Pork Cheek BLT At Larry's

The BLT is as American as Kool-Aid, the 4th of July and celebrity divorces. On menus at every diner across this great land of ours, you'll find those three wonderful letters and know that you're in for a treat. Honestly, there's really no way to mess up a BLT. You may be surprised, however, to find out that there are ways to improve it.

Bacon is so 2008. If you really want to spruce up the iconic BLT, you've got to go to the head of the class — or pig, as the case may be — and make pork cheeks the main event. That's exactly what Chef Brendan Collins did at his new Venice Beach hotspot Larry's. Just steps away from crazies trying to break dance for your love, you'll find that the Pork Cheek BLT is the real star of the show.

Calling it a sandwich is being generous because this monstrosity would be nearly impossible to take on the go. Sloppy doesn't even begin to describe it. This bad boy is a fork-and-knife sammy all the way. Rye bread provides the base and hunks of super tender confit pork cheeks are piled on top. Add some shredded romaine lettuce, beefsteak tomato slices and a BBQ mayo so good you'll want to chase shots with it, and you've got yourself a meal fit for a really messy king. But wait! There's more! Collins throws slices of super crispy bacon into the mix and all of a sudden you may find yourself slipping into a pork-induced coma.

Larry's is a rare breed. They serve high-end beach food right next to lowbrow sunglass shacks and somehow the combination works perfectly. They've even got an impressive beer list (26 on tap to choose from), which means you can perfectly pair a brew with your lunch. So enjoy your Pork Cheek BLT, but consider yourself warned: there's no way you're hitting the beach after downing a sandwich of this magnitude.


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