Chicago - Chicago Dogs

Different foods are associated with different places, and so when you are there it makes sense to try them, and get the full experience. You can get gelato in Portland, but you need to get it in Italy. We knew we needed to try Chicago pizza, and asking around everyone had suggestions. We knew Chicago also had a specific style of hot dog, and no one had any suggestions for that.

We also asked about other foods. A lot of what people mention is the different kinds of ethnic food, especially Polish, but there were no concrete suggestions, and we did not have endless time and money, so we did not pursue that. Someone suggested steakhouses and barbecue, but that did not sound like it would be a specifically Chicago thing, so we held off on that too. The hot dog remained a goal, but without any suggestions on where to go, how would we know we were getting a real one?

Riding the elevator down from Skydeck, we found ourselves in the gift shop.

Clearly this was a place where they took it seriously. They also served food.

Speaking to the employee, my sisters had some trepidation about getting the full thing. They just got regular hot dogs, with ketchup, mustard, and neon relish. I suppose the fact that the store was willing to put ketchup on a hot dog is just a concession to tourists, but if there is any place in Chicago where you would need to make such a concession, it is probably here, even though it might also be the place with the most philosophical opposition. The service industry is full of such compromises.

But I was there for the real deal, and that is what I got. One all-beef frank on a poppyseed bun, with mustard and bright green relish, topped with chopped onions and celery salt, and served with tomato slices, peppers, and a dill spear. Tradition indicates it was created during the Great Depression, providing a full meal for a reasonable price:

How was it? Okay. My deal is that while I never do put ketchup on a hot dog, I also never put mustard or relish or anything else on a hot dog. I like them plain. I wanted to try the flavor combination, and I did, but when the second pepper fell off, I did not retrieve it, and I could easily go the rest of my life without ever putting condiments on a hot dog again. I like dill pickle spears, but I don't really associate them with hot dogs.

Some things you just do for the experience, and then once is enough.

I probably am more awesome than my sisters.