The Mad Concoctions at Zombie Dogz
The food truck craze struck the West coast like a sharkicane (coming soon to the SyFy network I am sure). One of the most popular in Dayton is Zombie Dogz.
The Mad Concoctions at Zombie Dogz
The food truck craze struck the West coast like a sharkicane (coming soon to the SyFy network I am sure). I remember seeing a story on a national nightly newscast about a Korean taco truck that had such an enormous cult following they would cause traffic jams once they revealed their current location. There were websites set up by fans just to track where they spot certain food trucks. I remember thinking how cool it was and how it would be years before anything like that would ever make its way to the Midwest. Well, in the words of the creepy little girl from Poltergeist, "They're here"!
There are several food trucks in the local area. They offer everything from Spanish sandwiches to vegetarian food. One of the most popular food trucks in Dayton is Zombie Dogz.
It isn't often that you get a chance to have a true culinary experience for $5, but Zombie Dogz offers gourmet hotdogs that are just too interesting not to try. These aren't your ordinary ballpark dogs. These are adventures for your taste buds.
I tried two of their famous gourmet hotdogs. It was all for research purposes only. I swear! Ok, maybe not, but I am a fat guy and you can always trust a fat guy's opinion on delicious food.
Let's talk the basics. These buns are not those wimpy little grocery store buns that lack taste, texture and weight. The Zombie Dog bun is more like a sandwich bun you would get from a premium artisan bakery. They reminded me more of a cross between a ciabatta roll and a flat bread. The buns are lightly grilled leaving those tasty, slightly charred grill marks on the outside of the bun.
The hotdogs themselves are all-beef, high quality franks. They are huge! These dogs are more like two normal hotdogs. They are more like a bratwurst than those girly hotdogs we've all been used to. I am not exactly sure how they are cooked, but the casing had a bit of a snap to it and the middle was tender and flavorful.
The Dead Dixie I ordered was topped with diced apples, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, apple wood smoked bacon bits and drizzled in bbq sauce. This dog was like an amusement park for your mouth. The sweet and tang of the apple balanced the sharpness of the gorgonzola. The smokiness of the pork bacon was like Robin to the Batman of the beef frank. The barbeque sauce provided just the right kick to launch this thing over the top. The layers of textures and flavors just worked well together. This didn't taste like I was eating a hotdog at all. I really would hesitate to even call this a hotdog. It was more like a gourmet sandwich from one of those trendy Hollywood delis that all the hip movie stars frequent. If I changed anything on this at all, I would just ask for about half the amount of gorgonzola since it is such a sharp and powerful taste.
The Sliced and Diced was topped with a roasted pear sauce, goat cheese, mixed greens and candied almond slivers. The menu said it also had a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, but I didn't notice it at all. Overall, I didn't enjoy this hotdog as much as the Dead Dixie, but it was more about the texture than the taste for me. The pear sauce had the consistency of applesauce. It just didn't work as well as the crispy diced apples did. It was still a great tasting hotdog and one that any foodie owes it to themselves to experience.
Both of these premium dogs were large and filling. After eating two of them, I felt like I had just eaten a Thanksgiving dinner. All I wanted to do was find a couch to lie down on. One of these is going to be enough to satisfy the average person.
These were just two of the many mad concoctions that the folks at Zombie Dogz create on a regular basis. Other Zombie Dogz include an Elvis inspired dog (topped bacon and pan seared flambéed bananas and homemade cashew butter) and a tropical hotdog (topped with homemade a salsa made from mango, glazed pineapple, strawberries, mint and lime juice then drizzled in white chocolate toasted coconut flakes). Their location and menu changes every day, so the best way to keep up with them is on their website and their Facebook page. If you are looking for an economical yet adventurous culinary encounter, track down the Zombie Dogz food truck.
