I can’t! I can’t I’ve tried, but I can’t. I have too many favorites. One suits one taste…another suits another taste. And then there are moods that are fulfilled by others. I can narrow it to 5.

Today the inclination for a deep-fried, pork-beef "ripper" topped with brown mustard and "secret" relish was satisfied at Rutt’s Hut like nobody’s business. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
The Bear

Greg –

I think you mean the Glenwood in Hamden.
It would make any top 10 lists of mine as well.

The main reason – long dogs cooked on a real fire.

It’s a texture and taste that NO GRILL or GRIDDLE can duplicate.

So far the best hotdog I’ve eaten out was last summer in of all places Maine. Place in Scarborough right on route 1 called Chicago Dogs. Website is http://www.chidog.com
Fantastic hotdogs. Says they use all beef Vienna hotdogs from Chicago.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy2dogs

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

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

If this post moves anyone to visit Hot Doug’s,(I went there for my fix on Tuesday and had the Jumbo Dog stuffed with Jalapeno cheese, wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and topped with horseradish mustard) they will be closed for vacation 2-27 thru 2-11. re-opening the 13th.

Correction 3-11

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

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

If this post moves anyone to visit Hot Doug’s,(I went there for my fix on Tuesday and had the Jumbo Dog stuffed with Jalapeno cheese, wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and topped with horseradish mustard) they will be closed for vacation 2-27 thru 2-11. re-opening the 13th.

a hotdog is a hotdog is a hotdog but more on point and not trying to sound like a commercial… "LUBI’S" on Jax Bch, Fl.. the chili dogs with cheese, jalapeno and onion.. but then I cant beat the price anywhere else … FREE

I’d have to say Lafayette.

The Glendale in New Haven (Hamden, actually) and Super Duper came to mind as well as Nick’s Nest … but, when you think about it all four places approach the dog in a completely different manner.

poochies when im back in chi town (skokie) and hot dog heaven in downtown fort lauderdale when in florida,real chicago bllod there for vienna lovers

Anyplace that serves a Koegel natural casing would be my first choice.

2nd would be the red brats from State Street Brats in Madison, WI.

My choice would be The Original Hot Dog Shop (aka "The O" or better still, "The Dirty O") in Pittsburgh, original Oakland location only. Must have eaten hundreds (thousands? – no, I’m still alive) of them over 7 years of school at Carnegie Mellon. They were (hopefully still are) natural casing, crunchy from the grill. Had to have it with chili and cheese along with a basket of some of the best fries ever. There might be better dogs out there somewhere, but I had a lot of good times at this place.

Andy and Gregg’s in Charlotte was the best. Gregg took his chili recipe w/ him when he passed a few years ago. Andy has been gone for twenty years. Meanest waitress on the planet but our office ate dogs there every Friday for twenty years. I probably haven’t had ten dogs in the past two years.

Skin Thrasher’s in Anderson SC is very good also. See Hollyeats.com for a review.

Pearl brand hot dogs at the local VFW Buck a barker buck seventy five for a Bud. It just dosen’t get any better. Chow Jim

quote:

Originally posted by markolenski

The old Jimmy’s of Savin Rock was also my choice. The bad news is my father was there a few weeks ago and the 2 hot dog plate he had was terrible. The waitress said they switched from Hummel s because they were too expensive. You can’t even buy one hot dog you have to buy a hot dog dinner with a salad what have we become? If you have to buy a salad to get a hot dog then the terrorists have won.

I was in the "new" Jimmy’s once. It was back in the 1980s. I was not pleased with what it had become. My mother had a condominium just down the beach from the new place, where the Savin Rock Amusement Park used to be. I didn’t even know they’d switched from Roesslers.

Wow, marko, the very words ‘salad’ and ‘hot dog’ should never be in the same sentence unless the word ‘potato’ precedes ‘salad.’ Yuk.

My vote would be Coney Island Hot Dogs in wormtown MA. They used to used to use Kayem dogs. What say, dog experts? Those any good?

Funny story. A good pal of mine’s dad met his inlaws, very rich and proper Swedish nationals who had never before set foot in America, a day or so before his wedding. He picked them up at the airport, took them to Coney Island for dinner, and then drove them to the rattiest neighborhood in Worcester, parked in front of the rattiest three-decker, and said, "We’re home." Love that story!

The old Jimmy’s of Savin Rock was also my choice. The bad news is my father was there a few weeks ago and the 2 hot dog plate he had was terrible. The waitress said they switched from Hummel s because they were too expensive. You can’t even buy one hot dog you have to buy a hot dog dinner with a salad what have we become? If you have to buy a salad to get a hot dog then the terrorists have won.