Hot Doug's

t-shirt from Hot Doug's

image courtesy of www.georgehernandez.com

Indeed.

While visiting Tara in Chicago this past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to Hot Doug's. You see I've been a mission to find the best hot dog place EVER. I haven't been to Bark Hot Dogs over in Park Slope, but I have sampled Super Hotdog and I was mightily disappointed with the small dog and the skimpy toppings (even though we got delivery, I thought it could have been better).

Hot Doug's lived up to my expectations. I had traveled 45 minutes on the El, walked 20 minutes (even under a sketchy overpass!) to get there. When I arrived, there was a line out the door. This was at 2pm on a Monday. Plus, Hot Doug's is located on a corner between a somewhat-suburban street and an industrial park. Weird location, but people travel to this place. I heard the girl behind me saying to someone else in line that she and her boyfriend took a cab, and the cabbie got lost taking them there.

It was a difficult decision. I wanted to try The Dog, which is just the regular hot dog with all the trimmings, but then I started looking at all of the daily specials. I knew that my stomach couldn't handle both, so I decided to go with the The Hot Doug's B.L.T.: Bacon Sausage with Avocado Mayonnaise, Cherry Tomatoes and Iceberg Lettuce with a side of french fries.

Um, seriously, bacon sausage - the best of both meats! Plus, I love a good BLT.

As I sat on a stool by the counter waiting for my food, I looked around. Hot Doug's had an incredibly warm, homey feeling about it. Everyone was enjoying the food. The staff were happy, and everything seemed to run smoothly. I loved it there. No pretentiousness even though there were some really gourmet dogs (e.g. Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Sel Gris)

When my food arrived, on a plastic red tray, I looked at my dog and thought, this doesn't look like much (maybe it was the iceberg lettuce? It never looks pretty). Then I bit into it, and I was instantly convinced. The one thing I find when cooking sausage is that the casing can get a bit tough; Hot Doug's sausage was perfect and easy to bite into. I could taste the bacon flavor, but it didn't overwhelm the sausage taste. It tasted just like a B.L.T., but in sausage form. YUM.

As I left Hot Doug's with my euphoric meat high (Can one get a meat high from just one sausage? Yes, yes one can), I thought about what other hot dogs or sausages I would sample when I came back. I would have to come back on a Friday or Saturday for their french fries fried in rendered duck fat (um, yum). I walked all the way back to the train with a huge grin on my face.

I long for a place like this in New York.


Hot Doug's
3324 North California
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: (773) 279-9550
Open: Monday-Saturday 10am - 4pm
Closed: Sundays and Holidays

The grits at No. 7

This weekend I had brunch at No. 7 (I had dinner there once before, but not brunch), and I had the most amazing grits of my life, which I am still thinking about right now.

It came served, unassuming, in a small white bowl. The description on the menu was "Grits with Shredded Pork, Napa Cabbage and Swiss." One bite, and I felt like Anton Ego in Ratatouille: instantly transported to a time in my childhood. Where did I have this taste before? It tasted like a dish my grandma had cooked, but my grandmother has never made grits. Why did it then taste so familiar?

Grits I have had in the past have tasted like a vehicle for butter and cheese, but this was different. Was it made with meat broth? Is that what gave it the rich taste? It was so hearty, so warm, like sitting in front of a roaring fire at home during a blizzard.

The side of grits blew away the main that I had ordered (corned beef hash with fried eggs). After the last bite, I still hadn't pinpointed what it was that made the dish so special. It looked simple, yet had such complex flavors.

These ads are hilarious

Just saw these over at Eat Me Daily. I laughed out loud. The onions look stupidly happy, while the carrots seem out of it (except the ones doing the killing - they look just plain maniacal).

P.S. Was in Greece, but now I'm back. Planning posts about Food, Inc. and seasoning my new cast iron pot (ca. 1928), which I got at a flea market. It's so hard to find lard!

Liberté yogurt

image courtesy of Serious Eats

Naomi first introduced me to Liberté yogurts a few months back. I was never much of a yogurt fan growing up and had only recently come to like Greek yogurt (for its thickness). I was skeptical of this yogurt from Quebec (do Canadians really know how to make yogurt?), but was blown away by its rich, creamy taste.

I've stocked up on these yogurts and been having them for breakfast everyday. You can say that I've become a wee obsessed. So far I've only had the Méditerranée kind (wild blackberry, lemon, and right now digging into peach and passion fruit - YUM!). I haven't had the low-fat or the six grains varieties, yet, partially because I love the Méditerranée kind, and I don't want the other kinds to taint my opinion of Liberté.

The only downside? They are a bit fattier than most yogurts (okay, they are really fatty), but one 6 oz. cup fills you right up and you'll be set until lunchtime.

Thank you Canada!

Petsi Pies

Sorry that it's been so incredibly long since the last post. Work has been so busy...

Lately I've been craving pie like nobody's business. I would make it myself...if I could get over my fear of making pastry dough. I haven't been the the Little Pie Company yet, but I haven't found my pie place in New York. Back in Boston, I used to frequent The Other Side Cafe (when they used to have pies - one of the manager's mother used to make them, but that manager has since left). Sometimes, late at night, I went to South Street Diner and had apple pie a la mode. Apple pie and strawberry rhubarb pie are my favorites.

Last Fall, I had the opportunity to go to Petsi Pies in Somerville, MA with my good friend, David. This is exactly the type of place that I wish existed in New York. A small shop that has freshly baked pies. They have pies in three different sizes: 6" that serves 1-2, 8" that serves 2-4, and 10" that serves 6-8. They also have savory pies and other baked goods, but we didn't try those. We opted to get a whole blueberry pie (they didn't have the small size, so we had to get the medium). You can also get slices, as well, if they have a large pie that has been cut already. We got slices of the apple crumb and sweet potato.

There's really nothing more satisfying than a warm slice of pie on a crisp Fall day. I was so giddy when I was in Petsi Pies. David and I sat in the small room off to the right, trying not to devour the pies before I could take pictures of them. I liked how you could see the kitchen from the ordering counter and how the whole place felt very homey, like the employees called all of the regulars by their first names.

The pies were heavenly - the crust flaky and soft, yet still retaining a crunch, and the filling flavorful and not too sweet. I read once somewhere that the secret to a good, flaky crust is using lard. If anyone has a good crust recipe, please post it in the comments section.

I'm headed back to Boston in August for David's wedding, and I can't wait to go back to Petsi Pies. When I get married, I think I'll have wedding pies instead of a cake...