What was supposed to be a fast snack quickly turned into a battle, pitting what some people think Montreal does best: the hot dog.

While spots for best burger, best bagel, best poutine and best smoked meat keep popping up all over the place. I rarely see arguments debating the best hotdog though. For me, it’s either LaFleurs or Belle Province, but even then, the difference is slight. What isn’t slight is the difference between the styles of hotdogs sold at one resto. For this Battle of the Dog, LaFleurs was the vendor of choice.

First up – what to order? LaFleurs sells a variety of dogs, including michigans and one with bacon and cheese. Since I treasure my arteries, we kept it simple, ordering one tofu tog, one steamie and one toastie (why does this sound so much better in French?). The three came all-dressed, and we topped them with ketchup.

First, the tofu. It came in a toasted bun, covered in slaw, relish and mustard. The dog itself was on the sweet side, with a flavour reminiscent of hotdog, but not an exact replica. Very enjoyable for that fact. The texture was perhaps a bit more velvety than a normal hot dog, and very pleasant.
Next, the toastie. Again, a toasted bun – nice and lightly crispy, with a very buttery taste. As for the dog, well, it tasted like a hot dog. Quite meaty, missing that sweetish flavour the tofu had.
Last up, the steamie. These are my favourite, due to the chewy, bready bun and how wonderfully it pairs up with the soggy slaw and the dog. The bread just suits the flvour of the hot dog better, making the two a great combo.

The results? I actually like the tofu dog for the “meat” and the steamie for the bun. Next time, I’ll be ordering a tofu dog, steamie style.

A tofu steamie dog as the victor? I hope I haven’t encouraged the wrath of dog-fans everywhere.

LaFleurs
3620 St-Denis
(and about 100 other locations around Montreal)