Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184232
8 2 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 Something's sizzling in Macon BY LISA PRITCHARD MAYFIELD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH B ACON. It's one of the few foods that's both salty and sweet, all at the same time. Practically all protein and fat, and one of life's greatest guilty pleasures, bacon's popularity is far from abating. In fact, here in the midstate, the pork product is sizzling hot. Maybe one of the indicators of bacon's recent surge in popularity was our city's selection of a tasty moniker for our new baseball team. In its inaugural 2018 season, the Macon Bacon were successful enough to earn a spot in the playoffs. Fans of the team sported hats, T-shirts and other gear featuring strips of sizzling pork while they cheered on the players and team mascot, Kevin Bacon. With 24 home games scheduled between June and August, the 2019 season should be just as hot. Outside the ball park and inside area kitchens, Macon's love affair with bacon is going strong, too. "We are in the South, everyone loves bacon," said Natasha Phillips, owner of Fountain of Juice, a local eatery. "And honestly, there is not much you can't add bacon to." At FOJ, candied bacon is one of the hottest items on the menu. "Our candied bacon skewers just blow people's minds," Phillips said. "Sweet bacon on a stick – it brings joy to the world!" FOJ also adds candied bacon to its Caesar salad and often pairs it with pimiento cheese. Another great Southern classic, the BLT, is taken a step further at FOJ. "We use candied bacon and add avocado on our wonderful ciabatta roll with ancho aioli," she said. "It's so good!" At downtown Macon's Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen, bacon is a big part of the Sunday brunch menu. "While we serve bacon with just about anything on a daily basis, it is our house-cured, pork-belly pastrami that people really love," said Brian Whitley, co-owner. "Most folks don't realize that pork belly is actually the cut of meat that gives us bacon." THE CITY'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH BACON IS GOING STRONG