Hot Dogs & Sausages Linking Up

Hot dogs and sausages carry a winning combination of familiarity and street cred

Today’s dining scene practically begs for innovative sausages and hot dogs, driven by a couple of trending factors. First, our robust modern beer culture demands casual, craveable fare that pairs well with a pint or two. Second, a format this familiar guarantees a safe adventure, yielding a platform that invites intriguing flavor combinations.

World View From the Bun

Innovation in the hot dog and sausage category—much like most of foodservice today—often sees chefs dipping into global food cultures for inspiration. There’s a natural fit here, as many countries hold a tradition that includes some kind of sausage in a bun.

At Von Elrod’s Beer Hall & Kitchen in Nashville, Tenn., the menu features sausage builds that are both eclectic and global. For instance, The Gaucho is the restaurant’s translation of an Argentinian sausage. It stars prime ribeye sausage, chimichurri, pickled red onions and horseradish sauce. “It was designed to be the Cadillac of sausages,” says Hillary Holmes, general manager. “We wanted to put our own spin on Argentinian sausage, so rather than using traditional chorizo, we use a phenomenal cut of meat. Featuring chimichurri and pickled red onion as toppings not only continues the South American theme, but also perfectly complements the richness of the sausage.”

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