Tasting America One Hotdog at a Time
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Tasting America One Hotdog at a Time Alabama: Birmingham Hot Dog, Gus's Hot Dogs One of the oldest hot dog stands in a city that was once home to countless frank purveyors, Gus’s is the place to try the Birmingham hot dog developed by the city’s early Greek immigrants. Both the regular and the "special" dogs feature a half pork-half beef weenie charred on the 70- year-old grill and served in a steamed standard issue bun with yellow mustard, chopped white onion, sauerkraut and spice-scented special sauce that’s like a sweeter, tangier version of New York pushcart-style onions. The special, with the addition of ground beef, is city’s storied hot dog claim to fame, as owner Lee Pantazis sees it. "A small piece of history wedged in a bun covered in sauce," he says. Alaska: Reindeer Dog, International House of Hot Dogs Long before the wild game sausage trend took over gastropub menus across the United States, Anchorage residents where noshing on dogs showcasing one locally ubiquitous, otherwise rare ingredient: reindeer. Reindeer has been a summertime street cart specialty in the Last Frontier for more than two decades. But International House of Hot Dogs serves its McKinley Dog throughout the year - sleigh- pulling season included. It starts with a hearty and heavily spiced Polish-style reindeer sausage in a bun with a simple combination of sautéed onions and a sweet and smoky homemade chipotle sauce. Arizona: Sonoran Hot Dog, Aqui con el Nene Peddled by hundreds of restaurants and street cart-pushing hotdogueros throughout Tucson and Phoenix, Sonoran hot dogs are so common in Arizona, they might as well be called Grand Canyon wieners. Beef franks are swaddled in bacon and griddled until they fuse together like a carnivorous candy cane. Those flavorful franks are cradled in a fluffy Mexican baguette, then topped with a whole shebang of toppings like pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard and spicy salsa. At Aqui con el Nene in Tucson, those exceptional dogs are served chilipon-style with a toasted bun and melted cheese with all the old reliables and a world-class jalapeno sauce. Arkansas: Chili Dog, Spradlin's Dairy Delight One of those dishes of unknown origin, the Frito Chili Pie — corn chips topped with bold chili, cheese and crisp onion — is claimed by many places throughout the South and Southwest. This 1957 England, Arkansas, dairy is one. Owner Claude Spradlin claims that infamous dish has been on the menu for more than a half- century. And while he still serves plenty of chili-topped Fritos, he sells a lot more hot dogs coated in that same sauce. Spradlin's chili dogs follow the Arkansas ethos, its footlong dog topped with mustard, chili and slaw with optional additions of American cheese, pickled jalapenos and raw onions. And, of course, Fritos are available on the side. California: Dodger Dog, Dodger Stadium Hot dogs are a baseball rite of passage, and few dogs are as associated with a ball club as the Dodgers' Dodger Dog. A fan favorite since 1962, the 10-inch Dodger Dog is available steamed or grilled at kiosks throughout the stadium, then tucked into a steamed bun. Kiosks nearby offer ketchup, mustard, onions and relish. Bring it back to your seat and feast while looking out at the palm tree-silhouetted horizon. It's as Californian as a hot dog experience can get. Colorado: Elk-Jalapeno-Cheddar Sausage, Biker Jim's From a souped-up hot dog cart on Denver's 16th Street Mall to multiple carts, a brick- and-mortar locale and a stand at Coors Field, Jim Pittenger, aka Biker Jim, has become the de facto hot dog king of the Rocky Mountains for his creative toppings and 15 gourmet different sausages. Many highlight Rocky Mountain-inspired wild game, ranging from wild boar and Southwest buffalo to rattlesnake and pheasant. None represent the Centennial State better than the spicy and savory elk- jalapeno-cheddar sausage. Guests can order it topped however they please, but the proper accoutrement for this top dog is Biker Jim's cream cheese and caramelized onion cooked in soda. Connecticut: New Englander, Super Duper Weenie Cities like New York and Chicago get tons of hot dog praise; however, Connecticut is hailed by those in the know as one of the greatest wiener sanctuaries in the United States. Exemplary hot dog stands can be found in pretty much every town. One of the best is Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield. Owner Gary Zemola is known for sourcing prime ingredients for all of the housemade toppings (like the highly classified relish), house-baked rolls and fresh-cut fries. The proper order is the New Englander, which starts out with a Hummel Bros. frank purchased from the family-run New Haven deli. In the classic New England style, it’s split in half and grilled, then topped with a healthy serving of sauerkraut, bacon, raw white onions, mustard and relish. Delaware: Griddle-Fried Franks, Deerhead Hot Dogs Split griddle-fried franks are an obligatory Delaware rite of passage during the summer months. For in-the-know Delawareans, these crisp dogs drum up ardent everyday affection akin to Joe Biden' s obsession with aviator sunglasses. Deerhead Hot Dogs has been center- slicing and crisping up its dogs according to local tradition since 1935. Those side-by-side halves are cradled in a soft dinner roll-like bun with compulsory mustard, onions and a healthy serving of its secret tomato-based sauce that’s like a slightly spicy, sweet and tangy cross between standard chili and the liquid that comes in a can of Heinz baked beans. Florida: Cartel Dog, Pincho Factory Drawing inspiration from the local flavors found throughout Miami and the streets of Latin America, the folks behind South Florida’s fast- casual Pincho Factory created the Cartel Dog. It has quickly beat out all other wieners to take the podium as Miami’s favorite hot dog. A grilled kosher frank is slathered with a wholly unkosher, but incredibly delicious mix of chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, mango sauce, potato sticks and secret pink Pincho sauce, a ketchup and mayonnaise blend that’s a favorite condiment throughout South America. Georgia: Scrambled Dog, Dinglewood Pharmacy Back around 1946, an inventive Columbus, Georgia, restaurateur decided to create a unique hot dog dish with boiled chopped franks smothered in chili, onions and pickles served with a substantial handful of oyster crackers on top that was intended to be consumed with utensils. That diner went out of business, but its Scrambled Dog stuck around, becoming a Columbus-area mainstay. It's been on the menu, true to its original form, for more than 50 years at the century-old Dinglewood Pharmacy, where it's served in a porcelain relish dish and a spoon. This regional classic is still so popular that accounts for 85 percent of the independent pharmacy's soda fountain sales. Hawaii: Puka Dog, Puka Dog Essentially a larger, more interesting take on pigs in blankets, this Hawaiian specialty features a proprietary dog cradled inside freshly baked Hawaiian sweet bread. That bun, called a puka for the hole in the center, is where the shop and corresponding hot dog style get their name. Each one of these volcano-like snacks comes with choice of Polish sausage or veggie dog, garlic-lemon secret sauce (ranging in heat from mild to lava), and pick of Hawaiian fruit relish with tropical flavors including mango, pineapple, coconut and papaya. Those seeking traditional condiments can also add ketchup, yellow or Dijon mustard, sweet relish and the state's special — and addictive — Auntie Lilikoi's Hawaiian mustard. Idaho: Tater Dog, Dave's Tater Grill Idaho is best known for its eponymous spuds, so it makes sense that representative wiener has some potatoes incorporated into the mix. Cue: the tater dog. At Dave’s Tater Grill, a food cart parked on Boise’s 6th Street between Main and Grove, late-night diners queue for shredded hash browns grilled with cheddar and jack cheeses laid on a toasted bun with a quarter-pound Nathan’s all-beef hot dog (or whatever other sausage you please) crown. Illinois: Chicago Red Hot, Superdawg Drive-In The winking weenie couple atop this 1948 drive-in have been a beacon to Windy City hot dog lovers for more than half a century. This multigenerational icon is hailed as one of Chicago's top red hots. Here, proprietary beef hot dogs are served on steamed poppy seed buns and dragged through the garden with yellow mustard, sweet neon green relish, chopped white onion, a kosher dill pickle spear and hot sport peppers as is tradition in the Second City, but this real drive-in - complete with carhop service - also throws on a pickled green tomatoes, as well. Get yours with a side of crinkle cut fries and an old-fashioned Supermalt to wash it down. Indiana: Coney Island Hot Dog, Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island A short drive from the Michigan and Ohio borders, Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island picks up where celebrated Coney traditions of Detroit and Cincinnati (sort of) stop. Owned and operated by the same family for more than a century, this lively eatery has worked its way into the city’s culinary fabric. It sells around a million hot dogs per year. Why the fuss? Its legendary dogs are just that good. Each frank is grilled and placed inside a steamed bun with mustard, hand-chopped onions and homemade Coney sauce that’s essentially Greek bolognese. The must-order is "three and a bottle," three dogs with all the fixings and a bottle of Coke.