Bring on the Bacon
Three BLTs that give you plenty of reasons to pig out.
nothing special about the BLT at Shay's, which is exactly what makes it special. The bread is plain white and toasted, the bacon's thin-sliced and plentiful, the romaine lettuce is fresh, and the tomatoes are juicy. But when these simple elements are perfectly balanced -- the salty bacon curbed by the acid in the tomato, the crisp lettuce cutting through the fat, the bread in its rightful role as a mouth-delivery vehicle -- the whole is more delicious than the sum of its parts.
Bottom line With a warm atmosphere, Shay's serves up the total BLT experience.
Applewood-Smoked Bacon L.+T. $7.95, Flour Bakery & Cafe
Flour Bakery proves that in the right hands, a boutique BLT can work, as long as it maintains a respectful awareness of its humble origins. Working from the top down, Flour's starts with a slice of well-toasted sourdough, which, despite its robust crust, is just soft enough not to distract from the crunch of the hearty applewood-smoked bacon underneath. The tomatoes are ever-so-slightly cooked to bring out their natural sweetness, and sharp and peppery wild arugula supplies the de rigueur lettuce upgrade. Bottom line A subtle makeover means this pedestrian sandwich is fit for even the most sophisticated palate.
Henrietta's Table BLT with Nueske's Bacon $11.25, Henrietta's Table
The plush stuffed-animal baby pigs for sale at the entryway of this understated dining room aren't enough warning for what's to come: With several slices of thick-sliced, hearty, meaty bacon standing over an inch tall and dominating with their intensely smoky aroma, this monster of a sandwich is all about the pig. Plain white bread couldn't stand up to a swine-stack of these proportions. Instead, Texas toast-sized buttery challah provides the sturdy backbone. Bottom line Pig out in style. -- J. Kenji Alt
Shay's Pub & Wine Bar 58 JFK Street, Cambridge, 617-864-9161 Flour Bakery & cafe 1595 Washington Street, Boston, 617-267-4300, and 12 Farnsworth Street, Boston, 617-338-4333, flourbakery.com Henrietta's Table 1 Bennett Street, in the Charles River Hotel, Cambridge, 617- 661-5005,