The original Chicago hot dog was dressed with mustard, relish, and chopped onions, which are the staples in much of America. Today, a Chicago hot dog also comes with a pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, and a sprinkle of celery salt. The neon green relish was introduced in the early 70’s by Fluky’s, an original west side hot dog vendor. The extravagent "garden on a bun" Chicago school of hot dogs was born when vendors from Maxwell Street opened hot dog stands and moved into the city and suburbs. The few that remained on Maxwell Street were relocated when the City of Chicago and the University of Illinois claimed their land for development. The terms "Dragged through the garden" and "Chicago style dogs" evolved from the seven condiments. To my knowledege, no one has ever claimed responsibility for the addition of celery salt.

CSD