Former Chicago-lander here. I'm anxious to try your bun recipe. I don't get to the Windy City as often as I used to, but Hot Dogs, Deep Dish Pizza, and Italian Beef are the three foods I insist on eating every time I go there. I have a trip planned in September, and I am looking forward to some tasty eats. I remember as a kid, getting Hot Dogs with the fries thrown right on top of the the whole mess, too. Yum! I went to college at the U of I main campus in Champaign, where I had a part time job at a place called Abe's Red Hots. The house specialty was called The Garbage Truck. It was the classic Vienna beef dog with ketchup (yes - ketchup is OK), yellow mustard, brown mustard, relish, onions, pickle spear, tomatoes, sport peppers and sauerkraut, all on a poppy seed bun. Talk about a delicious mess! Every year, my boss would run a contest for the champion fraternity/dorm floor/group that could consume the most Garbage Trucks in one sitting. What a riot! We'd show up for work early in the day, and line up hot dog buns on every counter in the kitchen. Then, we'd build the dogs assembly line style. They would fly out of the kitchen as fast as we could make them. Amazing how much a bunch of college guys can consume!! Sadly, Abe's is no longer there. But I still remember it as one of the most fun jobs I've ever had.
Thanks so much for reminiscing here - I can just picture ALL THOSE HOT DOGS lined up on the counter! And the guys wolfing them down, too. I may have to try adding ketchup and sauerkraut to make a Garbage Truck next time... :) PJH
June 25, 2012 at 12:28pm