Ron Blaauw’s saucy Amsterdam snag shop The Fat Dog pairs vino with your wieners and bubbles with your bratwurst.
The simple hot dog. It’s a Dutch staple that’s been peddled on canal corners since clogs started causing splinters, but the humble ‘wurst’ is careening into the C.21st courtesy of none other than local Michelin-star man Ron Blaauw. Best known for his epitomous mod-Gallic diner Ron Gastrobar, the acclaimed chef is now saucing up this street food classic via The Fat Dog, a cosy counter-style crowd-pleaser dishing inventive bun-wrapped bangers paired with a few simple sips.
The basis for all offerings here is a classic boiled snag set in a soft roll, then jacked up with a worldly mix of tempting toppings. The local fave is the dude-approved ‘Gangs of New York’ (heaped high with sauerkraut, onion relish, mustard and crispy bacon bits) but for something a little more swish request the Vive la France (sautéed mushies, foie gras and truffle-spiked mayo), the meaty Chinatown (basically a mouth-watering pile of pulled pork and pickled bean sprouts) or the moorish Casablanca (a lamb wiener with caraway cucumbers and baba ganoush).
To help your dog down there are by-the-glass wines, champers and a couple of Mikkeller ales, or, for those that prefer ‘tails to top drops, just one fishbowl-sized G&T; served with a sliver of grapefruit and fresh juniper. At present you best bag a perch inside by the white and woody bar, but when the warm weather returns, snag a spot out front at the patch of sunny canal-side picnic benches. Bring on those lazy dog days!
The Fat Dog, Ruysdaelkade 251, Oud-Zuid, Amsterdam. +31 20 221 6249, thefatdog.nl
