Chicago is known for many things: its skyline, attractions, weather, and most certainly, its food. While deep dish pizza might be the first thing your mind wanders to when you think of Chicago delicacies, there is one everlastingly delicious food that beats out all the rest: the Chicago hot dog.
If you were to ask any Chicagoan about where to get the best dogs in the world, I guarantee that they’ll say their hometown. The Chicago style hot dog is nationally (and internationally) known to be a fantastic dish.
But what makes the Chicago style hot dog so great?
1. Practice
The saying goes that “practice makes perfect,” and Chicago has all the experience necessary, and then some, to be considered highly proficient in hot dog making. There is a deeply rooted tradition in Chicago of making hot dogs that are to die for.
The first hot dogs, produced by Vienna Beef, were served at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. They were a huge success, In 1929, Fluky’s, a fast food chain in Chicago, began adding an assortment of different vegetables and flavors to the dogs—eventually coining the Chicago dog’s iconic toppings.
Today, there are still many restaurants in Chicago that are primarily known for their hotdogs: Portillos, Gene & Judes, Superdawg, and more. In any location of the city, you’re guaranteed to be just a block away from a good hot dog.
2. Toppings
The Chicago style hot dog is clothed in many distinct ingredients: yellow mustard, neon green relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, two sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Many Chicagoans say that the Chicago dog has been “dragged through the garden” due to its notable amount of veggies.
However, one ingredient often identified with hot dogs is left off: ketchup. To any true Chicagoan, putting ketchup on a hot dog is to commit the 8th Deadly Sin. At the 2015 Chicago Hot Dog Fest, Bill Savage, a professor at Northwestern, said that leaving ketchup off the hot dog has “become this kind of Chicago identity — like if you put ketchup on your hot dog you’re not really a Chicagoan.”
This hodgepodge of delicious toppings, put on the dog in the listed order, ensures the success of the meal. As long as there’s no ketchup. Ever.
3. Legacy
With so many years of expert hot-dog making under their belt, it is no wonder that Chicago has earned the Chicago dog the rightful title it now holds. The hotdogs in Chicago—along with much else the city has to offer—are undeniably unbeatable.
Even though the taste itself is delectable enough to knock other dogs out of competition, something about knowing that you’re eating a meal that is globally known to be unmatched by other cities and is the best of its kind makes the whole experience just that much better.
So next time you’re in Chicago, be sure not to miss out on what the city calls its pride and joy.