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America is obsessed with bacon. No longer is it just a side with eggs or the 'B' in a BLT; bacon and bacon flavoring have managed to find their way into chocolate, into mayonnaise, and even into vodka. As the slogan of America's Pork Checkoff Program says, "Bacon makes it better."
Denny's is no stranger to bacon, having served it up at breakfast for decades with their Grand Slams. However "America's diner," along with support from America's Pork Checkoff Program, has stepped up its bacon offerings with the new, limited-time menu called "Baconalia!: A Celebration of Bacon." The crispy and salted pork product invades Denny's like never before, with items like Bacon Flapjacks, Bacon Meatloaf, and the BBBLT. But the most peculiar and talked about new offering is the new Maple Bacon Sundae. Here's how it rates:
The Claims: Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae starts with a layer of maple-flavored syrup, topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream, topped with a layer of diced hickory-smoked bacon. All of this is topped by an additional set of the same layers.
The Price: $2.99. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)
The Verdict: C-. I should preface this review with the fact that I love bacon; bacon does make things better -- that is, in most cases. Bacon is a very salty thing, and that saltiness should be offset by a contrasting flavor when using it as an ingredient in a recipe -- which it often is. It is particularly tasty when combined with sweet things -- bacon-wrapped dates or bacon chocolate, for example -- and at breakfast, when it optionally comes candied or served with maple syrup.
With that said, with everything Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae has going for it, and as much as I was excited to try this creation, it didn't quite live up to my hyped expectations. Rather than make "a classic ice cream sundae more awesome" (as it says in the menu description), the bacon in this dessert tastes and feels out of place, almost as if the bacon slipped in there by accident, and not on purpose. It's baffled me why this is; it should be more awesome. Perhaps the bacon is too salty to be swirled in the ice cream. Perhaps the contrast between salty and sweet is too great in this case. Or perhaps bacon is good with sweets, but only if that sweet is not a dairy product. Many recipes for bacon ice cream are actually for candied bacon ice cream; maybe the caramelized sugar coating around bacon is necessary to serve as an intermediary between pork and dairy. Denny's may have tried to remedy this issue with the layer of maple syrup, but the ice cream melts so fast that the maple syrup seeps into the ice cream or to the bottom of the glass, away from the bacon. The result is the meat just sitting in the ice cream without being fused with anything substantial enough to cushion the clash between salty and sweet dairy.
Nice try, Denny's. The Maple Bacon Sundae may have fallen short from the expectations of someone living in our bacon-obsessed American culture, but you definitely get an A for effort.
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4-04-2011 @1:46PM gobo said... It's official, then: bacon has jumped the shark.
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4-06-2011 @12:01AM kimc said... Maybe better quality ice cream would help?
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4-05-2011 @6:16PM Marshall said... Nope. It is a recipe or an experiment that went bad from the start. Bacon simply is too salty
and the maple syrup is not compatible.
4-06-2011 @1:28PM Jeremy said... Oh this sounds nasty. Meat on ice cream just doesn't seem very appealing to me. Especially if I've gotta pay $2.99 + tip. At least check for coupons from HtTp://bIt.ly/FreebieHomepage before you eat out. Every little bit saved these days helps.
4-05-2011 @3:15AM chaboy said... EWWWW!
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4-05-2011 @2:54AM James said... Sweet & Savory is an awesome combo even with ice cream & bacon.
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4-05-2011 @7:21AM William Anderson LMHC said... Unbelievable. They have outdone their 1200 calorie Grand Slam as an example of the food industry's persistent efforts to make Americans obese and sick. Read "The Anderson Method" about the solution to our obesity epidemic and a remarkably successful way to lose weight permanently.
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4-05-2011 @2:50PM chuck said... haha it's always someone elses' fault for people being fat. Ever hear of personal responsibility? People choose to eat this food, Denny's isn't coming to your home force feeding you, neither is any other food outlet. I bet you're of one those people who blames everyone else for your misleadings. By the way, no one cares about your method, go back to sarasota.
4-05-2011 @1:13PM Alex said... This actually looks like it could taste pretty good but is certainly not in any way healthy. It's unbelievable how foods are just getting more and more ridiculous and loaded with fat and other chemicals.
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4-05-2011 @2:07PM sunny said... Ugh!
There isn't enough Alka-Seltzer in the world to make me feel better if I ate that.
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4-05-2011 @2:19PM Rob said... Just another reason why Americans are so fat!
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4-05-2011 @2:20PM msyellarose said... Does this sound nasty to anyone else besides me? :-S
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4-05-2011 @6:34PM Blake said... Yes it certainly sounds nasty to me too. I love bacon. I love ice cream. But any kind of meat on or with ice cream is gross! Ya, ya, ok. Ice cream is dairy/cows and cows are meat but come on! All I can say is "urp".
4-05-2011 @2:22PM Snot Bunny said... They have a Yogurt and Tofu Sundae for vegetarians too!!
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4-05-2011 @2:33PM anita said... EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!
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4-05-2011 @2:37PM Fern said... ugh! could this country be any fatter and uglier????
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4-05-2011 @7:53PM Geo said... Must be too many mirrors in your house. That's your reflection your commenting on right!
4-05-2011 @2:41PM Mrs.Bieber said... Sorry to say, but i think Denny's is just copying "The Salted Pig" in Downtown Riverside,CA. The Salted Pig's dessert is vanilla icecream with candied bacon, between two maple cookies. I have tried it myself and it is just delicous! Those of you who have tried them both, tell me which is better. Team Salted Pig! :)
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4-05-2011 @7:08PM Garett said... It would be tough for anyone to claim rights to this concoction. They have them at Slater's 50/50 in Anaheim, too. It is called 50/50 because their burger meat is 50% beef and 50% bacon.
4-05-2011 @2:41PM Mrs.Bieber said... Sorry to say, but i think Denny's is just copying "The Salted Pig" in Downtown Riverside,CA. The Salted Pig's dessert is vanilla icecream with candied bacon, between two maple cookies. I have tried it myself and it is just delicous! Those of you who have tried them both, tell me which is better. Team Salted Pig! :)
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