Food Packs: Hot Doug’s The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium

After hearing so much about Hot Doug’s from television (No Reservations) and the internet I thought, since I was in Chicago, I needed to make the pilgrimage. Seemingly situated away from any type of public transportation Hot Doug’s really draws a crowd. Here we were on a rainy Friday afternoon standing in line for hot dogs…seriously? I was assured that had I come on a Saturday the line would have been longer but either way it was worth the wait.

Since we had time to kill and smart phones we the intrepid foodies called up the menu. The oddly named concoctions such as the Norm Crosby (Thuringer: I represent that beef, pork and garlic.) and the Sal Tessio (Italian Sausage: It’s not personal, it’s strictly sausage.) were the basic dogs. The specials menu had a range of game and exotic meats including duck, venison and alligator. Looking at this part of the menu let this New York boy know that he was not in Gray’s Papaya anymore.

Having such an extensive menu to choose from we tried to be like Indiana Jones choosing the Holy Grail. I don’t think though that there was a bad tasting item on the menu. I don’t know if it was the wait in the chilly Chicago rain or the anticipation but once inside it smelled like heaven…a tubular meat heaven but heaven just the same.

Our final choices were the Smoked Hungarian Beef and Pork Sausage with Smoked Paprika Mustard, Horseradish Havarti Cheese and Duck Cracklings; Smoked Venison Sausage with Smokey Bacon Sauce and Smoked Gouda Cheese; Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel and finally the” The Brigitte Bardot” which was a simple Andouille Sausage. I took the counter man’s recommendation and had it topped with spicy mustard, grilled onions and a pickle. I did get a side of sport peppers just to round things out. Speaking of rounding things out we also picked up an order of French fries cooked in duck fat.

The Smoked Hungarian Beef and Pork was, as my dining companion said, “the ultimate man food.” Her reasoning was that the first thing that hit you was the deep fried aspect of the duck cracklings and the very meaty taste. The spiciness of the Smoked Paprika Mustard combined with the subtle tang of the Horseradish Havarti added to the manliness of dog. I personally liked this one the best out of the four we tried but I don’t know if it was because I was hungry or if it was really that good. It was smoky and crunchy with good spice, all in all a joy to have in your mouth.

Next up was the Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage. This one was a bit messy to eat since there was 4 slices of Foie Gras on top. We both agreed that although it tasted great there was a little too much going on to nail down a flavor. Unlike the Hungarian this dog wasn’t the “in your face” taste assault. The very subtle flavors overtook each other instead of complementing each other. Maybe if there was a bit less of the aioli on the dog, but I can’t really say for sure. As one of the most unique choices on the board it was something we had to try, but this one will not be a repeat. It was good but not memorable enough to have again.

Third on our culinary journey was the Venison Sausage. I have to say that with this dog it is the only time I would not complain about cheese on my hot dog. We didn’t get much bacon flavor out of the sauce but it did not overpower the sausage. This sausage did have a great flavor and the Gouda made the whole thing work. There was a nice blend of flavors with no one flavor taking center stage. Don’t let the fact that you are eating Bambi sway you away from getting down with the venison; it doesn’t have a gamey taste. Good flavor, good seasoning with an overall great blend this one gets top marks.

The last one we tasted was the Brigitte Bardot which was just a spicy Andouille sausage. The menu board claims that this one is “hot, hot, hot” but seriously it isn’t that spicy. There is just enough spice to bring it up a notch from an ordinary sausage. This basic choice gives you the choice of picking your own toppings. The toppings I chose were at the suggestion of the counterman as I said before and yes they were the way to go. This choice was the closest to your basic hot dog. I don’t mean to diminish the desirability of this sausage, it did deliver. Not a complaint at the table.

We also chose the French fries fried in duck fat. These are only served on Friday and Saturday so we lucked out since it was a Friday afternoon. The duck fat fries were good but not the fantabulous taste sensation we were led to believe. Duck fat is a supposedly a healthier fat so these fries were better for us. The fries were flavorful enough to not warrant ketchup, simply some salt. Neither my companion nor I are the type to use ketchup often but some fries call for it, these didn’t even suggest the condiment. I actually hadn’t noticed we didn’t use the ketchup on the table until the fries were gone.

Our first trip to Hot Doug’s was a great experience and we will return. This Chicago institution is much better choice than what residents of the Windy City consider pizza. The hot dogs/sausages range in price from $2.00-$10.00 and are worth the price. I haven’t been this happy to spend big bucks on encased meat since I was in Vancouver at Japadog. Hot Doug’s is located at 3324 North California, Chicago, IL 60618. Make this a stop when you are in Chicago but be ready to stand in line and it is worth the wait.

Smoked Hungarian Beef and Pork Sausage with Smoked Paprika Mustard, Horseradish Havarti Cheese and Duck Cracklings

Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel

The Brigitte Bardot

Smoked Venison Sausage with Smokey Bacon Sauce and Smoked Gouda Cheese

A novel sign in the dining room