A recent post by Chubby Werewolf reminded me that the guest chef hot dog series has started at Blue Rooster Food Co. on Dana Street in Portland. In an "I can always eat a hot dog" moment, I stopped by the sandwich shop yesterday afternoon for the Tao Yuan Dog ($6).
From Chef Cara Stadler of Tao Yuan in Brunswick and the upcoming BaoBao Dumpling House in Portland, this bacon-wrapped dog is topped with kimchi, cilantro mayo, and ssam sauce. It's funky, slightly spicy, and full of umami flavors.
This dog is available until Thursday, and then it will be replaced by Ricky Penatzer of Hunt & Alpine Club's version. Illustrating how well-connected he's becoming after a short time in town, Blue Rooster Food Co.'s owner, Damian Sansonetti's future guest chef line up includes Steve Corry of Five Fifty-Five, David Levi of Vinland, Jason Loring of Nosh, Mike Wiley of Hugo's, and Rob Evans of Duckfat.
According to Chubby Werewolf, a hot dog appreciation club card will be available - if you eat all 13 hot dogs, you'll get a prize at the end of the summer. A portion of the proceeds go to Good Shepherd Food Bank.