Do you know of a great Place to get a Chicago Dog?
Let us know and we will add it to our review list. Click Here to suggest a place.
Frankie the Hot Dog Goes Missing - July 2010
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Frankie, the hot dog mascot for Frankie's Franks hot dog stand in Portland Oregon, suddenly went missing. Luckily, the 6-foot hot dog costume was returned. The thieves probably realized the difficulty they would have trying to fence the larger than life hot dog. Click Here to read the whole story.
Dogs Deemed Choking Hazard - Feb 2010
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is calling for changes in the way hot dogs are designed and labeled in order to minimize the chance of a child choking. Hot dogs are now listed as one of the top choking hazards for children. The AAP would like foods such as hot dogs to carry warning labels on their packaging. Another suggestion is to change the shape of hot dogs. To read more about this issue and watch their video on how to properly cut a hot dog before serving it to kids, visit the Center for Injury Research and Policy.
Breaking News
Unfortunately, Best's Kosher brand dogs which is produced by Sara Lee are no longer available. According to their website, Best’s Kosher, Sinai Kosher, Shofar and Wilno products will no longer be manufactured. The site also says, " We truly thank you for your patronage and loyalty over the years". They also have a plug to, "Please check out our other great tasting, all beef hotdogs, including Ball Park Angus Beef Franks". Ball Park Franks? Are they kidding?
It appears that Rolf's Relish is no longer available at Jewel in the Chicago area. We are still trying to find out why.
One of our site visitors informed us that Vienna Sport Peppers and Relish can both be found at Jenifer Street Market.
S. Rosen's Mary Ann Hot Dog Buns are now readily available in Madison. We found them at Copps . Don't bother looking for them in the bread and bun aisle. Instead, they are located in the Deli area and are available with or without poppy seeds. Update: Copps no longer appears to regularly stock the poppy seed buns, but you can still get them if you ask for them a few days in advance.
As of May 2009, Woodman's also now sells S. Rosen's buns. Costco has S.Rosen's buns too, but they do not have any poppy seeds. You can also purchase S. Rosen's poppy seed buns online! Click Here for details.
DogCaching is Born!
Anyone who owns a GPS knows what GeoCaching is. For those of you still in the dark, the idea behind GeoCaching (pronounced Geo-cashing) is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches. GPS users can then use the location coordinates (latitude and longitude) to navigate to the caches.
Our creative team (Kevin, Matt and Mitch) decided to apply the GeoCaching concept to Chicago Style Hot Dogs. This inspiration led to the creation of "DogCaching". We will be adding the latitude and longitude for every hot dog joint that has been reviewed and recommended by us. These coordinates will lead you directly to some of the best Chicago Dogs on the planet. Sure, you could enter the address into your GPS or even look at a map, but where's the fun in that? Finding your next Chicago Dog via latitude and longitude is definetely a lot more fun and challenging. Remember, we are Engineers so it's no secret that we prefer numbers.
It's Pop, Not Soda!
Well, this really has nothing to do with Chicago hot dogs, but since this is my website, let's break some rules and talk about "Pop" versus "Soda". When I (Mitch) first came to Wisconsin, three things struck me as odd. First, Wisconsinites eat more Brats than dogs. To this day, I still refuse to eat a brat. I once took a bite of one and that's all she wrote. A vile food in my opinion. Second, what is up with the term "bubbler"? I'm sorry, but we civilized people drink from water fountains, and I'm not talking about that decorative water display you see in front of buildings. Third, why on earth do you people refer to your carbonated drinks as "Soda"? Sorry, but it is "POP".
I found this commentary on the Chicagonow.com Great Food Debate blog and thought I would share it with you:
This is Pop Town
By Leonor Vivanco
Find me a Chicagoan born and raised in the city that doesn't call pop "pop."
Because that's what soft drinks are here: Pop. Not "soda," and definitely not "soda pop."
The word soda is so old-school, like, "I'm trapped in the 1950s with soda jerks whipping up malts behind the counter and a jukebox playing records in the background."
News flash: It's 2009.
And for Southerners to refer to all pop as "Coke" is just wrong. What if it's Sprite and not Coke?
In Chicago, calling it anything but pop is an immediate sign you're an outsider or a tourist. So, when in Chicago, do as the Chicagoans do.
Pop just sounds cooler. Pop stars, pop music, pop culture. Trying to persuade me to call it soda might end with me popping you in the face.
The historian says: The term "pop," coined in the 1800s, refers to the sound the cork used to make when it was drawn from the soda bottle, according to a 1996 article on the topic by the senior editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English. The term "soda" came first, derived from soda water. "I always say `soda,' " Kraig said. "But I like the word `pop.' It reminds me of Popsicles."
Why Does Costco No Longer Sell Hebrew National Dogs?
We have had several people ask us why Costco no longer sells Hebrew National dogs and switched to the Kirkland brand. Click Here to read why on the Costco Connection website.
Legal Action
Sara Lee vs Kraft Foods
The hot dog fight between Sara Lee and Oscar Mayer's parent company Kraft Foods is heating up. Sara Lee filed a lawsuit against Kraft alleging false and misleading advertising by making untrue claims that Oscar Mayer hot dogs are 100% beef and are better than Sara Lee’s Ball Park brand of hot dogs. For more information about the leagal troubles, Click Here.
Superdawg vs Superdog
It's definitely a dog eat dog world. The iconic Superdawg in Chicago has won a trademark infringement lawsuit against a Brooklyn, New York restaurant named Superdog. The lawsuit contended that "Superdog" is too similar to "Superdawg" and may create confusion in the marketplace. For more information on the court ruling, Click Here.
Warning Labels for Hot Dogs?
The Cancer Project alleges in a class-action lawsuit that hot dogs pose serious health risks. Their suit, which is aimed at hot dog manufactuers, wants a warning label placed on packaging informing consumers that eating hot dogs may be hazardous to your health. The warning would read something like this:
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