Chicago-style hot dog
Recently a friend who lived in Chicago for two years looked at me blankly when I mentioned how much I liked Chicago-style hot dogs. Could it be that she really didn’t know? Unless she was pulling my leg she had made it that far without any of her native-born neighbors introducing her to the joys of the special dog.
There are few gastronomic delights as simple or pleasing as the burst of competing flavors from a Chicago-style hot dog.
The ingredients are fairly lengthy compared to the usual American condiments of mustard and relish, and it’s important to get them right. Here’s the list of ingredients for a traditional Chicago-style hot dog:
· A beef hot dog, steamed or boiled (never broiled)
· A poppy seed bun
· Yellow mustard
· Sweet relish, preferably of an unnatural, brilliant green hue
· Dill pickle spear
· Tomato slices
· Chopped raw onion
· Sport peppers
· Dash of celery salt
· Cucumber spear (optional, and this is the only optional item)
The kaleidoscope of colors and riot of flavors is what makes it special, especially the brilliance of the yellow mustard, green pickles and red tomatoes. After biting into the soft bun followed by the snap of the hot dog casing, the next savory sensations are the sweet-sour flavors of two kinds of pickles, the tang of the onions and the cooling effect of the tomato softening the heat of the sport peppers. The celery salt and mustard add subtle herbal notes.
The best place to get a Chicago-style hot dog is, not surprisingly, in Chicago, even at O’Hare airport (see hot dog stands near gates C8 and C22), but decent versions can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond:
- Da Beef, 300 7th St at Folsom, SF
- Top Dog, with 5 locations in Berkeley and Oakland
- Heavenly Dog at 9160 E. Stockton Blvd. #130 in Elk Grove, CA serves an authentic Chicago-style hot dog. See review.
- Woody’s Chicago Style is a franchise that can be found in many locations, often adjacent to Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores.
- Wienerschnitzel, with zillions of locations in California and beyond, makes a respectable Chicago-style hot dog.
