Who makes the best hot dog?

[Daithi]

I did a poll on who makes the best pizza a couple weeks ago. This week I'm following up with who makes the best hot dog?

NY Style -- plain natural-casing all beef hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut.
(e.g. Nathan's Famous, Gray's Papaya, Papaya King, Katz Deli, NY Street Vendors)

Chicago Style -- Vienna Beef w/ natural-casing, poppy seed bun, mustard, onions, relish, pickle, tomato slices, sport peppers, and dash of celery salt.
(e.g. Hot Doug's, Superdawg's, Gene & Jude's)

Coney Island Style -- The signature feature is chili sauce on the hot dog.
(e.g. American Coney Island (MI), Lafayette Coney Island (MI), New York System (RI), Pink's (CA))

Southern Style -- The signature feature is a cole slaw topping on the hot dog.
(e.g. Nu-Way Weiners, The Varsity, Jack's Cosmic Dogs)

Baseball Stadium -- It's not the hot dog but the where that is important
(e.g. Dodger Dog, Fenway Frank, SD Padres Sonoran Dog)

Homemade -- cookout with the family, or boiled in a pot and slapped in a piece of bread.
(e.g. your backyard, mom's kitchen, around a campfire)

Other -- my personal favorite is none of the above

[wodin]

Costco!

[Daithi]

My own personal favorite is Spike's Junkyard Dog in Rhode Island. They make variety of hot dogs, but the one that is more-or-less a Chicago style hot dog, with a few differences, is my favorite. They have their hot dogs made for them, and they are really good. Natural casings that give a good firm snap, and the hot dog is made from 100% beef. The toppings include sliced tomato, pickle wedge, banana peppers, and chopped scallions. However, it is the bun that really makes this hot dog. They make their buns on site throughout the day, and they are absolutely perfect.

A few years back the original location on Thayer St. (right down the street from Brown Univ.) closed. One upset college student described Spike's hot dogs with these words--

If you've never had a Spike's dog before, allow me to assist you in comprehending the scope and majesty of the greatness that is Spike's. Imagine the best hot dog you've ever had. Except make it delicious. Then a little more delicious. At that point, your imaginary hot dog is about as tasty as a Spike's dog that's been dropped on the ground and pooped on. That's right. Your hot dog sucks compared to Spike's.

And don't give me this Crif Dog shit either... Eating a Crif Dog is like taking your pet pig (or pitbull) to the prom. You can dress it up any way you'd like, but when it comes down to it, you're still slow dancing with a pig. Eating a Spike's Junkyard Dog is like taking five supermodels to the prom who also happen to be Rhodes Scholars, have worked three years with Peace Corps, Americorps, AND the Marine Corps, and are totally freaky in the bedroom.

Here is a picture:

[Provenzano]

What about the Hermosillo-style hot dog?

They even were featured in the NY Times.

[ScotiaBurrell]

“THE problem with American hot dogs is that they’re American,”

The best hot dogs come from Sonora,” the Mexican state immediately to the south. “Everybody knows that.”

In Tucson more than 100 vendors, known as hotdogueros, peddle Sonoran-style hot dogs — candy cane-wrapped in bacon, griddled until dog and bacon fuse, garnished with a kitchen sink of taco truck condiments and stuffed into split-top rolls that owe a debt to both Mexican bolillo loaves and grocery store hot dog buns.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/di...unit.html?_r=1

[cooofeey]

wow,they all seem tasty.I am hungry.
I choose the homemade :Homemade -- cookout with the family, or boiled in a pot and slapped in a piece of bread.

[Daithi]

I actually came "this" close including a Sonoran Style in the poll. It looks like maybe I should have.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Daithi

I actually came "this" close including a Sonoran Style in the poll. It looks like maybe I should have.

Yup, and you missed Costco too!

[pagansoul]

One of these but I seldom eat hot dogs. In New Jersey, its Rutts Hutt deep fried and in NY its a Sabrett.

[shootingMaNs]

A cheese coney from Skyline Chili in Cincinnati! I can't wait until I'm back in Cincinnati this summer.

http://www.skylinechili.com/

[Aurora W]

hmmmm, Chicago-style. Just leave off the peppers, please.

[Daithi]

Here are a couple more pictures of New England hot dogs.

This one is quite popular in Providence. They are called the "New York System" but as far as I can tell they don't have anything to do with New York. It was just an advertising thing. I live right down the street from one of the places famous for this style. These might not be the best quality wieners (don't call them hot dogs) but they do taste good. The place I live near was founded in the 1940s and still looks pretty much the same as when it opened. I also lived across town, and have had the New York System wieners from a place that claims it was founded in 1917, but it doesn't have the same character.



Sign from outside the place near me--



Picture inside the place--



One last thing, the picture below is a picture of a New England Style Bun. It is basically a hotdog bun with the edges slices off. I thought it was incredibly stupid when I first moved here. Then I had them when the bun was toasted, and realized why they are so popular up here. It is a lot easier to toast the buns with the edges slices off, and if you like a grilled cheese sandwich you'll like these buns. They use these buns for lobster rolls too. Lastly, I still think serving them untoasted is stupid.

[issybird]

Gourmet Magazine rated the hotdogs here as the best in America:



I went to high school across the street and many are the Walter's dogs I ate in those years. That said, chili dogs edge out NY-style for me.

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by Daithi

Whats the stuff under onions?

[Daithi]

It is a meat/chili sauce. They also sprinkle garlic powder over the top. The wieners are made with a mixture of pork, beef (some say veal), and various spices. They definitely don't taste like they are good for you, but they do taste good. Guy Fieri, from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, did a show on them (I think his wife is from Providence). The guy that eats tons of food at different places also did a show on them.