Since I love hot dogs, I’ve decided to go on a life long journey which involves traveling around the globe to taste & photograph the most popular food item known to Bastardly Mankind. Let’s pray that I don’t fall victim to any serious food poisoning on this quest. Amen.
All credit for this idea goes to The Wall Street Journal’s Mr. Raymond Sokolov. He wrote a beautiful article about his search for America’s Top Dog. Here’s Raymond’s standard:
I deployed an admittedly personal set of standards in choosing the country’s outstanding dogs. Basically, I was looking for excellent traditional hot dogs in excellent buns in establishments full of character and local color. I shunned almost all high-end, chef-centered establishments as well as ballparks, because places that have foie gras on the menu and mass-service major-league arenas clash with the true spirit of the great hot dog stand.
True hot dog stands are not chic, nor do they operate as part of a chain. They are one-offs, mom-and-pop spots. And, most important of all, their success stands or falls on their classic hot dogs. Sure, some of my favorite places also served excellent bratwursts or other estimable sausages, but the center of their menus was always a basic hot dog in a bun.
