The Chicago Traveler

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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As I’ve mentioned before, Chicago is just as famous for its hot dogs as it is for its pizza. In fact, there are more hot dog stands than Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s restaurants combined. Native Chicagoans are pretty strict about what should be on a Chicago-style dog as well: a steamed or boiled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, onion, sweet relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, and a little celery salt. Absolutely NO ketchup! Ever! Chicagoans are adamant about this, and no other establishment exemplifies this strict discipline like Gene’s …read more

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