by Luke McKinney
FoodConnect Toronto
luke.mckinney@foodconnect.com

When you think of snack indulgence, you might think about chocolate. That's because you're simply not as good at indulgence as the fine folks at the Beer Bistro, home of the Bacon-wrapped Shrimp. Yes, you read that right, bacon-wrapped shrimp. If you have to leave now to buy some I'll quite understand.

It's such a genius idea you wonder why you haven't had it before. It's priced a little over the odds for only five pieces, but like everything else in this above-average bar you're paying for quality. No seafood tank dregs swept up and gimmicked to hide their inferiority, these are fine, full and almost fluffy shrimp so big they seem to be spilling out of themselves. The bacon is succulent and the whole thing is well made, nothing coming lose or falling on your clothes no matter how savagely you obey the "EAT ME NOW!" commands this plate projects directly into your brain.

A single section of shell is left on the end of the thoughtfully prepared appetizers, ready for gripping and dipping the rest into the dollop of sauce provided for each (no scraping the plate for flavor here!) Make sure you squeeze the lemon over each too, in this case the citrus isn't decorative but an excellent addition to the flavor.

I won't lie: the taste is not even remotely subtle. There's no cunning combination or masterfully complimentary chemistry here. Instead there's a sheer overload of awesome, the succulence of the shrimp wrapped up in delicious bacon, topped with tangy lemon and spiced by the sauce. As your teeth sink through the perfectly textured tidbit your tongue is drenched in flavors, all of them good.

Bacon wrapped shrimp are available at the Beer Bistro, 18 King St E.