Stevez,

I think that Gene and Jude's was indeed the creator of the idea of putting the fries on top of the hot dog. The author of Never Put Ketchup On A Hot Dog is Bob Schwartz- A Senior Vice President at Vienna Beef. The man is passionate about Chicago style hot dogs, and has spent a good portion of his life devoted to the history of Chicago hot dogs. Mr. Schwartz wrote in his book that the idea was conceived at a baseball game when Gene Mormino asked Jude Desantis, "What can we do to present our hot dogs differently than the next guy ?" Mr. Schwartz then goes on to report that Gene and Jude then came up with the idea to put the fries on top of the hot dog, which in turn has been copied over and over again by everyone else. Similarly, in the up coming issue of Rachel Ray's March addition magazine which features Gene and Jude's as the best hot dog in America, the same story is being reported, but in a little more detail. ( i.e. Who ever did their homework on this topic reveals that Gene and Jude were at a Cubs game, and that Gene looked down at his food on his lap while thinking all of this over ).

Thus, that's two different publications reporting on the same topic- that Gene and Judes invented the idea of putting the fries on top of the hot dog. Does this make it true ? Maybe, and maybe not. However, I'm inclined to believe Bob Schwartz. The man knows a lot more about Chicago style hot dogs than any of us will ever really know, or even have the time to study its' long and successful history.

Thick,

No offense taken my friend. I'm a big Gene and Jude's guy, but this is Chicago, and there is plenty of room for hot dog love in this city. Heck, my mother can't stand Gene and Jude's, and yet it's my all time favorite hot dog. She prefers Mickey's on Mannheim Road. Who's gonna argue with her? Not me.

deepdish wrote:Heck, my mother can't stand Gene and Jude's, and yet it's my all time favorite hot dog. She prefers Mickey's on Mannheim Road. Who's gonna argue with her? Not me.

Gene and Jude's turns out a fine minimalist dog, I prefer Jimmy's, but don't want to argue with your mother either.

Far as Gene and Jude's "inventing" fries on a dog, doubtful, highly doubtful.

Enjoy,
Gary

deepdish wrote:Thick,

No offense taken my friend. I'm a big Gene and Jude's guy, but this is Chicago, and there is plenty of room for hot dog love in this city. Heck, my mother can't stand Gene and Jude's, and yet it's my all time favorite hot dog. She prefers Mickey's on Mannheim Road. Who's gonna argue with her? Not me.

My wife doesn't like the place either. Matter of fact, when I stop there with her, she'll walk over to the McDonalds while I stand in line at G&J. That's fine. It's one reason we've been able to stay married for 38 years, we agree on almost nothing

deepdish wrote:Stevez,

I think that Gene and Jude's was indeed the creator of the idea of putting the fries on top of the hot dog. The author of Never Put Ketchup On A Hot Dog is Bob Schwartz- A Senior Vice President at Vienna Beef. The man is passionate about Chicago style hot dogs, and has spent a good portion of his life devoted to the history of Chicago hot dogs. Mr. Schwartz wrote in his book that the idea was conceived at a baseball game when Gene Mormino asked Jude Desantis, "What can we do to present our hot dogs differently than the next guy ?" Mr. Schwartz then goes on to report that Gene and Jude then came up with the idea to put the fries on top of the hot dog, which in turn has been copied over and over again by everyone else.

With all due respect to Mr. Schwartz, I don't think this claim holds water. Fries were being served on top of hot dogs in Chicago long before 1950 when Gene & Jude's opened.

G Wiv wrote:

deepdish wrote:Heck, my mother can't stand Gene and Jude's, and yet it's my all time favorite hot dog. She prefers Mickey's on Mannheim Road. Who's gonna argue with her? Not me.

Gene and Jude's turns out a fine minimalist dog, I prefer Jimmy's, but don't want to argue with your mother either.

Far as Gene and Jude's "inventing" fries on a dog, doubtful, highly doubtful.

Enjoy,
Gary

Those that know me, well they also know I don't stray away from arguments. Especially when it involves sports, the city of Chicago or food. When it involves sports or food in Chicago, forget about it!

While G&J's is top notch and one of the best, as is Jimmy's (I do love them both) I don't think either or is best. Aside from the natural casing dog being the most important part, the other is the fresh cut fries and I find them to be soggy and limp at both G&J and Jimmy's more times than not. I (as in me, just an opinion) think 35th Street Red Hot's and RedHot Ranch (same owner) serve the cities best hot dog, fries on top and always crispy. One thing all of lovers of G&J and these other minimalist dog spots can agree on is that the minimalist Chicago style hot dog is the best regional variation of a hot dog in this fine country.

RIP to Demon Dogs, the best hot dog stand ever got a shout out on Showtime's new show 'Shameless' last week, pretty cool.

*Edited to switch it back to what I originally wrote which got lost in the shuffle

thick wrote:I'm sure that I won't make any new friends when I say that I just don't get the magic of eating at Gene and Jude's. One visit was enough. Thirty minute wait. Barely lukewarm, dirty water hot dog. Large chunks of very smelly onion instead of fresh,finely chopped, and absolutely the very worst french fries I have ever been served-cold, limp, undercooked grease sponges that were plain inedible. For me to NOT finish a hot dog says something. There was nothing about the visit that would make me excuse an off day and try the place again. I was pissed that I wasted the time and even more pissed that I threw away the money on this "treat". Give me a Portillo's, Parky's, hell, anybody other than G and J's. Sorry if I offended any G and J purists, but the place just didn't work for me.

I'm with you, I didn't really get it either.

Da Beef wrote:I think that 35th Street Red Hot's and RedHot Ranch (same owner) serve the cities best hot dog, fries on top and always crispy. One thing all of lovers of G&J and these other minimalist dog spots can agree on is that the minimalist Chicago style hot dog is the best regional variation of a hot dog in this fine country.

RIP to Demon Dogs, the greatest hot dog stand ever got a shout out on Showtime's new show 'Shameless' last week, pretty cool.

I don't know about "best" (all of these places are so variable, that any of them could be the best on any given day), but I agree that Red Hot Ranch and 35th Street belong in the top echelon of dogs in Chicago.

The Demon Dogs shout out was pretty cool, and as long as we're talking about gone and greatly missed minmalist hot dog stands, I'll add the late lamented Lerner's to the list (who served fries on top of their hot dogs as early as 1949).

Stevez- So what places were serving the fries on top of the hot dog before Gene and Judes ? Not Fluky's. Not Jim's Original. What places are you talking about ? I'd like to know. Actually, I take that back. This is an argument that is meaningless because I'm not the one who wrote the book on hot dogs. That would be Mr. Schwartz. However, I'm sure he'd like to know where you get your information from concerning the history of Chicago hot dogs, only because he's the foremost authority on the subject. He eats, sleeps, and breathes the subject, and is more versed in hot dog history than any of us. He's definitely devoted his life's work to the subject, so why wouldn't you trust his research ?

G Wiv- I like Jimmy's almost as much as Gene and Jude's. The two are very close. The owner and his son are good guys, too. I tried to convert my mother many moons ago to Gene and Jude's with little success. Her spot will always be Mickey's, which is also in the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame much like G and J and Jimmy's.

Stevez- You're talking about the old Lerner's in Albany Park, right ? If you're claiming they served fries on top of the hot dog before Gene and Jude's, then let Bob Schwartz know. I can't believe this would get by him and, quite frankly, I don't think it did.

deepdish wrote:I can't believe this would get by him and, quite frankly, I don't think it did.

We all have beliefs that we hold dear. That doesn't necessarily make them truths.

I think this is one of those facts that probably can't be verified one way or the other. Just try to find definitive information on who invented the Caesar Salad, for example. Let's get back to singing the praises of Gene & Judes which, I believe, we both like.

You couldn't be more right, stevez- you couldn't be more right. Gene and Jude's will always be my gold standard for hot dogs. Heck, I was there yesterday with my son. On another note, one of the great Chicago mysteries I'll never be able to figure out is who really invented deep dish pizza. Was it Ike Sewell as the now Boston based Uno Corporation claims ? Was it his partner Ric Riccardo ? Or was it Rudy Malnati, Sr., as his son over at Pizano's always claims his father invented deep dish pizza. Then again, what else would he say ?

Out of all our great Chicago culinary inventions, pizza is nearest and dearest to my heart, despite what my cardiologist has been telling me for years now. This is a legend that will probably never be solved, and is definitely a subject for another post. That said, I wish somebody- anybody- would put it all finally to rest with the truth. Any thoughts ? Your guess is as good as mine.

The main reason why I like this chat site is because it's a light hearted and refreshing break from reality, which, these days, I'm always trying to escape. I wish I could eat the way I use to, but unfortunately I can't. At least I can live vicariously through the rest of you. I can still hear the cardiologist yelling at me for indulging in Gene and Jude's yesterday.

Good Eating,

deepdish

Da Beef,

If your the guy who runs Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing, then I really enjoyed your review of Q's Pizza in Hillside. That place was always the gold standard for true Chicago Style thin crust with homemade Italian sausage for everyone that grew up in the Hillside/Berkeley/Bellwood/Westchester/Elmhurst area, which includes myself. I still think Villa Nova in Stickney is better, along with Pat's on Lincoln Ave., but in my old neighborhood, Q's will always be the king. Someone with more intelligence than myself should put them in for a GNR. Q's has been there forever with the same owners- Good people all the way around. When you're in the bar area, you feel like it's a scene out of Casino. Great pizza, just simply great pizza. And great hot pepper bread on every table for appetizers.

Da Beef wrote:Aside from the natural casing dog being the most important part, the other is the fresh cut fries and I find them to be soggy and limp at both G&J and Jimmy's more times than not. I (as in me, just an opinion) think 35th Street Red Hot's and RedHot Ranch (same owner) serve the cities best hot dog, fries on top and always crispy.

If you ask for well done fries at Gene & Jude's, they'll deliver some outstanding crispy fries.

MarlaCollinsHusband: When you get the chance, head over to Armand's ( the sausage is outstanding ) on Western Ave. or go out to Q's in Hillside ( mentioned above ). If you go to Q's, just get the thin crust cheese and sausage. The place can be quite charming from a neighborhood standpoint, particularly at night, and especially if there is a sporting event on in the bar area. Get the hot pepper bread as an appetizer, too.

Gene and jude's is still the gold standard. And there is nothing quite like fresh cut fries from Gene and Judes.

deepdish wrote:Stevez- So what places were serving the fries on top of the hot dog before Gene and Jude's ? Not Fluky's. Not Jim's Original. What places are you talking about ? I'd like to know. Actually, I take that back. This is an argument that is meaningless because I'm not the one who wrote the book on hot dogs. That would be Mr. Schwartz. However, I'm sure he'd like to know where you get your information from concerning the history of Chicago hot dogs, only because he's the foremost authority on the subject. He eats, sleeps, and breathes the subject, and is more versed in hot dog history than any of us. He's definitely devoted his life's work to the subject, so why wouldn't you trust his research ?

G Wiv- I like Jimmy's almost as much as Gene and Jude's. The two are very close. The owner and his son are good guys, too. I tried to convert my mother many moons ago to Gene and Jude's with little success. Her spot will always be Mickey's, which is also in the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame much like G and J and Jimmy's.

Henry's Drive-In on Route 66.

Fries on the hot dog figures prominently on their sign. Pretty sure they opened in 1950.



Henry's Drive-In
6031 W Ogden Ave, Cicero
(708) 656-9344

I could be mistaken, but I had always heard/thought that the original Gene's & Jude's traces its origins to 1946, and in the city, not its current Grand & River Rd location.

Grizzly,

You're right. Gene and Jude's started back in 1946 in the city- not there current location in River Grove.

Just catching up here, but wow. I love G&Js, but boy is that place the farthest thing from a destination, especially compared to Hot Doug's (which is really not a fair comparison, anyway). I've never waited for dogs at Gene & Jude's much longer than it takes me to eat one - which is to say, a couple of minutes. If I drove 45 minutes out there, I'd be let down, to say the least, regardless of snap, quality, local color, etc. Whereas Hot Doug's has a constantly changing menu, tables, Doug, etc. Not a fair comparison, but again, no contest here.

As to whether G&J is the best sort of anything, well, I think it's the best dog near where I live, hands down. In fact, speak of the devil, my kids don't even differentiate between it and Hot Doug's. To them, they're both "Hot Doug's," and either is a fine substitute for the other. Go figure, but then again, they eat plain dogs.

Grizzly wrote:I could be mistaken, but I had always heard/thought that the original Gene's & Jude's traces its origins to 1946, and in the city, not its current Grand & River Rd location.

Polk & Western was the corner of origin.

chicagostyledog wrote:

Grizzly wrote:I could be mistaken, but I had always heard/thought that the original Gene's & Jude's traces its origins to 1946, and in the city, not its current Grand & River Rd location.

Polk & Western was the corner of origin.

Like who started the fries on top, I cant verify this but I have been told that they lost that location in a poker game.

Da Beef,

Supposedly, I think it was Gene Mormino who lost the original location in a poker game. Off topic: I liked the review of Q's on smoking, chokin, chowing. Great pizza from my old neighborhood.

Da Beef wrote:Like who started the fries on top, I cant verify this but I have been told that they lost that location in a poker game.

I have no trouble beleiving that.

The joint has to be the biggest long term cash cow I've ever seen, and large sums of cash can get disappeared that way.

stevez wrote:

deepdish wrote:Stevez,

I think that Gene and Jude's was indeed the creator of the idea of putting the fries on top of the hot dog. The author of Never Put Ketchup On A Hot Dog is Bob Schwartz- A Senior Vice President at Vienna Beef. The man is passionate about Chicago style hot dogs, and has spent a good portion of his life devoted to the history of Chicago hot dogs. Mr. Schwartz wrote in his book that the idea was conceived at a baseball game when Gene Mormino asked Jude Desantis, "What can we do to present our hot dogs differently than the next guy ?" Mr. Schwartz then goes on to report that Gene and Jude then came up with the idea to put the fries on top of the hot dog, which in turn has been copied over and over again by everyone else.

With all due respect to Mr. Schwartz, I don't think this claim holds water. Fries were being served on top of hot dogs in Chicago long before 1950 when Gene & Jude's opened.

Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh have been dumping fries on all their sandwiches (and that currently includes knackwurst and brats) since the Depression. In fact, they've been kind of famous for it for some time.

http://www.primantibros.com/04history.html

I've been to Gene & Jude's once and Nana's in Streamwood (?) a few times, and I thought they were on par - both serve freshly-cut fried on top of a fairly plain dog that has a nice snap, although Nana's doesn't get a lot of love on LTH but is much less crowded than Gene & Jude's. Weren't the two places related at some point in time?

ld111134 wrote:I've been to Gene & Jude's once and Nana's in Streamwood (?) a few times, and I thought they were on par - both serve freshly-cut fried on top of a fairly plain dog that has a nice snap, although Nana's doesn't get a lot of love on LTH but is much less crowded than Gene & Jude's. Weren't the two places related at some point in time?

There is also a Nana's location in Addison at 1465 W. Lake Street (east of 53) that serves a good approximation of a Gene's & Jude's dog. This should not be a surprise, because Nana's proprietors are kin to the Gene's/Jude's clan.

Grizzly is correct. The owner of Nana's ( Streamwood location ) is related to the Morminos and/or the Desantis,' but I'm not sure how. At least that's what I've always been told. Great dogs at Nana's in Streamwood. Great fries, too.

I was reading the Vito & Nick's thread about how some folks call it Nick and Vito's, and it reminded of Gene & Jude's. Did anyone ever notice that their sign on River Road say "Gene & Jude's", while the one on the building's south side says "Gene's & Jude's". I would guess that the former is grammatically correct, but is the latter simply an error, or is there anything to it?

cogito wrote:Did anyone ever notice that their sign on River Road say "Gene & Jude's", while the one on the building's south side says "Gene's & Jude's".

Both versions are offered on the south side of the building. It's the Great Enigma of River Grove.

Have you ever heard the expression "never meet your hero"? Well I am afraid that it held true for my first Gene and Jude experience. I have been a passionate CHicago hot Dog eater for all my life and have read countless articles and posts praising the dogs and fries of G&J. I was totally let down by both the dog and the fries and I am wondering what am I missing. I can understand that there is a nostalgia aspect to the place but I honestly dont think it is anywhere near my top 10 dogs in the city. The fries are better than most but I found them to be a bit soggy. I can honestly say that I think serving fries on top of a dog takes away from the experience of both. I appreciate that the idea behind a "minimalist" dog but I dont think they hold a candle to a full blown Chicago dog with pickle and tomato and celery salt.

So many more deserving spots in the city that just dont have the history of G&J.