Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Murphy's Red Hots



Murphy's takes their hot dogs on a "walk thru the garden", adding tomatoes and cucumbers on top of the usual "everything" fixin's, which is why some dub their dogs a "Chicago salad". Try the gut busting char-broiled foot long for a real treat. Hand cut fries make for a nice side.
Address: 1211 W. Belmont
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Phone: 773-935-2882
Hours: Monday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Cons
Lines can be long, especially on weekends
Very small dine-in area
Cash only
Description
Address: 1211 W. Belmont
Phone: 773-935-2882
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Getting There by Train: Brown/Red Line North to Belmont
Cross Streets: Belmont and Racine
Nearest Major Attraction: Wrigley Field
Hours: Mon 11am-4pm, Tue-Fri 11am-8:30pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm
Price: ¢
Guide Review - Murphy's Red Hots
A lot of fuss has been made about Chicago pizza, but any true Chicagoan knows that the native food is the hot dog (or the "red hot", as Murphy's insists on calling it). Known by some as a "Chicago salad", the all-beef Vienna hot dogs ($2.79) at Murphy's are best with everything on it -- also called a "walk thru the garden" -- mustard, relish, onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, celery salt and sport peppers. The sweetness of the hot dog combined with the freshness and crunch of the condiments is a regional treat. Try the char-broiled foot long ($4.55) for the ultimate Chicago hot dog experience.

If you are not a fan of hot dogs, there are several other excellent choices. The ribeye steak sandwich ($5.25) with Swiss cheese, horseradish mustard and sliced onions is tender, the char-broiled hamburgers ($3.35) are top rate, and Mrs. Murphy's homemade chicken noodle soup and chili are perfect for a cold Chicago winter's day. The hand cut fries are golden and tasty, and the only item in Murphy's that should come in contact with ketchup. The cheese fries ($2.55) are an anomaly, as the cheese is served on the side, which I prefer

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Red Hot Chicago






We’ve Got The
Recipe for Success!

Red Hot Chicago, famous for the finest Chicago-Style hot dogs, represents a proud family legacy that spans three centuries. Our family put Chicago in the hot dog business over 100 years ago! Samuel Ladany, my grandfather, brought his sausage-making skills and special recipe to America from Austria-Hungary, and started selling hot dogs from a cart at the Chicago’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. His business was so successful that it grew to become the Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Company. His two sons, my father Bill and my uncle Jules, owned and managed the business for more than 50 years. In 1983, I left that company to concentrate on delivering the finest products and service to the hot dog stand owners
I had grown up with. Red Hot Chicago was born.

GENERAL OFFICES
4649 W. Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
312.829.3434
312.829.2704 Fax
800.249.5226

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Fun and Interesting Facts About Hot Dogs


Baseball and Hot Dogs!
Regardless of your home team, there’s one thing nearly all baseball fans have in common: a love of the All American Hot Dog. Americans will eat 24.2 million Hot Dogs in major league ballparks -- that's enough to stretch coast-to-coast from Dodgers' Stadium in Los Angeles to Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Top 10 Hot Dog Baseball Stadiums for 2005
1. Dodger Stadium – 1,674,400
2. Coors Field – 1,545,000
3. Wrigley Field – 1,543,500
4. Yankees Stadium – 1,365,000
5. Minute Maid Park – 1,248,000
6. Edison Field – 1,133,000
7. HHH Metrodome – 850,000
8. Citizens Bank Park – 800,000
9. Shea Stadium – 745,000
10. U.S. Cellular Field – 495,000

In Chicago, more than 80% of the 1,800-plus hot dog vendors proudly feature Vienna® Beef products. Vienna is often considered the Rolls-Royce of Hot Dogs.
Travelers passing through Chicago's O'Hare airport purchase 2 million Hot Dogs each year according to restaurant and concession stand reports. This makes O'hare the biggest Hot Dog seller in the United States.
Actor Bruce Willis proposed to Demi Moore at Pink's Hot Dog stand in Hollywood, California.
Americans typically consume 7 billion Hot Dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
On the Fourth of July, Americans will enjoy 150 million Hot Dogs!
On every Independence Day since 1916, at its original Coney Island hot dog stand, Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest has celebrated this iconic American food.
The United States Chamber of Commerce officially designated July as National Hot Dog Month in 1957, and the tradition has been going strong ever since.
July 20th has been declared National Hot Dog Day.
Every second of every day, 450 Hot Dogs are eaten in the United States.
Nearly one-third of all Americans eat Hot Dogs one to three times per month.
Sixty percent of Americans prefer their Hot Dogs grilled.
Twenty one percent prefer their Hot Dogs boiled.
The world's longest hot dog was 1,996 feet, made in honor of the 1996 Olympics.
People who cook Hot Dogs tend to be women, 25 to 44 years old, married with school-age children.
How many Hot Dogs do Americans eat each year and where do they eat them?
According to recent survey data obtained by the Council, Americans purchase 350 million pounds of hot dogs at retail stores - that's 9 billion hot dogs! But the actual number of hot dogs consumed by Americans is probably much larger. It is difficult to calculate the number of hot dogs Americans may eat at sporting events, local picnics and carnivals. The Council estimates Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs a year - more than twice the retail sales figures. That works out to about 70 hot dogs per person each year. Hot dogs are served in 95 percent of homes in the United States. Fifteen percent of hot dogs are purchased from street vendors and 9 percent are purchased at ballparks, according to statistics from the Heartland Buffalo Company. New York City was named America's leading Hot Dog sales city, followed by L.A. and the Baltimore-D.C. area.

In the Mood for a Huge Hot Dog?
Head on over to the new indoor miniature golf course at Vitense Golfland and check out the Hot Dog slide! Your kids will love it...and so will you. The Madison themed course showcases many of Madison's famous landmarks and businesses. Although the Vitense website claims that the centerpiece of the course is the Capitol building, we would have to politely disagree and choose the giant Hot Dog. The Dog is topped with ketchup and mustard. Hey, it's not a Chicago Dog, but it still looks mighty tasty!

Vitense Golfland is located on the west side of Madison at 5501 Schroeder Rd (West Beltline and Whitney Way). Website: www.vitense.com Phone: (608) 271-1411

A Chicago Dog in Toronto Canada?
In Toronto, Canada hot dogs are the only kind of street food allowed by law. The law sets extremely high (almost unachievable) requirements for street-food vendors, with an exception for "pre-cooked meat products in the form of wieners or similar products to be served on a bun". That results in a greater competition amoung vendors and excellent quality of the hotdogs in the city. (Note: One of the best Chicago Dogs I ever had was from a street vendor in Toronto). Here is a link to the Toronto Department of Public Health requirements for Hot Dog carts: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/he/hd_index.htm

How to Say Hot Dog in Different Languages

Spanish - Perrito Caliente
Italian - Caldo cane
French - Chien chaud
German - Heisser Hund or Wurst
Portugese - Cachorro quente
Swedish - Korv or varmkorv
Norwegian/Danish - Grillpolser
Latin - Pastillum botello fartum
Czech - Park v rohliku
Dutch- Worstjes
Finnish - Makkarat

Regional Variations
Hot Dogs are served countless ways and vary greatly by region. Many cities are well known for their unique style of blending and configuring the ingredients on their Dogs. Hot Dogs not only differ by how they are prepared and accessorized, but also in size. Regular Hot Dogs are 6 inches in length (15 cm) and "footlong" Hot Dogs are twelve inches (30 cm) long. Here are some of the many popular ways Hot Dogs are served throughout the country:

Chicago - Vienna beef hot dog topped with chopped onions, diced/wedged tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, pickled hot peppers ("sport peppers"), pickle relish, mustard, and celery salt, and served on a poppyseed bun.

Cincinnati - Usually served as a "cheese coney" with Cincinnati chili, shredded mild cheddar cheese, and sometimes chopped onion and/or mustard.

Upstate New York - There are two distinct types of hot dogs. There are Red Hots and White Hots. Red Hots are "normal" hot dogs while White Hots are plumper and were first made by Zweigles of Rochester N.Y.

New York - The street cart-style hot dog is the Sabrett all-beef natural casing frank, boiled and served with onion sauce and deli mustard—or sauerkraut.

North Carolina - Also with chili and cole slaw, with the addition of mustard and onions. Referred to as a hot dog 'all the way.'

Pacific Northwest - Often enjoyed with some combination of ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayo.

Boston - Often served steamed as opposed to grilled. Ketchup, mustard, relish, picalilli, and chopped onions are common toppings. The "Fenway Frank" is a fixture for Red Sox fans.

West Virginia - Hot dogs are usually served with chili sauce (usually without beans) and cole slaw. When served without a wiener, it is locally called a "chili dog", much to the confusion of non-residents. Click Here for more information about West Virginia Hot Dogs.

Rhode Island - Called New York Style Hot Wieners, and served with meat sauce, chopped onion, mustard, and celery salt.

Providence Rhode Island - Home of the excellent New York System Frank, your basic hot dog covered with a watery, all-beef chili, raw chopped onions and curry powder.

Detroit - Served as a "coney" with chili sauce, mustard, and onions on a steamed bun.

Kansas City - A Dog with sauerkraut and melted cheese.

New Jersey - Several styles of Hot Dogs are popular here: A "Potato Dog" has diced and stewed potatoes, brown mustard and served on spicy Sabrett® brand Hot Dog. "Texas Weiners" (chili dogs everywhere else) are Hot Dogs served with brown mustard, hot and spicy chili and diced raw onions. An "Italian Dog" has fried onions, peppers and potatoes.

Georgia - Especially, South Georgia, has a "Scrambled" Dog (or dawg). This is a cheap, usually red-skinned hot dog, on a toasted white bun and topped with mustard and spicy chili sauce.

Southern Slaw Dog - Topped with mustard, chili and cole slaw.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Fluky's


Fluky's first started in 1929 on Maxwell and Halsted Streets in Chicago. We carried all the character and romance for which Chicago Street Merchants were famous, and Fluky's reputation as having the best "Hot Dog" in the city started to grow.

In 1932, a second Fluky's was opened, and then in 1935, a third and a fourth in 1936. Fluky's became known for its "Depression Sandwich" - a Hot Dog with mustard, relish, onion, pickles, pepper, lettuce, tomatoes and french fries FOR ONLY $.05!

Fluky's reputation was built on good food, good service and good will through the hard times of the depression. Many youngsters - and adults, too - who didn't have the $.05 were fed anyway.

With the coming of World War II came meat rationing. This made it difficult to get the quality product Fluky's needed, and within a short time, Fluky's closed its doors at three of its locations and the fourth was the only store that was to continue until 1955.

On February 18, 1964 Fluky's again opened its doors, after 9 years of silence. The opening was greeted with a tremendous outpouring of warmth and fondness from thousands who had many fond memories.



In just a few months, Fluky's was the largest Hot Dog stand in the Chicago area. Except Fluky's was no longer a Hot Dog Stand. It was now housed in a large glass-enclosed structure, previously unknown to the Hot Dog industry. Fluky's had made a giant step toward upgrading the Hot Dog business.

On November 2, 1978, a more progressive move was made, and Fluky's brought the Hot Dog into the fast food industry. A new building was purchased, and a beautiful, new, refreshing look for an old and well established business was introduced
Fluky's Locations

Fluky's
1038 Weiland Road
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
847.229.0833


Fluky's
3333 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood
Lincolnwood Town Center
847.677.7726
847.677.9945 Fax