The Hot Dog Report: Reader Comments On Their Favorite Franks
Everybody’s Got An Opinion
Here’s what happened.
My last post about Hot Dogs turned out to be the most popular post of the over one-hundred I’ve written.
I felt this deserved a follow-up because so many of you commented and shared your favorite hot dogs in a funny and good-natured, competitive way. I promise to “add-on” even more of your picks in future posts.
But first I want to apologize to the entire City of Chicago for forgetting to highlight ‘The Wieners Circle’ on my list of favorite hot dog places.
The Wieners Circle also deserves to be singled out for praise for consistently having the best sense of humor in the frankfurter category.
Writer and Chicago native Leigh Stein took me to task in the comments for my New York-centric approach:
And
had a different read on all of this, supplying the most delightful entry for favorite dog.One of the best burns came from Mark Dolan who writes
:A Ted’s hotdog from Buffalo, NY is like no other. Cooked on charcoal not decomposing in a box of hot water. Do not accept the opinion of a lurker, just ask Ms. Kadet.
I did not have to ask. Moments later
of Café Anne weighed in:TED’S!
Nathan Slake of SLAKE wrote that in Australia they’re called “Snags” and that a hardware store called Bunning’s has the closest thing to a fantastic NYC hotdog.
The terrific food writer
of Cook and Tell shares that Phoenix, Arizona has the amazing Sonoran hot dogs originating from Mexico and they sound fantastic. I investigated and they are wrapped in bacon and topped with pinto beans, green chilies and onions and served in a bolillo, a kind of baguette.And author and artist
reports that Hummel Brothers hot dogs of New Haven are the absolute best.
One of the things I like about hot dogs is that they can be dressed up and kitted out however you like. They can go high and they can go low. The patriotic “Frankie Doodle Dandy” stands alone in the pantheon of hot dog kitsch greatness and the “Swank for the Frank” dog did its darnedest to elevate the “point-thrifty frankfurter” with the help of Crisco.
If only the 10th Doctor had agreed it was digestible.
Finally, one of my three birthday dinners (yes, three) was at RL Chicago. On the appetizer menu: Pigs in the Blanket, but make them Wagyu Beef in Puff Pastry.
Swanky, indeed. ✨
Book Update
On July 31st I’ll be sharing my research about the Architects of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with premium subscribers.
I recently visited the offices of Architects John Root and Daniel Burnham — if you’ve read Devil in the White City that will be a familiar name— and it was a true Time Machine experience to stand in the room where the plans for the “White City” were made. I hope you’ll join me.
Have a great weekend.
Jolene
It's so funny you never know what topics are going to hit it!
BTW the day after reading your hot dog post I went out and got me a hot dog—my first in a year. On the Rockaway Beach boardwalk in Queens. Sooo good! thought it would satisfy me but no—now all I want is more hot dogs!
Hot dogs capture summer at its best! Luckily there are great hot dog places around the country. Flo’s in Cape Neddick ME is a gem. It’s a tiny hot dog stand opened in 1959 serving straightforward wieners with a renowned housemade relish. Perhaps we need a list of hot dog places around the country for those who don’t get to NYC or Chicago very often? Thanks for the great posts!