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| 'Food Network' Star Proves Hot Dog Mastery |
September 8, 2012
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| by Lyndon Jones |
On September 8, 2012 at 11 a.m. Diva Dawg made its grand opening. Located on the one-way split entrance of Magazine St. in the Irish Channel, the chic and colorful restaurant offers an array of unique and mouth-watering gourmet hot dog options.
As owner and dawg creator, Ericka Lassair has parlayed years of rich culinary experience at Commander’s Palace and a 2nd place finish on the Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star” into hot dog mastery.
Despite a troublesome transition from show’s end to finally achieving her dream of owning a restaurant, Lassair has persevered. After eating hot dogs for a “solid week” Lassair got the idea to bestow her immense culinary talent on the hum-drum bore of an ordinary hot dog.
She patiently waited a full year before her dream became a reality. Carrying a full-time job and fishing several restaurant destination options, Lassair was given the opportunity to land an uptown location, and seized it immediately. “It’s been my dream to be on Magazine St.,” says Lassair.
 She partnered with Vaucresson Sausage Company, a local 4th generation all-natural sausage company, to create a meat specific for Diva Dawg. “I told him (owner Vance Vaucresson) I was thinking about opening my own place,” says Lassair and asked him “would you help me create my own hot dog,’” conceding “Together we created the Diva Dawg.”
The ‘Diva Dawg’ is an all-beef not-to-be-confused- with-a-weiner dog, with a subtle taste of hot sausage “without the heat,” says Lassair. Signature toppings include red bean chili, accompanied by fried chicken and homemade Andouille ketchup. Next, is a Crawfish Étouffée chili (pictured above) and a Zapp’s Chili complete with pieces of Zapp’s potato chips.
“I’m also going to do a sweet fire oyster dawg,” says Lassair. This will be a mix of pepper jelly and hot sauce beurre blanc (a reduced hot sauce with cream and butter) “to give it sweetness and heat,” says Lassair. The contrasting marriage of taste is then topped with crispy fried oysters.
The price for signature dawgs begins at $9 with regular dawgs starting at $7. “Sausage (plain dawgs) is going to be seven dollars and regular hot dogs are going to be six dollars,” says Lassair.
All sausages are placed in a Brioche Bun- a French bread with a soft sweet texture. “I’ve always loved brioche bread because it’s sweet,” says Lassair. “I spice it up and make it a little bit savory when we put it on the grill and add a little butter and creole seasoning.”
Lassair, who grew up in uptown New Orleans, says it’s been a dream to have a restaurant in the boutique laden location. She admits she could’ve opened a restaurant by now had she settled for a location in another part of town. But the steadfast diva remained determined and it has paid off.
“You know how you just know… I knew that I was going to be on Magazine St. I knew I just had to wait.”
Diva Dawg is located at 1906 Magazine St, NOLA 70130. Hours are 11am - 9pm Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. (closed on Tues.). Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information visit http://www.divadawgnola.com. |
September 8, 2012 |
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