Gooood Doggy

If you go by M'Dawg (Haute Dogs) in Adams Morgan, you might see a shaggy brown dog tied outside. That's my dog, Otter, and he'll be spending a lot of time outside the new gourmet hot dog place in the near future, because I'll sure be spending a lot of time in it.

The much-anticipated eatery is as relaxed and fun as you'd expect the sister restaurant to Amsterdam Falafel to be, with a short but varied menu that includes a garlic sausage, a corn dog, an andouille, a beef dog wrapped in bacon, and the classic DC half-smoke, among others. Most of the menu is in the $4-7 range (with the exception being the Kobe: a $20 kobe beef dog), and you can get them "downtown" style with ketchups and schmancy mustards, or "uptown" with a wide range of unexpected toppings for a buck more. Don't count on getting dinner for $4-7, though, as with most hot dogs, one is not enough.

I highly recommend the "Glove" (the aforementioned beef dog wrapped in bacon) with apricot chutney and fresh tomatoes, and the half-smoke with bacon crumbles, bleu cheese, and onions. Less impressive was the "Brokeback" corndog, which despite its excellent name is just an ordinary corndog. It's fine, but does not live up to its hot dog brethren. I also have to say, I do not understand the mad love people have for the french fries, the same as at Amsterdam Falafel.

At least three more trips are necessary before I can say with confidence that I have tried all the best hot dogs that DC has to offer, so my real dog will get to go on a lot of walks down to M'Dawg in the next few weeks. If you see him, say hi--he's friendly, and don't worry if he seems sad. He's just whining because he wants a half-smoke.