Earlier this year, I took my first trip to Chicago, and while I was there decided to try as many hot dogs as possible. (It's important to have goals, I know.) I was in hot dog heaven.
The Chicago dog (sports peppers, neon green relish, celery salt). The Depression dog (Chicago dog wrapped with hand-cut french fries from Red Hot Ranch). The Maxwell Street Polish, (kielbasa with grilled onions and mustard).
I even made a pilgrimage to Jim’s Original , said to be one of the originators of the dog style, and it didn’t disappoint. But something occurred to me as I was downing dogs left and right. The different iterations gave me a window into the neighborhoods and communities from which they originate.
Los Angeles, of course, is no different. So when How To L.A.
host Brian De Los Santos approached me about exploring hot dogs in L.A., it was the perfect opportunity to discuss the city's hometown varieties, from immigrant enclaves to crazy culinary combos to old-school walk-up counter joints serving the same recipes for over half a century.
Here’s a list of my favorite L.A. accented hot dogs.
No Pinks or Dodgers Dogs here — sorry if you’re a fan. This is my gut-check pick of the places that make this city special. Attend any large-scale concert or sporting event in L.
A., say the Crypto Arena or the Hollywood Bowl, and chances are someone will be selling a bacon-wrapped hot dog nearby. Swaddled in bacon and showered with grilled onions and jalapeño, it's topped with obsce.
