Last night: Dogmatic

Apparently Dogmatic's been open for a year. Not sure How I missed it.

Getting there was tough. Had to walk past "Harvest in the Square" - an exclusive tented tasting event where the elite take over the paths and sidewalks of the park to taste the finest foods and wines of the Union Square/Grammercy district. Annoyingly taunting to walk right past the delicious-smelling charcoal-grilled shrimp kabobs and free-flowing wine with the rest of the commoners.

Dogmatic is delicious. And Overpriced. And Over-Modern. It's a Gourmet Sausage System.

Tiny hollowed-out crispy-chewy baguettes contain one of 5 farm-raised hormone-free sausages (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, lamb) and one of six signature sauces (cheddar jalepeno, horseradish mustard, truffle gruyere, etc). I had pork sausage (fattiest) with horseradish mustard, which paired very well of course, and Darling-Girl had the Turkey Sausage (the leanest) with the Sundried Tomato Feta sauce.

Dogs come with sides -- we chose grilled asparagus and coleslaw, both quite yummy. I went back for a second side - Mac and Cheese which is made with the truffle gruyere blend. Rich, cheesy and bordeline stomach-ache-inducing.

The highlight of the whole experience might be the sodas. The homemade ginger ale was sweet, sharp, and spicy - very well balanced with the in-your-face ginger flavor that I crave. The coconut soda was quite unlike anything I'd ever had. Seemed like fresh coconut milk mixed with a seltzer -- the soda result is light, refreshing, and just barely sweet. I think next time I'll try the grape...

The dog/side/soda meal rings in over $10, which is a bit much for a single hot dog and some asparagus spears, but when you factor in the delicious sodas, it seems like its worth it. The draw for me is that I want to taste everything (especially sodas). 1-year anniversary party on October 13th includes free give-aways and guaranteed fun times. I think I'll be there...