We are a nation united by our love of processed meat between a bun. At least that’s what I believed before a friend and I tore through the half-dozen different hot dogs on the menu at Shaggy’s, a Mid-City restaurant painted mustard yellow and ketchup red. I lost my innocence and learned that we’re a nation as divided by dogs as we are by pizza preferences and allegiances to the many styles of barbecue beef and pork.
The Chicago dog opened my eyes to our division. Of the many toppings on the salty beef frank swaddled in a soft poppy seed bun, about the only one I recognized as a standard hot dog condiment was yellow mustard. The other ingredients were tomato wedges, dill pickle spears, celery salt, hot sport peppers and sweet relish as bright green as a Christmas tree ornament. With a hearty crunch in every bite, it was like eating a salad on a bun. I almost felt virtuous.
The other big city contender, the New York street dog, had only one veggie: Shaggy’s “special onion sauce.” Between the onion sauce, sauerkraut and spicy deli mustard, this dog had both a bark and a bite. The flavor was big and brash.
Against the tasty New York Street Dog, the tamer New York deli dog, topped with just sauerkraut and brown mustard, didn’t stand a chance. The slaw Dog, with cole slaw and chili, and the chili cheese dog, with chili, onions, mustard and squirt cheese, didn’t thrill me as much. The flavors just weren’t as sharp.
The muffuletta dog, a frankfurter nestled in slices of Swiss cheese and salami and topped with olive salad and a squiggle of yellow mustard, sounded more like a gimmick than a good idea. I was wrong. The olive salad adds an extra layer of richness. It should become a standard item in the arsenal of hot dog condiments. And yellow mustard tastes so good on olive salad that I’m adding a squirt of French’s mustard to my next muffuletta. I don’t care if it makes the traditionalists mutter. With the muffuletta hot dog, Shaggy’s proves that New Orleans has something to contribute to coney culture.
4413 Banks St.
484-4440
Mon-Wed 11am-6pm, Thr-Sat 11am-1am
