The Blue Rooster Summer Chef Series enters the home stretch this week with its week 10 entry, Joe Ricchio’s “Happy Ending” Dog.
Served atop a griddled bun, the Happy Ending dog is topped with caramelized shiitake mushrooms, grilled scallions, tama miso, kewpie mayo, sriracha sauce and cilantro.
Although the Happy Ending dog’s pedigree is distinctly Asian, biting into this hearty and satisfying sandwich with its grilled ingredients brought to mind the experience of eating a stadium sausage topped with peppers and onions, the type you’d find outside Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.
Kewpie mayo and sriracha sauce have each achieved a high degree of popularity here in the U.S. in recent years. Enjoying these versatile ingredients together, on this hot dog, its easy to understand why. (The approximate two-to-one ratio of the rich, cool kewpie mayo to spicy sriracha was perfect for me.)
I’m a bit of a dilettante when it comes to things like tama miso (I had to look it up to recall exactly what it is: a miso paste made with egg yolk and rice wine), but I definitely enjoyed it. I wasn’t surprised to read that it is frequently served atop grilled foods, as it was a great fit here. Inspired by my experience with the Happy Ending dog, I may attempt to make a batch of this savory stuff at home.
The Happy Ending Dog costs $8, and will be available through Thursday, August 7. Next week’s hot dog comes to us from Andrew Taylor of Hugo’s and Eventide Oyster Co.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You referred to Ricchio’s creation as a “sandwich,” but the picture looks very much like a hot dog. I’m confused.
Hot dogs are considered sandwiches by a great many people, myself included.
What about a hamburger?