Gray's Papaya-NYC

My favorite hot dogs on the planet. Nothing compares to the snappy crunch of a Gray's hot dog. I took my honey here for the first time (he is from Chicago and used to dogs being "dragged through the garden"). No salad toppings here, the choices are onion, sauerkraut, mustard or ketchup. I have had an aversion to sauerkraut since childhood, but decided to see what all the fuss was about and ordered one dog with sauerkraut and mustard, the other with mustard/ketchup. At Gray's you get two dogs and a drink (healthy juice drinks) for a very cheap price. Bite into a grilled dog, hear the snap and enjoy!

My order-mustard/ketchup, mustard/sauerkraut with a papaya drink.

My honey's choice-mustard/onion, mustard sauerkraut with a banana daiquiri drink. Being able to convert a die-hard Chicagoan to the dark side of NYC hot dogs was a big win!

Snap! Deliciousness!

Grinder Bash dogs

"Grinder Bash" is fan appreciation day for the Chicago White Sox. Season ticket holders are invited to free food,  access to the dugouts, bullpen, the field (not the grass!) and concourses at Cellular One. It's a lot of fun to have the stadium all to yourself. Free food included hot dogs, so I jumped right in. The dogs are Vienna Beef, the dog of choice served in Chicago and at The Cell. the condiments were serve yourself, I went with mustard and sport pepper. We were in line just in time for a fresh batch to be put out, so they were hot and the buns freshly steamed. Good as always, but the most fun was walking the field, and running and bouncing off the outfield wall.

Hot dogs and fried chicken!

Yummies!

Fun things to do. Hot dogs and baseball-I'm a happy camper!

Angus Dogs for lunch @ home

It really feels like grillin' time so let's throw on the dogs. I wanted to try Angus beef (it's everywhere!) and decided to give Oscar-Meyer Angus Beef dogs a whirl. Once home, I discovered they were pre-cooked, and claimed no "nitrates or nitrites". Ok, and on the grill they went. I was hungry, and could go for two so tried them with two different toppings. One a little "Chicago style", a homemade pickle, tomato, sport peppers and mustard. The next one was topped with tomato, sport peppers, mustard and a super-duper hot dog condiment, Sriracha hot sauce. Grilling gave them a nice snap, and good grilled flavor. Although it was advertised as no nitrites, nitrates, nightime, whatever, they did taste like it a bit. A tad salty. Longer than most dogs, but not as plump as others. I would give a chance to a different brand of Angus beef, though. Bring on the nitrates! Or nitrites. Whatever.

Chicago dogs-Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field! The best ballpark experience I have ever been to. My beloved Phillies lost to the Cubs, but that still didn't stop me from having a great day. We got a hot dog first thing, and they were really good. At Wrigley, the hot dogs are made from bison meat and really delicious. Grilled, the casing has a nice crunchy snap and are very juicy. Nice smoky flavor, juicy thick beef, mustard, sport peppers and tomatoes on a soft poppy seed bun. The condiments were serve-yourself so get busy! I really enjoyed the dog, the game and the atmosphere at Wrigley. No electronic scoreboard, old time organ player, a wandering horn band, and sunny skies...baseball at it's best. Hot dogs went perfect with this semi (Phils lost!) perfect day!

Vienna Beef Hot Dog Stand-US Cellular Field Chicago

Two of my favorite things on the planet are hot dogs and baseball. I have been going to see White Sox games with my honey since last summer and we always stop and get a hot dog at the beginning of the game. The dogs sold at the park are Vienna Beef, so they are always good, but the only toppings to choose from are mustard, relish and onion. Until the day I spotted a Vienna Beef cart vendor!!! Sport peppers! Pickle! Tomato! Relish! Onion! Celery salt! A true Chicago-style dog! I couldn't believe we had been missing this friendly site all along. Seriously, I had never spotted this cart before and if I have to fight the crowds on the concourse and possibly miss the first inning, so be it. A true Chicago-style dog at the game makes everything so much better. This guy makes a great dog. The poppy seed bun is slathered in mustard, the plump juicy dog nestled inside. Top it off with sport peppers, tomatoes, a large crunchy pickle spear and a generous helping of celery salt. Grab one and rush to your seat and enjoy the game!

Portillo's Redux

Yesterday for lunch we went to Portillo's again. I must say something for consistency. You are guaranteed a good, beefy dog and Portillo's tends to be plump and juicy. I chose the jumbo beef dog with sport peppers, mustard, tomato and pickle. The tomatoes were a bit mushy, and I tend to be a tomato snob. Having grown up in South Jersey, the lovely Garden State, we hold our noses up to inefficient tomatoes. But the pickle slice was a healthy size and had a great crunch. And some extra sport peppers were snuggled under the dog, always a happy surprise. I find Portillo's to be the standard chain but the dogs are fresh and taste good. And please get the cheese fries, crinkle cut, crispy and cheesy. Yum!

new place i can't wait to try

korean food, kimchi deliciousness and hotdogs...definitely next in hotdogland adventures..will keep you posted
http://www.nyhotdogcoffee.com/

Byron's-Forest Park, IL

Byron's is a Chicago chain, we went to the one in Forest Park on Madison Ave. It is pretty hard to miss, as the windows are painted all crazy, posters and advertising will almost fill you with anxiety and make you want to just run on past. Now, if you don't do that and do go inside, approach slowly. This place has everything but the kitchen sink. Burgers (cheese, bacon, turkey, veggie) pizza, italian beef sandwiches, soups, onion straws (didn't want to know) and cheesesteaks. Cheesesteaks! Now, being from Philly/South Jersey, I snicker at cheesesteaks that have the nerve to be sold anywhere but there. I thought we were going for hotdogs?!! I did manage to locate "hot dogs" on the enormous menu and ordered a jumbo Vienna Beef with "everything" no onions, no relish. And then order up! Whoaaa! Everything but the kitchen sink indeed! Byron's version of "everything" is lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sliced green pepper, sport peppers (hot peppers) pickles and topped with celery salt. Underneath the "big salad" lies the hot dog. No poppy seeds on the bun, though. I had to eat some toppings alone to lighten it up, but actually managed to keep it all together until the last bite, which was some feat. The good thing is the hot dogs are quite tasty and juicy, and you can taste that underneath it all. And the fries are not bad, not too thick, not too salty and come in a brown paper bag. I have come to be amazed at the enormity of the "Chicago style" dog, and this place is the biggest yet. If you can make it past the busy windows, busy menu and just order a dog, go for it. Just pay attention to the "toppings" offered. You might end up with a salad.

Zombieland, then Hotdogs...

Me and the buddy had a fantastic Saturday this past weekend. We braved the neverending NYC weekend rain and found refuge at the movie theatre. We saw Zombieland, awesome!!! After watching the zombie meatfest we decided to have a meatfest of our own, and headed to Gray's Papaya. We took shelter from the constant downpour and enjoyed the special, two dogs and a drink each. At Grays, you get a super healthy drink to go with, so buddy had papaya, I had the coconut. Makes you feel good!!! Like I said before, Gray's remains my favorite. Toasted bun, snappy, meaty dog, choice of onions, chile/relish stuff, mustard or ketchup. We had mustard on all and enjoyed people watching and talk of the movie. The staff is super-New York friendly, and offered to take our picture. Even though we weren't wearing those stupid tourist ponchos we obliged to a tourist moment, and gladly had our pics taken. Blame it on the rain.

Saturday Afternoon Lunch

What could make a better Saturday afternoon than being cosy inside watching your 11 year old kick butt on Grand Theft Auto?? Making hotdogs for lunch! Showing the little buddy pics of Chicago loaded hot dogs made him hungry enough to make some for lunch. We had Stahl-Meyer's, a NYC beef dog. Soft buns, fresh outta the bag, Sriracha hot sauce (the super-hot Chinese sauce with the rooster on the label) mustard, and pickles. These are good beef dogs, plump with a slight hickory flavor. Best grilled. The hot sauce was good, suprisingly good if you want a nice bite. After that, he made us his special milkshake, vanilla soymilk/vanilla ice cream/nutella/peanut butter/chocolate syrup. Yummies! This lunch fueled us enough to go back to knocking off heads on GTA.

SuperDawg-Chicago, IL

Oh, my. SuperDawg, I love you. An iconic car-hop hot dog joint that offers the best yet in my Chicago adventures. We ordered from the walk-up window and had a bit of a wait as this place is really packed. Behind the scenes is quite a production, as you can watch the staff prepare tons of orders, sans gloves!! Hmmm....anyway. Order up! and we went outside to the picnic tables to feast. The orders come nestled in cute boxes, once opened...delight. A huge beef hot dog, soft bun atop crinkle cut, perfectly crisped fries. I had mustard, pickle, sport peppers. The pickle is extra crisp and a big slice, very generous with the peppers, and cute bonus-a tomato pickle stuck on top. I love surprises! Bite through soft bun, cold crisp pickle, hot pepper and juicy, juicy beef. Superdawg, you make me feel dirty, you are that good. I could eat here daily, and watch my thin Northeastern girl frame widen to Chicago proportions, but hey! It's all good. Do not drive past, stop in when you see the big hotdog people dancing on the roof. You will loooooove it!

White Sox Dogs-US Cellular Field Chicago

Eating a hot dog at a ball game is about as good as it gets. So we went to a couple White Sox games this week, and hit the Vienna Beef stand first thing. At US Cellular Field, this being Chicago mind you, there are lots of (I mean lots of) options. Brats, Polish, Sausage, nachos, churros, burgers....the list goes on. But we were keeping it simple. The dogs served are Vienna Beef, simply served on a soft bun. The only options were ketchup, mustard and onions, which I feel was a nice change from all the loaded dogs I have been eating out here in Chicago. I went for mustard and my honey (hot dog date) went for mustard & onion. Why ketchup is even offered is beyond me, as it is considered a mortal sin out here to put that condiment on your hot dog. And ummm ummm good, as the only thing standing in they way of delicious beefy dog was a little mustard. You could really eat two or three this way, if so inclined and there is not a mountain of stuff to get stuffed on. But then you wouldn't have room for the beer! Hot dogs and ball games=a match made in heaven.

Portillo's-Forest Park, IL

Mmmmmhmmmm! Bingo! Portillo's is a big winner in my book. A 50's style diner with an almost outrageous number of chains around Chicago. Inside it has the complete retro look, leather booths, zinc counters, posters of Chubby Checker and the like. But let's get down to dogs. They serve excellent, big fat Vienna Beef franks that are longer than the bun, so their cute plump heineys pop out of both sides. Nice! Pickles, peppers, tomatoes and mustard. A nice satisfying juicy bite of beef awaits. As a great side, crinkle cut cheese fries. There will be melted cheese and pickle juice flying everywhere, it just can't be helped. A bit pricier than other places I've been to lately, but totally worth it. Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Parky's-Forest Park, IL

Eh. So we ran out for a quick lunch and went to Parky's. The look of the place was cool, triangle-shaped old school hot dog joint. Service was really quick and pleasant, and there are many picnic table to eat at outside. But, eh. Vienna Beef was not advertised, and I have come to learn that while hot dog dining in Chicagoland, go with the Vienna Beef. I had a regular with "everything" without onion or relish. I have come to detest the neon-green, super-sweet relish (as if I didn't before) that they serve out here. Parky's version of "everything" is tomato and sport peppers. No pickle?! I will say that the sport peppers (pickled pepper to those not in the know) here are big, fat and juicy. Nice bite and they spray pepper juice all over. But the hot dogs are boiled, or steamed, or something, light colored dogs highly reminicent of school cafeteria lunch dogs. Guess they are keeping it old school. Go with the advertised "all beef dog" as my hot dog date did. I left far more dissapointed that he did. I will say their fries are good, skin-on and come in a big fat greast bag, nicely salted. So-peppers good, dogs bad. Can't win 'em all.

Pete's Red Hots-Oak Park, IL

It's all in the bun. I decided to give the dog with everything a whirl. Pickle, tomato, relish, onion, sport peppers (little pickled peppers) and mustard. Vienna beef, which is all over Chicagoland as the dog of choice. But the bun was great! My first poppyseed bun, soft and fresh. Of course the dogs were good too. Even though I ordered "with everything" it wasn't overpowering, the hot dog wasn''t lost. The fries were good too, extra crispy outside and soft inside. The only downfall is that you don't get much of an order with the hotdog, but it might be the way it's all thrown together, as my hot dog date had a bigger order of fries. The service was super-fast, pleasant and not rushed. You can sit inside (they have a tv) or outside at picnic tables, where you can get a good view of the (so I was told) constant construction of the road. So take your pick. A really good, cheap lunch place. Thumbs up!

Chicago dogs-Gene and Jude's

Wow! Since I have been making many trips to the Windy City, I have begun to experience hot dog bliss-Chicago Style!!! These hot dogs are no joke, and a neat experience for a Northeasterner. Chicago dogs are all about Vienna Beef, which is really good. No ketchup!! Beware if you even ask for it. So Gene and Jude's is a must-stop for hot dog lovers. Their hot dogs are loaded! Mustard, wierd neon green relish, onions and "sport peppers" are the toppings of choice. And they come loaded with french fries, really good french fries at that. You will be stuffed with one, but give the double dog a whirl. It's a no-nonsense place, order and slide on down the line to pay & wait for your hot dog. Kinda like the soup-nazi, hot dog style. The workers may be a gruff bunch, either die hard White Sox or Cubs fans, with a Yankee hat thrown in, so beware what team's colors you are sporting. But please stop by if you are in Chicagoland, you will love it!

My 1st NYC hot dog..many years ago

When I first moved to NYC 12 years ago I was introduced to Gray's Papaya. Two dogs and a drink, back then $1.99. You can't beat that. Gray's are served on a semi-toasted bun, with a choice of onions, relish, sauerkraut, ketchup or mustard. The best thing about these dogs is the "snap". I go for the ketchup/mustard combo, because the meat is really good and all I want to taste. They are served pretty hot, with a wonderful bite, and you can hear the snap once bitten into. And the best part for me: guaranteed attached to the dog is the little nub link where they were once joined, a nibbler's delight! Juicy and delicious. The drinks served are very fresh, pina colada, banana daquiri or papaya. A true gourmet delight for the NYC hot dog lover. And eating two doesn't make you feel stuffed at all! I love how the signs also bill Gray's dogs as "Recession Special", which has been a sign up for many years. After all these years, they still remain my favorite and are a definite spot to take any tourists, friends, visitors for the best NYC dog.