My Grandma and Your Grandma...

And then there was Aiko...

After devouring the Lady, it was time to tackle Aiko.  I was immediately drawn to this dog when I saw the flyer for Short Leash Hot Dogs.  One of the dogs we have in the works for the bar includes mango chutney, among other things.  The Aiko features fresh mango chutney, diced jalapenos, red onions, cilantro and mayo.  The suggested meat pairing was the spicy beer dog. 

Even though the Lady had given my stomach a serious punch, I couldn't wait to try the Aiko.  From first bite to last, I enjoyed this dog thoroughly.  The spicy beer dog had just the right amount of heat and was balanced perfectly by the sweet, fresh diced mango.  The cilantro and onions brought another level of fresh flavor.  My only gripe on this dog was that they were a little heavy handed on the mayo.  I honestly could have done without it all together, but I guess it would be a little too light.  Nothing beats the cool refreshing flavor of mango when enjoying what proved to be a very spicy beer dog.  I can honestly say this is the best dog I have had in recent memory, even if it was somewhat punishing to eat after already having had one enormous dog piled with cream cheese and fried pickles.

Rating: 5/5  Hot Dog Heaven!

Hello, Lady

Meet Lady.

My boss and I have been brainstorming for a couple of weeks, trying to come up with a few dogs to add to our menu for the summer.  After the Hungover Man's Best Friend (more on that later) caught on, everyone has been coming to me with everything hot-dog related.  The bar manager's wife passed on a flyer for Short Leash Hot Dogs.  The menu looked phenomenal.  A both dog and hot dog lover's dream.  Franks named for pups, piled with everything from mango chutney to barbecue sauce.  Yesterday my lovely lady and I decided to make an adventure out of obtaining some of these enticing dogs.  We hopped on our bikes and made our way downtown to the Phoenix Public Market.  Sure enough, at the end of the open-air market was a semi-circle of food trucks.  The smells were diverse and amazing, but we were there for one thing only.  A small trailer hitched to one of the bigger trucks was our destination.  The Mrs. ordered and I grabbed a small table in front of a swamp cooler.  My hopes were set pretty high, but I can't say I was disappointed.  I love the whole food truck trend and the promise of craft dogs from a tiny aluminum trailer gets my appetite roaring. 

When the dogs arrived and I unwrapped the Lady, I was speechless.  Their regular (natural casing, all beef) dog topped with chipotle cream cheese, sauteed onions and fried sweet pickles wrapped in light, soft naan bread.  From first bite to last, I was in dog heaven.  Though I felt at times, while enjoying the dog-delight, that they went a little heavy on the chipotle cream cheese, it was offset by the sweet pickles.  Though it wasn't exactly light, the naan made it easy to eat, wrapped up like a burrito.  All the fixins were contained and every bite had just enough dog, topping and bread.  The damn dog must've been at least a third of a pound, but it was steamed to perfection and tender all the way through.  It almost ran the complete flavor spectrum.  Spicy cream cheese, sweet pickles and onions, all set to compliment the beef frank's savory flavor and balance each other out.

The diversity of their menu made it hard for me to choose just one dog.  I would have loved to eat from every truck there, but I had to settle for a couple of dogs.  I was on a mission, after all.  There's more to come from Short Leash.  Something even more eclectic than cream cheese and fried pickles.

Rating 4/5