Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Favorite hot dog


JenBragg

Recommended Posts

Hi everybody! This is my first posting, so I'll try to stir it up a bit. Who serves the finest hot dog in Vancouver? I've tried many of the contenders, ranging from an Orange Julius relish dog to the Parisian-style chiens chauds at the Crepe Place. Personally, I favour the hot dog stand located on West Broadway (in front of the Future Shop). The buns are fresh and chewy and there's brand-name condiments a-plenty. The smokies are juicy, skins popping with gas-grilled criss-crosses. The texture is sublime.

Worst dog---Ikea; no comment.

"People go to restaurants for hundreds of reasons, and food is only one of them." -Ruth Reichl

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i`ve tried the two mentioned above which are very good and would have been my choices ( saying that i do a mean dog round my house ) .

shame hot dog jonny`s closed before i could try`em out , surely this place could have been the hot dog answer to vera`s. any other thoughts .

* bites tongue * resisting temptation to make childish innuendo about feenie`s weenie * bites tongue *

( Daddy A will be proud )

tt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:biggrin:

As per earlier article...

The hot dog stand down the street from the Wedgewood (at Robson) is my favourite. Smokies, Hot Dogs, Veggie Dogs and my favourite ~ Veal Dogs. The guy even has a handwashing station!

Brian

Brian,

Are you refering to the hotdog stand by Mac Cosmetics?

If so, I second that!

If I am not wrong, they have the largest variety of fixings in town.

And fixings is what makes a great dog for me... :biggrin:

Wen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the eGullet madhouse Jen!

Here's a bit more input from an earlier thread on the demise of Hot Dog Jonny's.

Though Anne made reference to this February blurb from the Georgia Straight on owner John Zwickel's return to his corporate roots, there was a Hot Dog Jonny's stand operating at this May's Children's Festival. Wonder what the explanation is behind that... busman's holiday, perhaps? My bison dog was, by the way, delicious.

Edited to be well-mannered and welcoming.

Edited by Mooshmouse (log)

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My vote as well is for the couple who run the stand in front of Future Shop on West Broadway. (And until the new food/lifeguard "complex" opens at Kits Beach they're also there with a second unit on sunny days.)

Everything is good, but my favorite is the Turkey Smokey.

The condiments aren't as elaborate as downtown but they're more than sufficient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Slavic gentleman in front of Chapters at Broadway and Granville gets my vote. But perhaps he moves down to Future Shop from time to time and is the same person to whom others have made reference.

Also the "Kaisereck" in the GIM is worth mentioning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The stand in front of the Sutton Place Hotel has a Japanese-version hot dog. I think there's seaweed, some Japanese mayo, and various other condiments on it. Has anyone tried this version? It seems intriguing...

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

~ Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

Tara Lee

Literary and Culinary Rambles

http://literaryculinaryrambles.blogspot.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My vote as well is for the couple who run the stand in front of Future Shop on West Broadway. (And until the new food/lifeguard "complex" opens at Kits Beach they're also there with a second unit on sunny days.)

Everything is good, but my favorite is the Turkey Smokey.

The condiments aren't as elaborate as downtown but they're more than sufficient.

I'll second that! What is the name of his stand ... "Urban Pup" or something like that. He's the only guy I've found who has corn relish! European weenie, a little mustard, kraut and corn relish.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the dog at Kaplan's. Keith?

A.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I favour the hot dog stand located on West Broadway (in front of the Future Shop). The buns are fresh and chewy and there's brand-name condiments a-plenty. The smokies are juicy, skins popping with gas-grilled criss-crosses. The texture is sublime.

Worst dog---Ikea; no comment.

Hi Jen

I would have to agree about the dogs on Broadway, But now I am going to have to try the stand by the Wedgewood. :laugh: I have found the guys up at Georgia and Granville who have been there forever, serve a pretty good dog as well.

Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is. - P. J. O'Rourke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would agree that the guy near the Wedgewood on Robson is pretty durn good. As for Hot Dog Johnnies, they had great wieners and lots of condiments, but they didn't heat the buns! Blasphemy.

Most of the time I head over to Supervalue and buy the President's Choice Ballpark Wieners (the best) and just make the dogs myself.

Paul B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had the Feenie Wienie, It's no better than any of the smokies at any of the stands around town.

The woman at the Art gallery serves up a nice dog and you can't beat that local on a sunny day.

Also, I can't resist the hot dogs at Ikea. must have something to do with the crowds and screaming kids that drives me to eat 4 $0.75 hot dogs :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! There has been some really interesting feedback re: favorite hot dog. I've noticed that most people prefer their dog from a street vendor. I remember when there wasn't any street food available in Vancouver. I believed that carts were the height of urban sophistication.

The cart on the corner of Robson and Burrard (across from Virgin) is/was? called 'Heavenly Dog'. They have excellent home-made condiments. I hate it when vendors charge $4 for a smokie and offer a saddo array of no-name dressings.

P.S. What about bacon bits on hot dogs...too much of a good thing?

Jen

"People go to restaurants for hundreds of reasons, and food is only one of them." -Ruth Reichl

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

And beside, the best hot dogs in the city are found at golf courses, no question what so ever. A bad golf course hot dog is ten times better than one of those dirty street cart dogs cooked by some marginal workforce participant with a drinking problem and a lack of understanding why fingers should remain outside of nostrils. Besides, (and I can't beleive I even have to explain such basic fundementals to a group of food enthusiasts,) a hotdog with out a beer is like Arnie without his delete button, Neil without hangar steak or Maw without sexual puns.

Hot dogs belong on golf courses and at baseball parks. No grass? No dog. Simple. Anyways surrounded by the culinary Disney that is Vancouver, who eats cart dogs anyways? Weird.

And Ikea dogs are the only possible exception to the above rule. They make me nostalgic for Hot Dog Day at elementary school. One taste and you can detect that you are eating the cheapest foodstuff known to mankind. Even at a buck I gaurantee the have a profit margin on raw materials that would make the operators at Lift blush. Serving buckets of sand and gravel would have a higher food cost than Ikea dogs. And for that I love them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

Yup, I second that!

Hot dogs belong on golf courses and at baseball parks. No grass? No dog. Simple.

Hmm, will astro turf do -- as in miniature golf course, covered ballpark, and my patio (with a Weber and beer-cooler)?

And Ikea dogs are the only possible exception to the above rule. They make me nostalgic for Hot Dog Day at elementary school. One taste and you can detect that you are eating the cheapest foodstuff known to mankind. Even at a buck I gaurantee the have a profit margin on raw materials that would make the operators at Lift blush. Serving buckets of sand and gravel would have a higher food cost than Ikea dogs. And for that I love them.

I second that as well -- and add further that it's also an opportunity to test how many bad dogs I can stuff myself with. Kinda a dry-run for the annual hotdog eating contest.

By the way, anyone know where I can get a decent Chicago Dog (no, Kaplan's doesn't quite cut it)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aparently, and I am hesitant to post this, as it sounds too good to be true, and I don't want to get your hopes up but Target has teamed up with a native Chicago hot dog operator for thier stores. Bellingham here I come! Add the super secret taco wagon on Guide Meridian I was tipped off about by a real live Mexican and a road trip is overdue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

And beside, the best hot dogs in the city are found at golf courses, no question what so ever. A bad golf course hot dog is ten times better than one of those dirty street cart dogs cooked by some marginal workforce participant with a drinking problem and a lack of understanding why fingers should remain outside of nostrils. Besides, (and I can't beleive I even have to explain such basic fundementals to a group of food enthusiasts,)  a hotdog with out a beer is like Arnie without his delete button, Neil without hangar steak or Maw without sexual puns.

It is situational, I was one of those Veggie people for 8 years and I took myself on a trip to NY. I had to see everything and was always starving because " Really" "I can see the empire state building, it can't be that far to walk” Hotdog stands saved me from starving and saved my wallet too. They were quite good, but nothing like the pretzels with mustard... Sorry off topic :biggrin: I don't think many people would seek out hotdogs other than ballgames which give you the 3 condiment options..... Golf courses??? You mean the little sandwich shops halfway through the course?? See: " Ball game hotdogs above" :blink: Thanks but I’ll stick to the vendors with the olives and mayo, pickles etc........ that may or may not keep their fingers outside their nostrils :wacko: yuk

Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is. - P. J. O'Rourke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately the Vienna hot dog served at Target is NOT the same as the one served at Chicago hot dog joints. It is specially formulated and made for a roller grill. I had one this past Sunday and found it mediocre. Similar to a 7-11 hot dog.

John the hot dog guy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr Tube Steak, (insert snickering smilie here), okay not really. If you make it down here to Seattle, there are a number of street vendors outside of Safeco Field with excellent dogs as well as Matt's a mini chain around town with many locations to serve you to satisfy a Chicago dog craving as well as Italian Beefs. We also have Diggity Dog, man oh man. By the way, what about Costco? No one likes Costco? Or, do they not serve good Kosher dogs in Vancouver?

Rocky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh mannnnnnnnn.......how i miss street corner hotdogs in YVR! never thought i'd miss something like that. here in netherlands they don't know how to make hotdogs or even burger or hotdog rolls/buns! once i tried to get the ingredients from the supermarket to make me a hotdog snack, but couldn't find any real hotdog buns/rolls. had to walk around the place and put everything back on the shelf :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, what about Costco?  No one likes Costco?  Or, do they not serve good Kosher dogs in Vancouver?

The Costco's up here used to serve the Hebrew National dogs at their food counters. After the "mad cow" thing, transborder shipping of tube-steak seemed to be forbidden, which always struck me as odd since I thought it was the Americans who didn't want Canadian meat, and not the other way around.

I LOVED Hebrew National dogs! Good snap, nice taste. The dogs they use now are just kinda ... acceptable.

A.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...