Last Call: Would You Eat This Corn Dog? [Updated]

Update, April 5, 2021: Last week, we asked readers if they would eat the corn dog in the photo above, which features a hot dog nestled in a dill pickle swathed in a thick layer of corn batter enrobed in a dusting of panko. As if that weren't enough cozy, snuggly layers of flavor and texture, the $13 Disneyland offering comes with a cup of peanut butter on the side for dipping—the cherry atop this confusing, can't-look-away sundae.

As it turns out, that peanut butter ends up serving a crucial function in the overall execution of this corn dog—or so says Takeout contributor Julie Tremaine, who reviewed Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs' most viral offering for SFGate. Firstly, for everyone who was up in arms over the $13 price tag, Julie points out something we failed to mention last week: the cost includes a bag of chips on the side. That might not make much of a difference to those who were/are aghast at the markup, but it's worth noting all the same.

"Each is made to order, and let me tell you, the woman making them was working hard, fighting a battle against a long line that just grew as the day went on," Julie writes. That seems important, too; you're getting the freshest possible product, which means the pickle won't have time to leave the breading soggy.

But how did it taste? Interestingly, Julie is generally hot-dog-averse, which very well could have doomed this taste test from the start—but in fact, she deemed it "Not terrible. Actually pretty good." The flavors were all more or less balanced by the sensible ratio of hot dog to pickle to corn batter, and the peanut butter was not just acceptable, but the linchpin of the whole thing. "The addition of a tiny bit wasn't great, but when I tried the next bite with a little more, the texture of the peanut butter added to the whole experience," she said.

You can read all about the experience here. Additionally, you can feel free to continue litigating the existence of this corn dog in the comments. It's our favorite type of debate!

Original post, March 31, 2021: Would you pay $13 for a corn dog? If that price seems steep, maybe that's because you're picturing the typical carnival version: a hot dog pre-wrapped in a suspiciously uniform layer of spongy cornbread, tossed into a fryer for too little time before being dredged up and handed off to you in a grease-soaked cardboard boat. Delicious, but not worth $13. At Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs in Anaheim's Downtown Disney District, however, things are different. On its recently revamped menu, there is a corn dog called the Panko Crusted Pickle Dog: a hot dog inside a hollowed-out dill pickle, swaddled in corn dog batter, coated in fried panko crumbs, and served with peanut butter on the side for dipping.

H/T to New York Times Hollywood reporter Brooks Barnes for mentioning this snack on Twitter, and to the Disney Food Blog for discussing the dog in more detail. Many people online seem to be taking issue primarily with the peanut butter, saying things like "the peanut butter is overkill" and "I understand everything except for the peanut butter" and "Why the peanut butter. Why."

Well, I'll tell you why: because there are very, very few meals where peanut butter doesn't belong. I would never have thought a peanut butter and bacon sandwich was life-altering until I gave it a whirl, or that a peanut butter burger was such a must-order. But that silky, savory, just-this-side-of-sweet spread has proven itself as such a culinary Swiss army knife that no matter where I see it pop up, I trust it. And now I need the Panko Crusted Pickle Dog.

One of the comments on the Disney Food Blog story is a bit more measured in its critique: "I think this sounds delicious, but I'm curious about the peanut butter. I would give it a try but would be quick to request brown mustard if the pb tastes weird." To this we say... why not both?

"My mom and I tried this even though we were skeptical and we actually liked it!" reads another DFB comment. "The tang of the pickle with the sweet nuttiness of the peanut butter and the savory hot dog went together way better than we thought! Give it a try before you knock it!"

So, the question is: would you give it a try before you knock it? Blue Ribbon said the dog would only be around for a few weeks, so if you need this in your life, start petitioning to make it a permanent addition to the menu.