GOURMET DOGS AT THE WIENER SHOP

  
As a vegetarian, I never expected to be so enthusiastic about a new hot dog joint that I wanted to blog about it. In my experience, I haven't crossed paths with a gourmet hot dog eatery that offers a tempeh vegan hot dog. That is, until the Wiener Shop opened their doors in my neighborhood. 

Customers have the choice of a Wisconsin-made beef wiener or the vegan tempeh dog wrapped in a hot dog bun or vegan, gluten-free corn tortillas.

The wieners are named after numerous U.S. cities including Detroit, Chicago, Seattle, and of course, Madison. The tempeh dogs are outsourced from a wonderful local Indonesian restaurant called Bandung.

I opted for the Vancouver Asian Dog prepared with the tempeh and corn tortillas. This delectable meal left me satisfied, and the flavors worked well together.

I chatted with the owner, Rex, who said he and his partner will be adding amenities including outdoor seating, rotating art, additional menu items, and alcohol. They don't believe in upcharging for dietary restrictions, which is a win for vegetarian and gluten-free customers.

I look forward to tasting every dog on the menu, and then starting the list all over again. I encourage you to make tracks to the Wiener Shop!  http://wiener-shop.com/

You never know who will be speaking at DLS!

Photo Courtesy - DLS

There are many perks to living in Madison, and one of them happens to be a series of free speaking events entitled Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS).  The series is put on solely by students, with the purpose being to give them sought-after skills and the opportunity to meet some prominent folks. 

I couldn't have been more excited to attend my first DLS recently, arriving more than an hour early to see best-selling author Cheryl Strayed.  I became a huge fan of Cheryl's after reading her incredibly inspiring book Wild.  It's still hard to grasp that I sat in the 2nd row directly in front of her podium.

My perfect view

You can get excited too, because I'm generously sharing the next two upcoming lectures.  On Thursday, March 27 at 7:30pm, the multifaceted Alice Waters will be there to impress.  She is a chef, activist, author and owner of "Chez Panisse," a well-known restaurant in Berkeley, CA.  I cannot wait to find out what I will learn from this amazing woman.

Photo Courtesy - DLS

On Thursday, April 24 at 7:30pm, Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick will be in the house.  Oliver is a producer, writer and director, responsible for a number of films.  My favorites include The Joy Luck Club, Natural Born Killers, and Any Given Sunday.  Peter Kuznick is Associate Professor at American University in D.C. and the author of several war-related novels.

These two fine gents created a Showtime series called The Untold History of the United States. The series looks at some of the under-reported and mysterious parts of American modern history, delving beyond the official accounts of events to the profound origins and innuendos. This should make for an interesting evening.

Photo Courtesy - illinoisstate.edu

Hats off to the talented students for doing an outstanding job with planning and executing these discussions. 

Did I mention that these events are FREE?  See you at the Distinguished Lecture Series! 
http://www.union.wisc.edu/wud/dls.aspx