Many fine pictures and choice words have been devoted to these fried pickles. In my mind, it isn't quite enough. Somewhere in the updgrade/downgrade, my pickle reverie was lost.

Suffice it to say, these pickles are Cucumbers 3.0 - twice improved over the original (and I like cucumbers plenty).

It would be hard to forego WASC fries, but it might be even harder to forego the pickles.

I've been contemplating my own mortality a lot lately, what with all the mayhem on the news these days, and naturally all this pondering led to a desire for a cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers, and their faithful sidekick french fries, are something that I love very much but rarely indulge in, at least not this close to swimsuit season. So I stuck the prewashed spinach back in the fridge and headed to WASC.

The Merkt cheddar burger was everything I had hoped for - much like the burger-stand burger I loved as a kid (my local was called Jolly Time and had a clown mascot that scared my pants off) except for being better in every way. The fries were perfection. The dipping dog (we could die at ANY SECOND, you know) was the kind of thing you eat slowly while moaning a bit.

It was a good value, too, especially when you consider that I won't be needing to eat tomorrow.

I just did an official review of "Wiener and Still Champion" this week, and figured I'd post it here as well. In the effort to save some space, I didn't include any pics here. If you want to see the pics go to my site and check them out(link at bottom).

The definition of a champion is: One that is clearly superior or has the attributes of a winner. When it comes to huge burgers, “Wiener and Still Champion” is making a serious title bid. Located just one block west of Chicago Ave, on Dempster in Evanston, “Wiener and Still Champion” is a little hole in the wall most people don’t even know exists. The small storefront restaurant is easy to miss amongst all the tall trees that block their quirky sign.

Step inside and you might wonder if you made the right decision to eat there. The place isn’t pretty by any means, but walking out would be a mistake. Don’t be bothered by the fact that there’s only six tables, neither TV gets reception, or that they have to pry the register open with a butter knife, we’ve all been to places that look the part, but can’t deliver. If you’re a fan of burgers, then this place certainly delivers.

The small menu covers the bare minimum of hot dog stand choices. Burgers, dogs, chicken sandwiches, fries, and fried pickles pretty much round out the menu, no gyros and no Italian beef. Again, it’s not the size of the menu, but rather how well you execute what you do serve. A few visits to “Wiener” have allowed me to sample pretty much the whole menu. We’ll start off with the hotdog, which was served hot, on a poppy seed bun, and dressed with all the proper toppings. If you want a different twist, then their dipping dog is worth a try. Many places serve a generic version of a corn dog that isn’t even Vienna beef inside, not so here. The owner, Gus takes pride in preparing nearly everything in house, and that includes dipping Vienna beef hot dogs in a corn bread coating, and deep frying them to a dark shade of brown.

Want something light to eat? You’re at the wrong place, but they do have a char chicken sandwich if need be. The chicken has a nice char flavor, but is very thin and almost seems out of place on this menu. Before I get to the burgers, let’s talk sides. Arterie clogging is happily on display with items such as breaded and deep fried bacon, fried pickles, and some outstanding French fries. The pickles are a nice alternative to the usual fries and onion rings. The crisp batter and the slight vinegar taste at the end make these pickles a nice surprise. But the star of the side items is clearly the fries. Fresh cut and deep fried to a perfect crispness, these are some of the best fries you’ll come across.

But let’s talk about the real reason to come here, the burgers. Sizes range from L, XL, XXL, XXXL, and XXXXXXXXL! Patties start at a 1/3 lb, but how many patties you want is up to you. Sure you can get a single, but why? This place invites people with large appetites and a love for juicy burgers, to put their stomachs to the test. I had the Undisputed (pictured), which consists of three 1/3 lb patties stacked high on a homemade knot roll. In addition to the sheer size of this burger, the roll actually is a big factor in this burgers success. The roll is dense to help hold all the meat, and is ever so slightly sweet due to the egg wash on top. But hey, size doesn’t matter if it doesn’t taste good, right? Well, it tastes very good. Charred wonderfully, the burger is juicy inside and slightly crisp outside. Not big enough you say? How about a double Undisputed (6 patties) or even a triple (9 patties)? Think you can handle 3 lbs of beef? Gus doubts it, but will be more that willing to let you try.

Overall “Wiener and Still Champion” offers excellent burgers in a less than attractive setting. While the menu is small and seating is limited, “Wiener” proves to be a true contender in the burger loving universe.

HungryZ wrote:
they have to pry the register open with a butter knife

It's actually a steak knife

It's actually a steak knife

This is like the concise Gettysburg Address after Edward Everett's long-forgotten two hour Oration. Brilliant, Gus. Tagline material.

Made my first trip to this Evanston stalwart today and was happy that it was open on the Fourth. Gus and his sidekick were slammed when I walked in, but they had caught up by the time I left. I am glad I remained patient.
Junior quickly forgot about his corn dog when he came across the hand-cut fries. A brief tussle ensued over these starchy masterpieces, and I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I emerged with the better part of the bargain.
My cheeseburger was excellent. The egg knot roll was fresh and a skillfully cooked char burger was loaded with succulent flavor. I was happy to finish Junior's corn dog. Some would say that deep frying the dog leaves it too greasy; I prefer to think of it as "nice and juicy." The batter had just the right amount of corn meal. There were some interesting sauces for this "dipping dog," but anything other than plain mustard seemed inappropriate. Good simple food needs basic condiments.

As I polished off the last of combo meal #4, I realized that few fine-dining restaurants have left me with such a sense of satisfaction as this modest hot dog stand.

P.S.: Loyal patrons will want to get their hands on the newly arrived red T shirts, which feature a facsimile of the logo from the front window.

Camusman wrote:Some would say that deep frying the dog leaves it too greasy; I prefer to think of it as "nice and juicy." The batter had just the right amount of corn meal.

Actually, the dippin' dogs I have had at WASC were all 'properly' fried and relatively greaseless. The cornmeal crust, that is. The hot dog is, well, a hot dog.

Here's what's going on at Wiener and Still Champion right now.

There's a sign out front.


Gus is on camera in the kitchen in back - in this case making his Argentine Dipping Sauce. Forgive the blurriness - the rule is no flash during filming. Note the bowl in Gus' hand - he was short a few mixing bowls, so that's one of mine I brought over. Just think - my mixing bowl has a chance to be on national television!


Mixing the Dipping Sauce


More mixing


I'll be checking back in at WASC later today.

I've been watching the (set in Chicago) TBS show "My Boys" and catching up on the DVDs they mentioned "Weiner and Still Champion" but located it on Kedzie? Was that trying to be a shout-out? Or just sloppy locations like lots of shows do (characters who meet at "the corner of Madison and Monroe", for example).

leek wrote:I've been watching the (set in Chicago) TBS show "My Boys" and catching up on the DVDs they mentioned "Weiner and Still Champion" but located it on Kedzie? Was that trying to be a shout-out? Or just sloppy locations like lots of shows do (characters who meet at "the corner of Madison and Monroe", for example).

I tried watching that show during the first season only b/c it is set in Chicago, but it was so painfully awful I couldn't even watch one episode.

leek wrote:they mentioned "Weiner and Still Champion" but located it on Kedzie?

sounds sloppy

Wiener and Still Champion
802 Dempster St.
Evanston

Pucca wrote:

leek wrote:I've been watching the (set in Chicago) TBS show "My Boys" and catching up on the DVDs they mentioned "Weiner and Still Champion" but located it on Kedzie? Was that trying to be a shout-out? Or just sloppy locations like lots of shows do (characters who meet at "the corner of Madison and Monroe", for example).

I tried watching that show during the first season only b/c it is set in Chicago, but it was so painfully awful I couldn't even watch one episode.

The first few episodes were not so good, but it definitely got better.

Almost real-time update:

Shooting in the front of the house


Another angle


Touching up the Dippin Sauces sign for national television


Interviewing a happy customer

Aha! So that's why Gus received a delivery of T shirts on the Fourth.
May they become the next cult fashion item on the North Shore!

Ironically, the T-shirts weren't what Gus ordered. He wanted the logo to be somewhat more subtle.

nr706 wrote:Ironically, the T-shirts weren't what Gus ordered. He wanted the logo to be somewhat more subtle.

I think it was a good mistake, because they look quite good to me. They will look terrific on television. I hope there are some available to buy. It is as subtle as my Vienna Hot Dog t-shirts.

Regards,

I tried watching that show during the first season only b/c it is set in Chicago, but it was so painfully awful I couldn't even watch one episode.

i agree

Great pictures nr706! Today was a lot of fun and very exciting. Can't wait for the show to air!

Okay, one more post - late afternoon. Earlier in the day, the hard-working crew was scurrying about, very focused on getting the shots they wanted - seeing all this great food being created, but rarely sampling it. By late afternoon, they were a bit more laid back (or tired), and were chowing down in a major way. "Gus, make some chili cheese fries" was code for "I'm hungry, and damn, those fries look good."

They taped a scene with an ex-football player for U of I ordering an Undisputed Cheeseburger (the small one - only 1 lb. of meat). First he walks up to the counter to pick up his meal.


Anticipation


Just before the bite-and-smile shot


Friday will be an interesting day at WASC.

nr706 - just as an FYI, your domain is being blocked by Easylist which is used by the rather popular Adblock Plus extension for Firefox for users in the US. By default it blocks http://adverti*

I'm able to reveal the photos by adding an explicit exception, but I'm aware that not everyone is up for that task.

Pete wrote:nr706 - just as an FYI, your domain is being blocked by Easylist which is used by the rather popular Adblock Plus extension for Firefox for users in the US. By default it blocks http://adverti*

I'm able to reveal the photos by adding an explicit exception, but I'm aware that not everyone is up for that task.

For whatever it matters, I have had no issues in seeing Nr706's posts.

Regards,

Pete wrote:nr706 - just as an FYI, your domain is being blocked by Easylist which is used by the rather popular Adblock Plus extension for Firefox for users in the US. By default it blocks http://adverti*

I'm able to reveal the photos by adding an explicit exception, but I'm aware that not everyone is up for that task.

Man, that explains so much. I didn't even think to check adblock plus, I just thought the images were temporarily broken.

Pete wrote:nr706 - just as an FYI, your domain is being blocked by Easylist which is used by the rather popular Adblock Plus extension for Firefox for users in the US. By default it blocks http://adverti*

I'm able to reveal the photos by adding an explicit exception, but I'm aware that not everyone is up for that task.

Firefox users who cannot see the pictures might also want to try using the Internet Explorer ad-on to Firefox.

Did I miss what this was being filmed for?

I viewed it on Firefox last night without any problems.

Congrats Gus!

LikestoEatout, it was for Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. It said so in the picture of the sign outside.

Thanks.

It was a long day. Over 11 hours of taping and they are coming back to do more and the segment is, i believe, 6 minutes long.

A few quick notes. They are also shooting Kumas. 7 Chicago restaurants in all.

They kepted calling the Polish a Polish Dog and at one point wanted to show a hot dog with ketchup on it. u'd think they would be up on the local customs.

oh, next time they are here, they are gonna tape one of the customes eating the 3lb triple undisputed cheeseburger from start to finish and play it back sped up for the segment. He has eaten the 2lb burger before so it shold be interesting.

Pete wrote:nr706 - just as an FYI, your domain is being blocked by Easylist which is used by the rather popular Adblock Plus extension for Firefox for users in the US. By default it blocks http://adverti*

I'm able to reveal the photos by adding an explicit exception, but I'm aware that not everyone is up for that task.

Interesting - I wasn't aware of this problem. I'm not the techie that many are here - is it blocked simply because advertising is in the domain name? As you can see from my profile, advertising-marketing.com is my business' domain, and since there's plenty of free space there, that's where I've been hosting my photos. No spam ever comes from that domain (although we did have a spoofing incident about a year ago).

Internet experts - is there anything I can do from my end to prevent the photos from being blocked?

We now return the discussion to Dippin Dogs, The Undisputed, and Country Fried Bacon.

abe_froeman wrote:I viewed it on Firefox last night without any problems.

It's only blocked if you are using an ad-filtering software addition with Firefox (which is a good idea....).

abe_froeman wrote:LikestoEatout, it was for Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. It said so in the picture of the sign outside.

Missed that! Thanks! Sometimes when a thread goes to several pages, I don't read back. My bad.

Congrats to WASC!

http://www.driveintheater.com/intermission/hotdog2.htm

Way to go Gus!

Mark