Tom Bagby horizontal photo.JPG

Birmingham chef Tom Bagby plans to open a new hot dog shop called Hot Diggity Dogs in late Spring 2016 at 416 41st St. South in Avondale. (Brian Francis photo)

The former chef at Bottletree Cafe plans to open a hot dog shop in Avondale that will serve everything from traditional dogs with kraut and mustard to Asian- and Latin-inspired and vegan and tofu dogs.

Birmingham chef Tom Bagby's Hot Diggity Dogs should open by late spring in the space above Fancy's on 5th oyster and burger restaurant at the corner of 41st Street and Fifth Avenue South, Bagby said in an interview with AL.com.

"We are going to offer, hopefully, a pretty inventive take on hot dogs," Bagby said today. "Birmingham is a hot dog town. And just to be able to carry on the tradition is something that I'm really excited about. . . .

"I grew up eating at Sam's Super Samwiches in Homewood," he added. "That's the one I grew up eating. It's good food."

Bagby, who was the chef at the former Bottletree Cafe from 2006 to 2012, says he plans to serve a variety of hot dogs to satisfy any tastes or dietary choices.

"I don't want to give too much away, but we are going to have your traditional pairings with chili and kraut and mustard, plus special dogs and that sort of thing," he said.

"But we'll also offer some spins on Asian and Latin ingredients, and bring in other regional dogs from other parts of the country. . . . We'll also offer tofu and vegan options, as well.

"I think now, especially in the Avondale neighborhood, you've got to be able to offer something for everybody to eat."

Sides will include french fries and tater tots, as well as pork skin nachos topped with chili and cheese.

Bagby also plans to serve a Sunday hot dog brunch, with the possibilities including a hot dog Benedict and a sausage dog served on a French toast-style bun.

"First of all, I think the idea of a hot dog brunch is funny, and I want everybody to come up there and have fun," Bagby said. "We're not exactly reinventing the wheel."

The set-up will be very much like that of a traditional, counter-style hot dog shop, Bagby said.

"We will have a few tables, but mostly it's going to be counter space," he said. "I think we are working on an outdoor patio overlooking the park, so we will have a few tables out there."

The Hot Diggity Dogs name is a tribute to another old hot dog shop of the same name that was located near another popular hangout from Bagby's youth.

"Hot Diggity Dogs was the name of the hot dog shop that sat in front of Wheel-A-Wave Skatepark on West Valley Avenue in Homewood," he said. "That's where I started to learn how to ride skateboards when I was a kid.

"Skateboarding was a really big part of my life, and the hot dog shop was next to the pro shop in front of the skate park. So that name was on a very short list when this idea came up. And just being able to call it Hot Diggity Dogs is really cool."

Since leaving Bottletree Cafe, Bagby has worked at Whole Foods Market and is currently working at the new Avondale music venue Saturn, where he is in charge of security and hospitality, he said.

"I'm really eager to get back into the kitchen," he said. "Not that I don't love my job at Saturn, but I really miss cooking. . . .

"I've come to a point in my life where I realize I'm never going to be the guy in the white jacket holding the clipboard, but I could be the guy who makes hot dogs and makes sure everybody has a good time," he added. "I can do that. You know, hot dogs and beer -- that's a no-brainer."

Hot Diggity Dogs will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays and for the brunch on Sundays, Bagby said. It will be closed on Mondays.

It will be located at 416 41st St. South.