Best of Cleveland 2015: Bacon Appetizer

We consume so much bacon that it might as well be considered one of our major food groups. We'll eat it anytime of the day, on anything, without question. So when Michelle Ozan, head chef and co-owner of Grind Burger in Highland Heights created For the Love of Bacon ($7.50), our hearts skipped a beat. The sweet and savory appetizer starts with six crispy pieces of bacon — half of which are deep-fried in a sweet buttermilk pancake batter, while the other half is baked then covered in a sweet, candy coating. For the latter, each strip of bacon is individually brushed from top to bottom and then baked a second time so that each bite is equally sweet, succulent and salty. Ozan goes whole hog by serving the dish with a side of warm maple syrup. "It's about redefining something that I love," she says. "I've had grown men in tears after eating this." 5604 Wilson Mills Road, Highland Heights, 440-421-9721, grind-burger.com