"south by southwest" news and stories

"My bacon is better than your bacon!" was the mantra heard repeatedly at the Bacon Takedown held on Sunday, March 14 at music venue Emo's in Austin, Texas.

The event, sponsored by Hormel and Le Creuset and organized by Matt Timms, saw 22 contestants go pork belly to pork belly for judges' prizes and/or people's choice awards, winning Le Creuset griddle pans and either a year's supply or six-months' supply of Hormel bacon. Some dishes were intensive, like Taco Town's award-winning crack bacon tacos (blueberry-maple glazed bacon wrapped with made-to-order bacon-fat, queso fresco and blueberry habanero salsa).

Of course, food competitions are nothing new and they're growing in popularity. In New York City, much of this is due to Timms, who for six years has held culinary contests in Brooklyn. Capitalizing on the Takedown series' popularity, Timms has taken it on the road. South by Southwest was the second stop (the first was in Boston with the Lamb Takedown).