Harmonica, harmonica workshops, basic blues, hot dogs, and more! skiplandt@sbcglobal.net    HOT DOGS! My son Matt (14) and I continue in our dogged pursuit of the best Chicago hot dog. And what quest it's been! We've not only cruised city streets, but also ventured into the mysterious "land beyond O'Hare." And, with it, we've been hunting up good times for whole families or parent-kid combos like Matt and me. What better way to spend your time than on good times combined with eating the perfect American food? What a minute. The perfect American food? Yes, really. Look at the ingredients: meats, grains, veggies, and even some sugar (in the relish). As for dairy, what better than a shake? True, kids won't touch the condiments. But think a second. Who in your family eats the fewest veggies, but then orders hot dogs "with everything?" Yep, adult men. This page is our salute to some (but not all!) of Chicago's best doggeries. With luck and funding, these listings and others like 'em will be coming out in book form. The book will give more information on the stands and will include family adventures that are are nearby. We're saving the family adventure part for the book itself. As an example, though, if you visit Hot Dougs, head East from there into that great Roscoe Village area. It was new to us, and has great little stores and shops, including a place that features italian ice. Yum. HOT DOUGS - 2314 W. Roscoe - Now closed at this location! BUT reopened in January at Roscoe and California. Doug's is a monument to America's favorite food. Walls are festooned with hot dog posters, signs, and memorabilia. These include a video disk of Elvis performing - of course - "Hot Dog." Owned and operated by Doug himself, the shop is pervaded with his love of the product and his amazing energy. Here's what we originally wrote: "Doug's dogs are Vienna all-beef, except imported specialty dogs like ostrich and buffalo. When asked how he got his specialty meats, Doug calmly replied, "Whatever we find out back. At least I think it was an ostrich we hit with the car the other day..." Dogs can be ordered char-broiled, steamed, deep-fried, fried/grilled, with a huge list of toppings. Don't order the large fries unless you hae an elephant (or a teenager) in your party. Duck fries are incredibly tasty (yep, fried in duck fat), but not recommended before 1 p.m. This prevents you from clogging your arteries and dying before lunch. (They're served only on Fridays and Saturdays). If you visit, tell Doug that you were referred by Skip and Matt, those guys STILL writing their hot dog book." MURPHY'S -1211 W. Belmont A sixty-year old Chicago stand with two sister institutions in Japan? You believe it. Thanks to Kevin, a website visitor for the tipoff. This doggery has a great foot-long dog, beautifully slashed open, then chargrilled to perfection. And the garden gate is open -- more toppings than we've seen: mustard, relish, raw onion, pickle, cuke, tomato, lettuce, onion salt. (The only problem: the loaded footlong is impossible to hold). Several adjacent parking spaces (enter from Racine) more or less neutralize the New Town location problem. Five inside tables -- those high ones with stools -- can make it crowded inside. And the price is high: $4.35 as of this writing, and that's without fries. (But the fries are tops). In short, this is a great place. TASTEE DOG - 4501 West Lawrence 11-21-05 update: It looks like Tastee Dog has changed owners, or at least changed name. I haven't stopped for a while; if you do, let me know about your experience. It's sad to see the old-time owners depart; but heartening to see the stand continuing! Introduce yourself and mention my website. I'd love to know who the new owner is. Tastee Dog is an old-time stand - a tiny building adjacent to an abandoned 1930's gasoline station. The owner, Emil Cillie, opened it more than 40 years ago as an alternative to truck driving. With barely enough space for Emil and his assistant, the stand has no customer seating. In fact, it doesn't even provide a place to put down your dog. The high outside counter is not an option, unless you're a professional basketball player. Emil's steamed dog is beautifully designed, offered with mustard, relish, onion, celery salt, all tucked into a Rosen's poppyseed bun. A feature: neatly cut strips of green pepper, carefully laid across the top. The stand has a limited menu: dogs, tamales, and chille. No fries, but chips ("potatoe") available. Be sure to see this quaint place, and enjoy one of Emil's dogs, before it disappears into hot dog stand history. Yeah, and tell Emil that we sent ya!