We got Torchy’s for supper Saturday, and as I ate one of my tacos, my wife looked at me and said, “That’s a hot dog.”
A devastating critique.
It’s not that hot dogs are bad. Hot dogs are great. But nobody wants to be the guy who, when buying tacos, sneakily buys a hot dog.
For those who’ve never been to Torchy’s, or who’ve never ordered the “Republican” or seen a companion eat it, the taco consists of a jalapeño cheddar sausage topped with cheddar jack, poblano sauce, and pico. The sausage is not ground up, or even sliced into medallions. It is one cohesive link, split down the middle. It’s not a hot dog, but as far as tacos go…I admit I’ve never seen a taco that looks closer.
Which, of course, prompts the question: Should Torchy’s put a hot dog on their menu? Just a straight hot dog, but with a tortilla instead of a bun? Should I put a tortilla hot dog on my menu, in a theoretical world in which I start a tortilla hot dog food truck and eventually become the next Guy Fieri? Should Guy Fieri put a tortilla hot dog on his menu? Should tortilla hot dogs be the national food of Flavortown? Did you guys know Guy Fieri’s middle name is Ramsay? Do you think that’s a coincidence or do you think Gordon Ramsay is his dad? Do you think Gordon Ramsay is lying about his age? Do you think Guy Fieri is lying about his age? How old do you think those guys each are? Come on, take a guess.
The tortilla hot dog idea has legs. People like hot dogs, but people also like to shame each other for liking hot dogs. You put a tortilla on it and create a couple variants? Four or five, enough to fill a nicely-printed cardboard sign you hang on the edge of the trailer in a gravel lot next to a vegan kimchi spot? You’re in business. You’re so in business. Please tell people to read The Barking Crow when you’re raking in their cash. And to follow us on the socials.
…enough to fill a nicely-printed cardboard sign you hang on the edge of the trailer in a gravel lot next to a vegan kimchi spot? 🤣