Brace yourself, we are on the brink of a hot dog revolution. Edmonton is, anyway. Other cities in Canada have led the charge for years: Vancouver with Japadog, Calgary with Tubby Dog. The lowly wiener has gone from hockey rink staple to haute cuisine. Just add foie gras and truffles, and presto.

It’ Dog opened January 2015 in Edmonton on 109 Street. It joins the wonderful mix of varied food purveyors like: Noorish Conscious Eatery, Farrow Sandwiches, Three Boars, La Poutine, Whimsical Cake Studio, High Level Diner, Sugarbowl and Rosso Pizzeria.

It’ Dog’s site (in the old Bad Ass Jack’s) couldn’t have found a more suitable location: within “one step forward-two steps back” stumbling distance of the U of A frat houses and student dwellings.

The menu is Korean-inspired with toppings of kim chi, bulgogi and shrimp, plus the required chili, truffle mac and cheese, and more. It’ Dog is more than dogs, though; the menu also features Korean fried chicken because, Koreans, for some unknown reason, know their way around good fried chicken. Check out Wing Chicx and Coco Deep Fried Chicken on the south side.

In theory, the idea is solid: beef wieners, smokies and brats piled high with interesting toppings, but in reality, the outcome lacks the pow it should have. The bulgogi is chewy and bland, the bun sweet and heavy, and the wieners tepid and limp.

Left – Bulgogi Dog $7
Right – It’ Dog $10

The scorching hot, juicy chicken is a better choice although the pieces of bird in the basket are confusing: some pieces of neck, some tail, some indescribable other bony parts.

Plain chicken $12

Sweet and Spicy Chicken $13

odd bits

It’ Dog is nowhere near to being in the same league as Japadog or Tubby Dog. However, there will still be money made from the midnight jagger-bomb crew looking for something to throw down their gullet. There is room for improvement, lots of room, and according to the conversation I had with the owner after my review aired on CBC, we can hope to see those improvements happen shortly.

To hear more about my experience, listen here on CBC Edmonton AM.