Yes, yes I am.
When my sweet friend Cameron was in town a few weeks ago, she reminded me that she had never had a Chicago dog before. There was no question that needed to change. But where should we go?
We decided to check out The Wiener Circle in Lincoln Park. We chose it partly because I've seen it profiled on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, partly because my friend Heather highly recommends it and partly because of its proximity to Molly's Cupcakes.
If I'm being honest, the Molly's Cupcakes thing weighed most heavily.
You guys, this place is great. The stand itself is teeny tiny. The people working there are kind of rude in a, "We're just trying to move this process along," kind of way. The atmosphere is definitely exactly what springs to mind when you hear the words "Hot Dog Stand." Translation: not glamorous.
And the dogs are delicious. The Wiener Circle is famous for (among other things) their Char Dogs. The dogs are charbroiled, bordering on burnt, which would usually turn me off. I was that kid that threw 5 hot dogs away because she kept catching them on over the campfire. But, at the Wiener Circle the char totally works! It's a perfect addition to the already ingredient-heavy Chicago dog.
Who knew another flavor could make a Chicago dog even better?
Apparently the Wiener Circle is also quite the late night spectacle. Word on the street is that things get a bit PG-13 after dark. The employees exchange insults with the clients and things have been known to get rowdy once the bars in the neighborhood close. Check out their website for multiple videos of the craziness.
But when we went in the afternoon things were pretty tame and pretty delicious.
Campfire dogs: burnt or barely roasted?
Discuss...
