It is with excitement and thrill that I walked into the Giant’s Stadium and saw a full line of bacon inspired dishes, curated artisanal goods, and unlimited beer samples. The 2015 Bacon and Beer Festival in San Jose had barely commenced and there was a massive 100+ people line out the door. Past them, we have a lovely swath of volunteers with ready to go porcelain glasses and pamphlets - we can't thank them enough for a job well done!
Striding out into the field, I felt like a professional athlete gearing up for the game. This venue was truly one of the most unique events I've seen. Unlike your traditional park or secluded space, the stadium is both grandiose and hints at the scale of the event - hundreds of people come to attend during each session (2 sessions per day).
As part of the media crew, I had early access to survey the grounds and make preparations (mostly mental) before mingling with the event attendants, whom by then must have been a hungry mob of people.
My first order of business was inspecting the stadium and its vendors. I made my way around the encirclement, hurrying past the wonderful aromas of sizzling of pork fat and eye-enticing tap handles since I was already short on time and a quick stop was way too dangerous.
Many local names showed up to play though some of my favorite dishes included:
- Bacon grits & Bacon roasted popcorn from Park Place
- Bacon arugula pizza from Oak & Rye
- Spicy mayo bacon sandwiches from Les Marguerites (This was delicious, I might have accidentally had 5)
- Bacon BBQ with pickled radishes from Armadillo Willys BBQ
- Braised pork belly from 71 Saint Peter
I also saw some sweeter combinations of bacon inspired dishes I feel needs to be mentioned:
- Bacon crepe from Crepe Em Coming
- Bacon spread from The Bacon Jams
- Bacon cupcakes from Caketerest
Past the Giants' Dugout, we arrive at the beer section. Your usual local suspects made an appearance. Big hitters like Firestone Walker, Anchor Steam, and Stone Brewing, alongside more local entities like Hangar 24, Strike, Santa Cruz Mountain, Discretion, Saint Archer, CaliCraft, Mendocino, Woodchuck Hard Cider, etc. This was a full house.
I think as far as an event goes, this is easily on my Top 5 List. The creativity with the venue, well-made combinations of food, flavors, and beer variety from the vendors, and scale & overall delivery of the event made this experience unforgettable.
I would whole-heartedly continue supporting this event year after year. Please check them out at:
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