It was about frickin' time I ate a hot dog.
Soon, the time passed of not eating a bunned wiener would amount to a decade and, honestly there isn't anything I wouldn't eat anymore.
Yet, in the amount of years passed, I promised myself that the first dog I'd chow down on would be worth the wait. My ultimate hot dog shack-of-a-crush has always been Hot Doug's in Chicago. The menu is quirky and phenomenal, including foie gras-topped dogs, aside duck fat-fried frenchies.
But, I'm not in Chicago, I'm in the suburbs of Philadelphia so, I had to uncover the next best thing.
Philly Hot Dog Cafe, first opened last year as a diamond-in-the-rough of a Limerick strip mall, boosts itself at having an overwhelming roster of hot dog combinations. Only some of which are listed on their online menu, the 100% domestic beef dog are loaded with varying fresh ingredients that appear as though "dragged through the garden" with everything from dill pickle spears, coleslaw, roasted reds to celery salt, spicy chili, corned beef and Bleu cheese.
My choice: The Southern Dawg topped with a sweet-and-spicy chili and a homemade coleslaw. The bun, fresh and soft, also allowed for an overall excellent bite.
B's choice: The Chicago Dog, which he selected because it reminded him of the specialty wiener served at Hot Doug's, was amazingly loaded with tomato slices, sport peppers, dill spear, diced onions, relish, mustard and celery salt--all served on a poppy seed bun. In addition to the Chicago, he also selected the simply pleasant Polish Dog, served with spicy mustard and sauerkraut.With an exciting beef-and-bun experience, hot dogs may not become an everyday thing, yet I will be more willing to bite into another cylinder sometime soon. Also, next visit I am opting for the town-appropriate dog, The Limerick Dog, served dosed with a nuclear hot sauce and Bleu cheese.
