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Chicago Hot Dogs for Tourists

Chicago Hot Dogs for Tourists
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  • Post #31 - April 28th, 2008, 9:32 pm
    Post #31 - April 28th, 2008, 9:32 pm Post #31 - April 28th, 2008, 9:32 pm
    I love suuperdawg for it's ambience, but the dog is skinless, a hard thing to overlook in any discussion of Chicago hot dogs.
    Lacking fins or tail
    The Gefilte fish
    swims with great difficulty.

    Jewish haiku.
  • Post #32 - April 28th, 2008, 10:05 pm
    Post #32 - April 28th, 2008, 10:05 pm Post #32 - April 28th, 2008, 10:05 pm
    Geographically challenged but I'd say Poochie's is the remaining outpost for me for a chicago dog.

    When I was little, we used to hang out on Devon Avenue and I remember a shack there with the vienna sign and picture, with the phrase "amealonabun." I remember asking my mom what that was (not being familiar with the lack of spacing in the words at age 5) and she told me. I've never forgotten. :wink:
  • Post #33 - April 28th, 2008, 10:28 pm
    Post #33 - April 28th, 2008, 10:28 pm Post #33 - April 28th, 2008, 10:28 pm
    The Ranch?
    Lacking fins or tail
    The Gefilte fish
    swims with great difficulty.

    Jewish haiku.
  • Post #34 - April 28th, 2008, 10:46 pm
    Post #34 - April 28th, 2008, 10:46 pm Post #34 - April 28th, 2008, 10:46 pm
    The last time I went to Superdawg it was a Superdud. Lousy fries and lousy dog. Prefer Wolfie's.
    What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?
  • Post #35 - April 28th, 2008, 10:47 pm
    Post #35 - April 28th, 2008, 10:47 pm Post #35 - April 28th, 2008, 10:47 pm
    I love Maurie and Flaurie's comments in the video FAQs on the Superdawg site:

    http://www.superdawg.com/faqs_content.cfm?hasflash=1

    Makes my heart feel like Spring, and an angioplasty.

    With the ambience, dynamite fries, and wonderful Chicago service, I can't think of a better tourist dog.
  • Post #36 - April 29th, 2008, 5:01 am
    Post #36 - April 29th, 2008, 5:01 am Post #36 - April 29th, 2008, 5:01 am
    Cogito wrote:The last time I went to Superdawg it was a Superdud. Lousy fries and lousy dog. Prefer Wolfie's.


    I agree. Other than the kitschy, throwback design of the place, there's not much to recommend it in my book.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #37 - April 29th, 2008, 6:59 am
    Post #37 - April 29th, 2008, 6:59 am Post #37 - April 29th, 2008, 6:59 am
    kuhdo wrote:The Ranch?


    The Ranch on Devon was my favorite hot dog stand. The dogs were natural casing Vienna Beef with all the fresh trimmings, including sauerkraut. No tomatoes were served. Their "Romanian Delite" was a spicy sausage with a snap.
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #38 - April 29th, 2008, 9:11 am
    Post #38 - April 29th, 2008, 9:11 am Post #38 - April 29th, 2008, 9:11 am
    First, having spent my childhood growing up in Melrose Park, Gene & Jude's dog w/fries with the minimalist mustard/relish/onion/peppers is imprinted onto my taste buds as the best version.

    My problem with a "fully dressed" Chicago dog is that some stands have the tomatoes & pickles so refrigerated, that the dog & the fries are cold by the time you eat it.

    BTW, perhaps it is just me, but I find Gene & Jude's uses a sweeter tasting onion on their dogs, perhaps a Vidalia?

    Now that I'm living in the Milwaukee area, a word of warning....I have tried a number of "Chicago-Style" hot dog stands in this area, & while they may have Vienna dogs, none of them ever have the natural casing dog. Is there some sort of restriction that Vienna enforces that no natural casing dogs shall be sold outside of a certain radius of Chicago in order to protect the hometown stands???
    It's tough being a Bears fan in Cheesehead land!
  • Post #39 - April 29th, 2008, 3:09 pm
    Post #39 - April 29th, 2008, 3:09 pm Post #39 - April 29th, 2008, 3:09 pm
    Geno,

    To my knowledge, natural casing Vienna Beef hot dogs are not sold in the Milwaukee area. However, I sell them.

    Image
    8/1 & 2/1 natural casings & 5/1 skinless Polish

    Image
    8/1 Vienna Beef natural casing

    Pictures courtesy of SD & MSPD. Saturday 4/21 at Gallery day in the Historic Third Ward.
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #40 - April 30th, 2008, 9:30 am
    Post #40 - April 30th, 2008, 9:30 am Post #40 - April 30th, 2008, 9:30 am
    chicagostyledog wrote:Image
    8/1 Vienna Beef natural casing

    Pictures courtesy of SD & MSPD. Saturday 4/21 at Gallery day in the Historic Third Ward.

    CSD -- what is that mustard on there? With that kind of graininess, it isn't a standard yellow such as Plochman's, is it?
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #41 - April 30th, 2008, 9:32 am
    Post #41 - April 30th, 2008, 9:32 am Post #41 - April 30th, 2008, 9:32 am
    That looks like celery salt.
    i used to milk cows
  • Post #42 - April 30th, 2008, 12:00 pm
    Post #42 - April 30th, 2008, 12:00 pm Post #42 - April 30th, 2008, 12:00 pm
    yup..its celery salt
  • Post #43 - April 30th, 2008, 5:50 pm
    Post #43 - April 30th, 2008, 5:50 pm Post #43 - April 30th, 2008, 5:50 pm
    It is celery salt on that dog. It's Vienna Beef's celery salt to be exact. The mustard's French's, the neon green relish and the sport peppers are from CHIPICO (Chicago Pickle Company-owned by Vienna Beef).
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #44 - April 30th, 2008, 8:33 pm
    Post #44 - April 30th, 2008, 8:33 pm Post #44 - April 30th, 2008, 8:33 pm
    chicagostyledog wrote:It is celery salt on that dog. It's Vienna Beef's celery salt to be exact. The mustard's French's, the neon green relish and the sport peppers are from CHIPICO (Chicago Pickle Company-owned by Vienna Beef).

    Why no tomatoes?
  • Post #45 - April 30th, 2008, 9:46 pm
    Post #45 - April 30th, 2008, 9:46 pm Post #45 - April 30th, 2008, 9:46 pm
    LAZ wrote:
    chicagostyledog wrote:It is celery salt on that dog. It's Vienna Beef's celery salt to be exact. The mustard's French's, the neon green relish and the sport peppers are from CHIPICO (Chicago Pickle Company-owned by Vienna Beef).

    Why no tomatoes?


    Laz,

    We offer all the authentic Chicago condiments. Some don't eat a dog Chicago style.
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #46 - April 30th, 2008, 11:36 pm
    Post #46 - April 30th, 2008, 11:36 pm Post #46 - April 30th, 2008, 11:36 pm
    chicagostyledog wrote:We offer all the authentic Chicago condiments. Some don't eat a dog Chicago style.

    CSD, I'm assuming you mean that you serve tomatoes but they just weren't in this photo, not that tomatoes are inauthentic.

    I do note that this photo clearly shows the wiener has a natural casing. For those who are wondering how to tell without biting the dog, see the end where the casing sticks out a little. "Skinless" dogs, made with cellulose casings, instead have an indentation at the end.
    Last edited by LAZ on July 8th, 2010, 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #47 - May 1st, 2008, 9:08 am
    Post #47 - May 1st, 2008, 9:08 am Post #47 - May 1st, 2008, 9:08 am
    LAZ wrote:
    chicagostyledog wrote:We offer all the authentic Chicago condiments. Some don't eat a dog Chicago style.

    CSD, I'm assuming you mean that you serve tomatoes but they just weren't in this photo, not that tomatoes are inauthentic.


    Image
    We serve CHIPICO kosher dill chips instead of spears because our condiments are self-serve and each customer assembles their own creation. If we offered traditional pickle spears, customers would take handfuls.
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #48 - May 8th, 2008, 2:45 pm
    Post #48 - May 8th, 2008, 2:45 pm Post #48 - May 8th, 2008, 2:45 pm
    Some places don't use the 1/8 lb. hot dog and go with a smaller one.
    I think Fasttrack does this.

    It is indeed peculiarly difficult to find the "standard" dog you described right here in its hometown.

    Ira's in Northbrook does the dog exactly as you have described in the first post.

    (Arrghh. A lot of places leave off the tomato, (as Little Louie's NBK has traditionally done.)) Home Depot-cart dogs don't have the poppy seed bun. It's always something. Kosher dill chips? Come on.

    Portillo's is probably the most reliable to have all the condiments as you described, including that poppy seed bun!
  • Post #49 - May 8th, 2008, 3:13 pm
    Post #49 - May 8th, 2008, 3:13 pm Post #49 - May 8th, 2008, 3:13 pm
    JoelF wrote:For me, it's the relish and perfect steaming of the dog and bun that makes it worth going out for a dog. Few places do it any more at all, fewer in touristy places, except that "Gold Coast Dogs" shows up all over the place. I want to dislike their rubber-stamped appearance, but the fact is they serve a good dog.
    One more in the Gold Coast camp. They don't have the nostalgia of Superdawg, but gosh darn it, I like 'em. I have found the product to be consistently good over the years. And, if an out of town relative drops by, that's where I take 'em. (Plus the hand cut fries and char dogs are nice snackage.)

    As for the barbarians, someone from Wisconsin asked me just last week what the deal with ketchup was. My advice? "Look, if you NEED ketchup, just ask for some packets with your fries. But, please don't defile that dog right in front of us." ;)

    /OT Been lurking for a while now, and thought I might as well register.
    You seem like some nice folks. Those who arrange events around punchki making can't be all bad.
  • Post #50 - May 8th, 2008, 7:16 pm
    Post #50 - May 8th, 2008, 7:16 pm Post #50 - May 8th, 2008, 7:16 pm
    Gert wrote:Home Depot-cart dogs don't have the poppy seed bun.


    The Home Depot hot dog I had about two years ago had to be the worst hot dog I have ever had. I'm sure it was missing more than the poppy seeds, but the only thing I recall was the dry, stale bun. The bun needs to be fresh and/or steamed.
    "Good stuff, Maynard." Dobie Gillis
  • Post #51 - May 8th, 2008, 9:33 pm
    Post #51 - May 8th, 2008, 9:33 pm Post #51 - May 8th, 2008, 9:33 pm
    Gert wrote:Ira's in Northbrook does the dog exactly as you have described in the first post.

    Really? I didn't think they had the neon relish last time I was there

    Gert wrote:(Arrghh. A lot of places leave off the tomato, (as Little Louie's NBK has traditionally done.))

    Louie's was my gold standard, growing up in Northbrook, but frankly (and you have to be frank in this kind of discussion, don't you), they've never been as good as they were in the original shack a few doors down -- they had to change the oil.

    Gert wrote:Home Depot-cart dogs don't have the poppy seed bun. It's always something. Kosher dill chips? Come on.

    I'll still grab one of those, inferior as they may be in texture, just because they DO have the neon relish.

    Gert wrote:Portillo's is probably the most reliable to have all the condiments as you described, including that poppy seed bun!

    But not neon relish. Sorry, please try our home game.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #52 - May 8th, 2008, 10:39 pm
    Post #52 - May 8th, 2008, 10:39 pm Post #52 - May 8th, 2008, 10:39 pm
    On sport peppers:

    I like that chicagostyledog's peppers looks small, snappy, and have the stems removed, so no further prep seems required than biting right in. At many other places, the peppers are larger, served on the side (in the wrapper), and/or still have pieces of stem attached.

    Do those of you who indulge in the peppers eat them separately from the dog, or in one big bite with the dog? Do you eat the stems if present? If you eat separately, do you just take a few bites from the pepper without the stem and throw away the cap, or chomp down on the whole thing?

    Bottom line: is there an agreed-upon standard for how and where the sport peppers are placed and consumed?
  • Post #53 - May 8th, 2008, 10:43 pm
    Post #53 - May 8th, 2008, 10:43 pm Post #53 - May 8th, 2008, 10:43 pm
    Look, Little Louie's never had the tomato, that's just a fact. Westside NBK was always second fiddle to Eastside, but still Ira's did the dog right, and Louie's skimped on the tomato. Ira's has relish, neon or not, it still does it right.

    Does anyone from NBK remember the "Father" Dupre reference (it was either Louie or Eddie, either of the Little Louie Jews) who refered to the gym coach from St. Norbert's which was right across from it?

    JoelF, I hear what you are saying, but I've heard it my whole life. But sorry, Ira's tops Louie's. (this is like Sox vs. Cubbies)
    Last edited by Gert on May 8th, 2008, 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #54 - May 8th, 2008, 10:49 pm
    Post #54 - May 8th, 2008, 10:49 pm Post #54 - May 8th, 2008, 10:49 pm
    Santander, you're right on about those sport pepper stems. Wolfie's used to drive me nuts with the stems. Every pepper would have about a one inch stem on it. I don't know why, I've never encountered it anyplace else. They seem to have relented, the last few times I've been there, the peppers were stemless.
    What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?
  • Post #55 - May 9th, 2008, 6:18 am
    Post #55 - May 9th, 2008, 6:18 am Post #55 - May 9th, 2008, 6:18 am
    Santander wrote:Do those of you who indulge in the peppers eat them separately from the dog, or in one big bite with the dog? Do you eat the stems if present?

    Santander,

    I do both, eat sport peppers separately and on the hot dog. I'm looking for 4-5 sport peppers per dog, 2 to eat out of hand, 2-3 on the hot dog itself. If present I do not eat sport pepper stems.

    Santander wrote:Bottom line: is there an agreed-upon standard for how and where the sport peppers are placed and consumed?

    Typically sport peppers come atop the hot dog, I reposition deeper into the dog/bun so they are held firmly thus facilitating a clean bite through of bun/dog/sport pepper. My preference is approximately 1/2-sport pepper per bite.

    What's your sport pepper preference?

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #56 - May 9th, 2008, 9:43 am
    Post #56 - May 9th, 2008, 9:43 am Post #56 - May 9th, 2008, 9:43 am
    An interesting way to eat sport peppers on a hot dog is to cut then in half and squeeze the innards onto the dog. This unique method originated from hot dog vendor in of the western suburbs. A sign on his cart reads, "Squeeze My Pepper."
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #57 - May 9th, 2008, 11:34 am
    Post #57 - May 9th, 2008, 11:34 am Post #57 - May 9th, 2008, 11:34 am
    Would you then still eat the "shell" of the pepper, or discard after squeezing?

    My personal preference is three crisp sport peppers in a line right next to the hot dog, set down within the bun, no stems.
  • Post #58 - May 9th, 2008, 12:09 pm
    Post #58 - May 9th, 2008, 12:09 pm Post #58 - May 9th, 2008, 12:09 pm
    Gert wrote:JoelF, I hear what you are saying, but I've heard it my whole life. But sorry, Ira's tops Louie's. (this is like Sox vs. Cubbies)

    At this point, I probably would prefer going to Ira's -- price and quality prevail -- but wouldn't end up ordering a dog, just because of the lack of neon relish. One area I differ from the standard Chi-dog consumption is that I can't stand yellow mustard (got sick of it after over-consumption as a small child), so the relish is one of the predominant flavors left.

    If I can't get the neon relish, I'll order a beef, a Polish, an Italian...
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #59 - May 9th, 2008, 1:57 pm
    Post #59 - May 9th, 2008, 1:57 pm Post #59 - May 9th, 2008, 1:57 pm
    The sport peppers I grew up with are the smaller ones, as seen in chicagostyledog's pictures. I always eat them (2-3) atop my hot dog.

    So I have a couple questions:

    1) Are the larger peppers that are served alongside a Polish at Jim's or Maxwell Street Express also called sport peppers? (These I do not eat atop the dog.) If so, are the smaller ones properly sport peppers?

    2) Just what in the heck is a sport pepper? I don't think I've ever seen sport peppers outside the Chicago area. Are they related to Tabasco peppers? The smaller ones look similar to Tabascos. Are sport peppers grown and popularly used anywhere else?
  • Post #60 - May 9th, 2008, 3:40 pm
    Post #60 - May 9th, 2008, 3:40 pm Post #60 - May 9th, 2008, 3:40 pm
    The "Squeeze My Pepper" casing is tossed.

    A sport pepper is a sport pepper. The Vienna Beef (CHIPICO) sport peppers are grown in Mexico and last year's crop, for some unknown reason, possibly excess rain, were extra large.
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef

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