Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog

Cally Johnson and Kathryn Mathis have attained almost celebrity status since opening their popular Big Truck Taco restaurant in Oklahoma City back in July of 2009. The restaurant, known for its street tacos and other Mexican-style delicacies has become a popular destination for locals and out-of-town guests alike.

And now, they’re at it again. Opened in May, 2011 Mutt’s Amazing Hot Dogs  is a unique concept in casual eating. The menu contains over 25 different varieties of hot dogs, ranging from the tried-and-true Boardwalk (think chili-cheese dog) to the very unusual Hot Wing Dog (chicken fried chicken dog, green habanero, blue cheese and celery).  To complement your dogs, Johnson and Mathis offer sides including potato salad, baked beans and cole slaw, as well as a fan favorite duck fat fries.

I’m gonna be honest here. I am not a huge hot dog fan. But being a regular of Big Truck Tacos, I had to trust the culinary creativity of Cally & Kathryn to create items that were above and beyond the usual. GFB (my fabulous hub) and I decided to hit Mutts for lunch for the first time back in early October. Upon arriving, we scoured the menu for our first choices of items. GFB was set on ordering a dog, but I happened to notice the special that day was a Oyster Po’ Boy with a side of fries. Bingo. I selected that, and he choose the Boardwalk. (Now, I had heard amazing things about the duck fat fries, and *thought* that was what I was getting with the Po’ Boy. I should have clarified – because it was served with regular fries. Bummer.)  My sandwich was VERY good. The bread was chewy, the fried oysters were perfectly cooked in cornmeal batter and the sandwich was topped with lettuce, tomato and a great homemade aioli. GFB’s choice was ok – nothing really stood out – but it was good.

Now, the experience was good- (I liked the decor – especially hot dog shakers at the cash register) but I have one suggestion. Hot dogs are messy. And some of us eat them with a knife and fork to avoid getting chili (or slaw, mustard, you name it) down the front of our (insert name brand designer here) blouse or shirt. I chose to eat my Po’ Boy this way since the sandwich was huge and difficult to eat with my hands. Here’s where the problem lies. They use plastic baskets lined with sheets of wax paper to server their sandwiches and dogs. After several cuts into your item and subsequently through the wax paper, the paper begins to shred and you end up picking out bits and pieces of wax paper from each bite.

As a rule, I try to visit restaurants at least twice before writing any review on them. So, a few weeks later, GFB and I hit Mutts again to sample different menu items, along with the duck fat fries I missed the first time. This visit, I choose the Sweet Caroline, and GFB had the Boardwalk (again) and of course, the famous fries I’d heard so much about. Since I ordered a chili/slaw dog, I ran into the same problem as last visit with the wax paper (maybe even more so this round), but, I was so mesmerized with the duck fat fries that I’m not sure it bothered me too much. I like fries, but these are NOT your average fries. The flavor is spectacular. Although they are a bit pricey at $5.00 per order, I recommend trying them at least once, and add the truffle oil for an extra .75 so you can experience the entire dish as it is meant to be served.

If you love hot dogs, you will enjoy Mutts. But if you are a french fry coinesseur, then you better haul your rear down to 23rd and order the fries. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

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