Week of Chicago Dogs: Day Seven

Week of Chicago Dogs: As Americans near their various and as sundry Independence Day celebrations coming this July 4, there will be a great number of hot dogs consumed. Most of them will be grilled, Oscar Mayer numbers with a pathetic assortment of condiments of least resistance. A few of them, God help them, will have ketchup on them--ketchup! To help liberate the masses from mediocre hot dogs, this next week will detail the essence of a good Chicago-style hot dog from several Midwest vendors. You're welcome.

You might observe that there are seven days in a week. Hence the Week of Chicago Dogs must finish today, July 4th, with a seventh Chicago Dog vendor. Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend of closing down on the fourth of July. I'm not sure if this is the case in your neighborhood, but instead I have a couple of other notable local hot dog places to check out when you're in the area.

Dog n' Suds: A retro-style drive-in diner in the middle of a small downtown suburb known only to adjacent communities, Dog n' Suds is a little slice of the old days. A hot dog place within walking distance of three schools, it's a seasonal delight that has tasty sweet coney dogs, chunky cole slaw, and meaty, soft fries. The real highlight here, though, is Dog n' Suds' trademark root beer. A smooth, low-fizz root beer that has a creamy aftertaste that reminds me of a perfectly post-melt float, it's a treat all its own that we regularly buy by the bottle.

Slott's Hots: Another small, cozy Vienna Beef hot dog parlor on a busy downtown street, Slott's Hots cranks them out quickly during it's packed lunch hours. It also features a special for 99-cent Chicago Dogs during slow hours. It's been a while since I've stopped by Slott's, but I recall them having a nice salty mix to their hot dogs thanks to a healthy helping of their tangy mustard.

Hope you're all enjoying your Independence Day, and that you had the foresight to get a Chicago Dog some time over the preceding week. If not, there's always tomorrow and every day after that. Treat yourself to a slice of urban goodness. Grab a Chicago Dog.