Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Toronto Street Dogs


Toronto has got some tasty hot dogs. I was in T.O. over the weekend on a relaxing break from New York, so I followed the recommendation of Frugal Traveler Matt Gross and sampled a street hot dog with all the fixings. It was a very fine hot dog.

What's especially nice about the Toronto street dogs, as opposed to NYC street dogs, is that Toronto grills not only the frank but the bun as well making for a warm and more textured flavor combination. Plus - and this might be heresy to some hot dog lovers - each Toronto cart offers a slew of enticing condiments which go well beyond the mustardketchupsauerkraut options that NY tends to offer.

I'm hardly a purist when it comes to hot dog toppings -- the more the better -- so I basically buried my dog under a pile of whatever was available to me, including mustard, relish, ketchup, chilies, jalapeno, pickles, and Sriracha (my new favorite hot dog condiment).

Next week I'll be in Los Angeles for a conference and while I've never had a Pink's hot dog, I can't say I'm really interested in trying one. The line just seems too long and the hype seems too large. For those fans I might have just offended, the Library does have a documentary on Pink's which looks interesting, and with a 18-minute running time it's a lot shorter than waiting on line.

3 comments:

Megan said...

I love Toronto for many reasons but most of all because the hot dog vendors sell veggie dogs (or did as of 2003).

Anonymous said...

Frankly, I love dogs. And I'm going to Toronto soon so I can't wait to try some of their goodness.

As for our own fair city, I'm torn between Katz's and Crif Dogs (on a good night they can be very, very good, but Katz's is more consistent). Both offer my personal favorite topping: mayo based cole slaw. It might be a little WT, but it softens the bun a bit and lends even more drama to the snap of dog.

Though the best are the wursts -- knocks and brats. Lederhosen in the WV has some schmackhafte examples.

Anonymous said...

Pink's boils their dogs. Nuff said. Possibly the most overrated restaurant in LA, and that's saying a lot.

Your time in LA would be better spent getting two slices of heaven at The Apple Pan. First, the burger (but hold the lettuce). Best in LA, possibly the world. Second, the chocolate cream pie. I hear the apple is pretty tasty, as well.