Hot Doug’s at the corner of California and Roscoe in Chicago.

Doug is a graduate of the Kendall College Culinary School in Evanston. He takes the art and business of selling "encased meats", as he calls them, as seriously as a chef at a four star restaurant would take his pate fois gras.

He sells not just the classic Chicago dog, but also a variety of other sausages, including Polish Sausage, Thuringer, Bratwurst, Corn Dogs, and a weekly Wild Game Special; sometimes a success, sometimes not.

Condiments include all the Chicago standards and he also offers grilled onions, kraut, and a variety of mustards.

On the weekends he cooks his French Fries in duck fat. He cooks them in duck fat because they tastes better. I wish he sold them all week long, but he wants to keep it special.

I know other folks who have opened Hot Dog joints in Chicago and other cities who have visited Hot Doug’s and used his operation as a model. If you’re opening your own place, let me suggest that you take a couple days and visit Doug’s place.

Buddy