CrunCheesse Korean Hot Dog – Minneapolis, MN (Dinkytown)

 

A friend of mine recommended this place, but had described it in such a way that I thought I may have imagined it or made it up in some dream I had. But sure enough, this place actually exists (and it sounds like they’re trying to make a franchise go of it, since the original one is in Las Vegas – where other crazy dream-like scenarios happen). Note: I also just looked and have discovered that CrunCheese in Las Vegas is a block away from one of my favorite tiki bars – The Golden Tiki – so I’ll have to make that combo the next time I’m in Sin City.

 

What is a Korean hot dog, you might ask? Well, it’s actually a corn dog (known as a gamja hot dog), so it’s a standard-type hot dog in a batter. So, yes, Americans would call it a corn dog. The batter is dairy free – at least at CrunCheese – and you can get it with a variety of toppings and sauces. That’s the basic explanation, just so we’re all on the same page. You know how when you get Korean chicken wings at a restaurant, they’re like chicken wings you’re used to and then they’re fried like 30 seconds longer to make sure they’re EXTRA crispy? Yeah, these corndogs are like this. But the variations are pretty slick. 

 

You can get a plain corn dog, sure. But why would you when you can get one that’s got some pizzazz? You can get them half hot dog and half cheese stick (mozzarella or cheddar) – keep in mind this half and half version is like top-half cheese and bottom-half hot dog, so you won’t get both flavors in one bite. Or entirely cheese on the inside. Or you can get them with sausage. Or with a squid ink batter. Or with a premium hot dog – likely pandering to American’s refined palate hahaha. Or with a rice cake instead of a hot dog.

 

Once you get the insides figured out, then you have to determine what’s on the outside. You can get the entire thing rolled in cubed potatoes or cubed sweet potatoes (for an upcharge that’s totally worth it). Think of it like you’re at the state fair or some street market in Korea. You want the full experience, so get the add-on. Then, while they’re frying up your magical corn dog, you can stand and stare at the list of sauces they have available to slather your crispy corn dog in. I should have taken a photo of them, so you could see them all. It’s an impressive list. Yes, they do have ketchup and mustard and even honey mustard, but go right past those. Consider cheese mustard, hot sauce, sweet chili, or garlic parmesan. Then you can continue the adventure by adding different dry seasonings to that – parmesan cheese powder, cheddar cheese dust, or honey butter seasoning. Probably a few that I’m missing. 

 

I went with a mozzarella and sausage covered hot dog, rolled in potato cubes, and then covered with sweet chili sauce. And it was truly the right choice. And, like I assumed earlier, like a dream I had, but this was real life. Super crunchy potatoes and batter, cooked perfectly. The hot dog is pretty much a hot dog, so I’m not going to wax poetic on flavor profiles and nuances of textures. I’ve never had chili sauce on a corndog before but now I’m a convert. It’s just really amazingly good. I’m looking forward to going back and trying some of the other combinations. 

 

I wrote way too long about this corndog, but I really wanted you all to pick up what I’m throwing down on this one. You’re going to want to go to Dinkytown (or better yet, LAS VEGAS) and pick up a couple of these for your family. One was plenty for one person, even me, once you get all the attachments and accoutrements. So, keep that in mind. But, you won’t be sorry, no matter you get there. It’s a super small and efficient shop – order at the counter, go outside and wait until they call your number, go inside and tell the cashier how you want your corn dog finished off, and then pay the person. Easy.

Buckhorn Exchange - Denver, CO

My BIL thought we should go to Denver for his birthday. The one thing he wanted to do while he was there was to eat Rocky Mountain Oysters. So, STOP READING HERE if you’re grossed out easily. Yes, there are pictures.

I did a little research to find out where we should go for such a delicacy. There a re few places that come up when you search, each prepared/sliced/served in different ways. But, the one that had the most bragging rights was the Buckhorn Exchange. It’s Denver’s oldest steakhouse and also a bit of a history museum and taxidermy showcase – and their house specialty is Rocky Mountain Oysters. We got reservations and dragged our spouses along for the ride (this sounds much easier than it actually was in real life).

The restaurant itself is pretty amazing. Two stories and literally hundreds of animal busts and heads on the walls of every room, including the restrooms. Full size mounts are in pretty much every room, so you really get a feel for the wildlife in here. Which is apropos, since the menu also contains a much larger variety of meats than your run-of-the-mill steakhouse. Beef, buffalo, elk, lamb, chicken, pig, quail, duck, game hen, salmon, alligator, and rattlesnake. Impressive. 

We were really there for one thing, but we decided to get a sampling of appetizers, in case we were unable to actually eat the aforementioned Rocky Mountain Oysters. We got some fried alligator tail, sirloin game tips (beef, buffalo, and elk), and a half order of RMOs. And of course a couple of cocktails to make sure we were good and loose for game time.

The fried alligator was absolutely fantastic. I have always been a fan, but these folks know their way around a fryer and they were cooked perfectly. You didn’t just taste the fried part, you tasted the meat, as well.

 

The Sirloin tips were really quite good, as well. Served with mushrooms, and a different sauce each day, these had a great smoky flavor. My only complaint is that it’s always difficult to tell what kind of meat you’re eating when it’s all mixed together like this. Thankfully, every bite I had was delicious, so not really much of a complaint, after all. 

The RMOs came out with some horseradish dipping sauce, but since my sister and I are solidly from the Midwest, we also had some ketchup. Sad, but true. If we were thinking, we should have ordered BBQ sauce, since it would have been a totally different flavor. These RMOs are served sliced thin and in relatively large pieces, good for dipping. The fry on these things are really thorough, so you’d be hard-pressed to know that’s what you were eating. Both of our spouses ate a few of them, and more than we expected, so we’ll call it a win. They are actually quite delicious. I’d for sure eat these again, but I’d have to have help since a half order filled an entire basket. 

 

When we were done with them, our server came back around and asked how things were. She was pleased with our progress of fried foods, clearly. She said that she always has to ask, but would we like to see the RMO before it gets sliced and fried. Only two of us said yes, which must high enough on the percentage threshold for her to bring one out for us to gawk at. These things are huge. Bigger than my hand (as shown in the picture). And, now that we’ve eaten a half order, we know how the original uncooked ball translated to the fried version. Really a fun way to see it, but I could tell this thing shouldn’t sit on our table for too long as some people at the table were visibly horrified. Still glad we saw the after and before versions!

Rocky Mountain Oysters may not be everyone’s jam, but if you’re near the Rocky Mountains, you should probably just try them, even as a dare/bet. You may just end up liking them. After all, the folks at Buckhorn Exchange have been mastering this art for more than a hundred years. Really happy we got to try some local delicacies!

www.buckhorn.com

Quick Review: Flock Chicken Chips (Hattie B's flavor)

Not sure how quick I can make this review. I'm a HUGE fan of these and I'm trying to spread the love. But, I also know some people will be absolutely horrified by the entire concept. I'll start with a checklist in this choose-your-own-adventure review.

There are three distinct sets of people who will like these chips (or "crisps" as they're called in the UK): 

• Anyone who likes pork rinds or chicharrones
• Anyone who does NOT pick the skin off their fried chicken
• Keto and protein fans

If you're not in one of these groups, please move along. 

These Flock chips are literally fried chicken skin. Very similar to pork rinds, which are fried pig skins. I don't mean they are designed to appear like chicken skins - they ARE chicken skins that have been fried crispy and put into a bag. Yes, they are weird at first, but they are delicious. Addicting and delicious. They've got tons of protein and are low in carbs, which is why they're great for workout fiends. 

These delicious snacks are (right now) only sold online through their website store and they're only available in a case format - like 12. So you really have to either be wiling to take a gamble (which I AM), or have 11 other friends who are interested in trying them. The folks at Flock are targeting the small business or gyms that have their own vending machine or snack shop, which makes perfect sense. They've got a variety of flavors (including Cajun, plain, BBQ, and salt & vinegar), but I really love the partnership they did with Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken, one of the best inventions on the planet.

Just go to the website and try them out. Of if you have a small business, they're always running deals and specials, so support these fine folks. Brilliant idea and I'm so glad I took the gamble on these. I probably shouldn't tell you how many cases I've purchased over the past year, but it's .... more than two. Spend some money at Flock!!

Warning to purchasers, there is a silica pack in each bag - those little white pouch that keeps moisture content where it should be. There are small silica packs in each bag that are easily overlooked when you grab a handful of chips. Just want folks to be careful. Not even joking. 

Note to Flock Foods marketing: I'd be happy to be your spokesperson or shirtless marketing guy if you need me.