This is going to have to be a food erotica entry...

[queencallipygos]

...as my camera crapped out while I was on vacation, so I couldn't get pictures. But -- I have just come back from a visit to Chicago, and have to say -- okay, Chicagoans? You know hot dogs. And this is a New Yorker telling you this.

Comments

[misteropinion]

Sounds like you timed your vacation just wrong to have managed to miss Hot Doug's, the place where the very best Chicago dog (and also the very best any other kind of sausage) in all of Chicago comes from.

But... I do like ketchup, just not on a Chicago-style dog. Or salsa.

[queencallipygos]

Hell, I come from a land where our only choices are mustard, ketchup, and sourkraut. (Saurkraut? Sarkraut? How in the world do you spell that?) Even the food cart kind of dogs were a revelation to me.

I was trying to do too many other things to make a deliberate trip to find Superdawgs, either....alas.

How in the world do you spell that?

[litlaur]

You were close the second time. It's "sauerkraut" ;)

[ladypuppy]

I completely agree with you that hot dogs deserve their own glowing gushing post. A good hot dog is a thing of beauty, whether it's a real Chicago dog on poppyseed bun (only acceptable bun for it) or a beach-grilled cheddarwurst.

Vienna. That's who makes the dogs I love from Chicago. I spent a week there with my folks and my Dad and I had a hot dog or similar sausage on a bun at least once every day. If you're ever in the San Fran bay area, Austin, TX, or Burbank, CA I can recommend a few places to find reasonable substitutes that I've dug out in my searches over the years.

[chicagojacks]

So you say there's a reasonable substitute for the vienna beef hot dog in the bay area?? I'm a transplant from Chicago, and other than the Stanford Mall (which serves up a vienna beef hot dog for about $4 a serving!) I haven't really attempted the hot dogs here. Care to share your suggestions??

[ladypuppy]

No substitution or settling necessary. You can get a Vienna beef dog and almost perfect skin-on fries at the Hot Dog Palace in Todos Santos Square out in Concord. It was my favorite restaurant when I was little. :)

The Hot Dog Palace
1990 Grant St
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 676-8723

[chapstickqueen]

Where do you recommend in Van Nuys?

[brideofsatan23]

Hebrew National polish dogs are the ONLY way to go. Now I want one. I was raised on this stuff:)

[litlaur]

I normally get everything minus tomatoes, but this sounds like such an extraordinary experience...

[alliefour20]

Mmmmm, I love having grown up 30 minutes outside of Chicago. Fortunately, I know this delight.