NYC Finally Gets a Decent Hot Dog

The best dog? Maybe. From New York Eater: The Chicago Dog Floodgates Have Opened

It’s a rare moment when New York defers to Chicago, but when it comes to hot dogs and roast beef sandwiches, we’re doing just that. Perhaps it’s a result of The Bear, or maybe we’re finally coming around to the idea that the Windy City has us beat on certain meats.

A properly done Chicago Dog is a thing of beauty as well as a tasty treat.

The full formula calls for a poppy seed bun and a Vienna Beef dog, followed by yellow mustard, neon green pickle relish, diced raw onions, a pickle spear, sport peppers, tomato wedges, and a sprinkle of celery salt. In Chicago, those ingredients can be found at most corner stores. In New York, they’ve eluded chefs for years.

For those who are not familiar with sport peppers, they are also known as Little Green Bullets from Hell. They are most definitely HOT. The pickle spear should be a thin slice, not the usual wedge most people think of, and the onions need to be the strong variety, and they must be copped extremely fine.

All that said, the article also goes on to talk about Italian beef, the other staple sandwich of Chicago. It is usually, though not always, served in places that sell Chicago dogs. I always recommend my favorite place, if people are traveling to the Windy City and are curious about all this stuff. Search out Portillo's, which was my favorite. They have dogs, Italian beef, Italian sausage (the beef and sausage combo is good - get the hot peppers), and more. The chocolate cake shake is big for 1 person, but if you have someone you're willing to share with...

Now I'm hungry.