LET’S SEE THAT BUN! (Dogmatic)

My search for the best hot dog in New York continues….

SADLY, DOGMATIC IS NOW CLOSED.

When talking about hot dogs, most people mention the toppings or the dog itself. Not much conversation happens around the bun. But it could make all the difference, right?

Too big of a bun could swallow the wiener (yes, yes, I know!) while a small stale bun could make the whole experience unpleasant. A toasted buttery bun could transport you and an old-fashioned white bun could become soggy very quickly if loaded down with ingredients. While Dogmatic in Union Square promotes their quality meat, not much gets mentioned about their unconventional bun.

I was surprised after I ordered my beef hot dog with mustard that it came enveloped in a crusty baguette. Dogmatic’s website mentions this as a technique they “saw in Europe – where things tend to get a bit fancy like this.”

The beef sausage was just one of many options – including organic turkey, free-range chicken, all-natural pork, and pasture-raised lamb. Each sausage dog comes with one gourmet sauce. I chose some horseradish mustard on the side, but requested that regular yellow mustard be put on the dog.

As I sat in the empty, modern-looking dining area complete with futuristic swivel chairs, I questioned whether there was any mustard on the sandwich. The friendly cashier assured me it was in the bread and often falls to the bottom.

That’s exactly what happened which made for an unfortunate eating experience. The mustard congregated in the bottom pocket of the bun so the tanginess was overwhelming at the end and dry and flat at the start. I tried to remedy that with the additional mustard, but it became very messy very quickly.

The baguette was crusty and quite chewy, which took away from any snap or texture the dark brown sausage may have wanted to offer. The sausage was pretty dry and didn’t seem to have much snap even on its own although there was a blessed touch of gaminess and pepper.

I did try the sausage on its own and it was nothing special. Despite the promises of high-quality food, they may have forgotten the high quality flavors. Although as a package, the dogs served at Dogmatic lack presentation and the overly bready baguette seems to overshadow the hot dog. Things may be fancy, but the bun is no fun.

Does Dogmatic have the best hot dogs in NY? The dry beef sausage loses itself in the abundance of bread and is more difficult to eat than expected causing a 6 out of 10.