[NCPinDC]

Shh... I'll tell you all what I learned this evening....

The owners of Amsterdam Falafel are opening a hot dog joint. They say it will be gourmet, but who is to say? You can dress a hot dog up but it is still a hot dog...

Seriously, they are going to have fixin's bar for the dogs.

They'd like to be open in 8-12 weeks. The new place is directly across the street from the falafel shop (not the New Orleans Cafe... but close)

That's all I know.

[Al Dente]

I don't know if I ever saw a hot dog joint in Amsterdam, but I know there were sure times I wanted one-- or eight.

[cheezepowder]

Tom reported details in his chat today.

Quote

The king of the single dish in Adams Morgan -- that would be Scott Bennett, the co-owner of the Amsterdam Falafelshop -- is expanding his empire. Look for the launch of M'Dawg Haute Dogs, featuring sausages created by chef Greggory Hill of David Greggory restaurant, around Christmas. The ode to hot dogs, brats, Italian and other sausages will unfold at 2418 18th St. NW...

[Woodleygrrl]

cheezepowder, on Nov 8 2006, 03:16 PM, said:

Tom reported details in his chat today.

Looks like this place is going to be opening soon. WE were in the falafel shop last night for our two month anniversary dinner and they were accepting applications. We walked past the place where it is going to be and there was all kinds of construction going on.

Maybe this place will force one of the jumbo slices to go out of business. That would be a victory

[demandalicious]

If this Haute Dawgs place is going to be anything like Hot Doug's, I will be a very happy girl, indeed.

[mdt]

demandalicious, on Dec 29 2006, 12:04 PM, said:

If this Haute Dawgs place is going to be anything like Hot Doug's, I will be a very happy girl, indeed.

One of today's specials...Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Black Truffle Butter and Goat Cheese. Interesting.

[NCPinDC]

mdt, on Dec 29 2006, 12:16 PM, said:

One of today's specials...Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Black Truffle Butter and Goat Cheese. Interesting.

did you see this at Hot Dougs:

DUCK FAT FRIES ..... $3.50
(Friday & Saturday only)

If duck fat fries show up at a hot dog stand are they trite?

[qwertyy]

Sorry to be pedantic, but does anyone know how this place is pronounced?

em dawg?
mmm dawg?
muhdawg?

Also, any chance this will be open reeeeeally soon? Like by the 11th???

[DonRocks]

qwertyy, on Jan 2 2007, 06:06 PM, said:

Sorry to be pedantic, but does anyone know how this place is pronounced?

em dawg?
mmm dawg?
muhdawg?

Also, any chance this will be open reeeeeally soon? Like by the 11th???

Surely it's muhdawg, no?

As in: I came home from work and kicked muhdawg.

[russell's dad]

mdt, on Dec 29 2006, 12:16 PM, said:

One of today's specials...Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Black Truffle Butter and Goat Cheese. Interesting.

Hot Dougs is incredible. I lived in Chicago for 3 yrs and truly miss the place. I go there straight from the airport when I visit. Fancy dogs aren't "trite" , they show that you can be creative within a framework that most food snobs think of as pedestrian. If this new place can come close to Doug's, it'll be the place chefs come to snack. That's always a good sign.

[Stretch]

DonRocks, on Jan 2 2007, 11:36 PM, said:

Surely it's muhdawg, no?

Mad Dog?

[Owen]

I dropped by Amsterdam Falafel last night. Word from behind the counter is that M'Dawg is set to open "on January 15th, give or take a couple days."

Can't wait...

[Roger Troutman]

I walked by there Friday evening, and the place looks like it's a long way from being ready to open. I can't wait, though.

[Barbara]

Walked by there this afternoon. There were people working in there and they are requesting pictures of Dogs (as in canines) to make into collages for the tables and counters. Drop your pictures off at Amsterdam Falafel.

[jpschust]

Barbara, on Jan 9 2007, 06:16 PM, said:

Walked by there this afternoon. There were people working in there and they are requesting pictures of Dogs (as in canines) to make into collages for the tables and counters. Drop your pictures off at Amsterdam Falafel.

Looks like that expired 12/30/06, but that said they are close. Very close.

[starfish]

heard from the source, and saw for myself, that there is reason for optimism about an opening in the very near future.

[DonRocks]

starfish, on Feb 12 2007, 10:04 AM, said:

heard from the source, and saw for myself, that there is reason for optimism about an opening in the very near future.

Yes, the menu was actually visible from the front door this weekend (and the sign was also lit up). The menu doesn't really "read" like they're offering artisanal sausages - there are a lot of different types, but after a cursory glance, I don't think I'd necessarily picture Greggory Hill coming in at 4 AM and cranking a hand-grinder. There's an "Oy," for example, that's a Hebrew National.

[jpschust]

Sign on the door yesterday evening said they will be doing a soft opening at 11 am today. Debating leaving Reston right now for it

[MeMc]

Thank you! Total sophomoric humor, but I'm wondering I can order a fattie, a bj, a virgin or whatever with a straight face>

[cleveland park]

Confirmed- they are opening tomorrow at 11, got a chance to look at the menu and it seems like you get a choice of hot dog/sausage and tunr it into whatever you want via the fixin bar. My mouth is watering, I will be there tomorrow, snow permitting

[turbogrrl]

cleveland park, on Feb 12 2007, 11:54 AM, said:

Confirmed- they are opening tomorrow at 11, got a chance to look at the menu and it seems like you get a choice of hot dog/sausage and tunr it into whatever you want via the fixin bar. My mouth is watering, I will be there tomorrow, snow permitting

Clearly I will cut class, sleep in, and then walk a few blocks over to have a nice haute dog tomorrow.

I love it when a plan comes toegther!

[jpschust]

turbogrrl, on Feb 12 2007, 06:24 PM, said:

Clearly I will cut class, sleep in, and then walk a few blocks over to have a nice haute dog tomorrow.

I love it when a plan comes toegther!

I'm leaving work early due to weather today and then I'll probably stop there for lunch if I can.

[DonRocks]

Dinner and a movie?

We'll see how long the "Brokeback" stays on the menu.

[turbogrrl]

DonRocks, on Feb 13 2007, 08:48 AM, said:

Dinner and a movie?

much ado about nothing? harsh...

I venture out so others don't have to in this weather: They're still a bit confused today. Best to put off for a day or two- hopefully by then they'll have also picked up some decent mats to capture the slush and cover the slippery floor. Too many people behind the counter and loitering around- I was happy to see that they seem to have hired some enthusiastic and friendly locals, but they shouldn't all be behind the counter at once. And even more limited seating than at the falafelshop.

They're down to four brats left, no idea how they're doing on others. I got a spicy Italian sausage, downtown- it had decent flavour, but wasn't a bit spicy. And $7.50 for a sausage and a soda seems a bit excessive, considering that I can get a tasty sausage and tea at Teaism for less, and have a place to sit. OTOH, I expect this place will shine with the tipsy crowd, especially once they start piling the toppings on. Chili cheese fries at 2am? Probably an easy sell. Not so much at a sober (and chilly) lunch...

The weather isn't cooperating, either- it switched from sleet to snow and back about three times on my trudge there and back. Stay home, stay warm, say hi to the Dawgs later this week.

[jpschust]

So here's my report:

The menu looks great- They've got a variety of interesting dogs including a $20.00 Kobe Beef dog, a 4-5 dollar chicago dog, a hebrew national dog, and some sausages. I opted for a brautwurst on a poppy roll. You have the option of ordering downtown for your fixin's and that's free- but it's just cheap relish, basic ketchup and mustard and onions. Or for 2 bucks more you can get it uptown- sauerkraut, beans, chili, cheese, tons of mustards including a wasabe mustard, all sorts of stuff. I went uptown to have sauerkraut and great brown mustard on my dog. Cooked perfectly, tastes wonderful.

They look as though they are figuring out what they are doing about service at this point- it's a bit slow and the right hand doesn't seem to know what the left is doing, but it was their first hour and I'll cut them a lot of slack.

I'll be back tomorrow to try something new there Maybe even the Kobe Beef dog!

[cloax]

#8 "The BJ" aka Garlic Sausage and a trip "Uptown" for $2 = $8.36 for a sausage.

Was not overly impressed with the sausage itself. It was a little dry, on the small side, and lacking any substantial garlic flavor or overall "oomph" which belied it's description.

I'm going to wait for more people to go and spend $ experimenting before I venture back. However, there was quite a crowd for such crappy weather, and I'm sure they'll do good business after hours as others have suggested.

As for the "kobe" beef hot dog - The only time I've ever spent $20 on a sausage was @ the old homestead in nyc, and even then it was on the clients dime. However, truth be told, it was probably one of the best hot dogs I've ever had, although I would chalk that up to the "kobe" chili and wasabi sauce it was served with, and not the "kobe" dog all by itself.

[plunk]

jpschust, on Feb 13 2007, 12:52 PM, said:

So here's my report:

The menu looks great- They've got a variety of interesting dogs including a $20.00 Kobe Beef dog, a 4-5 dollar chicago dog, a hebrew national dog, and some sausages. I opted for a brautwurst on a poppy roll. You have the option of ordering downtown for your fixin's and that's free- but it's just cheap relish, basic ketchup and mustard and onions. Or for 2 bucks more you can get it uptown- sauerkraut, beans, chili, cheese, tons of mustards including a wasabe mustard, all sorts of stuff. I went uptown to have sauerkraut and great brown mustard on my dog. Cooked perfectly, tastes wonderful.

They look as though they are figuring out what they are doing about service at this point- it's a bit slow and the right hand doesn't seem to know what the left is doing, but it was their first hour and I'll cut them a lot of slack.

I'll be back tomorrow to try something new there Maybe even the Kobe Beef dog!

Neither the "downtown" or "uptown" seem to properly dress the chicago dog. I assume then that the traditional chicago fixings are included in the $4-5 price?

[eating out]

I can't wait to try this place, and I'll heed the advice and give it another day or two - but one thing has caught my eye - it may be just me, but I guess I was just expecting a price-point more along the lines of the falafel shop... $8.36 for a sausage, before drink? At Amsterdam, I can get out of there w/ my small falafel, all the fixins I want and a drink at about $6... Not that the dogs won't still be worth it, that's TBD. I just wasn't expecting a $10 dawg/meal. Kudos to those that braved the weather to day to check it out!

[jpschust]

plunk, on Feb 13 2007, 02:24 PM, said:

Neither the "downtown" or "uptown" seem to properly dress the chicago dog. I assume then that the traditional chicago fixings are included in the $4-5 price?

The only fixins included in the base price are basic heinz relsih, ketchup, mustard, onions. You can get close to a Chicago dog, but not right on it.

[deangold]

jpschust, on Feb 13 2007, 04:29 PM, said:

The only fixins included in the base price are basic heinz relsih, ketchup, mustard, onions. You can get close to a Chicago dog, but not right on it.

I used to eat at Flooky's both its LA version and the one in Chicago way back when.... Heinz Relish ain't it! Must be that neon green crap. Actually Flookys had a version that had some fries tossed atop as well as the relish, mustard, onions (chopped not ground), tomato wedge, celery salt, pepperoncini and pickle spear. Fat atop Fat and preservatives. YUM!

[AlexC]

Tonight I enjoyed $12 worth of Haute cuisine as I imagine it was meant to be enjoyed -- half-cocked on a tuesday, flirting with three-quarters.

I thought the self-serve chili on the chili-cheese fries was better than Ben's, though I am not sold on the accordion fries... Amsterdam's are better.

I had a a half-smoke on a potato bun, topped with their "deli mustard" and something that looked and tasted like seasoned sauteed onions, but I can't be sure, as there were no labels.

The $2 upcharge for the the "uptown" fixins bar did piss me off, especially because they refused to spring for brown mustard "downtown"... come on, throw me some Goulden's or something! If this continues there may be arbitrage opportunities between the "free" amsterdam fixins bar and the $2 fixins bar across the street.

I think an economically viable alternative would be $.25 or .$50 charges for controlled portions of individual toppings -- just give me a little cup of sauteed onions, I'll pay $.25, or even $.50 for it. I'm not going to pile 8 different toppings onto my hot dog and, if I do, feel free to charge me $2 for unlimited access.

Overall, let me say that I liked my half-smoke, that I'll be back to dig deeper into their offerings and that it unequivocally beats the hell out of jumbo slice.

Alex

PS - The $12 came from a $1.75 bottled water, a $4.95 half-smoke, $2 of fixins access and a small chili-cheese fries that made up the difference.

[jparrott]

$2 for brown mustard, if that's all you want "Uptown"? I'm going to start a brown mustard stand outside. Just $1.95 a squirt!

[jm chen]

The Going Out Gurus at washingtonpost.com say it's $1 for the Uptown treatment -- misprint, or change in policy? $1 does seem more reasonable.

[nick]

It's $1. Went yesterday.

However, when you look at the menu, it looks like the 1 used to be a 2. Maybe made a last-minute change?

I had a spicy half-smoke. Having grown up in this area, I learned only this year that the half-smoke is a DC thing. However, I'm fascinated/dismayed by the two paradigms of half-smoke that exist.

There are the type that M'Dawgs offers (as well as more restaurant-y places), which more resembles a 7-11 spicy-bite, and the classic hot dog stand/cart half smoke, which at first glance looks like a slightly darker-toned regular dog, but reveals a demi-smoked character at the first bite. Call me a food-cretin, but I still love the latter the most.

Still, great overall experience at the Dawg.

[Keithstg]

eating out, on Feb 13 2007, 03:00 PM, said:

I can't wait to try this place, and I'll heed the advice and give it another day or two - but one thing has caught my eye - it may be just me, but I guess I was just expecting a price-point more along the lines of the falafel shop... $8.36 for a sausage, before drink? At Amsterdam, I can get out of there w/ my small falafel, all the fixins I want and a drink at about $6... Not that the dogs won't still be worth it, that's TBD. I just wasn't expecting a $10 dawg/meal. Kudos to those that braved the weather to day to check it out!

Went on Wednesday afternoon, and really enjoyed the place. As to price, I found that for two people, the price ended up the same as Ben's Chili Bowl ($25.00 or so for two dogs (one uptown), two cheese fries, and two sodas). Given the nature of the 'dogs at each place, I came away thinking that M'Dawg was fairly priced, especially given the location. The hot italian sausage could have used some more heat, however.

[TedE]

We dropped by last night to experience this place as I'm sure it was meant to be: around midnight, half in the bag. I've gotta say that while I enjoyed the fries and choosing from among the fixin's ($1 for uptown) my half-smoke was anything but spicy. It had the right texture and a nice snap, but there was no detectable heat to it at all. Ben's takes the upper hand on that one. They were out of a couple choices (the andouille and the garlic one I think). A friend got the corn dog; they said that they were having issues with the batter and it looked slightly overcooked, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. It was huge!

Overall I was pretty impressed. They have a sign up front saying something to the effect of, "Bear with us while we learn the ropes". I hope that they can get their act together for this weekend's late night rush, but maybe the weather will help them out.

[DonRocks]

Is there any indication that "Greggory Hill is making the hot dogs" as touted? Is he making all of them? Some of them? None of them? I peered at the menu through the front door and was somewhat skeptical, mainly because I didn't see anything about "handmade" or "artisanal" although I only made a cursory scan because it was freezing outside.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[happyguy]

Went here Wednesday for a quick bite after a grueling work out at my gym;Mint, which is right around the corner. This could pose a future problem, since a hot dog in and of itself is quite the quick and tasty meal. Looked over the menu and decided upon the Chicago Red hot,small fries and a drink. Asked about the uptown or downtown and none of the toppings in the uptown relly appealed to me at the time. Definately like some of the offerings, just not right on my first visit. I have to admit I was a bit pissed at the fact of Spicy mustard, for $2.00. I have no problem paying $7000K for a watch, but I was qiute irked to pay for frikin mustard Got the hot dog first and took a bite. It was pretty good, with the exception of the beginnings of heat wrinkling from the mechanical hot dog roller this was on. My chicago hotdog experience has these dogs being cooked in water, as opposed to this other method. While not a taste killer, it could have been confused with a 7 -11 hot dog. My fries were unfortunatley the remains of the bag:bits and peices of potato with lots of grease, not like the longer, much better looking fries, the guy next to me got. Anyway, I just wanted a few fries for taste, and never finished the rest anyway. Still wanted to try another dog so went for the Wisconsin(bratwurst) which I had planned to go "uptown" on, only to be told they would'nt have that till the next day. Oh well. Would go back without hesitation and try some other offerings, and better fries. This place will be a gold mine regardless, especially after the drinkers decend on weekend nights, and I look forward to returning.

[KeithA]

DonRocks, on Feb 16 2007, 11:42 AM, said:

Is there any indication that "Greggory Hill is making the hot dogs" as touted? Is he making all of them? Some of them? None of them? I peered at the menu through the front door and was somewhat skeptical, mainly because I didn't see anything about "handmade" or "artisanal" although I only made a cursory scan because it was freezing outside.

Cheers,
Rocks.

I haven't been yet, but from what I read in some articles on the place, I thought Hill just developed the recipes. I don't think he is supposed to be cooking them himself.

[MeMc]

When I interviewed the Bennetts, they said that Hill would make some of the seasonal sausages off site and that he's responsible for the condiments. As far as suppliers: They polled the neighborhood in the listserv for where they should get the veggie dog, and I believe they're getting some of them from Usinger's in Milwaukee. (Maybe the brats and the red-hots?) and the New York one from Hebrew National.

I hope they get some Schickhaus or Buffalo style footlongs someday. And, it does seem that they've dropped the uptown price, since it was $2 when I went in on the 14th. Maybe initially they'd planned for people to serve themselves from the uptown bar-- like they do at Amsterdam--and now that's not the case? I'm not sure.

[Keithstg]

DonRocks, on Feb 16 2007, 11:42 AM, said:

Is there any indication that "Greggory Hill is making the hot dogs" as touted? Is he making all of them? Some of them? None of them? I peered at the menu through the front door and was somewhat skeptical, mainly because I didn't see anything about "handmade" or "artisanal" although I only made a cursory scan because it was freezing outside.

Cheers,
Rocks.

Greggory Hill was definitely in the kitchen when we were there on Wednesday, he came out to ask patrons how the dogs were. I'm assuming he was making sausages that day, but didn't think to ask him...

[infohunter]

I'm waiting for more reviews... specifically on the "Chicago Dog". Of course as far as I'm concerned it isn't a "Chicago Dog" unless it is a Vienna Beef Hot Dog (Natural Casing) that is steamed, on a poppy seed roll, with (in this order) yellow mustard, fresh chopped onion, two tomato wedges, kosher pickle spear, two sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Anything else isn't a "Chicago Dog"

So far I've heard grilled, no neon green relish..... but don't know about everything else.....

So far the only true "Chicago Dog" that I've found is Zack's in Baltimore, MD. We stopped in when we had gone to Baltimore about a month ago to visit the Aquarium. To far to drive normally.....

For now I'll have to be content to order from Vienna Beef or Lou Malnati's directly.... and just do them at home myself;)

Oh for a Vienna Beef stand in NoVA......

[Waitman]

DonRocks, on Feb 16 2007, 11:42 AM, said:

Is there any indication that "Greggory Hill is making the hot dogs" as touted? Is he making all of them? Some of them? None of them? I peered at the menu through the front door and was somewhat skeptical, mainly because I didn't see anything about "handmade" or "artisanal" although I only made a cursory scan because it was freezing outside.

Cheers,
Rocks.

I think if I see the phrase "artisanal hot dogs" on this or any other menu I'll puke. Which would be too bad, as my son led a feld trip there last night and announced that they were the best hot dogs he'd ever had in his life.

[jpschust]

infohunter, on Feb 17 2007, 11:27 PM, said:

I'm waiting for more reviews... specifically on the "Chicago Dog". Of course as far as I'm concerned it isn't a "Chicago Dog" unless it is a Vienna Beef Hot Dog (Natural Casing) that is steamed, on a poppy seed roll, with (in this order) yellow mustard, fresh chopped onion, two tomato wedges, kosher pickle spear, two sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Anything else isn't a "Chicago Dog"

So far I've heard grilled, no neon green relish..... but don't know about everything else.....

So far the only true "Chicago Dog" that I've found is Zack's in Baltimore, MD. We stopped in when we had gone to Baltimore about a month ago to visit the Aquarium. To far to drive normally.....

For now I'll have to be content to order from Vienna Beef or Lou Malnati's directly.... and just do them at home myself;)

Oh for a Vienna Beef stand in NoVA......

Robyn had one today- I'll ask her if she is willing to write something up for here.

[diddy]

i really wanna know about their chicago style dog

[Waitman]

diddy, on Feb 21 2007, 08:42 PM, said:

i really wanna know about their chicago style dog

ummmm...so why don't you just go there and drop the six bucks? It ain't like trying out a new steakhouse; the downside in terms of cost and time lost is low.

The Chicago dog has a natural casing, and was spicy, chewy and relatively red in color (for whatever that's worth), quite tasty. I have no idea how it relates to Vienna brand hot dog, however. Toppings are whatever you feel appropriate -- "uptown" (blue cheese, onion confit, etc.) for a buck or "downtown" (onions, tomatoes, relish,mustard etc) for free-- but be sure to make your order for the poppy seed bun clear; the crew is not astoundingly efficient at this point. And, in fact, one of the small crew spent a shitload more time trying to find the Black Eyed Peas on his iPod and getting "My Humps" up to a suitably annoying volume than anyone appeared to spend trying to get my order right. I'm in a pissy mood tonight (for unrelated reasons) and am boycotting forever; by the weekend I may be back for another run.

My wife thought the corn dog was nasty -- a leaden coating smothering a fine link-- while my son is enraptured with the deeply ironic Thurmond Kosher frank wrapped in bacon and deep fried. I wasn't stoned enough to appreciate the chili cheese fries, but they are crinkle-cut and so probably (with a little more cooking) would be quite good unadorned. If I can't have proper frites -- and sometimes if I can-- crinkle-cuts are the best.

[cjsadler]

Waitman, on Feb 21 2007, 10:38 PM, said:

the crew is not astoundingly efficient at this point. And, in fact, one of the small crew spent a shitload more time trying to find the Black Eyed Peas on his iPod and getting "My Humps" up to a suitably annoying volume than anyone appeared to spend trying to get my order right

I had the same experience last night. The crew was focused on just about everything except getting the food out. However, an extremely large customer in a mardi gras hat said something very uncomplimentary to them (unprintable here) that finally got them moving. All was forgotten once I bit into the half-smoke. This is a pretty damn tasty dog, especially when you plump for the now reasonable $1 uptown upcharge. Bacon, caramelized onion, mustard slaw... goood.

[Heather]

I read through the thread and no one had mentioned the hours: Mon 11 am-midnight, Tues-Wed 11 am-2:30 am, Thurs 11 am-3 am, Fri-Sat 11 am-4 am, Sun 11 am-midnight. Nice to have another late-night option.

Bummer about the corn dog.

(ETA: What constitutes a good corn dog? Isn't badness their very essence?)

[Mrs. B]

Heather, on Feb 22 2007, 04:24 AM, said:

Bummer about the corn dog.

(ETA: What constitutes a good corn dog? Isn't badness their very essence?)

Best corndog (or three) I ever had was in Tennessee at the Bonnaroo Music Festival couple years back. The dog itself was pretty generic but not not the rubbery skinny nasty gray thing one is sometimes served. What set this treat apart was the coating. Fried crispy brown on the outside, the inside was fluffy (almost spongey but that doesn't sound very appetizing). The joy came in biting through the crunchy fried goodness into the just this side of sweet corny inside and finally getting to the salty meaty nibble in the middle. Best damn corn dog I ever did have... or maybe it was just something in the air
Back on topic, this thing they call a corn dog at M'Dawg, that thing I didn't like and Waitman described it correctly. I couldn't taste the corn in the crust and I couldn't taste the dog because the crust was too much. I removed all the offensive outer part and consumed the remaining meat on a stick with relish.

[diddy]

Waitman, on Feb 21 2007, 10:38 PM, said:

ummmm...so why don't you just go there and drop the six bucks? It ain't like trying out a new steakhouse; the downside in terms of cost and time lost is low.

i plan on trying it, but right not i'm at college which is 2 hours away.