The Chicago Traveler

If you have ever had a Chicago Hot Dog, you foam at the mouth at the very mention of this beautiful experience.  There is nothing quite like it.  It can be hot or cold outside and a Chicago Hot Dog will still taste just as good.
Ingredients added are yellow mustard, green relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, pickle slice, peppers and a dash of salt served in a steamed poppy seed bun.  The order is very very important.  Ketchup is a very controversial add.  As a true Chicagoan, I will not ever add Ketchup to my Chicago Hot Dog and you …read more

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Can you name the seven key ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog? Here are ten great places to conduct your research (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).

10. The Wiener’s Circle. Love it or hate it, this greasy spoon has got a “charm” all its own.
9. Gold Coast Dogs. All ten locations follow the Chicago-style recipe to the ‘T’.
8. Superdawg Drive-In. The winking hot dogs on the roof will be a sight you won’t soon forget.
7. Huey’s Hot Dogs. While serving up great dogs and burgers, this eatery is also well-known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes.

6. Portillo’s Hot Dogs. Both the nostalgia and …read more

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Do I sound like a broken record yet? From one of my earlier articles:
The Chicago-style hot dog has seven essential toppings: a boiled or steamed all-beef dog on a poppy-seed bun with (1) mustard, (2) relish, (3) chopped onions, (4) tomato wedges, (5) a pickle spear, (6) sport peppers, and (7) celery salt. I’ve seen a few varieties on this (including lettuce, sliced pickles, cucumbers, and/or green peppers) but the “lucky seven” mentioned above are the components of a classic Chicago-style dog. And yes, the exclusion of ketchup is just as important as the ingredients that are included. Why? …read more

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As I reported a little over a week ago, Hot Doug’s and Time-Out Chicago challenged people to create a brand new hot dog recipe. The winner’s entry will be featured on Hot Doug’s very own menu for at least a week.
So which dog is the lucky victor? The New Chicago! Created by Kevin Haas, this dish celebrates the Windy City’s diversity:
Mexican chorizo sausage, Asian pear chutney, Indian paneer cheese, chili mustard, served on a multi-grain roll. As the original Chicago dog reflected our immigrant heritage (Greek, Italian, and Jewish immigrants), this encased meat reflects our new and future immigrant population. …read more

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I’ve described it several times before, but it bears repeating. The Chicago-style hot dog has seven essential toppings: a boiled or steamed all-beef dog on a poppy-seed bun with (1) mustard, (2) relish, (3) chopped onions, (4) tomato wedges, (5) a pickle spear, (6) sport peppers, and (7) celery salt. I’ve seen a few varieties on this (including lettuce, sliced pickles, cucumbers, and/or green peppers) but the “lucky seven” mentioned above are the components of a classic Chicago-style dog. And yes, the exclusion of ketchup is just as important as the ingredients that are included. Why? One could argue that …read more

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There are literally hundreds of hot dog joints in Chicago, and it can be difficult to discern one from another. However, Hot Doug’s has one unique feature that you can see before you even walk inside: a line of hungry patrons that not only falls out the door, but actually crawls around the building! Locals are willing to wait as long as 20 minutes to get inside. Just what is it they’re all waiting for?
Doug’s menu may not look spectacular, but its flavors are sublime. The menu starts off with the classic Chicago-style hot dog and is followed by …read more

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