Food

Hearty Animal

Five Edible Ways to Make It Through Winter

The problem: it’s been cold outside. Real cold. Canada cold. The solution if you’re a bear: hibernation. The solution if you’re a person: jars full of beef bacon, hot chocolate spiked with mezcal and these other appropriately hearty local provisions.

HEARTINESS FACTOR: 1

Hot Chocolate and Mezcal and Joy

What it is: A mug filled with hot chocolate, mezcal, green Chartreuse and amaro. Also available by thermos if you ask for it. And have enough people in your party to drink a thermos full of mezcal hot chocolate.
Pairs well with: Numb hands. And seriously, some friends.

HEARTINESS FACTOR: 2

Inside this Pepper: Much Pork

What it is: On the outside: an innocent-looking jalapeño pepper. On the inside: smoked pork, bacon and cream cheese. Yes, it’s what’s inside that counts.
Pairs well with: A thick slice of banana cream pie to cut the heat. And also just to have a slice of banana cream pie.

HEARTINESS FACTOR: 3

A Potato Skin Above All Others

What it is: Just a potato skin. So long as you ignore all the beer cheese, fried oysters, serrano-pickled tomatoes and bacons on top. Yes, bacons. It’s the plural of bacon.
Pairs well with: A beer and probably another beer.

HEARTINESS FACTOR: 4

All Jars Should Have These in Them

What it is: Smith & Wollensky’s house-smoked beef bacon, now served in convenient glass-jar-full-of-bacon form. With blue cheese dip on the side, as you requested in your mind.
Pairs well with: Two glasses of their featured Burgundy, because then your bacon jar is on the house. Ah, the old “Featured Burgundy” loophole.

HEARTINESS FACTOR: 5

Union Square Donuts Goes Sandwich

What it is: Two baked squares made from donut dough and filled with various combinations of bacon, cheddar, sage, spinach, feta and red onion. Fortunately, they aren’t calling it a “Sqonut.”
Pairs well with: A nap.