Why: Mad Dogs Gourmet Hot Dogs opened in October. Although this is their first restaurant, owners Lou and Debbie Hijar have a combined 50-plus years of experience in the restaurant business. The Hijars are committed to providing tasty, premium items diners will love. Products are sourced from Niman Ranch, Applegate, Diestel, Carlton Farms and Certified Angus Beef Natural. Hot dogs are free of hormones and antibiotics, and the restaurant makes its own veggie dog, chili, macaroni and cheese and several sauces.
What I tried: I started with the tater tots with bacon and Gorgonzola cheese sauce. I tried the Pick of the Litter, which consists of two dogs cut into halves with four different toppings. I settled on beef dogs topped with beef chili, barbecued pork, bacon and creamy Gorgonzola sauce, and pimento cheese sauce. I also tried the veggie dog. For dessert, I sampled the Ruby Jewel double chocolate with peanut butter ice cream sandwich, and the lemon cookie with honey-lavender ice cream sandwich. These are made in Portland.
Food is served in metal tins, which made me think of a shallow canine water dish. One of the high points of my meal was the tot appetizer. The tots were fried to a crispy golden brown and smothered with a rich, creamy sauce and generously sprinkled with crispy bacon pieces.
The first thing I noted about the hot dogs were their size. I expected jumbo-sized dogs, which would be better suited for gourmet status. The bun was not hot nor toasted, and although it held together well, it did not have a nice, fresh-baked presence. It reminded me of an unremarkable packaged variety of bun. The beef dog was tasty, and of its toppings, I was most impressed with the chili, which was appetizing apart from the dog and complemented the flavor of it. The bacon with Gorgonzola sauce and the barbecued pork were delicious apart from the dog but enhanced the salty character of the dog, which I did not find appetizing. The pimento cheese sauce had a mild flavor and was somewhat bland paired with the dog.
