OH YEAH! That 70-degree day sure felt good the other day and woke up the "summer" beast in me. It's about time. I say good riddance to the "winter" beast -- it's time for it to hibernate!
With the start of baseball season -- by the way, the Chicago Cubs are in town this weekend hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, go catch a game -- combined with the sun and warmer temperatures, has conjured up thoughts of some Chicago summer traditions.
One thought that came to mind is what would Chicago be without their sports, of course, and "hot dogs"? That's right, hot dogs. Where else could you go for a good, old-fashioned hot dog that tastes out of this world. In my many travels to various American cities, I still haven't found any other city that can hold their own to a Chicago Hot Dog. If you're wondering at this point what I'm talking about, then you haven't experienced the flavor of a Chicago Hot Dog with all its trimmings.
A Chicago Hot Dog consists of the following trimmings -- yellow mustard, neon green relish, chopped yellow onions, red tomatoes, sports peppers, cucumber or pickle spears, and celery salt. Of course, you don't have to add all these trimmings to your hot dog but then it wouldn't be a Chicago Hot Dog! And remember, NO KETCHUP. It's a mortal sin to put ketchup on a hot dog. The only reason ketchup was ever invented, I believe, was so mothers could get their kids to eat what they wanted them to it. So, if you want your kids to eat anything, just put ketchup on it.
Now, getting back to the tradition of a Chicago Hot Dog, according to Marcus Leshock of Metromix, his four top Chicago places for the best hot dogs are:
The Wieners Circle located at 2622 N. Clark Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. When asked, what's your secret, they simply responded that it's probably because their hot dogs are kept in their original casings. Cost of Marcus' favorite hot dog -- $2.40.
Mustard's Last Stand located at 1613 Central Street in Evanston. Mustard's is steps from Ryan Field and caters to many Northwestern students. Cost of Marcus' favorite hot dog -- $2.49.
Hot Doug's located at 3324 N. California Avenue near the Logan Square neighborhood. This establishment even has its own theme song. Cost of Marcus' favorite hot dog -- $2.50.
Morrie O'Malley's located at 3501 S. Union Avenue in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Morrie's has been in the business of selling hot dogs for 19 years. Cost of Marcus' favorite hot dog -- $2.00.
Two of my favorite hot dog spots not mentioned in Marcus' report are:
Gene & Jude's located at 2720 River Road in River Grove. This establishment has been around since the ‘50s with the same, simple menu consisting of hot dog, fresh cut fries and tamales. That's it. What a gold mine!
SuperDawg located at 6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue has been at this same location since May of 1948. Another gold mine, a bit pricier than the other spots mentioned, but well worth it. You can't miss it, just look for the two hot dogs on top of this establishment at the intersections of Milwaukee, Nagle and Devon Avenues.
I don't know about you but I'm craving a Chicago Hot Dog right now. Since I've never tried a hot dog from any of Marcus' choices, I think I'll try each of them this weekend. Wanna join me?
Would love to hear back from you, if your favorite spot hasn't been mentioned. After all, Chicago is a big City and I would like nothing more than to become a Chicago Hot Dog expert! Chow Down - and don't forget the fries and a shake!
SUE MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
