Beer, Bikes and Bacon on the Delaware
Bikers are always looking for good places to stop for good food, good beer, reasonable prices and friendly folks. They now have a new choice.
Located on legendary Route 611 just two miles south of Easton, PA, the Bacon Gourmet delivers on every count. The building which used to house an eatery called Stemie's was actually owned by Danny and Georgina Ricca during that time, until the owners decided to make their own run at the restaurant/hospitality business.
The Bacon Gourmet--open just five days as of our Saturday visit-- features a large, clean. comfortable interior, a solid choice of Weyerbacher Beers (with more to be added), a menu that goes well beyond bacon and a friendly, family-oriented staff that couldn't have been more attentive.
We hit the place after riding south on 611 from up near Riverton, PA, which forced us to pass through Easton en route. I love Easton, but there seems to be a festival going on there every day which necessitates a minor re-routing.
And speaking of festivals, the Easton Bacon Fest held in November is the third largest of its kind in the country. The Riccas are hoping to capitalize on that draw at Bacon Gourmet when November rolls around. Any BaconEaters who are willing to step two miles outside their comfort zones and the Easton city limits should be well rewarded.
Our crew ordered a wide variety of food, which included some damned good Smoky/Sweet Wings and a plate full of Deep-Fried Bacon just for appetizers. The Weyerbacher selections from the tap were a welcome accompaniment. I asked our server Daniel to put the appetizers in the center of the table of seven, lest The Crusher (below), sitting across from me at the end, should inhale everything that was directly in front of him.
Considering that their chef is a "Chopped" winner, I should have anticipated the quality; but I haven't been to many places where I could only eat half of a burger because it was so big. Jeremy suggested the Carolina Burger, so I went with it. I needed half the Tar Heel state to help me finish it. In fact, everyone in the group enjoyed their beers and food, and we vowed to return.
On a side note, Georgina Ricca turned out to be a former student of mine at ALJ in Clark, NJ from twenty-seven years (!) ago. She has three children, and the two we met--Melissa and Jeremy-- earn their keep in the Bacon Gourmet now.
When our biker group goes south and west across the Delaware, we have a few favorite stops, and we have some in Easton proper, too, when we go North and west.
We just added another, and you should, too.
Cheers!
The PubScout
