Oh my... step aside artisanal burgers, artisanal hot dogs are the next big thing. This is certainly…read moretrue for Bulls and Dogs.
With a bold and innovative menu that ranges from soy hot dogs with hummus and popcorn to lamb hot dogs with harissa, there is seemingly a hot dog for every taste. So if you are looking for a trendy hot dog, look no further than Bulls and Dogs. It is the Crif Dogs (in New York) of Rotterdam minus the hidden bar behind the phone booth.
We came to Bulls and Dogs on a rare sunny day in Rotterdam, and the picnic benches set up outside left a very nice relaxed, lazy summer evening atmosphere. Our jaws literally dropped to the floor when we saw the menu - so. much. choice. And real talk, those "freakalicious" milkshakes sounded truly freakalicious.. whatever that means.
I had the Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake, the Smokey Pepper Dog and Curly Fries. Word to the wise, you should be really hungry and really ready to eat if you want to take up the challenge of eating all of this.
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake was inspired - this beautiful chocolate chip cookie at the top literally crumbled in your mouth, and the cookies stuck on with Nutella at the mouth of the mason jar was ingenious. The whipped cream was so fluffy, and just sweet enough without being too overbearing. The milkshake itself was maybe not quite as viscous as I would like my milkshakes, lacking that creamy thickness you would usually expect. But when drunk with the hot dog, I definitely appreciated that it wasn't as thick. On its own, however, I probably would have appreciated a bit more creaminess.
The Smokey Pepper Dog was delicious. The pretzel bun was the perfect texture, the sauce added this beautiful peppery taste to the hot dog. Visually, it was stunning - so much colour, very well plated. The taste was also pretty spot on. I think my biggest gripe with this hot dog in the end really came down to a matter of preference. I always find that a hot dog should have closer to a 50:50 ratio between bun and meat. This one was closer to 70:30 with much less meat than I would have liked. The hot dog was then drowned in this creamy harissa sauce which really made the hot dog a bit heavier than I would prefer, and made the "dog" much less of a star of the dish. Oh there was meat in there?
Finally the curly fries - on point. Crispy, well-seasoned, perfect. All in all, it was an ambitious meal - very heavy on the stomach, but at the same time a very inventive, whimsical menu with a decent execution and beautiful presentation.
