I'm a little worried I'm starting a love affair with processed meat. On Saturday, I ate chunks of smoked bologna at Neil's Bar. This afternoon, I had my first Southern Dawg from Tommy Bourne, and I enjoyed it immensely. The photo to the left shows my choice of toppings: slaw, banana peppers, jalapeños, spicy mustard, and a dash of celery salt on an authentic Nathan's dog.
I went with the celery salt because it's an ingredient for the trademark Memphis Dawg, engineered by Tommy's brother Todd, who started the hotdog business a couple of years ago with one cart downtown. If you're confused by the who's who of the Dawgs, click here for Stacey Greenberg's article that appeared recently in the Memphis Flyer .
I stopped for a hotdog because I spotted Tommy's cart on Poplar Avenue across the street from Huey's in East Memphis. Could there be any easier pull over for street food than the gravel lot at the key guy's? Todd happened to be there too, so I asked him about the rumors that he is bringing a cart to Oak Court Mall. His answer was vague: “They want me, but I'm trying to go slow.”
For now, Memphis Dawgs has three carts. Two move around, and the third is at Wolfchase Galleria. On Wednesday, Tommy's cart will be at Insouth Bank at Poplar and Estate. You can track both Tommy and Todd on Twitter @Memphisdawgs and @dawgertom.
