the entry where val eats a hot dog
I guess you can call me un-Chicagoan and probably un-American while you're in it. You see, I am one of those people who dresses their hot dog as such:
Yes, yes I take a little hot dog with my ketchup.
In fact, I had only, to my recollection, ever eaten a hot dog once before that wasn't just and only smothered in ketchup. (That time was in L.A. when I went to Pink's and got a humongousaur chili bacon cheese dog.) And, in fact, I refuse to even order a hot dog in Chicago for fear of being looked down on for ordering it with "just ketchup."
The anti-ketchup thing isn't just a Chicago thing though, it's an American thing. I mean, I might as well get a side of French fries instead of Freedom fries and just call it a day. While every area has a special way that makes a hot dog theirs the one thing almost everyone can agree on is that if you order ketchup on a hot dog you might as well be a communist.
In Chicago, a hot dog is basically Vienna beef topped with a salad: mustard, onion, neon green relish, celery salt, tomato, peppers and a pickle spear. But I hate mustard. And I hate relish. And I certainly hate peppers. And, quite honestly, I just plain like ketchup. But, I suppose, you really can't knock it 'till you try it. So I made it one of my missions for the year to, finally, after 27 years, try a Chicago-style dog.
Josh and I hit up a place in Wrigleyville tonight that was recommended by his friend. We each got ourselves a dog, some fries, and a Coke, and dug right in.
So...it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Despite the fact that I hate all the ingredients they still kind of worked together. And despite the fact that I normally hate any crunchy plus soft combos it was completely edible. I still didn't like the peppers because peppers burn my lip and taste all hot and sour. At least this place cut them up though; I couldn't bite into it if they were whole. All in all though, I ate the whole thing and, I guess, it was kind of tasty.
So maybe, every once in a while, maybe I'll order myself a Chicago dog. But, who are we kidding. I'm a ketchup kind of girl.
Comments
I don't know where it is located but I guess I am not a Chicago dog kinda guy. I like ketchup and mustard. That's it. Unless it is chili and cheese. I like that too
Posted by: Anonymous | February 10, 2008 2:28 AM
I was a ketchup only type of girl until not long ago...then they had these little onion dispensers at the Sox game. Now I am a ketchup and onion girl.
Posted by: Jen | February 10, 2008 2:33 AM
we are still the same person.
i only do ketchup on dogs.
if anyone asks, it's a st. louis thing.
Posted by: heather | February 11, 2008 7:02 AM