Mike G wrote:On days when nothing on the special board did much for me, I'll have one char dog and one Thuringer, and be a happy fella.

Fire dog, charred, and a thuringer, for me. It's a nice combo.

-ed

Well, I'm going to try, yet again, to get to Doug's before 4pm today. (This will be my third attempt - first time, didn't know they closed at 4pm, second time, went on sunday - closed, third time, got there at 4:05 after speeding through traffic...) But I also, am not that adventureous when it comes to meat, and some of you are saying that, if you're going to doug's just to get the standards (hot dogs, polish, etc.) it's not that stellar. Some of the places that have been mentioned for GREAT hot dogs are all in the N or NW suburbs. Can someone list the GREATS around the area of Doug's (Logan Square, Avondale, Roscoe Village) or even just the north side in general. What I'm saying is, where can I go in the neighborhood for a GREAT dog? I can't always make the trek up to the Poochie's, Gene and Jude's, etc...

How about Weiner's Circle in Lincoln Park. Is that close enough for you?

Well, yes, of course. I guess I should have said other than Weiner's Circle...I guess I took it as a given. But, it would be great to find a hidden gem here in the Logan Square area....maybe Doug's is the best there is....

So, ready to test out Doug's this afternoon, I ran around trying to get things done so I could leave with plenty of time to get over there. I ended up not leaving until about 3:30. I got to Doug's at 3:48 and they were CLOSED! AGAIN! They had a line out the door and had decided not to let anyone else in. So that's four times now. Next Saturday, I'm just going to have to make it a priority to get there when they open!!! (Why does he close at 4pm anyway?)

I thought about going over to Weiner's Circle, but didn't want to try to find parking on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Lincoln Park, so we drove up to Wolfy's. It was okay. The hot dogs didn't really have a great deal of flavor, and the buns were kind of a soggy mess. The cheese fries were good, though.

This week, I may try a couple of places I saw on the way home - Cubbies at Pulaski and Milwaukee, and MicDucks at Kimball and Belmont. But I would be suprised if they turned out to be anything great.

Just to add a data point:

I made my first visit to HD's new location Saturday. Arrived around 10:20, ten minutes before opening, and observed people already outside the door waiting. Also observed several cars blatantly illegally parked (including at a bus-stop) even though there were many open, legal, spots. Surely that kind of customer behavior isn't going to endear Doug to his new neighbors.

Anyways I waited in the car listening to music until about 10:28 or so and ambled over - more people had arrived. When the door opened I was at a place in the line that had me just barely inside the building. While waiting for my order I observed that the line extended out the building and would probably remain that way until closing - which atalissa80's post confirms.

3 veggie dogs for my wife and for me a Don Rickles (Thuringer), Madonna (Andouille), and one of the day's specials - lamb sausage with feta and kalamata olives.

Personal peeve - renaming the andouille from the Ann Margret (Racquel Welch before that) to Madonna. Please, Ann Margret on her worst day was way more "Mighty, mighty, mighty hot" than Madonna could ever dream to be. /rant off

Doug is now listing the specials on the website. Updated whenever the specials are. At the old location, it helped me decide whether a trip was worth it -- if none of the specials appealed, I probably wouldn't bother.

Hot Doug's Current Specials

-ed

Check out the website.

It's hard to imagine that any one remembers Wazmo Nariz, but his namesake sandwich sounds great. I am certain I've never had a "hot dog" with "mixed dried fruit," but this collection of flavors sounds pretty good.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Check out the website.

It's hard to imagine that any one remembers Wazmo Nariz, but his namesake sandwich sounds great. I am certain I've never had a "hot dog" with "mixed dried fruit," but this collection of flavors sounds pretty good.

Hammond

My girlfriend actually had the wazmo nariz this past saturday and enjoyed it more than she expected to. (I tried it, it was pretty good). I had the lamb sausage with feta, kalamata olives, and sun dried tomatoes. The feta+olives made it a little saltier than i'd have liked, but it was quite good as well. Excellent duck fries, above average cheese fries.

And doug is 42 or 43 or so, so was in his teens/early twenties when Wazmo Nariz was "popular".

Also, does anyone here understand the appeal, other than psychological, of a kobe beef hot dog or hamburger? Isn't the specialty of kobe/wagyu beef marbling? And when you make hot dogs or hamburgers don't you specifically control the level of fat in the meat, anyway? Does the meat taste different in any way, or is it just a marketing gimmick to sell wagyu meat no one wants to buy otherwise?

-ed

gleam wrote:Also, does anyone here understand the appeal, other than psychological, of a kobe beef hot dog or hamburger? Isn't the specialty of kobe/wagyu beef marbling? And when you make hot dogs or hamburgers don't you specifically control the level of fat in the meat, anyway? Does the meat taste different in any way, or is it just a marketing gimmick to sell wagyu meat no one wants to buy otherwise?

Gleam,

I had the waygu dog last year. It was okay, but I sincerely doubt that a kobe fan would be able to detect his favorite meat in there. I suspect it is, as you suggest, a gimmick (though, in the words of Chef Cantu, "What's wrong with a gimmick?")

Hammond

this guy has got it going on. bit of a commute though. venice beach boardwalk in l a. here's his menu. he used to do a lamb curry sausage w/pinenuts and apricot that was unreal. check him out @ jodymaroni.com:



Yucatan - Surely our most unique sausage, it is made with chicken and duck, cilantro, serrano chilis and beer. A beautiful green sausage with a surprising Southwestern tang. In quesadillas, pastas, soups, eggs, sandwiches and as a side dish, the Yucatan has unlimited uses. Also available: a leaner version with turkey, Chicken & Turkey Yucatan.

Smoked Cubana Chicken - Taste the Carribean with this sweet and smoky chicken sausage that is packed with garlic and spices. Delicioso!

Orange-Garlic-Cumin - A feisty chicken and duck sausage made with fresh oranges and offering a sweet flavor followed by a strong garlic and chili bite. A good grilling sausage with a striking orange color. For poultry lovers looking for a sausage that bites back!

Boudin Blanc - Traditionally a veal or pork sausage, we use chicken and duck with glace de canard (reduced duck stock), shallots, and quatre epices. This is a highly sophisticated and elegant luncheon sausage beautifully flecked with tarragon.

Chicken & Duck with Basil - Our Venetian poultry sausage is made with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and duck stock. A contemporary Italian sausage for pastas, and pizza.

Tequila Chicken - This unique sausage blends tequila, jalapenos, and lime for an unforgettable kick.

Chicken Italian - With oranges and wine. Our leanest sausage, this product substitutes for pork Italian sausage in all applications. Perfect for fresh, healthy pizza, great in bolognese sauce.

Duck - Perfect for game menus, this one-third pound sausage is great for grill plates, pastas, and in bulk form for pizzas. Made with duck stock and roasted garlic.

Chicken-Apple - A light refreshing breakfast and lunch sausage distinguished by a touch of sherry.

Turkey/Chicken Chorizo - Excellente! A one-of-a-kind Mexican-inspired all-poultry sausage with taut flavors and a minty, spicy taste. On the grill or in bulk for quesadillas, tacos, and other south-of-the-border dishes.

Chicken Bistro - A custom-designed chicken sausage enhanced with reduced duck stock and rosemary. Available in two or four ounce portions, our Bistro sausage delivers an unbelievably meaty flavor with elegance and panache (8:1)


Chicken Andouille - This all new smoked (with nitrates) Cajun style sausage uses chicken and herbs for an unforgettable taste of New Orleans.


Sweet Italian- A very untraditional Italian sausage made of 100% coarse ground pork butts and flavored with fresh oranges, bell peppers, parmesan, ementhaler, and gruyere cheeses as well as red and white wine. For barbecues, pizzas, and pastas. Excellent for enhancing red sauces.

Hot Italian- Made of 100% coarse ground pork butts, fresh oranges, bell peppers, parmesan, ementhaler, and gruyere cheeses, red and white wine and spiced with hot chilis and paprika. Excellent for barbecues, pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches.

Buttermilk Breakfast- A traditional breakfast sausage made with lean pork, sage and fresh dairy buttermilk. The most delicious breakfast sausage you will ever taste. (8:1)

Maple Breakfast- Our breakthrough breakfast links combine all of the best tastes of breakfast. Each sausage contains real Vermont maple syrup, double smoked bacon and cinnamon. This is a morning buffet dazzler! . (10:1)

Apple Maple- A wonderful combination of chunky apples, pork, real Vermont maple syrup, and sherry. This breakfast sausage is a little less sweet than our Maple Sausage. (8:1)

Bratwurst- A traditional Midwestern mild pork sausage make with milk and spices. Delicious in a variety of grilled applications.


Louisiana Boudin Hot Links - 13% fat! The lowest fat content of any of our red meat sausages! This award winning Cajun-Boudin style sausage is made with rice cooked in duck stock with plenty of chilis and green onions. Begins in the mouth with a smooth American breakfast taste and then explodes in a delayed heat peak! Great for gumbos and bean rice dishes.

Polish - Our most traditional sausage! Made of 66% pork and 34 % beef chuck. A great crowd pleaser when served with sauerkraut and spicy mustard.

Went to lunch at Hot Doug's with a friend today (brats, brown mustard, caramelized onions, duck fries, birch beer - we are Old School!), and my friend asked who Doug's supplier of encased meats is (we want some of those brats!). I confessed that I have no idea. Does anyone know? I'd have asked The Man himself, but the place was overrun, it being such a nice day, and all.

TIA for any clues!

Finally got to the new Hot Doug's. It's shockingly... organized. Lacks the living-in-my-parents'-basement feel of the old place, it's almost slick. The only thing standing in the way of opening thousands of them nationwide is the fact that there's still only one Doug. It all looked so good I couldn't help ordering and ordering and...



Okay, so there were actually two of us, I didn't have four hot dogs by myself. Two thuringers, one turkey florentine dog (too turkey-tasting for me, but an admirable attempt) and one alligator sausage:



Alligator dog was slightly reptilian but robust, like beef, quite good. But the standout, in fact my first bite caused me to weep at the sheer perfection of it, was the thuringer. As I said to Doug, "Damn you!"

The new Chicago Mag. has Hot Dougs in their top 10....

It looks like his caramelized onions actually have a little color now! My Saturday brunches are getting later and later but maybe I'll be able to get to Hot Doug's door in time some weekend.

fyi, cooked onions that don't have a golden brown color are not "caramelized". it's the sugar that is found naturally in onions that when cooked slowly, caramelizes. hence the name. that's why they taste sweeter as well. it takes a while for proper caramelization to occur and many places cheat, passing off "sauteed" for "caramelized" to the unknowing public.

I didn't notice any difference in the onions; I just notice a difference in the lighting, at least on a day when little sunlight was coming from outside.

jazzfood wrote:fyi, cooked onions that don't have a golden brown color are not "caramelized". it's the sugar that is found naturally in onions that when cooked slowly, caramelizes. hence the name. that's why they taste sweeter as well. it takes a while for proper caramelization to occur and many places cheat, passing off "sauteed" for "caramelized" to the unknowing public.

Well, you know this, I know this, but every time I ordered "caramelized onions" at Doug's old location, they were whiter than newfallen snow on a newlywed's lawn. Right there on the menu as "caramelized," like I say. I mentioned it in a CH thread some time ago and actually caught some flak for it, too. Anyway, it became a bit of a running joke that predates your return to town, so read my earlier post with air quotes around "caramelized onions" the way most folks did (probably while rolling their eyes in many cases ).

On the other hand, MikeG wrote:I didn't notice any difference in the onions; I just notice a difference in the lighting, at least on a day when little sunlight was coming in from outside.

Bummer.

my bad. sorry.

sundevilpeg wrote:and my friend asked who Doug's supplier of encased meats is (we want some of those brats!).

SunDevilPeg,

Earlier this week, remembering your question to the LTHForum board, as I was ordering my Cajun Brat w/4-cheese, one of the specials, I asked Doug. Regular menu brats are fresh Johnsonville, specialty brats, such as the Cajun, Sheboygan Brat Company in Wisconsin.

Doug, at least as of the last time I asked, which was pre fire, sourced encased meat from a wide variety of places. For example Andouille comes from, or at least came from, Leon's, Hot Dogs Vienna, Game of the week source might change from week to week.

When I've asked Doug why he does not make any of his own encased meat he said space and time. He didn't have the space, at least in the old shop, and felt 10 + hours a day was enough to devote to his business without making sausage.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:When I've asked Doug why he does not make any of his own encased meat he said space and time. He didn't have the space, at least in the old shop, and felt 10 + hours a day was enough to devote to his business without making sausage.

GWiv,

I asked Doug the same question when I went to his place for the first time about two or so years ago. He looked at me as though mentally tabulating the many times he'd been asked that same question, and then said, with arched eyebrows and a world-weary smile, "Have you ever made sausage?"

Hammond

Earlier this week, remembering your question to the LTHForum board, as I was ordering my Cajun Brat w/4-cheese, one of the specials, I asked Doug. Regular menu brats are fresh Johnsonville, specialty brats, such as the Cajun, Sheboygan Brat Company in Wisconsin.

Regular ol' Johnsonville?? Well, twist my neck and call me screwy. I'm really going to have to work on my technique this summer, I guess. Grill first, then the beer bath, or vice versa? And if a Johnsonville can be rendered so delicious, how good will one of my customary Usinger's be?!

Thanks a mil, Gary. You're a mensch.

sundevilpeg wrote:Regular ol' Johnsonville?? Well, twist my neck and call me screwy. I'm really going to have to work on my technique this summer, I guess. Grill first, then the beer bath, or vice versa?

Grill first, beer butter and onion bath second.

HI,

Doug may not make the sausage, it doesn't mean he doesn't specify it! It may be Johnsonville, though not likely what you buy. I would suggest Doug may be truthful who his vendors are, but there is magic in his purchase specification (and technique, once it reaches him).

We learned from talking to Scala's beef, they make proprietary blends for customers. For some, they just get the meat. For others, it is meat and gravy. Those who have participated in the Beefathons know, there is a wild variance in Italian Beefs.

I'd love to have a Polish sausage like I obtain at Jim's, which is made to a proprietary recipe, also.

Stevez, butter??! Whoa! That's my missing ingredient. So hard-core Wisconsin-y. You're a mensch, too. Thanks!

Cathy, I don't know whether to be sad, or inspired to search further. But thank you, too. That makes sense, in that I've never seen a Johnsonville brat that rotund or succulent.

It's good to have goals. The Perfect Brat seems a worthy one to pursue.

(Sfx: "The Impossible Dream")

sundevilpeg wrote: Grill first, then the beer bath, or vice versa?

SunDevilPeg,

Since you called me a mensch I'll share my secret Brat Recipe with you.

Enjoy,
Gary
--

Loose Recipe for Brats

I grew up in Wisconsin, the home of the Brat. The key is to use a fresh brat, never a precooked one and to simmer in beer and spices before smoking or grilling.

5-lbs of Fresh Brats, take a fork and poke* a few holes in them.

Beer to cover** the amount of Brats you will be simmering and 9 extra for the chef to drink.

7 fresh garlic cloves smashed with the side of a large knife, not chopped just smashed.
3 quartered onions
1 to 6 oz of hot sauce
Any other spices you want to toss in. I have found that there is a direct correlation between the amount of beer you have drunk and the amount and variety of different spices that you will put into the simmering liquid.

Simmer, do not boil, the brats in the beer, garlic, onions and hot sauce for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit in mixture for at least 1 hour. This allows the brats to absorb the flavors of the beer, onions, garlic and hot sauce. If the brats rest for over an hour refrigerate.

Grill over a moderate fire.

Serve on Brat buns, somewhat like a French roll, with Koops horseradish mustard, chopped onions and hot pickled peppers, peppers are optional.

If you want to jazz up the brats a bit, pour off all but 1/2 cup of the remaining brat liquid, simmer until the onions are soft and beer is evaporated. When liquid is evaporated add butter and caramelize onions.
When onions are caramelized add mustard, preferably Koops, and stir. The mixture should come together nicely.

Note:
- It is not necessary to use all beer, half water, half beer is perfectly acceptable outside of Wisconsin.
-
** There is some controversy as to the efficacy of poking holes in the brat. I feel that a few holes allow the beer/onion/hotsauce to be absorbed by the brats, others contend the holes cause the brat to dry out during the grilling stage. YMMV

Enjoy,
Gary

Whoa! A devotee of the opposite method! I can see that a lot of research and experimentation is going to be taking place this summer. It's a difficult road, but someone has to tread it. Science, you know.

Seriously, thanks for the advice. I'm a pretty decent cook, and can generally navigate around a grill pretty well, but I grilled up some brats last summer that were....words fail to describe their dissicated awfulness. The horror.....the horror.....

Since you are all giving me such good advice, here's a good brat source, given to me by a Wisconsin guy & his lovely wife, who grilled me a couple of winners last fall. His parents live in Lake Geneva all year, and whenever they go up to hang out, they invariably visit this fine establishment. Their logo just cracks me up. I feel a road trip coming on....:

http://www.lakegenevacountrymeats.com/

sundevilpeg wrote:http://www.lakegenevacountrymeats.com/

There is a great pie shop in that general area on Hwy 50 as well. I've been trying to remember the name of it for a while now. You don't by any chance know the establishment I am talking about, do you?

G Wiv wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote: Grill first, then the beer bath, or vice versa?

SunDevilPeg,

Since you called me a mensch I'll share my secret Brat Recipe with you.

Enjoy,
Gary
--

Now that sounds good. I guess being from Wisconsin pays off every once in a while.

SteveZ -

Let me check with my friends - if memory serves, I believe the little weasels are in Florida at the moment (the winters get long up in Johnsburg, see). But I'm sure they will know, and if they don't, his parents sure will. Heck, I'm ready to roll right now!

This has always been a huge debate: Soaking brats in beer before, during or after cooking. Ive never heard a true conclusion as to which is best! As far as puncturing the casing - I would never do that but I can see how this would soak more of the marinade but then I would assume you would lose that viscious oil splattering pop in your mouth!