Posted on 07/09/2008 10:36:33 AM PDT by yankeedame
Posted by Jenn Sit, July 2, 2008 at 5:00 PM
As we head into the 4th of July weekend, hot dogs are everywhere. They're on our grill and on our plates.
They're on our TVs (the annual hot dog eating contest on ESPN). And this being Serious Eats, they're on our mind. Let's discuss. We bring you Serious Eats' definitive guide to America's regional hot dog styles.
Sonorans (Tuscon and Phoenix, Arizona)
Bacon-wrapped hot dogs are grilled, then nestled in steamed bolillo rolls and topped with pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, mustard, mayo, and jalapeños. Other variations could include any of the following: shredded cheddar, queso fresco, cotija cheese, salsa verde, and guacamole.
Michigan Red Hots (Upstate New York)
A favorite that hails from New York's North Country, Michigan red hots are steamed beef franks with a natural casing, served in a steamed split-top bun, and topped with a minced meat chili (no tomatoes or beans), chopped raw onions, and mustard. Some places, like Clare and Carl's in Plattburgh, NY, serve theirs in a New England roll, which has closed ends and is cut down the top.
Clare and Carl's
4729 NY-9, Plattsburgh NY
518-561-1163
New York System (Rhode Island)
Similar to Michigans and Coneys, the New York System wiener joints can be found all over Rhode Island. Griddled natural casing all-beef hot dogs are served in steamed side-cut rolls with meat sauce, mustard, chopped onion, and a dash of celery salt. Olneyville's in Providence uses hot dogs that come in a long rope that's cut on the premises and a special spice mix for the meat sauce that can be purchased from its website. At most places, the chef will line up the "gaggahs" on his bare arms to load up the toppings.
Olneyville New York System Hot Weiners
20 Plainfield Street, Providence RI 02909
401-621-9500
OlneyvilleNYSystem.com
Slaw Dogs (The South)
Hot dogs slathered with a sweeter, finely chopped, mayo-based slaw are popular in the South, where variations can include the chili-slaw (cole slaw, mustard, raw onion, minced all-meat chili) and BBQ slaw. Some places, like Nu-Way in Macon, Georgia, use red hots, while others may go for the all-beef with natural casings.
Nu-Way
Several locations throughout Georgia
Nu-WayWeiners.com
Red and White Hots (Rochester, New York)
In Rochester New York, hot dogs are known as "hots" and come in either red or white. Most hots are found on another Rochester classic, the garbage plate—an amalgam of hots (or burgers, sausage, whatever you please), potato salad, home fries, meat sauce, among others. White hots are normally made of a mixture of uncured pork, veal, and beef, while red hots can be made with pork, beef, or both. Zweigle's is best known in Rochester as the first to introduce the white hots in 1925 and makes both natural casing and skinless varieties.
Red Dogs (Maine)
Also known as "red snappers," this dog gets its name from its neon colored casing, which has no effect on the taste. Some joints serve theirs grilled or griddled for the best snap in a toasted, buttered roll, while others, like Simone's Hot Dog Stand, go steamed in a steamed top-split bun.
Simone's Hot Dog Stand
99 Chestnut Street, Lewiston ME
207-782-8431
Flo's Hot Dogs (Cape Neddick, Maine)
Go to Flo's red shack on Rt. 1 for a steamed hot dog (pork and beef mix) smeared with mayo, a dash of celery salt, and Flo's legendary secret relish (a dark, spicy, sweet and sour onion concoction that can be purchased online by the jarful), all in a soft steamed bun.
Flo's Hot Dogs
Route 1, Cape Neddick ME 03902
Floshotdogs.com
Kosher and Kosher-style (New York City and New Jersey)
Kosher dogs are all-beef and come either skinless or in collagen casing, while kosher-style dogs are stuffed into natural casing, which gives it that snap when bitten. According to Ed, you'll find the best kosher franks in the city at the Second Avenue Deli and at Ben's Best in Rego Park. Queens. As for the classic kosher-style, you can't go wrong at Katz's Deli, Gray's Papaya, or Papaya King, especially when griddled and topped with sauerkraut and a smear of mustard.
Second Avenue Deli
162 E. 33rd Street, New York NY 10016
212-677-0606
Ben's Best
96-40 Queen Boulevard, Rego Park NY
718-897-1700
bensbestkosherdeli.com
Katz's Deli
205 E. Houston Street, New York NY 10002
212-254-2246
Katzdeli.com
Gray's Papaya
Locations throughout New York City
Grayspapaya.com
Papaya King
Locations throughout New York City
Papayaking.com
Italian-style (New Jersey)
Places in and around Newark, like Dickie Dee's and Tommy's, like to serve their dogs Italian-style (a.k.a. Newark-dogs): skinny all-beef hot dogs are deep fried and stuffed into a half- round of Italian bread (or sometimes "pizza bread"), along with fried onion, peppers, and potato rounds.
Dickie Dee's
380 Bloomfield Avenue, Newark NJ
973-483-9396
Tommy's Italian Sausages and Hot Dogs
900 Second Avenue, Elizabeth NJ
908-351-9831
Deep-Fried (New Jersey)
Get your deep-fried dog in three ways at places like Rutt's Hutt: the "in and outer" (barely fried), the "ripper" (crinkly burst skin), or the "cremator" (well-done with crunchy crust). It's an ugly pork and beef frank in a steamed bun, but at Rutt's, you can cover it up with some of its sweet and spicy yellow relish.
Rutt's Hutt
417 River Road, Clifton NJ
973-779-8615
Chicago Dog (Chicago)
All beef dogs in a steamed poppy seed bun and dragged through the garden: minced raw onion, neon sweet relish, sport peppers, pickle spear, halved tomato slices, yellow mustard, celery salt—and of course, no ketchup.
Coneys (Midwest)
From Detroit to Tulsa, Coneys are a favorite: small-sized, all-beef natural casing dogs served in steamed buns and topped with minced meat chili, mustard, and chopped onions (order the "loaded" and you'll get shredded cheddar, too). Depending on where you are in the Midwest though, they can come big or small, grilled or steamed, with "coney sauce" that ranges from the drier side to the wet.
Half Smokes (D.C. Area)
Arguably Washington D.C.'s signature dish, a half-smoke is like an over-sized spicy sausage and can be filled with a pork/beef mix or all-beef. Some places steam them, but the legendary Ben's Chili Bowl serves its chili half-smokes by grilling the snappy links, putting them in steamed buns, and topping with chili, mustard, and chopped raw onions.
Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U Street NW, Washington DC 20009
202-667-0909
Benschilibowl.com
Pink's Chili Dogs (Los Angeles)
Pink's chili dogs are legendary: all-beef, natural casing, and topped with onions, mustard, and a slather of meaty chili in a steamed bun. Variations include: the foot-long jalapeno dog; the Ozzy Spice Dog with a spicy Polish sausage, Nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole and chopped tomatoes; and the bacon chili cheese dog.
Pink's
709 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90038
323-302-4779
Pinkshollywood.com
Dodger Dog (Los Angeles)
One of the most eaten stadium dogs out there, Dodger dogs are skinless foot-long hot dogs made of pork and set in a steamed bun. Dodger fans can get theirs steamed or grilled and if they can't make it to the park, the official Farmer John Dodger Dogs can be found in some supermarkets in the area.
Puka Dog (Honolulu and Koloa, HI)
Native to the Island, but seemingly more gimmicky than an authentic representation of Hawaiian cuisine, the puka dog is a grilled Polish sausage (or veggie dog, if you prefer) served in a large bun that's had a hole (or "puka") pushed into it by a contraption that also toasts the inside. You can choose from a variety of "garlic lemon secret sauces" that ranges from "mild original" to "habenero hot hot," tropical relishes, and lilikoi or guava mustards. Traditional toppings like ketchup and Dijon are also available. When I was there this spring, I got the Polish sausage with hot sauce, mango relish, and lilikoi mustard. It was great, but I wasn't sold on the price ($6.25 for one puka).
Puka Dog
2650 Kiahuna Plantation Drive, Koloa HI 96756
808-742-6044
and
2301 Kuhio Avenue # 2, Honolulu HI 96815
808 924-7887
Pukadog.com
And The State That Has It All: Connecticut
Who knew that Connecticut was the mecca of hot dog variations? There's the split and grilled frank topped with homemade condiments at Super Duper Weenie's in Fairfield; the chili and Orleans dogs from the Top Dog truck in Portland; Rawley's "works" dog in Fairfield that's a natural casing deep-fried, griddled, then topped with mustard, relish, sauerkraut and crunchy bacon chunks, all in a toasted bun; and the list of beloved franks goes on. It's a state that deserves a hot dog tour in itself.
Super Duper Weenie
306 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield CT
203-334-DOGS
SuperDuperWeenie.com
Top Dog's
Route 66, Portland CT (nr. High Street)
Rawley's
1886 Post Road, Fairfield CT
203-259-9023
Lafayette Coney Island hot dogs in Detroit.
glutton bump
One of Dad’s creations was similiar...pre-grilled hot dog, cheese and a small portion of chili, onion...wrap in tortilla, skewer with toothpick and deep fry until golden brown. Top with more chili, onions, hot peppers and cheese with a portion of sour cream on top.
Is there a specific brand of Brat you can recommend? I tried Johnsonville Brats and found them a major improvement over ordinary hot dogs like Armour/Oscar Meyer/et al;and if there’s something even better than a Johnsonville Brat I’d love to try it.
How fitting. Today is “coney day” at the local watering hole I frequent and I get a craving every wednesday for 2 coney dogs and chili cheese fries!
I prefer national’s chili, but a coney is always good!
I remember Armour or Oscar Meyer had a hot dog with cheddar bites inserted in it that I used to like (I was very young). Maybe that’s it? The Beddar Cheddars are pretty decent-and back when I still ate just plain hot dogs, Hebrew nationals were OK.
I remember Armour or Oscar Meyer had a hot dog with cheddar bites inserted in it that I used to like (I was very young). Maybe that’s it? The Beddar Cheddars are pretty decent-and back when I still ate just plain hot dogs, Hebrew nationals were OK.
I like my michigans buried, and white hots!
The best ‘dogs were from the Strand Lunch on Main in New Britain ... the chili sauce was to die for ... alas only a wonderful memory, as it is closed. ;-P
[best ‘dogs still are Grote & Weigel naturals]
We always loved the grilled buns at HJ’s , just a memory
now.
I love dogs.
Debrisina, brats, you name it as long as the skin has pop.
Chili dogs, Slaw dogs, I’d like to try those bacon wrapped
dogs from LA.
Mmmmmmmm.
Hi Ma, Hi Sis, Hi Cuz, mmmmmm dogs!
Mark
Usingers in Milwaukee still make some of the best hot dogs and brats around.
I think I want hot dogs for dinner tonight.
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