I’ve been meaning to go to HD1 (Richard Blaiss’s gourmet hot dog joint) for a while but always forget about it because who realllllyy wants a hot dog for dinner? So thanks to Scoutmob we decided to make a night of it and walk around the Highlands for, well, ten minutes after before we went home. So before I get into the food, my one rant about this place is that it’s at a great spot (old San Fran Coffee location on N. Highland and Ponce) and there’s maybe 3 outdoor seats. It was a perfect night to sit outside but we didn’t – who wants to look at a parking lot?
Ok, so the food. It’s tough to order healthy when all you want is a gooey chili cheese hot dog and fries but alas, it’s doable.
My Order:
- Garden Chili Dog: Veggie dog with veggie chili (hold on the walnut mayo and fried shallots). The chili was good but a little spicy. They don’t give you a choice of a bun so you get it on this huge piece of white bread toast which is truly delicious but not so healthy. Clearly I ate the whole thing.
- Spinach Salad: Spinach (obvi), raspberries and gorgonzola. They went a little overboard with the cheese but it was good, you can't really mess this salad up.
- Optional Drink: Bluegrass sunset – bourbon, ginger ale, basil and orange. This drink was gross but I liked the idea of basil and orange. Can't win 'em all I guess. Instead of this opt for a light beer or glass of vino.
They also have an option of a carrot dog. I figured it was just another version of a veggie frank but no, it’s literally a big sauteed carrot for six bucks. No thanks. I can make that at home. Stick with the veggie or even turkey dog.
All-in-all, am I dying to go back? eh. But it was a nice experience, our waitress was adorable and super attentive and the food was good.
XO,
zo
