A Toronto steakhouse just debuted a $126 hot dog in Bo Bichette’s honour
Animl’s limited-time Bo Dog features Wagyu, truffles, lobster and foie gras
It all started last August, when beloved Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette famously named Toronto’s splashy steakhouse Animl as his favourite restaurant in the city during an interview with the CBC.
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Then, in January, Animl posted an open letter on Instagram to Bichette—who had just become a free agent—offering him free steaks for life if he re-signed with the Jays. “We’ll handle dinner, you bring home the hardware,” it read. The post went viral, spawning a counteroffer from PETA for a lifetime supply of (checks notes) Viagra, to counteract the performance-impeding effects of a meat-heavy diet.
Jays fans everywhere hoped the generous offers would seal the deal. Sadly, despite Toronto’s most entertainingly creative rally, Bichette ended up signing a three-year $126-million deal with the Mets.
It took us a minute to collect ourselves, but here we are. Bichette is back in Toronto for the first time since his devastating defection, and true to form, Animl has a response.
During the Mets versus Blue Jays series in Toronto, from June 29 to July 1, Animl is offering the Bo Dog, a $126 hot dog tribute to Bichette: a Wagyu hot dog topped with truffle corn relish, butter-poached Atlantic lobster and seared Quebec foie gras. The super-deluxe tube steak serves to both welcome Bichette back to the city and perhaps remind him why he never should have left.
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In addition to drumming up excitement for Bo Flows’ hotly anticipated return to Toronto—even though he’s batting for the rivals—there’s a greater purpose to the tongue-in-cheek spectacle: all proceeds from every Bo Dog sold will be donated to Motionball, a non-profit organization in support of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.
It just goes to show that, while we may not have the outsized purchasing power of New York, with our unique Toronto spirit, we will always be swinging for the fences.
Update: The Bo Dog will be available at Animl until the end of baseball season.
Nicola Brown is a freelance writer and editor with 15 years of experience creating travel, food and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, Time Out, Canadian Traveller, Travel Life, Toronto Life, EnRoute, WestJet Magazine, CAA and Cottage Life, among other publications.
