Cogito wrote:

RiverWester wrote:PS I tried Fast Track and thought it was great, but had the lingering suspicion that the dog was not 1/8 lb.?

What's your point? Were they misrepresenting something? Most people who prefer a natural casing also prefer the 10 to a pound size because the thicker hotdogs don't have the same snap. Considering how obsessed you appear to be about finding the "perfect" hotdog, I thought you would have known this.

My point is that 1/8 lb. is the most common size. In the grocery store they sell jumbos 6 per lb. and the smaller ones (8 per 12 oz.). So, I went into the factory store on Elston and Damen, and that's the only place they sell the real 1/8 lb. hot dogs retail. I asked for the standard dog at the factory store, and that's what they told me it was: an 1/8 lb. Good enough buddy? Chrissakes, some people just like to argue.

If some hot dog stand is cutting corners on the size, you can be more than likely assured it's to cut cost$ and corners.

I look at fast track as one of the standards across the city, they do everything right for my tastes.

They actually make a good dog at the Ontario Al's Beef as well.

RiverWester wrote:.
If some hot dog stand is cutting corners on the size, you can be more than likely assured it's to cut cost$ and corners.

So

if restaurant A serves a 1/8 chicago style dog with frozen fries and

restaurant B serves a 1/9 chicago style dog with fresh cut fries.

Restaurant B is the one cutting corners.

Is that the logic here?

gp60004 wrote:if restaurant A serves a 1/8 chicago style dog with frozen fries and

restaurant B serves a 1/9 chicago style dog with fresh cut fries.

Restaurant B is the one cutting corners.

Is that the logic here?

Restaurant A is almost certainly too new-school to gives out fries for free.

RiverWester wrote:I asked for the standard dog at the factory store, and that's what they told me it was: an 1/8 lb. Good enough buddy? Chrissakes, some people just like to argue.

FWIW, I buy 1/4 lb. natural casing dogs routinely at the factory store. That is also a standard size sold over the counter. When I'm grilling dogs at home, that's what I use.

gleam wrote:

gp60004 wrote:if restaurant A serves a 1/8 chicago style dog with frozen fries and

restaurant B serves a 1/9 chicago style dog with fresh cut fries.

Restaurant B is the one cutting corners.

Is that the logic here?

Restaurant A is almost certainly too new-school to gives out fries for free.

But you can bet your ass you can get a tomato.

stevez wrote: What about Polk Western Hot Dogs? I think they are open late (maybe as late as midnight). You may not be able to get your tomato here, though.

Definitely no tomato. Polk and Western is an old-school Chicago hot dog stand that serves the hot dogs (big city reds, sadly) with mustard, chopped raw onion, relish, and sport peppers.

I don't think they even have a tomato in the building. Free fresh cut fries, though.

Oh, and I think they close at 9 or 10.

gp60004 wrote:

RiverWester wrote:.
If some hot dog stand is cutting corners on the size, you can be more than likely assured it's to cut cost$ and corners.

So

if restaurant A serves a 1/8 chicago style dog with frozen fries and

restaurant B serves a 1/9 chicago style dog with fresh cut fries.

Restaurant B is the one cutting corners.

Is that the logic here?

There hasn't been any logic here for quite sometime now.

So - i ended up going to portillo's like 30 minutes ago because i happened to be in the loop *shudder*

umm....not good. I got a hot dog with "everything", a hot dog my preferred way, minimalist, and a jumbo dog just because i used to love their jumbos and wanted to see if they changed them, too.

The jumbo tasted, from what i can remember, the same but it was significantly bigger. Like bigger than a Jimmy's polish in length - outreached either side of the bun by a good inch or so - and i'm not a big fan.

The regular dogs are NOT smaller like Jimmy's or G&J. they've gotten bigger in circumference and do not taste the same at all. The casing was at least natural, from what i could gather, as it did have a decent snap to it.

Their attempt at a minimalist dog was laughable at best as they just smothered it in onions and relish - still trying to figure out if they even put mustard on it.

I don't know - seems like Vienna has a winner with it's natural casing 10/1 dogs - i dont understand why the dont just go with that. I've never heard someone argue against it.

Anyone been to Jimmy's? Surrounding that property is a self-storage facility. I work in real estate, and i have toured that facility.

It has rat traps "that they say" are solely due to that corner. Why would I lie about this? I am not.

Anyway, that neighborhood is Third World, that's my opinion, and that hot dog stand sucks. Too bad.

Gimme the pickle and tomato. Cheap asses, gimme an S. Rosen's poppy seed bun.

It's pathetic, I live in downtown Chicago and nobody does it RIGHT!!!! Arrrrrghhhhhhhh!!!! Such a damn simple thing.

RiverWester wrote:Anyone been to Jimmy's? Surrounding that property is a self-storage facility. I work in real estate, and i have toured that facility.

It has rat traps "that they say" are solely due to that corner. Why would I lie about this? I am not.

Anyway, that neighborhood is Third World, that's my opinion, and that hot dog stand sucks. Too bad.

Gimme the pickle and tomato. Cheap asses, gimme an S. Rosen's poppy seed bun.

It's pathetic, I live in downtown Chicago and nobody does it RIGHT!!!! Arrrrrghhhhhhhh!!!! Such a damn simple thing.

first off - Jimmy's may be a little....well, rough around the edges, but it's been around a long time, has a great tradition, and serves a great product.

Secondly - if you think that corner is third world, you're out of your mind. It may be more poor than other areas, a little more racially diverse, but what in the world does that have to do with a good dog? If you want to get good food in this city - get used to "third world" areas as you put it, or stay in the suburbs.

third - just because many of these dogs aren't dressed like you want them doesn't mean that they're not "doing it right." Talk about elitism. Your little opinion that you formed off of the Vienna Beef website wasn't written by the hot dog God - i know him personally - he didn't write it.

I love hot dogs more so than most other foods out there. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you're stuck in a mindset that is trapping you.

If no other hot dog vendor can satisfy your standards besides Portillo's, thats great - but that doesn't mean everyone else out there sucks.

RiverWester wrote:Anyone been to Jimmy's?

Jimmy's is my favorite hot dog stand in the city. I had dinner there last night, as a matter of fact. Jimmy's is the archetype Chicago minimalist school hot dog and the fries are great. RiverWester probably wouldn't be welcome there, as there is no tomato (or even pickle).

Jimmy's Order Taker wrote:If you want a pickle, you better get your ass to Poochie's.

Jamie wrote:

RiverWester wrote:Anyone been to Choppers on 1622 N. Ashland near North Ave.? Their choppak dbl cheeseburger is outstanding......but again they don't do the hot dog 100% correct, unfortunately.

See, I found that burger to be absolutely disgusting. There is something that is just "off" about it, and I find the oval shape of the patty to be indicative of something very processed. Kind of a shame though cause I think the coleslaw and fries were very good, though it has been a few years since I tried it last.

Jamie

I have to agree about Choppers. I'm in that neighborhood almost daily, am always looking for good cheap eats around there and would love it if Choppers was even minimally decent. It isn't. The one time I ate there I got a burger that was literally inedible, I don't think it was real ground beef, tasted like a frozen dinner version of "meatloaf" cut with filler, mealy, soft, putrid grey. Blech. There's a reason there's never anybody in there.

RiverWester,

A number of your posts have not been in the spirit of LTHForum, crossing over into personal rants, pointed attacks and general ill-will. To this effect the moderators have pulled three of your past posts. On the rare occasion a post is pulled on LTHForum a PM (LTHForum personal message) is sent with an explanation, as you have not picked up your PMs, or responded to email, I am doing so in the thread.

Also note that if you continue with your campaign of invective, and do not pick up PMs, future posts that do not meet the simple guideline of Be civil. Be relevant. will be moderator deleted without accompanying PMs or email.

Please read the LTHForum Posting Guidelines, with emphasis on Be civil. Be relevant.

If you wish to respond to points in this post, please do so via PM not in this thread.

Regards,
Gary for the moderators.

Without going too far afield, I've said it before and I'll say it again- this is one of the least moderated food sites I've ever been a part of (you can suck it chowhound.com). The moderators are reasonable and provide reasons why they remove posts which is the responsible thing to do.

OK, I'm bringing this thread back on track now. I have a serious serious craving for a dog now, and not my puggle that is snoring on the end of the bed. Does anyone know anything about the dogs at that place on Damen across from the fire station? Decent? Great?

George's? It's on damen, across from the fire station. Yeah, it's good. I've never gotten a hotdog there.

The greek salad is out of control - probably one of the better gyro/greek salads you'll get from a fast food stand in the city.

My mom always gets the greek salad, i get the gyros.

I've never heard anything bad about their Dogs, but i just go with what they do best.

George's
1876 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL, 60647
(773) 227-4034

jpschust wrote:OK, I'm bringing this thread back on track now. I have a serious serious craving for a dog now, and not my puggle that is snoring on the end of the bed. Does anyone know anything about the dogs at that place on Damen across from the fire station? Decent? Great?

George's. Not bad. Decent gyros, too. I wouldn't go out of my way, but if you're within a couple blocks, why not?

gleam wrote:George's. Not bad. Decent gyros, too. I wouldn't go out of my way, but if you're within a couple blocks, why not?

When I lived in Bucktown, years ago, George's was much more run-down. I remember my first visit there was for a hot dog. My second was for a gyros. I stuck with the gyros and never looked back.

eatchicago wrote:I remember my first visit there was for a hot dog. My second was for a gyros. I stuck with the gyros and never looked back.

yeah, that sounds about right.

Ok, went to Odge's for lunch today, and both got the hot dog (yep, free fries!). The dogs were very basic, "everything" included mustard, chopped white onion and pickle coins. Not quite a true Chicago dog, but very tasty for $2.40 with crispy (well-salted) fries.

The true appeal of this place is the ambience, tho. So many chotchkes everywhere, with vintage signs on the walls, and old tin lunchboxes, etc up on high ledges. There's even an old-school phonebooth with the old rotary-dial payphone inside.

I must say that the old man who slung our grub was a tad shy on warmth, he basically grunted replies to us. But I feel that he's also part of the charm, not sure if he's the owner or not...

Next time I'm gonna try the chili dog...mmmmmm

wino66 wrote:The dogs were very basic, "everything" included mustard, chopped white onion and pickle coins. Not quite a true Chicago dog

not this again....

eatchicago wrote:

gleam wrote:George's. Not bad. Decent gyros, too. I wouldn't go out of my way, but if you're within a couple blocks, why not?

When I lived in Bucktown, years ago, George's was much more run-down.

Yes it was a weathered one-story lean-to. It was one of the gentrification success stories of the neighborhood. In about 1999, George had two stories built over his stand while the old stand was demolished and rebuilt as the bottom floor of a luxury two-flat condominium building. Way to go, George.

George's doesn't have a poppy seed bun, otherwise it's all there, that's all they're missing.

All 4 Chicago hot dog companies show fully dressed dogs with poppy seed buns, that's the standard today, and it has been for over 30 years now.

All I'm saying is that if someone wants to order it without tomato or pickle like Jimmy's and travel to a high crime neighborhood for tradition's sake, God Bless them, but it really is quite nuts that I cannot find one single hot dog place near here (West Loop/River West/East Village/Wicker Park in Chicago itself) that offers the product that all 4 Chicago hot dog companies show on their website.

I am really sick of people attacking my opinion and being intolerant of my views. As I have stated, I cannot find the hot dog like the 4 companies have it, the standard fully dressed hot dog....and people are trying to tell me to just stop trying? on a food website? on a Chicago hot dog thread? Don't bother attacking me again and trying to disrupt my quest for the correct dog. If you don't have anything productive to say, then don't disrupt the thread. Thanks.

PS Edit: It is now up to 5 companies that show a fully dressed dog and poppy seed bun as being the standard, here is Best Kosher:

Have you tried the dogs at GNR winner Wiener and Still Champion?

Wiener and Still Champion
802 Dempster St.
1/2 block west of Dempster El stop

(edited to add address)

No, where is it? thanks.

RiverWester wrote:I am really sick of people attacking my opinion and being intolerant of my views. As I have stated, I cannot find the hot dog like the 4 companies have it, the standard fully dressed hot dog....and people are trying to tell me to just stop trying? on a food website? on a Chicago hot dog thread? Don't bother attacking me again and trying to disrupt my quest for the correct dog. If you don't have anything productive to say, then don't disrupt the thread. Thanks.

PS Edit: It is now up to 5 companies that show a fully dressed dog and poppy seed bun as being the standard, here is Best Kosher:
[/img]

That's because, as countless others have previously stated ad nauseum, there is no "standard", except in your mind. Maybe if your attitude didn't exemplify arrogance, intolerance and being opinionated, you wouldn't get so much criticism.

I have a question for you. Is the true Chicago dog kosher or not? I want to know who is cutting corners.

RiverWester wrote:PS Edit: It is now up to 5 companies that show a fully dressed dog and poppy seed bun as being the standard, here is Best Kosher:

WTF ....That Best Kosher dog is sporting GRILL MARKS when did that become "standard"?. And what about that corned beef on rye in the background, where is the "standard" yellow mustard ?

RiverWester wrote:but it really is quite nuts that I cannot find one single hot dog place near here (West Loop/River West/East Village/Wicker Park in Chicago itself) that offers the product that all 4 Chicago hot dog companies show on their website.

Somthing no doubt, that your realtor failed to mention.

JSM wrote:WTF ....That Best Kosher dog is sporting GRILL MARKS when did that become "standard"?.

It also appears to be a skinless dog (as all of Best's Kosher dogs are.... kinda wish they'd use lamb casings or something).

Also, is that diced cucumber on that Best kosher dog? is that standard?

If you watch Blues Brothers, there is a (custom?) Vienna sign in the scene where John Lee Hooker is playing before they head into the soul food cafe.

I was watching it the other night and thought of this thread. And yeah, it didn't have any pickles or tomatoes on it.

looks to be pickles and onion sliced togethor to form a sort of house relish?