Calling Me Home
Chicago is where I learned how to be a cabbie. Not how to drive, but how to act. Visiting Chicago about once a year to spend time with my large (and growing) extended family has resulted in my taking countless cabs in that town. But the single most influential cab ride of my life came just before I got my own hack license in 2001. From downtown Chicago, I took a cab to the airport after my cousin Laurie’s wedding.
My Sri Lankan cabbie was keen to chat with me once I showed interest in the profession we were soon to share. We talked of life and love and Chicago winters. He told me about his Tamil mother and Sinhalese father, and how, even though he was half Tamil, he blamed the Tamil Tigers for the endless violence in his homeland. He hoped that now, after September 11th, America would understand Sri Lanka’s enduring plight and come to its aid.
Knowing that was an unlikely proposition, I tried to move on to a lighter topic, so I asked him where to find the greatest Chicago hot dog. With that, his sad eyes lit up. He told me we were about to pass his favorite place. I was ready to take a mental note and make a trip to this Superdawg the next time I was in town, but my super cabbie suggested that we pull off the tollway and grab a couple of dogs for the road.
I’d never heard of such a thing. Aren’t cab drivers always in a hurry? Aren’t they always grumps who just talk on their cell phones, drive recklessly, and never dream of taking a break to dine with a fare? I was shocked, but I accepted the invitation just in time for us to swerve off the highway and make the exit.
(Superdawg picture from their website because I didn’t have a digital camera back in the day)
I immediately saw Superdawg’s appeal to a cab driver: it was a drive-in. Not a drive-thru, but a drive-in. A hold out from 1948 complete with “Suddenserv” car hops. The hot dogs were, in a word, heavenly. But I couldn’t desribe them any better than Superdawg does:
“Not a wiener - not a frankfurter - not a red hot - but our exclusive… Superdawg™. On a poppy seed bun, we tenderly place the loveliest, juiciest creation of pure beef hot dog (no pork, no veal, no cereal, no filler), formally dressed with all the trimmings, escorted by our often imitated, but never equaled, Superfries™. Served with all the trimmings - golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a memorable hot pepper.”
My cabbie devoured his Superdawg in about 60 seconds flat, a skill I would have to master if I was going to be a real cabbie back in New York. I was still polishing off my second dog as we rolled into O’Hare with just minutes to spare. That Sri Lankan Superdawg-loving peace-loving kinda-smelly cabbie is my role model to this day. He’d fit neatly into my family too.
My uncle Norm is a major Superdawg fan, but the rest of the family is loyal to Big Herm’s Hot Dog Palace in Skokie. Usually, Big Herm’s is the first stop we make upon our arrival. Big Herm’s hot dogs aren’t as thick or juicy as that Superdawg I had, but they are more flavorful and have more snap. To me, Big Herm’s serves the quintessential Chicago dogs.
(A char dog on the left; a classic steamed dog on the right)
And unlike at Superdawg, Big Herm’s puts a couple slices of tomato on the dog (note to New Yorkers who put ketchup on their hot dogs: actual tomatoes are better). My family is never as comfortable and at ease with itself as it is when it’s chowing down at Big Herm’s. Chicago, more specifically Chicago hot dogs, are in my blood. Here, a small sampling of the family can’t be bothered to smile for the picture because everyone is too busy eating:
My cousin Anna eats her hot dogs with nothing but ketchup, and the shame of it all is stamped clearly on her face.
I’d been to Big Herm’s a couple dozen times, and I was in the mood to explore. So my cousin Jeremy Weinstein, back from Hollywood where he is on his way to collecting a mantle full of Best Editor Oscars, took me to The Wieners Cirlce after a night out on the North Side.
I’d heard stories about the Wieners Circle, but I had a hard time believing them. I’d heard that drunken hoardes of white Chicagoans descend upon the black counter girls every night to shout whatever wretched, base thoughts come into their meatheads.
If you give a counter girl $10, you could order a “chocolate shake” that is not on the menu. Now, I love milk shakes, so I was excited to hear of a special shake that’s not on the menu the way The In And Out Burger offers things not on the menu. But at The Wieners Circle, the chocolate shake is just a counter girl who lifts her shirt up and shakes her saggy boobs in everyone’s face for a nanosecond.
(This woman’s official job is to pour the melted cheese, but she also serves chocolate shakes)
When I arrived, I found the stories to be true. Actually, it was much crazier than I had heard. Racist comments are shouted out like orders Insults of every type are hurled back and forth. I was treated to a “chocolate shake” because the guy in front of me ordered one. I wish he hadn’t. I had my camera turned off when the “chocolate shake” came, but take a look at what happened just afterwards and you’ll get a better idea of the atmosphere in there:
Wieners Circle Vanilla Shake Video (18 seconds)
(A char dog that I bought “for the table,” and then proceeded to eat all but one bite of myself)
I noticed there was one black girl there eating hot dogs with her white friends at a picnic table out front. She did not look happy. Jeremy and I decided she must be dying a little on the inside. Appalled as I was, I got over it soon after a counter girl flicked me off and called me the “NEXT C*CKSUCKER IN LINE.”
(The screen is a new addition; They’ve taken their cue from the chicken wire protecting the Blues Brothers on stage)
The hot dogs, though they didn’t compare to Superdawg or Big Herm’s, were so good. After muscling my way through a dangerously drunk crowd of overweight Chicagoans, they really hit the spot. Any dog that comes with an entire pickle spear (or two on occasion in the Wieners Circle’s case) is just fine as far as I’m concerned. Chicagoans eat their hot dogs the way New Yorkers eat their pizza. So in my yellow cab, thanks in large part to my Chicago cabbie role model, I wouldn’t hesistate to stop and grab a slice with my fare.
Superdawg, 6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL
Big Herm’s Hot Dog Palace, 3406 Dempster St., Skokie, IL
The Wieners Circle, 2622 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
Visit www.famousfatdave.com for an eating tour on which we can stop for New York hot dogs/ Chicago style hot dogs/ and deep fried Jersey hot dogs











Roberta Bear said,
July 19, 2006 @ 5:22 am
Forget the char dog. You can make those on any grill. A real Chicago hot dog is steamed. And Anna, no ketchup, mustard. You’ll learn. FFD, Have you tried Chicago pizza? Ribs? Corned beef? It’s a great place in which to get fatter.
Jeremy said,
July 19, 2006 @ 6:22 am
yeah goat yeah!
Plain-Jane-Anna said,
July 19, 2006 @ 12:43 pm
You are my favorite cabbie! Yes, I am very ashamed to be plain jane anna… but hey, i’ve got a few years to learn. One day (mark my words!) I will eat a hot dog with EVERYTHING, yes, EVERYTHING on it!!! But until that inscredibly scary day, I will eat my plain hot dog with ketchup.
sam said,
July 19, 2006 @ 4:28 pm
Tomatoes? Pickles? On a hot dog? What’s wrong with you people? A good hot dog should have mustard AND ketchup, some onions, chili and slaw. You can’t beat that with a stick!
AWE said,
July 19, 2006 @ 4:45 pm
Repeat. I must not view your blog before lunch.
Jeremy said,
July 19, 2006 @ 5:35 pm
I agree with sam that the cole slaw on a hot dog is great, but the Chicago way is better!
acmr said,
July 19, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
HILARIOUS comments about the chocolate shakes!!!
I love hot dogs!!! Grrr, hungry now…
Claire said,
July 19, 2006 @ 9:27 pm
I *love* Superdawg and will have to make a trip to Skokie to try out Herm’s. I will continue to avoid the Weiner’s Circle. My family also has special hot dog outings whenever we are all in Chicago.
Next time you’re in town, you’ve got to find your way to Hot Doug’s, the Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium on 3324 North California. You can get straight-up, Chicago-style dogs, but you can also get a wide variety of sausage, including specials. Go on a Friday or Saturday for the duck fat fries. (They are as amazing as you would think.) http://www.hotdougs.com/
I don’t care for my city’s pizza, but you can’t beat our hot dogs. Great post.
Sara said,
July 20, 2006 @ 1:30 pm
I’ll definitely have to try a Chicago dog in September when I visit! Do you have any other places in Chicago that you would recommend?
Natalie said,
July 20, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
I’m grateful you didn’t post any pictures of the chocolate shake.
noah said,
July 20, 2006 @ 2:10 pm
If your family likes big Herm’s then they probably don’t like Poochies. Poochies is a couple blocks west on Dempster in skokie and I feel it has much better dogs as well as real fresh cut fries….go without your family. I’ve also heard Hot Dougs is very good. For other treats I would suggest this romanian hot dog place (butcher) on Clark street and the Vienna beef factory on ashland sells special super snappy dogs you can grill at home. after living in new york for 4 years I now hate chicago pizza…..
Jeremy said,
July 21, 2006 @ 3:33 am
I have bad memories of Poochies. I don’t want to go back there. I remember this one time my friend’s brother kept singing “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and talking about what a great song it was. It’s not a great song.
Roberta Bear said,
July 21, 2006 @ 10:10 pm
I justs went back for a Chicago visit and just had to have Uno’s pizza. Ugh! All bread and no taste. How come I used to love it?
emily said,
July 25, 2006 @ 6:01 pm
“You’re Abe Froman? The Sausage KING of Chicago??” Sorry, could not resist the “Ferris Bueller” reference there.
LOVED the Superdawg, but I am from Jersey and I treated it as an exotic, one-time experience. A proper hot dog is a Sabrett-style, garlicky, snappy sausage, slathered in mustard, SAUTEED onion, and sauerkraut — oh god what I would not give for some sauerkraut here in Boston, where they eat their bloated Fenway Franks PLAIN! :-0
Here’s a rec for you, Famous Dave — if you ever get a *really* big fare or are otherwise passing through Elizabeth NJ (exit 13/13A), my hometown, just south of Newark Airport, stop at Tommy’s on Elizabeth Ave for an awesome Italian sausage or hot dog experience, with their signature “potatoes in a cup” on the side….mmmmmmm!
mike said,
July 25, 2006 @ 9:07 pm
I second Hot Doug’s. Get there at 10:30 a.m. to avoid the lines.
I think NYC is the best city in the universe, but Chicago definitely makes the best hot dog. All the ingredients make it a delicious meal, especially polish hot dogs. And as a Chicagoan of over eight years, I’ll say your description of Weiner’s Circle was spot on. There really is nothing nice about that place late at night. I went there once at 3:00 a.m. and have never been back.
I know very few Chicagoans who eat deep dish pizza. I think “Chicago deep dish” is a myth invented for tourists. We’re more of a beef sammich town. But it’s a big city so there are good pizzas to be had. My favorite pizza places in Chicago are Pizano’s (love the different cornmeal crust), Spacca Napoli (really authentic neopolitan pizze: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unmikely/115327220/) and Pizza Bubamara (delicious pizzas cooked up by a cheerful eastern european guy named Ratko who once told me, “I’m-a-gonna-make-a-you-the-best-a-pizza-pie!”). http://www.gapersblock.com/airbags/archives/pizza_bubamara/
Russ said,
July 31, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
Portillo’s kicks ALL those places’ asses!!!!
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » The Hungry Cabbie Eats The Outer Boroughs XXXVI said,
January 12, 2007 @ 8:12 am
[…] Although my dad successfully clawed his way out of the working class (he never imagined his second born would find it enthralling to claw back into it), the man can still enjoy blue collar cuisine. And I do believe that there is such a thing. I’ve never seen any other former Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Controls devour a Chicago hot dog or an Italian beef sandwich or a deep dish pie with as much pleasure and comfort as my dad does. It’s like watching an old teamster at a truck stop on Route 66. He is in his element. Even though he became a Republican and moved to Potomac, Maryland, he never forgot his working class roots. […]
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » Spring Training said,
March 10, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
[…] My second team was the Chicago Cubs, who I’d always loved with a warm place in my heart as a result of a large, deep-dish eating extended family hailing from the North Side. The Cubs have suffered through an equally powerful curse. The story goes that when a man arrived at Wrigley Field with a billygoat in tow, he was denied entrance. So he hexed the Cubs, saying they would never win another World Series. It was a ludicrous concept at the time. The Cubs, in fact, had been the century’s first great dynasty, going to four of the first seven World Series ever played, and winning twice. But the curse of the billygoat stuck, and the last time the Cubs brought home the ring was in 1908. The last time they even made it to the World Series there were only forty eight states. The Cubs too were poised to win a pennant that October of 2003, playing in the National League Championship Series. […]
Mike said,
May 11, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
You know what it means when you put ketchup on a hot dog? It means you don’t like hot dogs. Ketchup is used by children to dull the taste of charred meat, or particularly strong spicing. The average hot dog is not charred or particularly spicy so ketchup isn’t necessary. Nothing complements the natural taste of a frankfurter better than mustard. Like fried fish and tartar sauce. Turkey and gravy. Fetuccini and alfredo sauce. Some things just belong together. Ketchup and hot dogs belong as far apart as possible.
The Hungry Cabbie: The Eating Adventures of a NYC Yellow Cabbie » Chicago Sun Times said,
June 28, 2007 @ 6:22 am
[…] Click here to read two posts about my ancestral homeland of Chicago, one on hot dogs and the other on comparing The City That Never Sleeps to The Second City […]
NewYawkGirl said,
July 21, 2007 @ 5:31 am
IRemember, folks! Hot dogs were invented in New York-Nathans was the first hot dog joint-and they are the best hot dogs on the planet! Beef, garlicky, skin on, with mustard and onions, and if you like, sauerkraut. NEVER PUT KETCHUP ON A HOT DOG! Ketchup does not go with sausage! My husband is from Rockford, Ill, and he lived in Chicago for years-he puts ketchup and mustard and celery salt on hot dogs-and says that’s the Chicago way. I am from New York and can’t even watch him put ketchup on a Nathans or Hebrew National dog! It’s a crime!
When I was a kid, we’d go to Nathan’s on Coney Island-my father grew up in the city- it was the greatest treat for my brother and I-my mother loved it too-she grew up in Chicago-those hot dogs, those fries, the ambience….nothing like it in the world…
Anyway, what’s the deal with the celery salt? Is that true?
Carol Barbone said,
April 27, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
Please contact me regarding a tour.
Thanks