Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Search for Crispy Bacon - snippet

The Results of the search:

Remember that generally you must ask for the crispy bacon.
1. El Cortez Cafe
2. Peppermill - Five people reported this place
3. Harrah's the Cafe - also reported to give abundant portions by the author of this fine Vegas blog: http://hayleysmomonvegas.blogspot.com/2009/06/introductory-post.html
another poster says crispinesss at the Harrah's buffet is sporatic
4. This one from a post by an author of this where to eat in Vegas book
http://www.amazon.com/Las-Vegas-Eat-Wherever-Guides/dp/0762747552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219093080&sr=1-1
Hash House a go go
6800 West Sahara Ave, Las Vegas NV 89146 (702) 804-4646
their web: http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/
Quite a few confirming this, with one saying it was the best crispy bacon.
5. South Point Buffet -the crisp part may have been unintentional
6. Bouchon at the Venetian (expensive)
7. Golden Gate diner
8. Fitzgerald's Coffee Shop
9. Gold Coast buffet - If this is consistent, it might be the cheapest with coupons accepted for 50% for solo and a free senior buffet on Wednesday after earning 200 points. I did eat there last trip and oddly have no memory of crisp bacon while I can still taste the red eye gravy.
10. bellagio buffet (not inexpensive)
11. Pancake House out at Green Valley Ranch
http://www.greenvalleyranchresort.com/dining/the-original-pancake-house.php
12. Orleans Buffet
13. Bill's Victorian Room - reported to be very crisp and cheap
http://www.billslasvegas.com/pdf/menu_victorian.pdf
14. Ellis Island cafe - Three reports
http://www.ellisislandcasino.com/EIMENU1101.htm
15. Other spots to check
scroll down for the breakfast section
http://www.vegas.com/restaurant/specials.html
16. Denny's at Casino Royale
17. Silverton Cafe
from Pat Swenson on
http://www.midwestgamingandtravel.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=865ce30ccbd8b0cb767d954ddf6f5890
I don't know if you tried the Silverton Coffee Shop for bacon, or even if
their bacon is still worthy of high crispy praise, as I haven't there in a couple of years. But in 2007 their coffee shop served the thickest, crispist
hickory smoked bacon that has ever passed my lips.

Since I always keep to Central time when I'm in NV, I'm usually playing in the quiet, mostly smoke free casino by 6:00am. By 9:30 I'm ready for lunch. I almost always ordered a BLT for that meal. It was loaded with 5 or 6 slices of that heavenly bacon, lots of sliced red, ripe tomatos and fresh green leaves of lettuce. Served on thick slices of white bread, with good mayo, this sandwich was um, umm GOOD! Very Happy

I was dining with a friend one day, when I ordered this sandwich. She asked why I was having that for "breakfast". I explained that bacon and
toast were breakfast staples, tomatos are fruit, replacing an orange, and that I included lettuce because I was trying to "go green" and save the planet. Obviously, she could not refute the logic of that statement
18. Golden Nugget Buffet
19. Green Valley Ranch buffet - poster here:
http://www.whatbrianthinksaboutlasvegas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=189040#189040
argues that this is the cheapest:
"
For breakfasts in Vegas I usually go to buffets, and the best one so far has been Green Valley Ranch for the fall apart crispiness of the buffet bacon. With the card there its only around 8 bucks, by far the best cheaply priced bacon recommendation I can give. "




THE DETAILS OF THE SEARCH

The Original Call:
Okay, we've collected lists and details on mundane issues like where to sleep, eat, use coupons,gamble, get free wifi, bus.......
let's get to down to some important issues.

Where in Vegas can you find crispy bacon as part of an inexpensive breakfast?

We are not talking about those pieces of bacon that limply bend when retrieved from the buffet mounds and chew with a texture somewhere between venison jerky and cheap penny candy bacon.

"Plastic Bacon Oh, baby now You're such a drag!"

No..... we are talking about bacon that, when touched by tooth, snaps and crumbles in oral orgasms of crunchy bits of pork fat. Bacon that delivers the onomatopoeic Truth in "CRISP."
Bacon worth the bother.

In my last trip of 23 days I had but one successful hit.
Using my $5 poker comp breakfast at the El Cortez Cafe cost 58 cents. I asked for crisp bacon and the cook, Careless Kitty, must have heard me because I received a generous portion, all brown and barely able to withstand the movement from kitchen to table without cracking and crumbling.
********************************
SELECTED BITS OF DISCUSSION AND BANTER

It seems that the problem is places that do bacon in volume prepare it ahead of time and then keep it hot on steam tables. It cannot stay crisp.

One poster suggested the superiority of meat called "bacon" that is cut from the back of the pig, especially the Danish variety popular in England and other spots is Europe. He went so far as to suggest that the "bookmark garnish" I was craving was not really "bacon" at all and that I should move on to real bacon.

My joking response:
Now, how does one "move on" with back bacon? Seems that would be a move back. Look, back bacon is just bacon trying to "ham" it up. Furthermore, it is probably brined in saltpeter, and we all know what that does to any chance for true orgasmic pleasure. And these pieces in the photo don't even have a bit of pea meal packed along fatty edges, so at least there is some hint of decadent fat, something that tastes like a party. NO!! BACK BACON JUST WON'T DO!!
The hunt for bacon here is for good ole American
"streaky" bacon, son.
Bacon at it's best is Bacon from the belly.
Folks don't go to Vegas to eat back bacon, drink tea, and talk about the weather in the shipping channel.

They go to Vegas to live wild and free and crisp!!! Next you'll be telling me that for real eggs you need to go to Granny's in Laughlin where for breakfast they serve the only true eggs, small black bits from the sturgeon, swiped on tiny crackers in the hope of giving them some flavor other than salt, and in achieving what every palate secretly yearns to savor: Crisp.

His response:

Belly bacon has its place Dewey – but back bacon is always better. Better texture – especially when compared to the belly bookmarks that you are looking for.

Cleary such an erudite man as yourself can make clear what he wants from life and you have done that but don’t let that scholarly prose and thought eliminate the possibility of opening yourself up to new pleasures. Back bacon is a wondrous thing – lightly cooked being the best way to eat it (in my opinion) which retains most of the flavor and a fantastic texture.

Anyway I have no doubt you’ll remain unswayed by my opinion. So – as the Danes know bacon better than most, being one of their main exports, I shall leave this with a few words and quotes.

Response to being told that belly bacon is better: “there is something Rotten in the State of Denmark” and “More matter with less art”

And remember this when dismissing Back Bacon as inferior.

"Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,
And do such bitter business, as the day
Would quake to look on."

This is not a subject to be trifled with Sir.. make acquaintance with Danish back Bacon and understand what you have been missing and dismissing.
Anonymousfrom mikenhe or Mike in real life.

Well, you get the idea of the banter.

So it was a fun search. Now I'll have to try out some of the places mentioned or at least get some other reports.
Hash a go go seems to be served by restaurant.com coupons.
I am most leery of the Orleans and Gold Coast reports, so if anyone reading this goes there, check the crisp of the bacon and report back.
Thanks to all contributing.

4 comments:

mikenhe said...

Quoted on Deweys blog – My life is complete!!

If I should happen across the crispy bacon that you search for during my next Vegas trip then I’ll get them to save it for you – its not like theres anything left to go off!! :D

Good luck hunting it down – I suspect that you’ll have more success than I will searching for real bacon!!

Mike

Dewey said...

Thanks Mike.
London is not on our list currently but Portugal may have some tastes of back bacon. That and Segovia Spain are on our list. However, in Segovia we spend most of our time with suckling pig and lamb.

mikenhe said...

everything I have seen leads me to believe that the Spanish are obsessed with ham and other pork products. I'd love to check it out some day - a few days in Barcelona sounds perfect..

Dewey said...

I could never quite connect to Barcelona.
I'm thinking a couple days to spin out of the jet lag in Madrid near the new fast train to Segovia and then a week just hanging in Segovia, probably at Secotel Infanta Isabelle as they now have wifi.
It is a very touristy town but always has a fine feel to me.
Maybe a day trip to Avila to see St Teresa's finger.
red wine, cognac, suckling pig, lamb laced with garlic.
For breakfast meat in Spain we generally had slices of chorizo with the eggs.
Well, we'll see how the year goes.