A few weeks ago the family and I headed up to New Orleans for a great vacay. NOLA is one of my favorite cities … Great food, great people, just a great atmosphere in general. It’s easy to fall into all of the touristy stuff: Canal Street, Bourbon Street, St. Charles … you know, same old same old.
The more I travel to New Orleans, the more local I want to get. I want to go to the places that no one talks about– because they don’t want you going there! Every town has their hidden gems, it just takes talking to the right people to find them. First, let me tell you about Magazine Street– It’s a short ride on the route 10 bus from Canal Street (NOLA buses are not what you think, and I KNOW what you think. I promise, there’s no weird pee smell!). Magazine Street is off the beaten path and ridiculously cool. Yeah, of course you run into the handle bar mustachioed hipster set here and there, but the trip is well worth it.
Nestled between the vintage clothes stores and bars that seem to only serve Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can, is Dat Dog at 3336 Magazine St. - It’s simply amazing!
You walk into the front door and are met with warm smiles and amazing smells. All the dogs are homemade … pork, beef, gator, German, Guinness flavored, duck and wait for it… Turducken. They also have some of the best “loaded fries” I’ve ever come across. You walk to the counter and are quickly told how to order and given a quick education about the different type of dogs. They also offer something really out there… “Chef’s Choice”. This is where you order a dog of your choice and then the Chef decides your toppings for you! All toppings are complimentary and there are a lot. I went with the “Bacon Werewolf”… simply money!! Fresh, crisp and delicious.
They also have over 50 beers and create there own infused vodkas. Try their selection of “Fat Tire” beers, which is a little slice of NOLA that is starting to hit other regions of the country as we speak. So, next time you’re in the “Big Easy”, travel the road less traveled… and check out “Dat Dog”. You can thank me later.