Friday, March 9, 2018

2017 World Food Championships: Bacon World Championship Top 10 Round


After a wonderful breakfast The Southern Grind Coffeehouse, it was time to head down to The Wharf to turn in my pantry order for World Recipe Championship Top 10. I still can’t believe I made it into the Top 10! I also wanted to visit the Tasting Village where local, regional, and national food brands showcase samples of their products. While touring with my taste buds, I met the World Recipe Championship Infused Ingredient sponsor, The Jelly Queens, and picked up the jelly to be used in my recipe. We also met representatives of President Cheese who kindly sponsored a quarter of a wheel of brie for my recipe. After filling our tummies with delicious samples, high noon approached signaling the Bacon World Championship Top 10.

The Bacon World Championship was presented by Lipton Iced Tea. The Top 10 round’s infused ingredient was a choice of Lipton Peach Iced Tea, Lipton Green Tea Citrus, and Lipton Mango Iced Tea to be paired with bacon.

After a few tweaks, Rebecka Evans brought her Dutch Crunch Baby back for another round of judgement. Rebecka featured Lipton Mango Iced Tea with Saucy Mama Taste Domination Scotch Bonnet Pepper & Blackberry Wing Sauce, Challenge Butter, and other ingredients.

Rebecka pouring in her dutch baby batter into cast iron skillets.

Peter Pan has pixie dust, but nothing is better than a little pinch of bacon dust. It’s magical!

Dutch baby right out of the oven. The sides rose to the perfect iconic shape.

You can never have too much bacon!

The topping that added the “crunch” to these Dutch Crunch Babies.

Time to spoon in the sweet heat!

Dutch Crunch Baby all set to be turned in. It was such a beautiful presentation with the cast iron skillet with bows tied on the handle contrasting the golden brown dutch baby, orange mango peach sauce and filling, and blackberry/mint garnish. The taste was also amazing the first time, but after tweaking the sweet to salty ratio just a bit, it was even better! Delicate dutch baby contrasted with the crunchy topping while still delivering a sweet yet savory flavor from the sweet peaches and tropical mango and smoky, salty bacon for a perfect balance. The aroma was intoxicating with the sweet tropical fragrant mango and the smoky bacon. E.A.T. Score: 93.889 out of 100. Final score for Bacon World Championship: 93.13334 out of 100, placing her in 1st place.

Congratulations, Rebecka! She moves on to the Final Table on April 22, 2018 in Bentoville, AR presented by Walmart at Brightwater NWA. In an announcement on March 2, WFC has entered into an agreement with Dick Clark Productions for this event. Check out the World Food Championships’ website for more details on tickets for the Final Table event and where to see it on TV or via the web!

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Thursday, March 8, 2018

2017 World Food Championships: The Southern Grind Coffee House at Hotel Indigo in Orange Beach, AL


The menu items in this post were provided by The Southern Grind Coffee House but the opinions expressed here are my own.


A sunny, yet windy morning began the sixth day of our road trip. Today was a very special day - Bacon World Championships Top 10. I was just buzzing with excitement since my friend, Rebecka Evans, made it into the Top 10 and I couldn’t wait to see how she has improved her Dutch Crunch Babies.

Our first stop was the new second location of The Southern Grind Coffee House at Hotel Indigo. On our fourth day, we stopped at the original location at The Wharf. The menu is slightly different at this location and I wanted to check out some of the differences. Plus, I just can’t get myself going until I have a good cup of coffee. I was guaranteed precisely that at The Southern Grind Coffee House.

Fresh doughnuts caught my eye in the front case and knew I had to try them. These yeasty, puffy doughnuts were golden brown and coated in cinnamon sugar. The outside had a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior. Perfect when paired with a hot cup of coffee! Rating: 4.5/5

Pepper & Onion Scramble (breakfast special) with your choice of meat (sausage in this case), served with toast and salsa. Great choice for breakfast if you are craving savory in the morning. The scrambled eggs were fluffy. The sausage added a salty, meaty flavor and texture. The peppers and onions added a slightly sweet component to balance out the dish. Rating: 4.5/5

When in the South, you can’t go wrong with an order of Biscuits and Gravy (breakfast special). The biscuits were fluffy and buttery which paired perfectly with the thick, creamy, peppery gravy. It was a gravy that would be great on anything like country fried steak, mashed potatoes, you name it! It also comes with 2 eggs for a protein kick. Rating: 5/5

Cinnamon-Filled Beignets (breakfast special) are a great way to round out your breakfast, sort of like dessert with breakfast. If you can image if a cinnamon roll and a beignet had a baby, this is exactly what it tasted like. They are so good! Rating: 5/5

With our palates on a sugar and caffeinated high, it was time to drive over to The Wharf and submit my pantry order since I also made it into the World Recipe Championship Top 10! We also wanted to check out the Tasting Village before heading into Kitchen Arena for Bacon World Championship Top 10 with Rebecka Evans. Stay tuned for more!

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
The Southern Grind Coffee House
22843 Perdido Beach Blvd.
Orange Beach, AL 36561
+1.251.975.2883
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Seating: Interior
Reservation: None

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