Hot Dog! Meet the World's New Most Expensive Hot Dog
By: Colleen Kane, CNBC
In honor of the Year of the Dragon, a Vancouver hot dog vendor going by the handle Dougie Luv created the Dragon Dog. The price: $100.
What does the hot dog adventurer get in exchange for their $100? (That's Canadian dollars, which is roughly equivalent to U.S. dollars, but it helps to be little exotic when you're spending a lot of money.) The Dragon Dog consists of a pork bratwurst infused with Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac, which contains elements up to a century old and sells for anywhere from $1,900 to $2,500. Why? "Cognac and pork go hand in hand," says Dougie Luv.
The bratwurst is sautéed in olive and truffle oil, placed on a sourdough sweetbread bun, and topped with Kobe beef, fresh lobster, tomatoes, truffles, aoli and a hot sauce that is "just a little spicy."
In week one of the Chinese new year, demand has been strong. Luv's restaurant, DougieDog, sold four Dragon Dogs on Wednesday when it debuted, and Luv reported having 10 reservations for last night, adding, "We only seat 16. It's a hot dog joint." Anyone who wants this hot pork injection has to give 12 hours' notice so the staff can be sure to have fresh lobster on hand.
Following a media blitz, there was a request for a Dragon Dog from a television show in Toronto, so the staff at DougieDog shipped all the components on ice across the continent, with instructions on how to assemble it.
DougieDog normally trades in American-style hot dogs like the Coney Island, and original models like the Dave Grohl Special (whiskey infusion, cole slaw, hot peppers), made with locally sourced hormone-free meat, which go for $6.95.
As for the man behind the meat, DougieDog also has a line of butterscotch root beer that's sold in more than 100 retail outlets across British Columbia.
He also sells a DVD of his American road trip quest for hot dog knowledge called "DougieDog:The 'Dogumentary'", and he describes himself on Facebook as an artist and comedian.
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