Before it was a Nashville institution, the Loveless Cafe opened in 1951 as a humble roadside way-stop that served country ham and fried chicken to hungry travelers. It now bakes ten thousand biscuits a day to nourish a half a million diners annually, including celebrity fans like Miley Cyrus and Chris Stapleton. And in celebration of its seventy-fifth anniversary this year, it’s collaborating on a series of Loveless-inspired dishes on the menus of younger Music City restaurants.
Loveless executive chef Scott Peck is a big fan of the local gourmet hot dog chain Daddy’s Dogs, especially when he visits its stand inside Geodis Park while catching a Nashville Soccer Club match. Hence the collab on an all-beef hot dog that puts a decidedly Southern spin on the abundant toppings for which Daddy’s Dogs is known.
“Daddy’s Dogs is a big hitter in Nashville, so I was thrilled they wanted to play with us,” Peck says. “I love a hot dog with a bunch of different flavors and textures. We had six or seven ideas and ended up leaning toward our house-made pimento cheese and sweet pepper relish.” (The pimento cheese recipe is below, but the recipe for Loveless’s relish, which can be ordered online, is a long-held secret.)
With bacon and honey mustard also aboard, this dog is definitely off the leash. Find it at Daddy’s Dogs during the month of July, or fire up the grill and make one at home.
