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The Dog Log

See below for pages that refer to hot dog adventures:

NOTE: If you frequently misspell "wiener" the way I did until just now, here's how to remember it: frankfurters come from Frankfurt, and wieners come from Wien, which is Vienna. Don't confuse yourself with the absurd fact that the Wiener was invented in Vienna by a butcher from Frankfurt, so in Vienna these dogs are called Frankfurters! 

  • By John at 03/05/2012 - 23:43
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Chicago Style Hot Dog

Chicago Hot DogI knew I needed to have a real Chicago hot dog while I was in town, so I stopped at "Nicky's Hot Dogs" so see if I could sate my curiosity. When I walked in, it was obvious that I was an out-of-towner simply because they didn't know me. Apparently its a neighborhood joint that serves mostly locals. They asked me where I was from, and while I could have said either Massachusetts or Maine, I went with being a New Yorker. After spending the first twenty years of my adult life there, I consider myself a NYer. But in this case, I simply thought it would make for better hot dog conversation.

When the girl asked for my order, I explained that I wanted to try it however Chicagoans do it. (I wasn't going to fall into the John Kerry trap of ordering swiss cheese on my Philly Cheesesteak!)

So she told me that the locals get their dogs loaded up with mustard, relish, diced raw onions, hot peppers (baby jalapenos?) and a dill pickle spear laid across the top.

Since I'm a salesman and I was working, and I had to pass on the raw onions. But I can't resist the hot stuff, so I had two whole (albeit small) jalapenos on each dog.

The verdict...? They were OK. Not nearly as special as I thought they would be. I had a fine lunch with fries and a fountain soda, and the people were nice, and it was a genuine Chicago experience. But now that I've checked that box, I'll go for pizza next time.  Chicago dogs have nothing on my favorite Nathan's on Surf Avenue in Coney Island.

But now I hear that Chicagoans are mighty proud of their roast beef sandwiches, too. I'll keep that in mind for my next trip to the Windy City.

  • By joesgammato at 09/25/2012 - 17:22
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I got to try "an authentic

Chicago-style Hot Dog from Windy City Eats, in WeymouthI got to try "an authentic Chicago-style" hot dog for lunch today at Windy City Eats in Weymouth, MA. It was mostly as Joe described above, with the addition of a couple of thin tomato wedges. The "baby jalapenos" that Joe noted were referred to on the menu as "sport peppers", a term unfamiliar to me. The relish was a vivid unnatural blue-green (you can see some flanking the pickle). The wiener was all-beef and not bad.

The most interesting thing about the Chicago-style dog is the whole array of verdure. It calls for 7 ingredients: mustard, sweet relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. They call it "dragging the dog through the garden".

Windy City Eats in WeymouthAnother interesting point: it was served on a poppy-seed bun. I don't know if that's a Chicago thing or a Windy City Hot Dogs thing. Windy City Eats must related in some way to the Vienna Beef company, but it seems to be locally owned.

I'll agree with Joe that the Chicago-style hot dog is more an oddity than a marvel, but it is easy to see how it could become a staple lunch for workers anywhere within walking distance; it has character and taste, if no great degree of refinement.  

  • By John at 11/16/2012 - 17:17
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