When I was a child, 60 years ago, there was a general opinion that Pittsburgh hot dogs were much better than Chicago hot dogs. I can’t remember why this was so. All of that generation have all passed on. Anyone out there older than me with a memory or opinion?
Moved to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
You mean better tasting franks? Better quality meat and production? Better toppings? Not sure what you mean by “better.”
Never had Pittsburgh hot dogs, so I can’t comment.
Did you by any chance grow up with Pittsburgh hot dogs? A lot of times, what you grow up with is what you develop a taste for.
A Chicago-style hot dog is usually a steamed all-beef hotdog on a poppy seed bun topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, slice of tomato, sport peppers, a dash of celery salt AND NO KETCHUP. A “dog thru the garden with frys” meant the Chicago-sytle dog was placed on butcher paper, covered with a cup of frys (or a big handful if they were in a hurry) and all rolled up together.
I’ve heard that Pittsburg-style hotdogs were covered with coleslaw. Or maybe it was cheese?
Can’t answer the OP, but I have to say I’m having a devil of a time finding good hot dogs.
When I lived in L.A. I liked the Ralph’s Private Select Old Fashioned Frankfurters. Nicely spiced, and they snapped when you bit them. Can’t get those up here. My default is pretty much Hebrew National. I’ve tried Hempler’s, Ball Park, Bar-S, the brand that they keep with the Boar’s Head stuff… I just can’t seem to find the perfect dog.
I’m surprised the Bar-S didn’t turn you off hot dogs forever. Yuck!!
I’m partial to Hebrew National or Vienna Beef.
Blech to the Nathan’s Famous.
I know, right? SO bought some because they were cheap. Chicken does not belong in a hot dog. And the texture was… interesting. And not in a good way.
Locally, one of the common toppings is cole slaw. I don’t care much for cole slaw anyway, unless it’s home made, since (and this has been covered before), it seems there’s only one recipe from one big mixing bowl for cole slaw–and it ain’t particularly good.
My own toppings are pretty simple: chili, onions and mustard.
For the OP: the general opinion seems to change depending on where you are. I don’t think anyone in Chicago ever had the opinion that someone else’s hotdogs were better than theirs.
For our slight divergence in thread topic: I was making a “clearing out the fridge” meal on the weekend and had a hotdog on a wrap with fresh grated parmesan, dill pickle slices and mustard. I was laughing at myself as I assembled it but it turned out to be pretty darn good.
I just had pickles, and bbq sauce, on a hot dog recently and I really liked it.
Just reading the description of the Chicago hot dog made my mouth start watering.
I actually had a really good dog today, bought from the Co-op at UConn.
The best I’ve ever had are the Michigans at Claire & Carl’s in Plattsburgh NY.
Congratulations - you’re well on your way to reinventing the Oki Dog!
Pittsburgh hotdogs, to my memory, had the natural casing, the skin if you will, for that wonderful bite back when you bit into it.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, but never heard of a “Pittsburgh hotdog”.
Around here, Zack’s has the best dogs. Greek owners. They have a “special” chili which makes it extra tasty. Don’t even want to know what’s in it, but a dog with chili and slaw is killer. 2 are even better.
The classic Chicago dogs do, too. The sad thing is, it’s getting harder and harder to find places that use natural casings. All your famous, classic hot dog joints tend to, and even the local chain Portillo’s does, but your typical generic mom & pop down the street tends to use Vienna Beef or Chicago Red Hot skinless hotdogs.
I’m a fan of the Chicago hot dog, and by that I mean the frank itself. I don’t generally like mine “dragged through the garden,” and I grew up in a part of town where the dogs came a bit more sensibly prepared: with onion, non-neon-green relish, mustard, optional sport peppers, and a pickle spear on the side. Served on a plain (non-poppy seed) bun. Celery salt and tomatoes were available if you wanted them, but they were not on the standard “everything-on-it” dog.
The only dogs that still exist I’ve had that compared favorably flavor-wise, to me, have been the Hebrew Nationals. Unfortunately, they don’t come in a natural casing (at least not that I know of), which pretty much makes them a non-started for me. That casing is fundamental to my enjoyment of a truly good hot dog. If it doesn’t have that natural casing snap, with the juices bursting from the inside, then it’s just not a great hot dog, IMHO.
I also recall loving Elsie’s hot dogs in Cambridge, MA, when I spent a summer there in '93. The place is apparently long gone, but I loved those dogs. I actually don’t remember whether they were natural casing or not, it was so long ago, I just remember eating there almost every other day.
Hmm.. All the palces I’ve been to that sell Vienna Beef have the natural casings. It’s what they’re known for.
HOLY cow, chili is the missing link!