Hot Dougs

 

Guess where I went for lunch today!! Yup! Unless you're blind, you can't miss those sexy hot dogs pictured above. I LOVE this place. And I swear, if it wasn't so popular by word of mouth I'd still be here because I'm a sucker for a good hot dog. My affair with the hot dog started with Sahlen's Dogs (The official hot dog of the Buffalo Bills) back on Chippewa street downtown Buffalo. This tasty treat was served up on a nasty grill post-bar hoping the usual hot spots (Bottoms Up, Soho etc). After years of near vomit induced shots of Crown nothing washes down bar hoping remorse like a 2$ dog with the fixin's. Then I graduated to the Chicago-dog. A lesser appealing version of this fine treat at The Wiener's Circle (a Lincoln Park trixie favorite). The Chicago dog consists of whole tomatoes and pickles and florescent colored relish (ew). Not my favorite. And finally, there is the Los Angeles hot dog. This dog (served up on the side of the street by a little old Mexican lady) is wrapped in a crispy blanket of bacon (uncover your ears!! its true!!). The bacon-wrapped dog from LA is out of this world and like nothing I've seen before. I had dreams about it after I visited LA. 

So- in case you are ever in Buffalo you know to visit the lady on the corner of Chippewa by Soho, and if you're ever in LA go to Echo Park and pop your nitroglycerin pills. And if you are ever in Chicago go wait in line at Hot Dougs, (sorry Wiener's Circle I just don't get you).

Make sure you check the website first to make sure they are open (Doug Sohn must make bank because he takes vacations as he pleases!). There's a list of regular dogs (above) and a list of specials, as well as the daily celebrity dog. The regulars are around 2-4$ and the specials run 7-8$. That might seem pricey but with ingredients like foie gras, spicy alligator, turducken, and cognac it is well worth the extra bucks. Try to get there before the lunch rush (they open at 10:30) otherwise you'll be in line for maybe a good 20min (still not bad). Doug himself takes your order and the friendly staff bring it to your table.

We ordered: 

-Small Fries - they have duck fat fries on weekends 

-The Sonoran Dog: Jalapeno & Cheddar Hot Dog with Jalapeno Mayo,  Jalapeno Bacon, Pinto Beans, Tomatoes & Onions. 

 -Cranberry & Cognac Smoked Chicken Sausage with Fig Mustard, Cantalet Cheese and Truffle-Balsamic Cream. 

 -The Salma Hayek - spicy andouille sausage with everything on it 

-And the Keira Knightley- dude, i don't remember but it was awesome.

I usually order too much and can't finish my meal. But it's worth it to get at least 2 dogs and try the variety. What I really love about this place is how low-key it is. Doug just chills at the counter- the staff is super friendly, and all the customers appreciate him so much they are willing to take 2 buses and a train to get to the random location. It used to be located more centrally but outgrew its last location ( i think it was lakeview). I lie, I found out after this post they closed down after a fire in 2004. Bummer. So all in all Hot Doug's has some creative combination of dogs which speak for themselves. The reason so many are followers probably has something to do with how down to earth and friendly Doug is himself.

Now I'm hungry again.