Ever since Eli's Serious Sausage opened up on Pacific Blvd a while ago, it was on my agenda. There I was. Every now and then, trying to find Eli's sausage... Um... And it was ever so elusive. Much like all of the other food carts in Vancouver, the operating times are highly dependent on weather, equipment issues and plain ol' traffic. Thus, I missed Eli every time. In fact, the cart eventually moved to a more foot-traffic friendly spot on the corner of Beatty and Dunsmuir. The day I visited The Dirty Apron, he was right there, sausages and all... However, I do have my limits and I didn't end up getting any. I would not end up getting any sausage for quite a while (is that too much info?). Several times again, I missed him. Undeterred, I finally caught up with the sausage cart on a rainy January. He had constructed a weather barrier which had a big spot for a possible ad facing the viaduct traffic. I suggested that he merely put "Come and Get My Sausage" on it. He thought it was a little too edgy. Hey, if it sells...
Anyways, I decided to pick up two items starting with the Original German as a baseline. I was in a bit of a rush and almost forgot to put condoms, er... condiments on my sausage. I did a combination of sauerkraut, pickled red cabbage and grainy mustard. I really liked the fennel seed bun since fennel is such a natural compliment. Furthermore, the bun is dense enough to hold up to the substantial sausage and the snappy casing. The sausage itself was really meaty and not fatty. Mildly seasoned, it had just enough meat flavour that it stood up to the toppings.
Of course I couldn't track down Eli without only having one sausage. Hence, I also had the Currywurst. A combination of a tomato-based sauce with curry powder, this was one tasty sausage. I could taste the curry; but it was not overpowering. A good balance of tartness with a tinge of spice and savouriness. Combined with the excellent bun and sausage, I really enjoyed it. Despite the appearance of merely being another hot dog stand, Eli's Serious Sausage offers a solid product which is subtlety different at a similar price. Indeed the sausage is the star of the show though. It has a great snap, texture and taste.
The Good:
- High-quality brat
- The bun is more than just bread, it compliments the sausage
- Eli is a great guy
The Bad:
- Not cheap, but worth it with everything taken into consideration
Eli's Serious Sausage
Posted by
Sherman Chan
on Thursday, February 3, 2011
Labels:
Downtown Vancouver,
Food Cart,
Hot Dogs
7 comments:
I guess you did enjoy the, ahem, sausagefest? Hahahaha
The currywurst looks... Strange? Specifically, why it looks like a whole wiener, rather than sliced as "normal" currywurst? (And without bun!) Just nitpicking here but, you know...
Love your blog! Have you checked out the Food Networks new reality show Recipe to Riches! You could win $250,000! I found the details and entry form at www.recipetoriches.ca I should enter my butter tart recipe!!!
Kim, yah, it did look strange to me, but whatever, I liked it anyways...
Micol, thanks for the kind words! As for your suggestion, check this out: http://www.shermansfoodadventures.com/2011/01/recipes-to-riches.html
Great article!
I can serve currywurst german-style in a dish too.
Awesome Eli! Yah, I prefer my sausage whole rather than cut up... LOL..
My friend and I tried Eli's sausage this week. I don't think he uses the fennel seed buns anymore, it was more of a portuguese style bun. Anyways, I opted for the pretzel bun which is unique and tasted awesome with my bratwurst. My friend had the cheese sausage but it was kind of hot and the cheese burned her mouth, ouch.
I was really craving a garlic style sausage but unfortunately, Eli says it doesn't cook well with his other sausages. Something about the flavours getting all messy.
Other than not offering garlic, it was tasty and I would certainly return as there is a lack of quality sausage vendors in town besides Japadogs.
Holly, you're right, it is an alternative Japadog. I still like Japadog; but it is getting a bit old...
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