As Anthony Bourdain puts it, “Every city / region has its own mutant form of the hotdog”. But it has been my elusive, futile quest to find Toronto’s own distinct stamp on this venerable fast food. In truth, Torontonians fall more deeply in love with its sausages/frankfurters, peameal bacon sandwiches, and veal sandwiches than to be bothered with boring plain old beef franks. The question is… should they?

Nevertheless, challengers continue their attempt at usurping that vacant throne. Chuck Ortiz, of “Acquired Taste”, announces such a white knight into the battlefield with his video of “Buddha Dog“.

Is Buddha Dog worthy of being Toronto’s hotdog mantra? I remain skeptical… perhaps I need to go try it myself to know for sure. At first glance, Buddha Dog does not seem to bear the uniqueness (like Vancouver’s JapaDog), nor the wow factor (of a South Carolina ‘Big Unit’), nor the kempt quality (of a Hawaiian Pukka Dog), nor the historical value (of a New York dog). The emphasis on fresh, local and unique ingredients at Buddha Dog is definitely welcomed. But to truly stand out of the crowd. I believe they have to focus on marketing one version, their unique take on the hot dog, really well.

Coming back to the video, the sped-up eating sequence seemed to do little justice to the food, and also possibly violates all established food porn conventions. But we do get to see Chuck’s enjoyment of his meal, and perhaps… that’s all anyone can ask for from comfort food like the dog.

Good Eats Toronto: Buddha Dog from Acquired Taste on Vimeo.