Rocco Loosbrock is the man behind Coastal Vineyards’ gourmet bacon of the month club. Following is an interview I conducted with him about his bacon club and life as a “bacon freak.”
Bacon Unwrapped: What’s the story behind the creation of your Gourmet Bacon Club?
Rocco: Well, it’s kind of one of those dumb luck situations that you just stumble onto. I was on a business trip in Kentucky and so I, of course, wanted to go out for some breakfast to experience some of that real “Southern Hospitality.” Anyway, I ordered breakfast and when the waitress served it, I immediately noticed that the bacon was absolutely huge, all thick and plump, and sticking way out of the breakfast sandwich that I ordered.
I simply had to comment to the waitress that I had never seen bacon this big anywhere in my travels. Her reply was, “Oh, you’re not from around here, are you? You’re one of them City Slickers, aren’t you?”
Anyway, she sat down next to me and introduced me to what has now become the love of my life, Country Bacon! I bought some for myself before I left and took it home and started sharing it with friends, relatives and colleagues. Everybody that tried it absolutely “freaked” (thus the name “Bacon Freak” was born) and they all insisted that I go back as soon as possible and get a bunch more.
Bacon Unwrapped: How do you determine which bacons to include in your bacon of the month club?
Rocco: It may sound glorious, but it’s all rather simple when you really get down to it. With Bacon Freak, it’s all a matter of personal dedication and commitment to quality and above all else, our valued members and customers. This means I actually go through the entire process myself: ordering each gourmet bacon from top, award winning artisan producers and then getting up early on a Saturday, turning on the stove, and cooking and eating.
I have this ritual I go through. I smell each bacon before cooking to determine its “snout,” similar to the term “nose” in wine tasting. Then I cook up a couple of pieces of each bacon and decide which ones are truly excellent enough to make the cut and wear the Bacon Freak name and logo. Eating the very best bacon in the whole world, actually, now that I come to think of it, that really is pretty glorious, isn’t it?
Bacon Unwrapped: What sets your bacon club apart from bacon clubs offered by other companies?
Rocco: A few things. First off, there’s our consistent and total commitment to absolute customer satisfaction. I know that no one’s perfect, but on those rare occasions when we do make a mistake, we go above and beyond the normal call of duty to fix it and fix it FAST! Our members and customers appreciate that and I think it’s a big part of why they keep coming back again and again.
Second is our amazing variety and selections. Most clubs feature the cheapest pork they can buy in bulk, thinking ONLY about the bottom line minimum investment to reap the maximum bottom line profit. We, on the other hand, do things the good ol’ fashioned way. We focus on maintaining our stellar reputation and client relationships by featuring ONLY the very best bacon available.
Lastly, we know people love their bacon. For most “bacon people” it’s a proud passion and not a mere preference! At CVWine.com’s Bacon Freak, we believe that “Bacon Is Meat Candy” and we do everything in our power to effectively and consistently satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth for the bountiful bliss we call bacon.
Bacon Unwrapped: How do you come up with some of the unique bacon terminology that you use throughout your website? Please share some of these terms and their meanings with us.
Rocco: Well it all starts with the basic philosophy “Baconisim!” Actually my 6 year old son showed me how to have fun with bacon. One day he was helping us pack a shipment and he suddenly came up with the title “King Ba-Cong!” Before you knew it, I was the “Boss Hog,” the receptionist was my “Baconista,” and the people in shipping were our “Bacon Buddies.”
Meanwhile, we were beginning to realize that for so many people out there, bacon is more than just meat, it’s a way of life and an attitude. And that way of life has a culture unto itself, distinct from everything else around it in our society. It’s a culture of passion and a lot of fun! Over time, we naturally just began to come up with fun names for practically everything that we do here, and the members and customers just love it! Now most people refer to us as the Bacon Is Meat Candy Club!
Bacon Unwrapped: I assume you like eating bacon in many forms, but do you personally have a favorite recipe that involves bacon?
Rocco: Sure, I tend to love the simple things that your average, everyday “guy chef” like me can make, like stuffed chili peppers. You simply stuff them with cream cheese, wrap them in bacon and cook for 20 minutes in the broiler. It’s easy, but oh so delicious! Mmmm, I can taste it now, can’t you?
Another favorite is Bacon Wrapped Corn On The Cob rubbed with red pepper. And can anyone with a working nose and mouth possibly resist Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops? I for one don’t think so! That is why we’re now launching our new Bacon Recipe Video Series on our CVWine.com Bacon Freak website, to show folks how to make all sorts of amazingly delicious and very easy to make bacon recipes.
Bacon Unwrapped: And last…when you eat a piece of bacon, which do you prefer – crispy or chewy?
Rocco: Wow that’s a tough question. The last time I got this question I put two pieces of bacon in my mouth at the same time, one crispy one chewy. I woke up 48 hours later with no recollection of what had happened, that’s how powerful bacon is.
Thanks to Rocco for taking the time to talk with me. Be sure to check out his website for more information about the Bacon is Meat Candy club, and all of the other products Coastal Vineyards has to offer.
Disclaimer: Coastal Vineyards is currently an advertiser on Bacon Unwrapped, but no remuneration was received for this interview.