Chocolate covered bacon!
In college, my journalism teachers all stressed the importance of writing a good lead. To grab a reader’s attention, you have to start your articles with a bang. Hence, the opening salvo of this piece. If “chocolate covered bacon” doesn’t grab your attention, then nothing will.
You might be wondering two things: one, where can I get some chocolate covered bacon; and two, is it good? I’ll answer the first question now, but make you wait for my verdict on the taste, as my teachers also stressed the importance of keeping a reader in suspense.
As I was searching for a topic for this column, I came upon a new establishment called “Dipped Fresh.” Located on the North Shore at 221 River Street, the small eatery has as its slogan (spoiler alert!) “Everything tastes better dipped!” That alone wasn’t enough to lure me in their direction; however, the picture on their Facebook page of a man eating a bacon encrusted, chocolate dipped ice cream bar was.
I was skeptical. Lately, it seems as though bacon is in just about everything. You can get bacon-topped donuts, bacon chocolate chip cookies, maple bacon lollipops, bacon gummies, bacon toothpicks, bacon air freshener and more. It’s as though the CEO at Bacon Incorporated is calling everyone and suggesting they add bacon to their product: Bacon gumballs! Bacon jelly beans! Bacon mints! And then clean your teeth with bacon toothpaste! This must keep the chicken people up nights.
Now, I love those sizzling strips of smoky goodness as much as the next guy or gal, but I’m not compelled to add them to everything. Still, I was intrigued. I like bacon and I like chocolate, so why not try it?
Finding Dipped Fresh is easy. Simply make your way to Frazier Avenue, turn toward Coolidge Park when you reach Tremont Avenue, hang an immediate right, and then look on the right for three Coca-Cola umbrellas. If you pass the backside of Subway, you’ve gone too far.
When I walked through the door, my eyes immediately went to the glass display containing an array of chocolate covered treats, including strawberries, cherries, Oreo cookies, pineapple, apples, bananas and the infamous bacon. This is a good strategy on the part of the owners because, other than a fresh coat of paint and a bit of artwork, the interior is spartan. (There’s a challenge for the bacon people: bacon paint!)
Co-owner Antonia Poland stood behind the counter, a friendly grin plastered across her face. I selected a number of items, and since lunch was a distant memory, added one of their fresh-made sandwiches. The cooler of beer behind the counter seemed to go against the grain of the place until I considered how some people might enjoy washing down one of the sandwiches with a cold one. I ordered a Coke.
While Antonia prepared my order, she told me how Dipped Fresh came to be. One year for Mother’s Day, someone sent her a box of chocolate-covered strawberries through the mail. While she appreciated the sentiment, she did not care for the waxy chocolate or the strawberries, which were past their prime. However, the experience was worth the bad aftertaste as it inspired her to make and sell freshly-dipped strawberries. She knew she was on to something when she made three grand in one day selling her creations on the streets of Chicago. Her arms were so sore, she could barely move them.
In time, Antonia moved to Chattanooga, went through the Springboard class at The Company Lab to learn how to start a business and worked hard to make her dream a reality. Just like her arms grew stiff while dipping all of those strawberries, her feet grew sore from all of the legwork she did to find funding and get her place up and running.
She and co-owner Cynthia Wood opened their doors last month.
Just a few minutes after I had opened their door, I was sitting at a table in their dining area doing my best to not eat the treats before my sandwich arrived. This was a test of will, and I lost. I picked up the strip of chocolate covered bacon, opened my mouth and...
And then the sandwich arrived. (See what I mean about keeping you in suspense?) I had ordered the Original Cyn, which Ms. Wood named after herself. The combination of freshly baked sourdough bread from Bluff View Bakery and Boar’s Head honey ham, chicken and American and provolone cheeses was delicious. The menu at Dipped Fresh contains ten sandwiches, and I plan to try another one – maybe the homemade tuna salad on honey wheat. I might also try the Knock on Wood, an applewood bacon, apples and cheese sandwich Ms. Wood also named after herself.
Once the sandwich was gone, the moment of truth had arrived. I picked up the chocolately strip a second time, opened my mouth and took a bite.
My doubts dissolved the moment the combination of sweet chocolate and salty bacon hit my tongue. It was incredible. The best part was the chewiness of the bacon. If Antonia had overcooked the bacon, it wouldn’t have tasted as good as it did.
In case you’re wondering, the strawberry, cherry and chocolate-covered Oreo tasted good, too.
Antonia dips her foods in a secret blend of chocolates. What’s more, she’ll dip almost anything a customer wants in her mixture. The ice cream bar on her Facebook page was a customer request, and the day before my visit, a child had requested a chocolate-covered celery stalk.
OK, some things are NOT meant to go together. But if you have a favorite pretzel or other treat, and want to know what it would taste like chocolate-dipped, take it to Dipped Fresh.
As I was leaving, I promised Antonia I would mention Dipped Fresh does event catering and holiday platters. Learn more at www.dippedfresh.com.
Store hours are also posted on the Web site.
I hope I’ve convinced you to try something at Dipped Fresh. If not, then I’ll take another cue from my journalism teachers and end with a sentence that will stay with you long after you’ve read this article:
Chocolate covered bacon!
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.