Young entrepreneurs Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow of J&D's Down Home Enterprises in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood have a motto: "Everything Should Taste Like Bacon" and they put their money where theor mouth is.

Their company offers Bacon Salt, Bacon Lip Balm, and Baconnaise, their latest product.

Their creative promotional concepts sell the sizzle. The company spices up the troupes' "Meals, Ready to Eat," or "MRE?s" by shipping them their Bacon Salt, which is bacon-flavored, meatless salt. Soldiers respond favorably on the Bacon Salt blog as eating pork is tabboo in Afghanistan and Iraq and the product gives them a taste of back home.

J&D are wooing actor Kevin Bacon to pitch their products for obvious reasons.

They currently supply Bacon Salt to over ten thousand grocery stores nationwide, up from two thousand last April. Their novelty bacon-scented lip balm is catching on, and they just introduced Baconnaise, a bacon-flavored mayonnaise spread soon headed for the shelves of area QFC's.

Over the shelves of J&D headquarters hang toy pigs while bacon magnets and photos hog desk space. The ubiquitous gag will hoof it to their parking lot.

"Our company bought a new truck and we'll trick it out with chrome and detail it with a pig theme," said Stephen Kehner, operations manager, and Ballard resident.

"Bacon on chocolate cake can be incredible," declared company promoter, Ballard-raised Trevor Essmeier, who has hyped his products' sizzle on Good Morning America and in Maxim Magazine.

Bacon flavored lip balm touted on the titillating pages of Maxim? The bacon balm seems to have a romantic effect on Elizabeth Stohr, the wife of J&D salesman Greg Cunningham, also Ballard residents. "I work hard all day, and am away from my husband a long time," she said. "If I put it on my lips I think of him."

For more information, go to: www.baconsaltblog.com