Mike's Chicago Hot Dogs

I was on Roswell Road the other day and needed a quick bite to eat. When I spotted Mike's Hot Dogs, I knew that was the answer. The few months that I spent in Chicago taught me that the Chicago hot dog is the epitome of meat in tubular form. The decor of Mike's suggests that the proprietor has Chicago dogs in his blood---the obligatory references to Wrigley Field, Harry Caray, etc. abound.

What, you ask, is a Chicago hot dog? It starts with a Vienna weiner, which is universally admired for its snappy casing and excellent spices. You cradle it in a steamed bun. Then you add bright green relish, chopped onions, a pickle spear, a tomato spear, mustard, sporte peppers, and a healthy dose of celery salt. (Just what is celery salt, anyway?)

That's the Chicago dog on the right. It met all my expectations and was a real treat. On the left is the bratworst, which was really the hit of the meal. I had it with sauerkraut, sauteed onions, and mustard. The brat is thicker than the hot dog and so give you an extra bit of meatiness in each bite. Food like this is very hard to find in Atlanta; Mike's prepares an excellent representative of this distinguished breed of dog.

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