3 Hot Dogs
Going to baseball games brought a growing awareness to hot dogs as a culinary delight. They vary greatly.
In my north side neighborhood, there are three place I’ve been. My favorite, the best of them? It depends on which one I was last at.
Hotdog at the ballgame
Wriglyville Grill (link)
In the center that’s next to big boots, across the parking lot from Alamo Drafthouse, maybe. Shotgun affair storefront, festooned with authentic-looking Wrigleyville material on the walls. Go Cubbies? Odd selection of a few White Sox mentions scattered throughout.
The hot dogs are typical Chicago-style, that’s an all-beef hot dog on a poppy-seed bun, dressed with peppers, tomato slices, green relish, a pickle spear, and yellow mustard. I’m missing something, but that’s close enough, for now. Visual feast along with a delight for the taste buds. Served with French Fries.
JK Chicago Dogs (link)
Tucked into a strip mall just behind an auto-body place? Shouting distance to the freeway itself, but not really on the expressway? The Chicago-style Hot Dog is good, done proper, but the real trick is a secret menu item, the Coleslaw Dog. Poppy seed bun, sure, and the hot dogs, the 100% all-beef, Vienna hot dogs, sure, they’re good. I suspect they are boiled in a special spices, or grilled like that, but the Coleslaw Dog is a personal favorite.
Hot dog, bun, then the just the right amount of coleslaw covering the hot dogs so just a tiny little end is sticking out behind the bun and the slaw. As a topper, a strip of yellow or brown mustard runs the length of the serving. Tasty treat, complete meal unto itself.
Chicago Hot Dogs (link)
A buddy suggested that San Antonio’s Chicago Hot Dogs was the best. While I wouldn’t award it thusly, as they are all good in their own way, the San Antonio (something) special was my favorite. Instead of “chili,” it’s smothered in a bacon/something jam, then dressed with jalapeño slices. Perfect kind of hotdog. Really, with a nod to Cubs fans and the White Sox, still, the best of the local ones, in my not-so-humble opinion.
Served with fries.
“No, man, Chicago Hot dogs, over on Jones Maltsberger is the best.”
Opinions vary.
The current pope has ruled that ketchup on a hot dog is heresy.
