Is bison the new bacon? Or lamb?

OK, maybe not - but it's on Wrigley Field's menu this season, in the form of a bison meatball sandwich (not just any bison, but bison from the Wyoming ranch of the Ricketts family, who own the Cubs, thankyouverymuch).

And it's the centerpiece of a new restaurant at Brookfield Zoo, the Bison Prairie Grill. The restaurant is a permanent addition that will compliment the zoo's new Great Bear Wilderness exhibit (also permanent), where six bison will reside, along with grizzly bears, bald eagles, wolves and other grand animals straight out of the pages of your 3rd-grade history book.

On the menu at Bison Prairie Grill: bison burgers and Navajo tacos with bison chili, along with more predictable fare, including Vienna Beef hot dogs, portobello sandwiches and flatbread pizzas.

We've already made know our affection for bison. Its meat is as tasty as beef but markedly lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than beef, pork and chicken.

And how can you not root for bison, which at one time, numbered in the tens of millions? The animal was nearly extinct by the late 19th century, but efforts in recent years to preserve and grow the population are paying off. To save bison, we need to eat bison. Trust us - it's not that hard a sell.