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Anyone know where u can get a chicago style hot dog in the dc area? With respect to Ben's Chilli Bowl, i like my hot dogs Chicago style.

I know that the Reef was doing them for the superbowl. I prefer their bison dog just as it normally is, though. Maybe M'Haute Dog will be doing them when they go into business.

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I know that the Reef was doing them for the superbowl. I prefer their bison dog just as it normally is, though. Maybe M'Haute Dog will be doing them when they go into business.

I am counting down the days until this place opens, and mostly out of hope that they will serve Chicago Style hot dogs. It's a must every time I'm in Chicago, or even just the airport! And, on a Chicago dog, I agree - no ketchup. However, my favorite hot dog is Best Kosher hot dogs served at Busch Stadium in Stl, with onions, and most definitely, ketchup. If M'Dawgs has these, I will be in hot doggie heaven. :lol:

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At lunch time, Johnny's Half Shell serves a dog imported from Chicago, though the maker calls them a "sausage" and Johnny's calls it a "Baltimore Dog" (though I'm guessing that blue cheese is not the norm either in Chi or Charm City. They are Big City Reds Beef Polish Sausage. Whether they are authentic Chicago links, I cannot say. But they are fat, juicy, spicy and excellent. Especially with a little streak of Heinz (along with onions and blue cheese). :lol:

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OH... in case anyone doesn't know (to save folks asking who don't know!) an Italian hot dog is a hot dog in a thick pita bread with cooked potatoes, cooked onions and cooked peppers and all the condiments that you can slather/drop on em. They ALSO can come with sausage instead - my dream dogs used to be found at Dickey Dee's and all those in the Bloomfield/Newark/Irvington corridor area.

I can just see it now:

Step 1: Go to Amsterdam falafel. Order a "large white."

Step 2: Munch on the falafel balls whilst crossing 18th St.

Step 3: Enter M'Dawg and order an Italian sausage or deep-fried beef dog (they'll have the latter, right?)

Step 4: Remove the sausage from the bun and place in the now empty pita. Add cooked onions/peppers/mustard.

Step 5: Munch on the fallow bun whilst re-crossing 18th St.

Step 6: Enter Amsterdam Falafel and order a small order of fries. While they are cooking, use the fixins bar to continue dressing the dog-in-pita.

Step 7: Receive fries and deposit as many as possible into pita.

Step 8: Eat remainder of fries whilst re-crossing 18th St.

Step 9: Enter M'Dawg, top up mustard/other toppings on top of potatoes. Order a drink.

Step 10: Attempt to eat the whole thing, drop it on the floor halfway through, throw your hands in the air and get a Jumbo Slice.

There you have it, the Washington Apulian Sausage Tasting Experience.

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Anyone know where u can get a chicago style hot dog in the dc area? With respect to Ben's Chilli Bowl, i like my hot dogs Chicago style.

Though a bit of a ride from DC Zack's in northwest Baltimore has the real thing, and it's a great overall dog place.

Thanks,

Kevin

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I can just see it now:

Step 1: Go to Amsterdam falafel. Order a "large white."

Step 2: Munch on the falafel balls whilst crossing 18th St.

Step 3: Enter M'Dawg and order an Italian sausage or deep-fried beef dog (they'll have the latter, right?)

Step 4: Remove the sausage from the bun and place in the now empty pita. Add cooked onions/peppers/mustard.

Step 5: Munch on the fallow bun whilst re-crossing 18th St.

Step 6: Enter Amsterdam Falafel and order a small order of fries. While they are cooking, use the fixins bar to continue dressing the dog-in-pita.

Step 7: Receive fries and deposit as many as possible into pita.

Step 8: Eat remainder of fries whilst re-crossing 18th St.

Step 9: Enter M'Dawg, top up mustard/other toppings on top of potatoes. Order a drink.

Step 10: Attempt to eat the whole thing, drop it on the floor halfway through, throw your hands in the air and get a Jumbo Slice.

There you have it, the Washington Apulian Sausage Tasting Experience.

omg, that is a terrific plan. Minus the jumbo slice. WASTE sounds like a perfect DR outing...

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My mom claims that in her part of upstate new york, one puts a quartered pickle in with the bun and the hot dog on top of that.

The difference in textures as you bite down is... enlightening. Also, soggy.

Unless you HATE dill pickles. The sweet ones are another matter . . .

BTW, I walked by the place on 18th Street this afternoon and it looks like they are getting ready to open. Stay tuned.

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Has anybody had the dog at the Mighty Midget in Leesburg? I was there recently and thought the fries seemed pretty good, so that's one part of the equation anyway.

Yup - very good. But the half smoke is even better. Although I recall that both are grilled, not fried as requested above.

Both are enhanced with the onion mustard sauce you can request.

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Has anybody had the dog at the Mighty Midget in Leesburg? I was there recently and thought the fries seemed pretty good, so that's one part of the equation anyway.

I've recently done their dog with pulled pork and BBQ sauce on top--by no means a traditional hot dog eating experience, but it was a good dog all the same. The quality of the sausage was high, and it made a nice combination.

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I find it interesting that according to the National Hotdog and Sausage Council the Washington/Baltimore area is the 3rd largest consumer of hotdogs in the country. But yet it is impossible to find a decent dog in this city. My last attempt at Ben's made me wish that I had just gone to a dirty water cart, or even 7-Eleven for my hotdog fix, it was that bad.

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I checked out Zack's this afternoon... very respectable Chicago-style dog! Thanks, guys!

The topping balance was a little wonky, they nuked the dog which kind of screwed up the snap, and it just didn't have that steam table magic, but the basics were there and it absolutely scratched the itch.

One odd thing... they don't add mustard -- the singlemost indispensable topping -- by default. You can do so yourself at the condiment bar, but mustard sprayed all over the top of the vegetables is just wrong, wrong, wrong. I handed her the bottle and asked her to dress the dog with it first :-)

(Off-topic, but for the love of god and all things holy, stay away from the Italian beef)

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Any local hot dog joints that can approach what Hot Doug's in Chicago used to be? I know about Bold Bite in Bethesda but I feel they have scaled back their hot dog specials and sausage specials to make way for other menu items. Anyway, TIA.

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2 hours ago, Pool Boy said:

Any local hot dog joints that can approach what Hot Doug's in Chicago used to be? I know about Bold Bite in Bethesda but I feel they have scaled back their hot dog specials and sausage specials to make way for other menu items. Anyway, TIA.

Try Great American Hot Dog in Gaithersburg if you're ever nearby.  Tons of varieties and their basic hot dog is the same type used at the Gray's Papaya joints.  The number of combinations is actually over the top.

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20 hours ago, zgast said:

Try Great American Hot Dog in Gaithersburg if you're ever nearby.  Tons of varieties and their basic hot dog is the same type used at the Gray's Papaya joints.  The number of combinations is actually over the top.

I agree.  I've been there several times and feel they do a good job with the Chicago dog.  I thought the half-smoke was good too.  Many of the combinations are named after areas in the DMV.  Having grown up in Kemp Mill, I tried the namesake dog (the neighborhood has always had a large Jewish population so the Kemp Mill dog consists of fried Hebrew National salami, kraut, onion, sweet horseradish pickles and spicy brown mustard).  It was fine. 

I tried the Italian beef and felt it was too salty.

 

 

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Thanks for the tips all. What I am truly searching for is really a most excellent pork based dog with natural casing. I love a good snap with excellent mustard. I'll keep those places in mind while I keep looking for myself. North and North Central NJ may be the best place for hot dogs on the east coast though.

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9 minutes ago, DanielK said:

The Jersey-style dogs at Baby Wale are pretty good as well.

15 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

Thanks for the tips all. What I am truly searching for is really a most excellent pork based dog with natural casing. I love a good snap with excellent mustard. I'll keep those places in mind while I keep looking for myself. North and North Central NJ may be the best place for hot dogs on the east coast though.

Have you tried Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe in Arlington? I would call if you go, but on Sunday mornings, they have good, snappy sausages with mustard and sauerkraut - my impression is really that you're looking for German Wurst - is this a reasonable assumption? 

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3 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

OMG yes both of these additional suggestions are great! For when I don't want to get over to German Gourmet Deli.

Well, the two are only a couple miles apart, so why not do both for a comparison? :)

Seriously - buy both, take side-by-side pictures, and let us guess! Then, scarf them in the car like Joe H scarfed his In-N-Out hamburger that got dunked into his ashtray.

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On 5/8/2017 at 9:09 PM, DanielK said:

The Jersey-style dogs at Baby Wale are pretty good as well.

I may be biased, but Baby Wale certainly has a great dog.  With all of the options in the District, I always manage to find my way back to Chef's place. Its home for me. I asked him for a recommendation on what to eat, and without hesitation , Chef cued for me to have the Jersey dogs. I made a reference and asked if they were as good as The Ripper in Jerz. He nodded and said no contest.  So naturally, I took Chef's suggestion.  The frank was served with condiments of whole grain mustard, caraway krout, ,ketchup  and those crazy good fries tossed in grapeseed oil and parsley. I would have taken a snapshot of the dog, but I don't think it could have done  it justice. So I suggest a trip to the Baby Wale to find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed, and if you are, I'll personally buy your next dog at a spot of your choice.

Jersey in the District,

kat

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