BaconFest 2013 Lineup Announced

The folks behind Chicago's favorite annual artery-clogging food event BaconFest have released the roster for the 2013 festival. Chefs from 125 restaurants across the city will gather on April 20 at the U.I.C. Forum to show off their best take on bacon. Per the release "There's nowhere else in the world where so many high-profile chefs devote so much culinary firepower to the celebration of bacon." Fact.

GA tickets for the lunch and dinner shifts ($100 each) will go on sale on February 20. Early VIP tickets have been on sale for a few weeks now. Without further ado, the lineup:

2 SPARROWS - Gregory Ellis
312 CHICAGO - Luca Corazzina
676 RESTAURANT AND BAR - Daven Wardynski
694 WINE & SPIRITS - Chris Dunstatter
ACADIA - Ryan McCaskey
ATWOOD CAFE - Derek Simcik (* 4 year BFC VET)
BACARO - Thad Morrow
BAKIN' & EGGS - Bob and Gina Hartwig
BANG BANG PIE SHOP
BAR PASTORAL - Chrissy Camba
BAR TOMA - Erik Freeberg
BAR UMBRIAGO - Michael Ponzio
BARN & COMPANY - Bob Zrenner and Gary Wiviott
BAUME & BRIX - Thomas Elliot Bowman and Ben Roche (* 4 year BFC VET - Thomas Bowman)
BEL 50 - Brad Alexander
bellyQ - Bill Kim
BENNY'S CHOP HOUSE - Jonathan Lane
BEURRAGE
BIG JONES - Paul Fehribach (* 4 year BFC VET)
BLACK DOG GELATO - Jessica Oloroso
BRANCH 27 - Todd Dibkey
BREAD & WINE - Curtis Gamble
BRIDGE HOUSE TAVERN - Mark Hemmer
BRISTOL/BALENA - Chris Pandel - (* 4 year BFC VET!)
BROWNTROUT - Sean Sanders
BURGER BAR CHICAGO - John McLean
CAFE SPIAGGIA - Sarah Grueneberg and Chris Marchino
CARNIVALE - David Dworshak
CHICAGO q - Lee Ann Whippen
CITY TAVERN
CRU KITCHEN & BAR - Alex Shalev
DAVANTI ENOTECA - Jonathan Beatty
deca RESTAURANT + BAR at the Ritz Carlton - Mark Payne
DMK RESTAURANTS - Michael Kornick
DRAGON RANCH MOONSHINE & BBQ - Shaun Connelly
EGGY'S DINER - Perry Hendrix
ELLY'S PANCAKE HOUSE
EPIC RESTAURANT - Mark Pollard
FARMHOUSE - Eric Mansavage
FIRECAKES - Jonathan Fox
FLO AND SANTOS - Mark Rimkus
FRANCESCA'S FORNO - Kevin Ives
FRESCO 21 - Cameron Grant
FRONTIER - Brian Jupiter
GINGERSNAP SWEETS & SUCH - Jen Templeton
GLAZED AND INFUSED - Tom Culleeney
HASH HOUSE A GO GO
HEARTY - Dan Smith (* 4 Year BFC VET)
HOPLEAF - Ben Sheagren
HUB 51 - R.J. and Jerrod Melman
HUBBARD INN - Bob Zrenner
IPO - Trevor Hoyte
J LAFAYETTE CATERING CO. - Alexander L. Martin
JORDAN'S FOOD OF DISTINCTION - Jordan Spritz
LA MADIA - Jonathan Fox
LA SIRENA CLANDESTINA - John Manion
LEOPOLD - Michael Dean Reynolds
LIBERTAD - Armando Gonzalez
LILLIE'S Q - Charlie Mckenna
LITTLE MARKET - Chris Davies & Ryan Poli
LOCKWOOD RESTAURANT at the Palmer House - Valeria Benner
LOKaL - Artur Wnorowski
MAISON BRASSERIE - Perry Hendrix
MARKET BAR CHICAGO - Evan Packer
MAY ST. CAFE - Mario Santiago
MERCADITO - Patricio Sandoval
MERCAT A LA PLANXA - Jose Garces and Cory Morris
MEXIQUE - Carlos Gaytan
MICHAEL JORDAN'S STEAKHOUSE - James O'Donnell
MRS. MURPHY & SONS IRISH BISTRO - Jeanne Carlson
N9NE STEAK HOUSE
NANA - Ricardo Pineda
NONNA SANTI'S BISCOTTI - Jo-Marie Frigo
OLD TOWN SOCIAL - Jared Van Camp
PADDY LONG'S - Patrick Berger & Chris Latchford (* 4 year BFC VETS)
PARAMOUNT ROOM - Stephen Dunne
PARK GRILL at Millenium Park - Michael "Wally" Wallach
PARK TAVERN - Jaime Cruz
PENINSULA HOTEL - Kai Lermen
PERENNIAL VIRANT - Paul Virant
PIECE - Bill Jacobs & Jonathan Cutler
PIZZA RUSTICA - Stefano Roman
PLEASANT HOUSE BAKERY - Art and Chelsea Jackson
PUBLIC HOUSE and BULL & BEAR - David Blonsky
PURE KITCHEN - Joel Paige
QUAY - Dan Marquis
RED BUTTER - Monica Sharma
RED DOOR - Troy Graves (* 5 year BFC VET)
ROCKIT BAR & GRILL/ROCKIT BURGER BAR - Amanda Downing
SABLE KITCHEN & BAR - Heather Terhune (* 4 year BFC VET)
SAIGON SISTERS RESTAURANT - Matt Riordan
SLURPING TURTLE - Takashi Yagihashi
SMALL BAR - Justin White
SOUTH WATER KITCHEN - Roger Waysok (* 4 year BFC VET)
SPACCA NAPOLI - Jonathan Goldsmith
SPENCER'S JOLLY POSH BRITISH AND IRISH FOODS - Nick Spencer
STATE & LAKE at The Wit Hotel - Evan Percoco
STOUT BARREL HOUSE & GALLEY - Chris Curren
SUNDA - Jess De Guzman
SWEET BABY RAY'S RESTAURANTS & CATERING
TABLE FIFTY-TWO - Art Smith
TAVERNITA - Greg Bastien
TERZO PIANO at the Art Institute of Chicago - Megan Neubeck
tesori - Andrew Deuel
THE BEDFORD/CARRIAGE HOUSE - Mark Steuer
THE COOKING CHICKS - Vanessa Moses
THE FLORENTINE - Chris Macchia
THE RADLER - Nathan Sears (* 5 year BFC VET)
THREE ACES - Matt Troost
TOWNHOUSE RESTAURANT & WINE BAR - Kelly Jane Wilson
TRENCHERMEN - Pat Sheerin & Michael Sheerin - (* 5 year BFC VET - Pat Sheerin)
TWO RESTAURANT AND BAR - Tom Van Lente
UNCLE BUB'S BBQ - Mark Link
UNTITLED - Joseph Heppe
URBAN UNION - Michael Shrader
VERA - Mark Mendez
VIE - T.B.A.
WAVE - Greg Elliot
WEST TOWN BAKERY & DINER
WEST TOWN TAVERN - Susan Goss
WILDFIRE - Paul Guerrero
WITTS - Chris Bromley
WOW BAO - Hot Asian Buns
ZAPATISTA - Cesar Reyes
ZED451 - Curtis Hawk

A portion of ticket sales go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
· All BaconFest Coverage [~ECHI~]
· BaconFest [Official Site]
[Photo via BaconFest/bencollsuss]

Update: The list above has been slightly changed since the original announcement. To see the most up-to-date list, click here.