Hey Carla Hall, Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?

Chef Carla Hall, former Top Chef finalist and cooking show staple, is always busy with something new. Her life has led her down many winding paths—accounting, modeling, comfort food cooking, cookbook writing, talk show hosting, podcasting—and by the end of the year, she will have published her first children's book. She's even appeared in the new Gossip Girl reboot. No matter where life leads her, though, she seems led there by two complementary forces: a genuine warmth and a love of good food.

And the cooking doesn't stop just because she's busy with everything else. This week, she'll be debuting some new recipes in partnership with Frito-Lay, repurposing Fourth of July party leftovers into entirely new snacks. These include things like Spicy Tostitos S'mores and a corn dog covered in a batter made from, among other things, crushed-up chips. (No matter what your leftover situation is from the weekend, both of those treats sound good enough to make from scratch.) But the corn dogs turned out thoughts toward The Takeout's favorite topic of them all: hot dogs. Specifically, where a hot dog falls on the sandwich spectrum. Surely an industry professional would be willing to help us make this determination? Hootie Hoo!

The Takeout: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Carla Hall: Oh my gosh. Is a hot dog a sandwich? No, it's a hot dog! [laughs] I think of a sandwich with square bread. But wait, is a hamburger a sandwich? No, it's a hamburger! Oh my gosh. I guess my answer is no, it's not. It's a hot dog. In a bun. No, I wouldn't want sandwich fixings to be in a bun. So it's in its own category. No, it's not a sandwich. Final answer. Final answer.