Dining out: Spotted Dog (2017)

A revisit of my 2012 visits to The Spotted Dog in Carrboro, NC. They've updated their menu, as my usual dining companion and I found out. (She was craving their food from her college days.) The only negative is they've changed the thickness of the tempeh on their Reuben to a somewhat pitiful filling, so maybe skip that choice. Otherwise, their food is still delicious.


Fried pickles with vegan ranch

Vegan cheese plate of blue corn tortilla chips and vegan pimento cheese, as well as a smoky cashew cheese with pepper jelly and pita triangles. There were quick pickled cucumbers that were mostly sweet and slightly tangy. I actually liked the pickles, despite my usual dislike of sweet pickles.

The trick here is to take a slice of the smoky cheese wedge, schmear it across the pita and then drizzle with the pepper jelly. Trés bien!


Vegan pork BBQ plate with slaw, beer-battered fries, and hushpuppies. One of those classic Southern "meat and three sides" meals.

The slaw is vinegar-based, but inadequately marinated to be tasty. The fries and hushpuppies are fried perfectly as only commercial fryers can do. However, the interior of the hushpuppies would benefit from a greater ratio of cornmeal relative to flour--it's a little gummy. At any rate, the vegan BBQ is quite juicy and I'd eat it a bajillion times over.