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So far I have explored the hot dogs from America’s Dog and Hot Doug’s. Since I am new to Chicago and America’s Dog was the first hot dog I tasted while in Chicago, I was sure that I had tasted something exquisite. You can imagine my surprise when a few people ripped into my review accusing me of putting the chain restaurant on a pedestal and tearing into the fact that I had not tried a Chicago-style dog. At that time (only a few short weeks ago), I had no earthly idea what a “Chicago-style” dog even entailed!
Well, my friend, a lot has changed since then! Hot Doug’s opened my eyes to the glory that is Chicago-style (even though the relish is a little unsettling with its acid-y green colour) and I have come to believe that the hot dog may have been perfected by Chicagoans. I still struggle sometimes with the thought of piling on so many ingredients and fight with my tendency to pick off the toppings and shove them in my mouth like crudités.
Baby steps, people.
I took the next step toward finding the perfect dog at Murphy’s Dogs, 1211 W. Belmont Ave. (at the intersection of Racine), that claims to have “the Best of the Best!” and “To be Top Dog in a Dog Eat Dog World.” The first thing I notice is how expensive the dogs are in comparison to Hot Doug’s ($2.99 at Murphy’s compared to $1.75 at Hot Doug’s). The line at Murphy’s was virtually non-existent and the man behind the counter was not nearly as witty or friendly as his Hot Doug’s counterpart. While Hot Doug’s seemed to have a more upbeat, friendlier atmosphere and cheaper prices, I would say Murphy’s gives a run for their money on taste.
After scouring the menu, I ordered a Footlong Red Hot ($4.89…ouch) with mustard, hot peppers, pickle, tomatoes, cucumber and celery salt. I gotta say that Murphy (I am guessing it was the owner) did not give my foot long a very long “walk through the garden” because he was pretty stingy with my toppings. One cucumber slice?! Hot Doug’s piled it on!
I honestly did not think that Murphy’s could compete with Hot Doug’s, but actually it stood its ground and the red hot itself was ridiculously tasty with a more intense chargrill taste than Hot Doug’s. This probably has something to do with the fact that Murphy’s only uses Vienna beef dogs which are plump and flavourful.
Could it be the best? Possibly, but I have only scratched the surface of Chicago hot doggery and need the help of other Chicagoans to make sure I have convered all possible ground before coming up with a champion.
In other news I finally found onion rings I like. Murphy fries up thick onion rings with minimal batter that actually sticks to the onion, minimising the amount of “fry” one eats. Usually, I cannot stand onion rings, but these were crispy and after one bite I kind of wished I had purchased a basket for myself.
Even if you are not a fan, I would recommend you at least try on and tell me what you think.
Although I think Murphy’s prices should be lower, if it meant that the quality of the food would be any less amazing than what it is, then I would not pay less. Hot Doug’s has a great variety of different dogs, but the next time I want an authentic Chicago-style, I am hitting up Murphy’s.
Dev xx
I have been sick all week but I did not let that stop me from eating dessert at Joey’s Brickhouse at 1258 W. Belmont Ave. No matter what type of bad mood you are in before you enter Joey’s, the warm cookie sundae is a triple-chocolate threat that is sure to make you forget all about it.
An extra-thick cookie brownie embellished with melty milk chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream ensure that you will be secretly unbuttoning your jeans under the table and promising yourself to hit the treadmill the following morning. If you do not want to share I would not blame you, but this treat is definitely big enough for two (if not three) and at $6 is one of the best comfort desserts in the Lakeview area.
PS, to get one for free, drop into Joey’s and ask your server for a “daily specials” sheet that advertises the store hours and daily deals. On that wonderful piece of paper is a coupon for one free dessert. I got your back :o)
Dev xx
Friday was a gorgeous day so Tim I biked over to Hot Doug’s, “The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium”, at 3324 N. California. I have heard this place is amazing and that even Anthony Bourdain featured it on his show, No Reservations, so of course I wanted to try it out and see if it was worth all the hype.
As we parked our bikes we realised that the queue was almost around the block and people were waiting quite patiently to get their hands on a meaty treat.
Yes, we waited in queue outside for about 45 minutes and for another 15 minutes inside, where Hot Doug’s has two waiting rooms to keep out the cold air and make you feel accomplished for taking five steps. I even peeked over Tim’s shoulder as he wrote a text message to Dan saying something along the lines of, “The line is so long. This place better have a roller coaster.”
What Hot Doug’s had was way better than a roller coaster. They had the best hot dogs I am yet to taste in the city.
Be aware that Hot Doug’s is cash only and that you will definitely want more than one hot dog after you see their massive selection of everything from the authentic Chicago dog to foie gras and bacon dogs.
Also take a look at the daily specials board which includes jalapeno-cheddar pork sausages with jalapeno mayonnaise, pepper-jack cheese and fresh cilantro and Toulouse sausage with garlic sauce mustard, sheep’s milk Caruchon cheese and Armagnac-truffle pâté.
The specials cost a hefty amount more than the regular dogs, ranging from $6-8.50 vs. $1.75-3.50, but with the specialty ingredients Doug’s uses, it is well worth it – even if it is just to tell your friends that you ate a fois gras hot dog!
You can choose how you want your dog cooked (deep fried, chargrilled, steamed or fried and grilled) and if you want to pair your dog with some regular fries or duck fat fries, which are hand-cut potatoes fried in rendered duck fat.
The guy at the counter is really funny and friendly and will take your order with a smile.
When ordering my Chicago-style dog, I asked him what is the way most Chicagoans have their dog cooked. His answer was clever:
“Well, I could tell you what’s authentic or I could tell you what tastes better. Those are not always the same.”
I chose to go with what tastes better.
“Chargrilled,” he said.
As you can imagine, I went with chargrilled.
Our dogs were ready in about 7-10 minutes since Hot Doug’s chargrills everything fresh in-store (probably why the queue is so long!) and they arrived at our table in true Chicago-style, chalk-full of mustard, bright green relish, caramelised onions, tomatoes, celery salt and a massive pickle. I thought for sure I was not going to taste the meat underneath, but that was just not the case.
The tomatoes, pickle and relish gave a surprisingly sweet and fresh taste, accenting the char flavour of the meat. I could barely taste the celery salt and caramelised onions and the mustard, which I usually hate, only complemented the other ingredients, leaving me to wonder why it was I had not tried a Chi-style dog up until this point. The meat was particularly plump and juicy and Tim and I agreed it was probably the best dog we had tasted.
To polish it all off, we ordered the duck fat fries which set us back $3.50. Granted, the fries were cooked amazingly. Most of them were very crisp on the outside and soft on the inside which made them irresistible. Unfortunately, I could not taste much of a difference with the duck fat vs. soybean oil or any other oil. Hot Doug’s could have very well served us regular fries and I would have been none the wiser. Good? Yes. Worth $3.50? No. Save your cash and get the regular fries…or get another dog.
My other favourite part about Hot Doug’s is the fun personality the inside has. Decked out in mustard and ketchup colours, crazy hot dog memorabilia clutters the walls, counter tops and every other available space. It is apparent that the owners are crazy about hot dogs just by looking around.
Even the bathrooms have hilarious hot dogised parodies of famous artwork painted on the walls which made me giggle.
If you are planning on visiting Hot Doug’s, keep in mind that the place is only open from 10.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday) and that duck fat fries are only available on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bring lots of cash (three $1.75 hot dogs, an order of duck fat fries and a can of pop will cost you $9.75), give yourself at least an hour to get through the line and another 10 minutes to actually get your food once you have ordered.
Oh, and bring a friend. You will want somebody close as you ooh and aah your way through the selection process and someone to tell you that a glob of mustard is sitting on your chin – I guarantee you will be enjoying your dog so immensely that you will not even notice anything else.
See you in queue!
Tons of crazy hot dog stuff on the walls!
A hotdogised parody of René Magritte's 1964 painting, The Son of Man, found in the men's restroom
If you ever wanted to know the history of the hot dog, you can it here! :o)
A closeup of my favourite explanation on the timeline!
Dev xx
