Dog Nuvo

Best in show.

I love hot dogs. My go-to lunch when I need something quick is two dogs from QuikTrip. I crave them more than burgers. So when Groupon ran a deal for fancy hot dog joint Dog Nuvo, there was no way I was passing that action up. For once, this guy was going to eat a hog dog that didn’t have packaged condiments on it.

Dog Nuvo is in the space formerly occupied by Souperman, which was another one of my lunchtime clutchtime standards until its demise. I’d actually been to Dog Nuvo a handful of times since it opened last September, although this was Robert’s first trip.

We selected three of the gourmet dogs to try from the menu, as well as some truffle and asiago potato chips that were pretty tasty. Here’s what we thought of the dogs.

The KC ($6)
>>Topped with burnt ends, “The Secret Sauce,” and bread and butter pickle strips. Served on a poppy seed challah.
I was somewhat afraid that being smothered in barbecue goodness might overwhelm the hot dog inside, but my skepticism was unfounded. Dog Nuvo’s excellent dog really balanced out with the down and dirty barbecue on top, and this was my second favorite of the three dogs we tried.

The Thai Dog ($6)
>>Chicken hot dog topped with spicy peanut sauce, bean sprouts, and fresh chopped basil, cilantro and mint, plus toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
I’ll admit, I was not too excited about the Thai Dog -- it sounded like an assortment of flavors that could go wrong all too easily in dog form. However, I’m glad to report it was way better than I expected. It had a bit of crunchiness with sweet and sour, and the chicken dog was unusual and delicious, too.

The Blue Pig ($6)
>>Topped with crispy shallots, blue cheese crumbles, apple smoked bacon and Maytag Blue Mustard.
Dog Nuvo’s excellent dog plus the can’t miss combination of blue cheese, bacon and crispy onions -- this dog was the winner. Nothing too crazy, just great ingredients that all work well together. Kudos to Chef Marshall Roth on this creation.

While we were eating, a parade of late '80s pop was playing in the background. I kept hoping Club Nouveau would come on -- a little “Lean On Me” would’ve been the perfect soundtrack for some hot dog brotherhood.
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1724 Main | Kansas City, MO 64108
www.eatatdognuvo.com