The Berkshire Room is ground zero for the Acme Hotel's month of smoked-pork-product worship.
While Baconfest Chicago doesn’t happen until April 25 and 26, Acme Hotel Company (15 E. Ohio St., 312-894-0800; from $129) will celebrate the entire the month with its own pork programming, Baconmania. The 130-room River North hotel is the official sponsor of the fest, so there’s also a package deal that includes two tickets to Baconfest.
Here’s more on the silly bacon business happening at Acme this month:
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A Kick-off Cocktail Party
On Tuesday, April 1, from 7 to 10 p.m., Acme hosts a kickoff cocktail party at The Berkshire Room to mark the official start of Baconfest’s Bacon Month. Nosh chocolate-covered bacon and BLT sliders while sipping bacon-themed cocktails from Berkshire Room beverage director Benjamin Schiller, Danny Shapiro of Scofflaw, and Annemarie Sagoi of the Dawson. Tickets are $30 and include a cocktail from each bartender, a can of Labatt Blue, and entry into a raffle for a one-night stay at the ACME Hotel during Baconfest weekend (April 25 and 26).
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Bacon Nail Art
Every Wednesday April 2 to April 23, get a special bacon nail art manicure from a certified nail artist. Taking place in Einstein on the second level of the hotel from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the bacon manis are free for hotel guests and $20 for everyone else. Contact Acme to book an appointment.
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Bacon Cocktails 101
On April 8, join Benjamin Schiller from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for a free bacon-infused-cocktail making demo (bacon cocktail drinking included). The event takes place on the second level with space available for up to 25 people.
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Kevin Bacon Movie Nights
Footloose. Apollo 13. A Few Good Men. The River Wild. Crazy, Stupid, Love. Catch these and other Bacon classics at 7 p.m. every Thursday, now through the end of the month. The movies will be played on the second floor with free bacon-dusted popcorn.
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Gristle Everywhere
The Bacon Brothers will be playing in the background when you enter Acme, which promises to be decked out in bacon paraphernalia: Guests will get a bacon-themed gift on arrival—a bacon koozie, perhaps?—but anyone can stop in to buy bacon lip balm, luggage tags, cookbooks, soap, toothpaste, and more, with proceeds donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
There’s also a Baconfest weekend package at Acme ($329 a night) that includes two general admission tickets to Baconfest, a bacon cocktail at The Berkshire Room, bacon pastries from West Town Bakery via Knock N’ Drop room service, a “bacon-y surprise turn-down,” and a bacon cookbook. It’s a pig out.
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