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.
In my brief travels, here’s what’s on my hot dog resume:
1. Argentina’s Super Panchos - These are boiled dogs w/ thinly cut potato chips on top of the usual toppings. I’m trying to convince Jackson to eat one of these, but he’s scared to dive in. And, I have yet to find a stand that sells all-beef Super Panchos, so if you know of one, please comment w/ exact cross streets down below.
2. Colombia’s Super Perros - From Bogota to Cartagena to the rest of the Colombian Caribbean coast, Super Perros are a staple item. The usual toppings resemble more closely the dogs we see in the states as some of them are flamed while others are boiled. Also, the dogs are the thin & long on average.
3. Baja California’s Hot Dogs - I just remember these babies have tons of mayo & salsa (which naturally made them an extremely messy ordeal). Even though it sounds kinda gross, they tasted like heaven when I was downing 3-4 @ a time (yes, I was on a very sad budget @ the time). From a size & shape standpoint, they resemble the average hot dog here in the United States, so there’s nothing special on that end.
4. Home Turf Experience - Sam’s Club kosher dogs, stands in front of Home Depot stores during the summer, dogs @ various stadiums: San Diego Padres (blaah), LA Dodgers (overrated), NY Mets (blaaaah), Boston Red Sox, and countless hot dog stands (from San Diego to the Dirty South to New England to Midwest–you name it!). I’ll have to visit some of the best ones again to properly catalog for the purpose of my quest. Please be patient, hot dog lovers!
Ok, while we wait for an endless stream of delicious hot dog pictures, please comment below with favorite hot dog stands in your hometowns. Please leave exact addresses of the hot dog stands, along with your personal experience @ the stands so that I’ll be well prepared before diving in.
Here are a couple more pics from Raymond’s review:
