Vosges Mo's Dark Bacon Mini Bar

Waaaaayyyyyy back in the day (okay, so it was only 2008, but in an odd coincidence I started this review exactly three years to the date of the first review) I went on an adventurous trek to get the then new-to-the-market Mo's Bacon Bar. It was the beginning of the bacon trend, and this was the first bar that mixed chocolate and bacon. Me, being the giver/weirdo that I am, had to review it -- and I went pretty far to get it.

Well, here we are three years later, and not only is the original Mo's bar still going strong but Vosges makes more Bacon + Chocolate products then you could shake a honey baked ham at. There are several things in that category I would love to try, but I did manage to score the dark chocolate version of the Mo's Bar.



The Dark Chocolate Mo's bar has applewood smoked bacon, alderwood smoked salt, and 62% dark chocolate. (the Original version is the same, except it has 45% chocolate.)



As much as I liked the milk chocolate version, I really have to hand it to the dark chocolate. It is like a whole new game.

Don't chew the chocolate! Take a little piece and let it slowly melt on your tongue. The chocolate is woodsy and deep, but at the same time it isn't dark enough to be really bitter.

The salt comes in little grains and plays perfectly with the dark chocolate. But the bacon is the part that most people are both most interested in and most scared by. What I love about Vosges is that they went with soft, almost pliable bacon; it's not some little hard salty, vaguely bacon flavored bit. It's BACON! BACON BACON BACON!!...sorry, I might have gotten a little excited there. Anyway, the bacon is smoky -- and it's that smoke that goes with the aforementioned salt that perfectly matches the chocolate. Folks, there is nothing to be scared of with this bar...but there is a lot to love.



If you have never had a bacon-chocolate mix before, this would be a great gateway candy. If you have had other bars, then this will probably become your new favorite.



Proof, once again, that there is nothing bacon can't make better. Even chocolate.



PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

PRICE:
I honestly forgot to look, but the Vosges website lists $2.50 as the price, so I'm sure it was close to that.

CALORIES:
70 Calories per one 5. oz bar

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Obviously NOT kosher. Manufactured in a facility that also handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soy.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
vosgeschocolate.com

Carl's Jr. Double Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger

I love burgers on sourdough, and I love grilled cheese. And I love grilled cheese on sourdough. And since we all know it's physically impossible for bacon to do anything but improve whatever it's put on, this burger had to be a winner -- right?



Yeah, actually it is.

The sourdough bread is nicely toasted, but it doesn't have much flavor. Nonetheless it stands up well to all the cheese and grease.

The cheese blend is a mix of Swiss & American. And just in case you still had an artery or two sort of functioning amidst the cheese, there are the meat patties. And the bacon. Oh, and then the whole thing is slathered with mayonnaise. Quadruple bypass for dessert, anyone?



The beef patties are juicy and taste like they were actually grilled.

The bacon...well, it's like instant, ready-made bacon. But bad bacon is still kinda like bad sex. At least you can say you've had it.



Yes, it's a nutritional nightmare...but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't pretty awesome. It actually reminds me of a perfect hybrid of my two favorite Jack In The Box menu items -- the Sourdough Jack and the Ultimate Cheeseburger. (I am sure neither company is going to be happy I said that. But it was meant as a compliment.)

God, I feel so dirty. But I'm still smiling.



PURCHASED FROM:
Carl's Jr.

PRICE:
$3.49

CALORIES:
1,020. (I know, but this is a sometimes food.)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
carlsjr.com

Stouffer's Smoked Turkey Club Panini

Melted cheese AND bacon?- sign me up!

I wasn't entirely sure I was going to like this. Heat and Eat products with poultry or meat can be scary. Sometimes the turkey can be plasticy and bacon can be turned into a fatty greasy mess.

I wanted something different so I tried it anyway. Have to say it wasn't half bad.
Thanks to the modern magic of foil lined boxes the sourdough toast that the panini is made with actually was toasty- even when made in the microwave!
The turkey was ok, no it is not like having freshly roasted turkey. But it was about as good as it can be for frozen turkey. The bacon is waaay to salty but it is pliable and reasonably lean. The Swiss cheese comes in the form of a sauce. It actually reminded me of really, really thick Alfredo sauce.

You "grill" the halves of the panini separately, it does cause everything to run together on the halves. I know that for a lot of people that would not be a selling point, but it works for me.

It's salty, it's overly processed and it's way to cheesy. But I still liked it. No it is not good for you. Yes, there are certainly tastier things you could and should have for dinner. But if like me you are getting off a 10 hour shift, it's after midnight and the thoughts of ordering dinner from a clowns mouth or actually cooking something (and YES that would no question be better by far) make you think a case of Ensure would be a viable option, this would not be the worst choice you could make.

PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Vosges Chocolat- Mo's Bacon Bar

The things I will go through for the sake of a review!


Let me tell you I have had to work to get this review. I have known about this bar since it debuted but had not come across one in my searches (yes, I could have easily ordered it online, but that takes away the thrill of the hunt). As there are two Vosages boutiques here in New York City I decided it was high time to make a trip to one. I choose the one in SoHo as it was also adjacent to another shop that I wanted to do a Pocky run to (I think I need Dr. Phil's help at this point)
Two trains, 1 cab, several crappy sets of directions and a walk through an area at night that is both shockingly expensive and frightening at the same time I finally made it to the shop!.

It's an adorable little shop. The sales girls were quiet knowledgeable and helpful and though I had a great time and ended up spending a lot more then I had planned I left disappointed (well, it's hard to be disappointed around great chocolate more like saddened) the shop was sold out of the bacon bars which were my main reason for going. I tried to console myself. After all I DID get other bars and truffles, I had finally made it to one of the stores which I had been meaning to do for a few years now. So I didn't get exactly what I was looking for, there was always next time.

And that is where the story would have left off had I not needed butter.
I am preparing salmon with a wasabi compound butter tonight and my butter of choice is Plugra and locally the easiest place to get it is Zabars- well to be honest any reason to go to Zabars is a good reason. After getting my butter and browsing a bit I get online and lo and behold what would you guess is before me stacked on an end cap? Yep, you caught on fast it was the elusive Vosages Bacon bar!
After all that work there it was! of course I got it (what you thought I went through this whole story for nothing?)and that brings us up to the most important point.

How does it taste?
The bar is supposed to be applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt in a deep milk chocolate (41% cacao).
The smell is somewhat disappointingly just like plain chocolate. I think I was expecting a big whiff of bacon.

My first thought was "Oh my god why am I eating chocolate covered bacon?" the smokey bacon is the first thing that hits you- and YES there are indeed little baco-bit sized pieces of bacon in the bar (least you think it was merely bacon flavor) the sweetness of the chocolate immediately makes you question your own sanity as to why your eating it (or still eating it if you go back for more)

My hands down favorite part of the bar is the salt! there is no mistaking it and the salt and the chocolate together is just killer. If not for the bacon slowing me down that bar would have been gone in less time then it has taken me to write this.

While the bar does grow on you and I am sure die hard bacon fans would gobble the bar up it was just a combination I couldn't fall in love with. I'm glad I finally tracked it down though and I will have to start praying to the chocolate gods for an all chocolate/salt bar!

PURCHASED FROM:
Zabars
Also seen at: Vosges boutiques, Vosges.Com, Whole Foods