The Dog Days of Early Summer
I got an assignment from a magazine that I write for to visit three classic Chicago hot dog stands and pick a winner for the “Best of Chicago” section. I was gearing up for a week of hot dog sampling when I heard that my niece-to-be, the Reading Corndog, would be visiting the neighborhood with her parents and brother. I had promised her months ago that I would take her on a restaurant review to Huey’s Hot Dogs, one of her favorites from her old stomping grounds. I couldn’t turn her down with the excuse of predicted hot dog overload, so yet another hot dog was added to my weekly diet. (Poor, good, Empanada Boy ordered a turkey sandwich and only ate half. He’s lost 14lbs now!)
Huey’s is a small storefront on a side street in Andersonville. The interior is brightly painted in mustard color with ketchup-colored trim. A big chalkboard displays the menu to customers who line up at the counter. Offerings range from basic dogs to chilidogs to burgers and a few sandwiches. All dogs come with fries. I ordered a charred hot dog, which means that it has been placed on the grill and blackened in addition to just being steamed. I am of the mind that the char can only add to the entire flavor combination. Sous Chef ordered a steamed dog, proving that there are some who prefer the purity of the original. Slim McDinner had a Polish sausage. Like any good Chicago dog, these had pickle spears, tomatoes, hot peppers, onions and mustard (no ketchup!). The franks were tasty, with good snap and an excellent poppy seed bun. Budacki’s may have been a little juicier, but there were no seeds on the buns. The fries were medium-thick and nicely crisped on the outside. The only thing I could have asked for was some mustard for dipping my fries. Ketchup is allowed for fries, but I take my mustard seriously.
Contrary to her name, the Reading Corndog, opted not to get a corndog. Instead, she went with a regular hot dog without toppings, to which she applied a generous slathering of ketchup. (Chicagoans under the age of 15 or so are exempted from the no ketchup rule.) She seemed to enjoy her meal, although she may have spent more time defending her fries from her brother than she did actually eating them. The foosball table, strategically placed next to the plastic kids table was also a distraction from the task at hand.
When it comes to Chicago hot dogs, there is little that can distract me from chowing down. Huey’s may not have the old-timey atmosphere of Budacki’s, but their hot dogs come out to be just as good. Three hot dog stands in one week sounded tough at first, but I think I’ll make it through four with no problem.
Huey’s Hot Dogs
1507 W. Balmoral Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
773.293.4800
I have long been wanting to review an ice cream shop on this blog. I’ve written about frozen custard, and it was almost a year ago now that I first featured the great gelato shops of Rome. It’s about time I brought some good old fashioned ice cream into the mix. You may think my timing is off. You might ask: “Isn’t ice cream more of a summer food? Why introduce it just as the leaves are falling from the trees and nighttime temperatures are dropping below freezing?” Well, the truth is that there is no bad time for ice cream. I like to eat it all year long and as often as possible. Anyone who disagrees is just crazy. It’s the best way to treat yourself in the depths of cold winter or when you’re just not feeling good about things. For these reasons, and because I am always looking for an excuse to eat ice cream, I bring you 
Sweet Occasions sells candy, cakes and elaborate pastries. It also sells delicious looking savory food like sandwiches, meatloaf, quiche and salads. (I say deliciously looking because I’ve never tried these.) But when Empanada Boy and I think about Sweet Occasions, we think of ice cream. The ice cream is made by Wisconsin’s Chocolate Shoppe, which makes EB even more partial to it. EB’s favorite flavor is black licorice. It’s actually more of a deep, dusty purple color and tastes better than it sounds. It has a twist of spice and is a little less sweet than other flavors. Sweet Occasions considers licorice a standard flavor, but we seem to find it more often during the colder months. EB gets very excited when it appears in the case again in the fall. I am also a fan of the seasonal flavors. When we went there last month I got a scoop of Snap-O-Lantern. It’s a spiced pumpkin flavored ice cream with bits of gingersnaps mixed in. 
EB is in Madison this weekend, so I went in to get myself a scoop last night. Snap-o-Lantern was gone with Halloween, but in it’s place was another of my favorites: Zanzibar chocolate. A blend of dark chocolates from around the world, including cocoa from Zanzibar, this is no ordinary chocolate. For one thing, it’s much darker in color than the typical chocolate ice cream. It’s also very rich and concentrated in its chocolate flavor, making it worthy of special distinction beyond regular chocolate. I got the sizable scoop you see here for a mere $2. A trip to an inferior location like Cold Stone Creamery could set you back $5 and give you a stomachache to boot.
Empanada Boy and I had a great dinner last night, but before I tell you about that, I have a confession to make. Remember my post about Empanada Boy’s proposal? Remember how I said it would take me at least two years to get used the idea of getting married? Well, after about one month I decided it wouldn’t be that traumatic after all. EB and I will be getting married in August, 2008— August 3, to be exact. So, I guess I exaggerated a bit.
EB and I once began a meal there with a Scotch egg— a hardboiled egg wrapped in meat, breaded and fried. We both ordered Belgian ales: EB tried the earthy and deep Kwak, and I opted for the malty, spicy, fruity Triple Karmeliet. EB’s was delicious, but mine may have been the best beer I’ve ever tasted.
The menu here is pretty evenly split between surf and turf, but we couldn’t stay out of the water. For our entreé we ordered mussels for two Belgian style (only $10 per person!). A large covered pot arrived at our table. When the server lifted the lid, steam came out, revealing a massive pile of tender mussels with crusty bread on top. These divine shellfish were cooked in Wittekerke white ale with shallots, thyme, bay leaf and fennel. They came with a side of perfectly crispy Belgian-style frites. Just having completed a 10-mile rollerblade, we were hungry enough to finish off the whole pot. I was full, but I couldn’t help wishing for a big ladle to drink the rest of the broth down.
One of the problems with going out for Sunday brunch in Chicago (or anywhere, for that matter) is that there is inevitably a long wait to sit down, and you’re usually hungry and craving caffeine because you’ve been postponing breakfast for half the morning. Another problem with brunch is that it’s almost never worth waiting for. The pancakes, omelets, French toast and muffins served in most restaurants are rarely better than what you can make at home in less time and at a fraction of the cost. That’s why when I go out to brunch I like it to either be for food I don’t know how to make at home (e.g. dim sum), or for food that’s actually unique and of a higher quality than I might have attempted. 
The line to be seated was quite long when Empanada Boy and I arrived for brunch with Mimosa and Half White With Hot. A few members of our party purchased drinks and small pastries from the bakery to stave off hunger. But after we sat down and our food arrived, nearly all annoyance at the wait vanished. That’s because the dishes that the waiter set before us were distinctive, beautiful and delicious. Take, for example, this decadent brioche French toast with apricots, blueberries and almonds, which even the dauntless Empanada Boy couldn’t quite finish. Or feast your eyes on the dish pictured above that— the Tuscan Eggs Benedict. This consisted of slices of crusty Italian bread topped with goat cheese pancetta and poached eggs, all coated in a deeply flavorful stewed tomato sauce.
M.Henry clearly shines when it comes to glorifying the mundane. This skill is evidenced by the sublime fried egg sandwich pictured here. Sourdough toast encases two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced tomatoes, Gorgonzola, and fresh thyme. How could anyone even think of eating an Egg McMuffin when something as glorious as this exists in the world? Every ingredient tasted fresh and carefully crafted. Half White With Hot ordered this, and I envied him the moment he did. 
Mimosa ordered another M.Henry specialty: the Blackberry Blisscakes. These were two pancakes layered with warm blackberries and mascarpone and topped with a brown sugar oat crust. Needless to say, Mimosa ate about a quarter of this and the rest of us made our best effort to help her finish it off. To no avail! I think the pastries beforehand may have been partially responsible. If I ever ordered this again, I would share it with at least one other person.
There are some restaurants, bars and clubs frequented by gay men or lesbians that make straight people feel a little intimidated I’m not complaining about these places— they have a right to exist, and I welcome them. Being straight, I just tend to avoid them. 
It was bitterly cold when we went there a few weeks ago, but the restaurant was alive and hopping. We were lucky to get a table. We were both feeling too chilled for cold beer or cocktails, so Empanada Boy ordered glögg, a Swedish mulled wine, which is served during the winter in many Andersonville restaurants as a tribute to the neighborhood’s heritage.
My burger was called “Buffy (the Hamburger Slayer).” It is a massive half-pound affair, and the meat is cooked in red wine (blood) and smothered in a heady garlic (to kill vampires) aioli. Next came a slice of Swiss cheese. It was enough to kill any vampire, but it hit the spot for a lover of strong, pungent flavors like me. I got a side of crispy French fries too, but I couldn’t eat all of them in addition to the burger. I know it’s not really in the spirit of burger joints, but I may order a salad in the future to lighten things up a bit. Mary’s does use nice ingredients for all its vegetable dishes.
Empanada Boy ordered “The Big Kahuna Burger” where the patty is marinated in terriyaki sauce and topped with grilled pineapple slices, cheddar cheese and a creamy dressing. I liked the sweet touch of the pineapple, but I could have done without the dressing and cheese. One or the other would have sufficed. A connoisseur of all things fried, EB also ordered the onion rings. I find most of these to be a disappointment because the fried always peels away from the onion, leaving a soggy mess. These had some of that and could have been a little crispier, but were better than the norm.
There is a dessert menu here, which includes items like a deep fried twinkie, sundaes, and an apple brown betty. After devouring these two enormous sandwiches, however, it was almost impossible for us to stand, let alone eat more. We asked for the check, and it came in a red high-heel shoe, perhaps from the collection of Mary herself. Either way, there’s no doubt she would have approved.
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