrapped chicken and petite tenders, and – (and this surprised me because I’m not a dessert girl) – the chocolate cake with bacon caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and caramelized bacon, bacon dessert! Savoury and sweet bacon combinations can be so hit or miss but Pampa has got this dessert down.
When bacon desserts work: The chocolate cake with bacon caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and caramelized bacon at Pampa.
My favourite part of the night – aside from all da meat/bacon, and the great service – was when Pampa manager Oscar Lopez came to our table to talk about the history of the Brazilian churrascaria – how cowboys used to skewer and slow cook their meat over fire, using knives to cut off thin slices as they cooked. Oscar also gave a shout-out to my personal favourite Brazilian churrascaria – Fogo de Chao – as a steakhouse Pampa (and probably all other Brazilian steakhouses) aspire to be. I loved his passion! He also told us since launching the BaconFest Feature, it’s actually been quite well-received. It can be a hard sell because everyone at the table needs to agree to it, but again, the value (since you’re already there and paying $50 for all you can eat) – is definitely there to toss in another $15 for 3 more bacon dishes + dessert. Just go for it!
Pampa General Manager Oscar Lopez shares his passion for Brazilian churrascaria.
I can’t thank Oscar and the Pampa staff enough for the wonderful hospitality. Our server Matthew was excellent! and also super talented at pouring liquor into small shot glasses from high distances:
Impressive pouring skills! 😱 @EatPampaYEG #yegfood #yegdrinks pic.twitter.com/kBYvVYqjAO
— Linda Hoang (@lindork) June 7, 2015
Our group had a great time trying the BaconFestYEG Feature at Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse!
There is so much pork and bacon goodness in Edmonton in June (I’ll be writing another post on Passion for Pork’s Pork Month restaurant specials later this week!) and I sincerely hope you go out and try them! Obviously Pampa is a higher price point for a meal out, but it’s one of those experiences that are always a good time. (Sometimes you feel defeated though because there’s just so much food and you can’t possibly eat everything no matter how much you want to. Also, the #meatsweats).
I hope you also take in BaconFestYEG on June 30. It should be a lot of fun! Obviously if you get free tickets in it’ll be even funner ;) Enter the giveaway below (and check out the bacon special Pampa will be serving up at BaconFest! It’s a slow-roasted (obviously) smoked belly of pork, bacon praline, with apple and fennel slaw and a bacon yogurt sauce. Keep checking the BaconFestYEG website to see the other unique bacon dishes that will be featured at the fest!
** GIVEAWAY **
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO JUNE 30, 2015 BACONFESTYEG!
Pampa’s BaconFestYEG dish: Slow-roasted smoked pork belly with bacon praline, apple and fennel slaw and bacon yogurt suace.
I’m giving away a pair of tickets to BaconFestYEG, happening June 30, 2015 (valued at $120).
There are multiple ways to enter (commenting in this post answering the question below is mandatory, everything else are additional/bonus entries.)
- Leave a comment on this blog post answering the question: What would your perfect bacon dish be? This is mandatory. You must do this in order to be eligible to win.
- Tweet this exact sentence: I’m excited for @BaconFestYEG!! Hope I win @lindork’s tickets to the June 30 event: http://bit.ly/1KXz6Pi #yeg #yegfood
- Follow @lindork on Twitter (let me know you’ve done this)
- Follow @baconfestyeg on Twitter (let me know when you’ve done this)
- Like my Facebook Page – Lindork (Linda Hoang) + leave a comment on this Facebook post. (let me know when you’ve done this)
Please note comments are moderated so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t appear right away!
This giveaway closes on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 10 p.m. I will randomly choose a winner based on the entries after the contest closes.
Good luck, spread the word, and if you’re not sure about your chances: just go buy BaconFestYEG tickets here!
UPDATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015
Congratulations to Lily V. – the winner of the pair of tickets to BaconFest! Thanks to everyone who entered!!
Linda
29 Comments
I think bacon wrapped chicken thighs sound like the best thing ever!
Bacon wrapped striploin steak with peppercorn
I think bacon is best as is (purist) but bacon wrapped scallops are a close second!
Followed both you and baconfest on twitter ;)
Bacon wrapped asparagus!!!
Bacon wrapped cheese dog!
My favorite bacon dish would be a stuffed mushroom with bacon bits then wrapped into a bacon skewered with some marinated bacon belly. Yummmm
The perfect bacon dish would be a bacon crusted cheesecake with a caramelized mango sauce topped with caramelized bacon bits!
My perfect bacon dish would be bacon wrapped scallops with garlic and bacon potatoes and maple glazed bacon for dessert.
Anything with pork belly…drooooool!!!
Did everything you listed for entries! (Really, really want to win, lol!)
Candied bacon is my secret lover but I’ve only been able to find it in Canmore (insert sad panda face) Pick me!!!! Must go to bacon fest!!!!
Bacon wrapped scallops, sooo good!
Followed and liked.
My perfect bacon dish would be cinnamon buns wrapped with bacon on the outside. Can you imagine!!
That chocolate cake with caramel bacon sauce!
I follow on Twitter!
I have liked on FB; Following Baconfest on twitter also
Bacon anything is delicious but I wish there would be more sushi-type foods with bacon…like bacon avocado roll….mmmm…..
Tweeted!
Fettuccine Alfredo with bacon – yum! Ok, anything with bacon actually
Are you kidding me?? Chocolate cake with Bacon Caramel sauce?? Can you say YES PLEASE mate!!
Perfect bacon dish is a BLT with avocado!
Done – Tweet this exact sentence: I’m excited for @BaconFestYEG!! Hope I win @lindork’s tickets to the June 30 event: http://bit.ly/1KXz6Pi #yeg #yegfood
Done – Follow @lindork on Twitter
Done – Follow @baconfestyeg on Twitter
Done – Like my Facebook Page – Lindork (Linda Hoang) + leave a comment on this Facebook post.
Bacon wrapped fillet mignon is my favourite! So good that we even had that in our surf ‘n turf main course for our wedding!
Follow you on Twitter
Bacon dipped in dark chocolate infused with cayenne pepper.
I think bacon on it’s own is pretty amazing – but I absolutely love it in a sweet salad. The unexpected saltiness and texture are absolutely amazing!
I would love to see bacon combined with my favorite French Canadian dish: tourtière! (meat pie). I have yet to see that made….Maybe I will try my hand at it…
Bacon, what a treat! I’m not sure if anyone has done this yet but, a bacon stuffed toasted marshmallow would make me a happy little bae! ♡
Love bacon wrapped chicken and a side of candied bacon!
I follow you on Twitter.
I follow @baconfestyeg on Twitter
I like your Facebook page and commented on your post.
bacon wrapped chicken breast
BLT