Best Hot Dogs

And, for something completely different, check out Frank & Dawgs in Chicago.

It's run by a former top chef. They hand make their own sausages. They use top cuts of meat and seasonal high quality artisan ingredients.

And, each month, they have guest dogs designed by some of the best chefs in Chicago.

Check out their menu: http://www.franksndawgs.com/menu

This one is called This little Piggy.It's garlic pork sausage, butter pickled red onions, remoulade vinaigrette & salt ‘n’ vinegar chips crusted fried oysters.

 

While I'm sure it's good, that Franksndawgs looks a little too high-brow for my hot dog tastes, and I'm guessing the other place in Chicago that has the duck fat fries (Hot Doug's?) would be the same.

But I'm guessing that I could put down about a half-dozen from that Walter's place at any given time. Those look outstanding.

When in Chicago, I've always been perfectly happy hitting the Portillo's downtown and getting a couple jumbo chili-cheese dogs with grilled onions and spending the time waiting for my order wandering around, looking at the memorabilia they have from the old Chicago Stadium. That place just feels right.

 

In the store, Hebrew National.

In any store, the franks from Kocher's in Ridgefield, N.J.

To eat on the spot, Yesterdog in Grand Rapids, Mich., and it's not even close.

 

Nu-Way Weiners in Macon.

 

Oh, any hotdog is twice as good if a baseball game is being played in front of you when you eat it.

 

Dixiehack,

Love me some nu-way...they do a scrambled dog for breakfast that is fantastic!

 

International Edition:

Schlemmermeyer's Leckerbissen, Viktualienmarkt, Munich

 

Sahlen"s and Hoffmans are great dogs. Hebrew National and Nathan's are too salty.

 

Really, you can ruin a great hot dog by cooking the wrong way. I'd never boil one. Others would cringe if I said frying in bacon grease is best (but it is).

My preference is to find a butcher shop that makes its own. Commercially, I prefer Hebrew National, although I doubt the manufacturer has bacon grease in mind as a cooking method.

 

Slight tj, but this reminded me of Portillo's house dressing - the best shit to ever hit a salad. Or a sandwich, for that matter. I don't know what is in it, but if I had money I would have it shipped to me on a monthly basis. It's that good.

 

What is the dressing like, Bear? Anything remotely close that you can compare it to?

I've been a regular chili-cheese dog and Italian beef sandwich guy from there. Now you're making me rethink my decisions ...

 

Gray's Papaya in midtown closed?
This is devastating news. I loved that stand.