Le Dog

Is Le Dog an Ann Arbor institution? All I know is it's been around for 35 years and shows no signs of closing - ever. EVER! Don't let the name fool you - yes, Le Dog serves three varieties of hot dogs, but they're best known for their huge variety of soups, which they change every day. Just look at this picture! I went there for lunch yesterday with AJ and JJack. I had New England Clam Chowder, AJ had beer & cheese, and JJack had chicken tortilla; we had a little taste test in our break room. My clam chowder was very good - lots of potatoes and celery and the right amount of clams - and AJ's beer and cheese was pretty good, too, but JJack's chicken tortilla was the winner. It was loaded with tortilla strips, and the creamy chickeny brothiness was yummy.

Le Dog is a funny little red stand, and it doesn't look weather-proof. I thought they closed in the winter. I was so wrong. I asked yesterday "how much longer will you be open?" and the nice young lady said "Until 2:30" while the crusty old man said "Hopefully another 35 years." I said, "No! Ha ha! No, how much longer until winter?" And the crusty old man said "WE DON'T CLOSE! WE STAY OPEN! Have you been spreading that rumor?"

Yes, he's a bit of a soup Nazi.

Le Dog - A