I found a little restaurant not too far from home. It’s a place I’d been meaning to try, but was hesitant to actually go to simply because it was supposed to sell Chicago hot dogs. Now, I love Chicago hot dogs. The problem is that I live in Omaha, Nebraska and am very finicky about certain foods. Both of my parents were raised in Chicago’s south side and I’ve been there plenty of times. Used to live in Chicago as a kid, so I know my Chicago staples.
Now, I addressed the whole pizza issue in the first SKINNERS. The Chicago pizza I know is the same as the Chicago pizza my parents and grandparents know. The consensus from damn near every Chicago native I know is that real Chicago pizza is thin crust, spicy Italian sausage and little puddles of grease scattered on top. Sounds gross to health nuts, but TOUGH. That’s Chicago pizza! Not this super-thick stuff that’s passed off to the tourists. Can you get pan pizza in Chicago? Sure. It’s really good. But that’s pan style pizza. Chicago Style = thin crust, spicy sausage (maybe even pepperoni) and grease. End of story.
As far as hot dogs, it goes like this: poppy seed bun, pickle spears, tomato wedges, relish, hot
peppers, mustard, NO ketchup and VIENNA beef. That last part is important. I didn’t make the rules. Any hot dog joint or vendor in Chicago proudly displays their Vienna Beef sign on a wall or logo on their apron. That’s just the way it is.
So I go into this restaurant down the street, hoping for the best but expecting a regular hot dog and a bonus slice of pan pizza. What did I get? Poppy seed bun, pickles, peppers, mustard, Vienna beef, and a big sign on the menu saying NO KETCHUP on the Chicago style hot dog. Bless you folks. This place is awesome!! They do it right 100%. Now, all I need is a White Castle and a Jack in the Box around here and I’ll never have to leave. That’s because I’d be too fat to get through the door or into a normal car, but still. . .
Now, I addressed the whole pizza issue in the first SKINNERS. The Chicago pizza I know is the same as the Chicago pizza my parents and grandparents know. The consensus from damn near every Chicago native I know is that real Chicago pizza is thin crust, spicy Italian sausage and little puddles of grease scattered on top. Sounds gross to health nuts, but TOUGH. That’s Chicago pizza! Not this super-thick stuff that’s passed off to the tourists. Can you get pan pizza in Chicago? Sure. It’s really good. But that’s pan style pizza. Chicago Style = thin crust, spicy sausage (maybe even pepperoni) and grease. End of story.
As far as hot dogs, it goes like this: poppy seed bun, pickle spears, tomato wedges, relish, hot
peppers, mustard, NO ketchup and VIENNA beef. That last part is important. I didn’t make the rules. Any hot dog joint or vendor in Chicago proudly displays their Vienna Beef sign on a wall or logo on their apron. That’s just the way it is.So I go into this restaurant down the street, hoping for the best but expecting a regular hot dog and a bonus slice of pan pizza. What did I get? Poppy seed bun, pickles, peppers, mustard, Vienna beef, and a big sign on the menu saying NO KETCHUP on the Chicago style hot dog. Bless you folks. This place is awesome!! They do it right 100%. Now, all I need is a White Castle and a Jack in the Box around here and I’ll never have to leave. That’s because I’d be too fat to get through the door or into a normal car, but still. . .
