Nine Ounces of Pure Bacon Bliss at Dr. Feelgood’s Kitchen
“I’ve never seen that much bacon on a BLT,” Guy Fieri declared, staring at the towering sandwich in front of him. And honestly? Neither have we. When a chef tells you he’s making a burger out of nothing but bacon, you pay attention.
Dr. Feelgood’s Kitchen caught Guy’s attention with its farm-to-table philosophy and a name that pays homage to one of his favorite Mötley Crüe tracks. But it’s what chef Josh Gerwin is doing with whole hogs that makes this spot truly special.
From Butcher Shop to Bacon Burger
Josh doesn’t just cook with bacon—he makes bacon. Five doors down from the restaurant sits his full-blown butcher shop where whole hogs come in and get broken down completely. The belly becomes the star of his signature dish: a BLT featuring a burger patty made entirely of bacon.
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The cure is straightforward but precise: brown sugar, fresh ground black pepper, pink salt, and kosher salt. The pork belly cures for seven to ten days before hitting the smoker. Josh uses applewood smoke, cooking low and slow at 160 degrees for four to six hours until that belly develops what he calls “a nice mahogany” color.
Then comes the unexpected part—he grinds it all up. Guy couldn’t help himself: “All that effort to make this great bacon and now we’re gonna grind it up?” But that ground bacon, bound together with lean meat, forms a nine-ounce patty that gets seasoned simply with kosher salt and white pepper before cooking in a wood-fired oven.
Potato Bread That’s More Potato Than Bread
The bun deserves its own spotlight. Josh’s potato bread uses half potatoes and half flour—boiled russets mixed with water, fresh yeast, olive oil, AP flour, bread flour, and salt. After mixing for about 12 minutes and proofing until doubled, the dough gets shaped into kaisers and baked at 350 degrees for roughly 20 minutes.
Guy was impressed: “I’ve never seen potato bread at this level.” Similar to how chefs at spots like Big Bite stuff their meatloaf with cornbread, Josh understands that what holds a dish together matters just as much as the star ingredient.
The Final Stack
Assembly is classic BLT style: toasted kaiser, mayo, heirloom tomatoes, organic greens, and that massive bacon patty. House-made onion rings come alongside.
Guy’s verdict? “This is what everybody wants a BLT to be like. You’re getting the volume of a burger, the flavor of the bacon. The whole top of that patty is just all that crispy crunchy anxious flavor, then on the inside it’s super tender. It’s just done perfectly.”
He called Josh “a dangerous man” for creating something this indulgent. Between bites, Guy summed it up: “BLT of another level… big mouthfuls of juicy bacon every time you bite into it. That freshly made bread is what takes it over the top.”
Tips From the Kitchen
On curing bacon: Give it time—seven to ten days in the cure before smoking.
On smoking: Applewood at 160 degrees, four to six hours, until you see that mahogany color.
On potato bread: Fresh yeast is “super critical” according to Josh. Let your dough double twice—once after mixing, once after shaping.
If you’re hunting for more over-the-top comfort food, check out this pierogi-stuffed grilled cheese or browse our full restaurant directory to find Triple D spots near you.