Dog Nuvo = New Dogs in KC

Restaurant: Dog Nuvo

Location: 1724 Main St., KC MO 64108

Food: Gourmet hot dogs, house-made condiments and sides

Service: Quick counter

Atmosphere: Incomplete. 

Price: $4-$6 dogs, $3-$5 sides 

Rating: One napkin (with potential)

My life, it seems, now revolves around hot dogs.

It all started with a hankering for a Chicago Dog at the place that turned out to be Rock-n-Moroccan. That morphed into a decision to try every Chicago Dog in the city (still on the hunt - one more place to go).

Then Ink Magazine called for a quote in their latest issue, which features a giant article on the city's boldest hot dog eateries, with special attention paid to the same place this review is about: Dog Nuvo.

So what is Dog Nuvo? Well, right now it's a walk in, carry out only hot dog joint that consists of a tiny waiting area and cashier's counter with several outdoor seats lining Main St. What it will soon be is a full service, casual hot dog eatery with upscale, gourmet hot dogs, a dining room and even a full service bar. Simply put, from a concept standpoint, it'll be the Blanc of Hot Dogs.

Behind the concept and, most importantly, the food, is chef Marshall Roth who has run the kitchens in several of Cordish's P&L Establishments, as well as the nearby Hotel Phillips. His reputation as a chef precedes him. Would Dog Nuvo match up?

First of all, I like - or am going to like - the space. Located on the bottom floor of ad agency Barkley's orange and glass-front office building on Main Street, it's got the right curb appeal to establish the trendy vibe. And what little is there to be viewed at this point all centers on a cohesive aesthetic of orange, blue and black. The attention to detail is quite refreshing. Even the napkins and plastic silverware exhibit the funky, fun colors.

The outdoor seats are quite nice in that there are several tables that seat four people comfortably, and there isn't too much foot traffic on the sidewalk that might cause agitation for those trying to relax and enjoy their tasty frank.

Also intelligently planned and presented is the menu which has a narrow focus on classic and original hot dog concepts with homemade condiments and sides. I'm sure the temptation was there to play it safe and offer a burger, chicken caesar salad and club sandwich as a catch-all for the non dog lovers who might stop in, but they were deftly avoided in favor of a focused restaurant with fewer barriers in growing its reputation.

Among the choices are dogs you won't find anywhere else in town, like Le Poodle, a French-themed dog topped with Boeuf Bourguignon, melted Brie, radish, chives and pinot noir mustard and The Blue Pig with blue cheese crumbles, crispy shallots, applewood smoked bacon and Maytag blue mustard. Those who would prefer to create their own can select the Dog Nuvo option and choose their own kraut and mustard, which are all house-made and thoughtfully done.

My selection on trip #1 was their Chicago Dog which I'll review as part of my upcoming Chicago Dog throwdown, but suffice it to say Dog Nuvo's Chi-Dog was a thoughtful representation of the classic with its own gourmet twist. Perfectly sufficient. Also on that trip I treated myself to a side (a large one) of cole slaw, which was creamy (maybe a little too much so) and, thankfully, not too sweet. It came with nice additions such as walnuts, sliced red grapes and thinly sliced red onion for some bite. This was a tasty slaw to be sure, the added touches giving it increased depth and textures that were appreciated.

On trip #2 I felt a moral obligation to try The KC, almost as if I'd somehow neglected, my whole life, to familiarize myself with a famous city staple, though I'm almost certain this dog was only conceived in recent history (the only other place I know of serving a hot dog with burnt ends on it is the new Arrowhead stadium). The KC did not disappoint - too much. While the "burnt ends" (written in quotation marks on the menu, even) that topped the dog were a little sparse and lacking in smoky flavor, their tender texture was better than expected. And the barbecue sauce selection - one of the only condiments on the menu Roth doesn't make in house -  is the super-tasty "The Secret Sauce" of American Royal winning fame. Adding a contrasting sweet and vinegary taste to the rich dog were bread and butter pickle slices, cut thin enough to fit the bun well, but thick enough to stand out with some pungent crunch.

And while I commend Roth for his culinarily advanced hot dog preparation method, it's a little lost on me... because the dogs themselves get lost in the buns and toppings. Touted as being "crafted using natural casings and infused sous vide before grilling in our secret Nuvo brine," the hot dogs are definitely tasty. But for this all-beef-frank fan's tastes, they're just too skinny. I imagine the smallish size is a calculated decision made so that the other toppings, when piled on, have at least some chance of nestling down into the bun enough that the whole thing can still be picked up and eaten without completely falling apart, but I couldn't help feeling as though I was left wanting more meat in my dogs.

Prices seem right-on what they should be for these dogs with a gourmet twist. The dogs themselves range from $4 to $6, sides from $3 to $5 in generous portions. Yeah, you could leave here having spent $10 on a hot dog for lunch, which seems steep, but given the quality of the food one should feel like they got what they paid for.

There's more to come from Dog Nuvo. Some menu tweaks are inevitable given the youth of the restaurant, and they've yet to reveal the dining room and full service bar, which will completely enhance the entire restaurant's experience. So consider this review a sneak peak at Dog Nuvo; and so far, I like what I see. 

Rating: one napkin (with a high level of potential for gaining another after the full rollout)