Khyber Pub: Fresh Popped Benton's Bacon Grease Popcorn, $5
Khyber Pass Pub
56 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia
"This is crack in a greasy brown bag," marveled my free-loading friend, scooping handfuls of the puffy, spice-dusted popcorn into his yaw, while alternating swigs of a fine craft beer. And he was right, the cheapskate. The smoky-sweet delight at this renovated Old City gastropub, while without any redeeming nutritional value, is as addictive as anything you'll ever me.
The Khyber Pass, I am told, collects jugs of bacon fat from its partner restaurants several times a week. And not just any bacon fat – this comes from Benton's in Tennessee, a place to which pork devotees drop in respectful prayer. The white corn is then popped and washed in the bacon fat, and then delivered to your table in an overflowing greasy bag. Try one kernel and you'll keep digging in until the bag is gone. My skinflint friend would have licked the empty bag had I let him.
Among the thousands of delights you can create with bacon, I did not believe going into this contest that simple popcorn would be a contender for the best. Now I am swayed.
Score: 90/100