Yes, please. I like them any and all kinds of ways

Like Raee I grew up in Cincinnati, and then Kahn's were a favorite.

While living there I never developed a taste for "chili dogs" specifically gold star or skyline, but since then I've decided it is the very best way. And since Skyline chili is available in the local grocery store that's what I buy.

Brown mustard, hot dog (Oscar Meyer or Nathan's or Ball Park whichever is on sale at the time I'm shopping), Skyline Chili, and a heap of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

No yellow mustard on anything ever.

There were (and still are) two longtime hot dog places in Los Angeles that served a few items but specialized in chili ------. I think both use versions of LA-produced XLNT chili con carne (no visible beans) but I don't know for sure. Both use crunchy hot dogs that are steamed, as are the buns. The food at both places is incredibly fresh because of how busy they are.

Pinks, in Hollywood,started in late 1930s. Best known for chili dogs. Yellow mustard, onions, chili. It now has some foo-foo and other embellished versions but the basic chili dog remains as it has long been and how I remember from childhood. Very busy, sometimes a long (sidewalk) wait. Known for its celebrity customers, whose pictures are all over the walls of what's really little more than a shack.

Original Tommy's. First location near downtown. There are many more now, I don't know if a small franchise or a chain. Better known for chili burgers than chili dogs. Its basic chili dog is similar to Pink's but not quite as good.

I got the dates from each website. I knew that they were established and popular by the time I was a kid.

I rarely eat hot dogs as I find them too salty. A couple times a year I give in and cook Essem hot dogs for the family. We either have then on grilled New England style buns or with homemade Boston Baked Beans. The DD and DH eat theirs with ketchup. I prefer mine with mustard, sweet relish and minced onion.

My mom loved hot dogs. Growing up we had hot dogs at least once each week. She served them several ways but my least favorite was a hot dog split and stuffed with American cheese then wrapped in a Pillsbury crescent roll dough and baked. It had a chemical taste and was too salty!

Elmer, Pinks opened a place in the gimormous King of Prussia Mall last year. We tried it and it was pretty good.. Jim remembers Pinks from his day at UCLA.

Interesting, thanks. Your comment nudged me to look around a bit and the Wikipedia article was interesting. There are some (under 10) locations scattered around. Not clear if those are licensees or operated by the mother ship. I wonder if the hot dogs and chili are sourced and shipped from LA - that's that heart of the unique flavor. If not, it would be different.

I'm sure the founding couple has long since gone on to the great hot dog stand in afterlife. They had a daughter if I recall correctly who continued to own and operate the business but I don't know if it remains family owned. I also found that they were closed 5 months but reopened a few weeks ago using public health Covid-appropriate procedures.

I've been to the King of Prussia mall but not in the last 10 years. It's quite something. For a good stretch of years, I would visit Philadelphia at least once a year and often more. I no longer do. I always enjoyed my visits, it's an enjoyable city with plenty to do.

This whole Chicagoans don't put ketchup on their hotdogs is bs. I've lived in Illinois my entire life and tons of people here put ketchup on their hotdogs. Anyways, I too love Nathan's. And Hebrew National as well.

I hadn't made hot dogs in years and I bought another pack yesterday. For the second time in several weeks, we had hot dogs! Nathan's here. I boiled them a few minutes and then cooked them on a griddle pan in some butter. Slit them and topped with dill pickle relish, finely chopped red onion and yellow mustard. So good. I do like them cooked in sauerkraut, too.

I always used ketchup and mustard ( and lived in a Chicago suburb for several years). A couple of years ago I switched to yellow mustard and chopped raw onions. I put a blob of mustard on the side and dip apple slices in it. At Hot Dog Heaven I order a slaw dog. The pick de gallo dog mentioned earlier sounds good! At home I make my hot dog in an old hot dog maker that steams the bun.

Lisa, the Texas wieners I mentioned are served on steamed buns. I need one of those! My rice/veggie steamer makes them too soggy.

What they called Texas wiener sauce in upstate NY and NJ may be the sauce used to make a Coney Island dog or Greek hot dog sauce, which is what they call a Coney Island dog in Detroit. They're all similar sauces made with finely-textured meat. To get the fine texture, you start the raw meat in cold water or beef broth, whichever the recipe calls for. That's how I make my taco meat too. It shouldn't be chunky like chili meat. There are recipes and You Tube videos online for Coney Island dogs.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-coney-dog-detroit

Elmer J Fudd, I took my mother to Pink's in Hollywood at her insistence. We enjoyed it. I think Huell Howser had an episode there, too.

We eat either Hebrew National or Ball Park all-beef franks...with chili and onions.

I liked Howser. Talk about finding a "beat" and making it your own, that's exactly what he did.

He did much to educate his audience and stimulate interest in California history, locations and culture. He died too young. He had quite a following.

Elmer, my uncle started Original Tommy’s in 1946. When you started writing about two famous hot dogs places in LA, I figured Pink’s would be number one. But I was pleasantly surprised that you also mentioned Tommy’s. Can’t be sure about Pink’s but Tommy’s did start out using Xlint chili sauce with some other spices added.

I have fond memories of visiting the stand on Beverly & Rampart many times with my mom and grandma (Tommy’s sister and mother). I loved everything — the chili dogs, chili cheese burgers, and chili-topped Xlint tamales.

How cool! Beverly and Rampart is the place, the location near downtown! Also mostly like a shack right at the corner. There are a number of other locations now, as you probably know. Once in a while I stop at one location near Valencia/Magic Mountain when driving to/from So Cal. Takes less time than Pink's.

The quintessential LA experience. Fun memories of my younger life - all the times I went to one of those two places. Pinks for dogs and Tommys for burgers, at 11 pm or midnight on a warm evening and to wait in line with a crowd (always a crowd at both) to get food. Then eat it while standing up. The best! I also went in the morning sometimes. Or in the afternoon. Also in the early evening. Pinks, where I went more frequently, seemed to close around 2 or 3 am. Tommys, I'm not sure when.

We like Nathan's first, Hebrew National is a close second.....

Pretty much we only eat Hebrew National. I think for a bit we had some Nathan's ,and growing up in Brooklyn of course we did Nathan's but before it was available in the supermarkets you had to actually go there (Coney Island) and it was one of the rougher hoods. Then when they started franchising and having them in malls, I remember their fries were the best. They sell them now in the supermarkets, Nathan's fries and that is our preferred brand. For the hotdogs,though, definitely Hebrew National and mustard and often sauerkraut. No ketchup no onions.

@sushipup1I didn't know Pink's is at King of Prussia. I live not far from there now, though I have only been there twice in 2 years. I will keep that in mind

It's in the new center part. We don't go there either, but went just to visit. It was too far from parking (but it is near the valet parking) for Jim to navigate a long walk, so I don't know if we'll go back. About all we ever go there for is (was?) a lunch at Legal Seafood maybe once a year, and a visit to Sur la Table.

Shambo, do you know what brand of hot dogs were used at Tommy's in the more recent years (not just post-WW2)? I'd expect it was a brand made in LA.

XLNT chili bricks can still be found at some grocery stores in SoCal, maybe I'll get some next time I'm down there.

I enjoyed learning of your connection to such an LA institution.

I just put in an order for grocery delivery tomorrow from Walmart. I decided to try the Hebrew National hot dogs some of you mentioned. It only has 6 hot dogs in a pack, so I don't know what I'm going to do with the 2 extra buns. I also got some sauerkraut.

My mother toasted the extra buns in the broiler for breakfast toast. We thought they were a real treat.

toby, what you pointed out about the meat being sautéed or just, basically, stewed is an important factor.

I have noticed that in Mexico street tacos, for instance, the meat is not ground and fried up. Instead they will take a whole piece and stew it until it falls off the bone, like pulled pork.

Also the recipes that I have seen for Cincinnati Chile recommend the same method, that the meat be stewed in liquid rather than browned in a skillet.

Husband is from NewJersey and my family is out of Texas.

I had never heard of a "Texas Weiner" until I went to NJ. Still have never had one.

It looks to me that the sauce for this Texas Weiner is much the same as the Cincinnati Chili, in that it is spiced with resinous spices such as cinnamon. It appears to be a basic Greek inspired meat sauce much the same as that chili.

After decades of not buying hot dogs, we started to buy some HN once in a while and have been enjoying them a few times a year. No matter that they are made from cheeks and ankles and lips.

I like them roasted, on a potato bun, with mustard and a side of old fashioned Fritos. Chili is good on them, but the last time I tried to recreate that old fashioned chili dog using store bought chili, I realized that it should have some home made chili, instead. That canned chili dominated everything until it became more of a chili sandwich graced with a hot dog.

You see the videos where people go into some of these speciality hot dog vendors and get these over the top hot dogs. While some do look enticing, many of these things are ridiculous and not easy to eat.

I don't care for the uncured meats. I tried them and it made me realize that the nitrates are much of the flavor. Sounds scary, right? It is. A regular old nitrate filled hot dog is good once in a while, but I would not do it very often.

I love me a good hot dog!! Back in the days when I was still shopping for a family and would visit Costco often, a stop at ther snack bar for a ready to eat dog was SOP. And a stadium hot dog when attending a sporting event was also a must. For whatever reason both taste so much better than a made-at-home dog.

I do buy hotdogs occasionally but don't have a favorite brand. I keep looking for that perfect combo of flavor, juiciness and and a crunchy casing that pops when you bite into it. I just recently tried Fletchers (a local supplier) Mariners hot dogs which are supposedly the same sold at the stadium. They were OK but not what I remember from attending the games :-(

Ball Park all beef is my standby brand in lieu of anything better. And I prefer them plain with just some spicy mustard although a chili dog topped with melting cheese is also enjoyed. A minute in the micro for a tasty, fast meal!

Hebrew National hot dogs are Kosher and don't contain cheeks, ankles or lips:

https://www.hebrewnational.com/articles/5-reasons-hebrew-national-family-friendliest-frank

Hebrew National hot dogs are Kosher

I don't care for the uncured meats. I tried them and it made me realize
that the nitrates are much of the flavor. Sounds scary, right? It is.
A regular old nitrate filled hot dog is good once in a while, but I
would not do it very often.

I haven't noticed this but what I look for in hot dogs, bacon, and ham is a nice smoky flavor. I thought the Teton Waters Ranch was nicely smoked. The uncured dogs are meatier so they don't have that spongy texture. If it's spongy, it's due to fat.

Here's an article and recipe for Cincinnati chili dogs. It does look similar to Greek hot dog sauce, Coney Island dogs, and Texas wieners (which have nothing to do with Texas). These sauces differ from regular chili dogs in that the sauce includes water or broth, Worcestershire sauce, and cinnamon and/or cloves. I would probably sub allspice for cinnamon though.
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/hot-dog-recipes/cincinnati-cheese-coney-recipe

"I don't care for the uncured meats. I tried them and it made me realize
that the nitrates are much of the flavor. Sounds scary, right?"

No, sounds like you have incomplete information.

So-called uncured meats don't have added "nitrate or nitrite chemicals" added, that's true. But what they have is one of several forms of vegetable ingredients, like from celery powder or beets, that transform into nitrates and nitrites during processing. So these chemicals are present all the same in uncured meat as in cured meat. The difference is the process used to produce the final product.

Look at a label of an "uncured" meat product, you'll find what I'm talking about.

I rarely eat hotdogs, but when I do I put on hamburger relish (the red stuff not the gross green relish), mustard, ketchup, fine diced onions and pickles. Kinda kills the taste of the mystery meat stick on the bun.

I lived in Kentucky for a few years and loved those Kahn's hot dog. When I first moved here, we could still purchase them. However, they did disappear from all grocery stores. I looked and looked and searched for them for years afterwards. Finally found out that Kahn's had been sold to another company, then resold, and production stopped. I would love to have a Kahn's right now.

Ok, raye, it was just humor about cheeks, ankles and lips. It is just a standing joke in my life that offals consist of the obscure animal flesh. I have seen that in some meat markets in the world you will find what we think of as an inedible part of the animal being considered to be a delicacy. You do have to realize that sausages, as hot dogs, are not make of prime cuts, though.

I often gravitate towards the brand of meats that are labeled as being kosher because there is some hope that at least what it is made from might, just might, be of a better quality and have more discretion than. a non kosher one. That might not be true, at all.

Elmer, did you ever buy uncured bacon? Don't bother. It taste like nothing. I only buy bacon maybe once a year at best. So, I will buy that with all the bacon like flavor no matter what it is.

As little of this kind of thing I consume, I don't worry much about it. No one could not possibly be getting anything more than fun and flavor form a processed meat product, anyway. Once in a while, it is so good.

I can’t even remember the last time I had a hot dog. I better fix that soon. I like them toasted over a fire so the skin is black, but that rarely happens. If I made one now it would be sliced lengthways, toasted in butter in a frying pan and served on a toasted bun, with ketchup.

A few years (May 3, 2017 to be exact) ago my friend and I went flower shopping in Lancaster County and stopped at a little local cafe for lunch. The menu was so homey compared to anything near us in the Philadelphia suburbs. I had to take a picture of Today’s Specials. Never heard of Penny Casserole! Not at all appealing to me.

Thanks Dallas - glad you were joking! I prefer Kosher too.

"Elmer, did you ever buy uncured bacon? Don't bother. It taste like nothing."

From what I was able to find, meat that's "uncured" has undergone a different process from what's done with normal curing. Different process= different flavor. Both have nitrates and nitrites. Also, different company=different flavor, whether cured or uncured.

Well I buy uncured bacon all the time. Hormel Natural Choice (had to go look in the fridge) tastes like any other bacon.

I think you may be judging uncured bacon by one bad brand. I first tried it at Trader's Joe 's and liked it so much I continued to buy it. For one thing, it doesn't have a lot of water in the package that is used for curing. I like their uncured hot dogs too. I don't go to TJ's because of COVID now so I've been trying other brands.

I found a good brand of uncured bacon at Aldis - Never Any. I like all the products of that brand that I've tried.

This thread made me look when I went to the store the last time for what I call franks vs hotdogs. They used to be big and about an inch or more across with a thick eatable skin. Almost always some shade of red. One of the stockers, early 30s woman, asked me what I was looking for. She immediately smiled then looked very sad. She stated she had not seen them for years. I always smiled because no matter how I fixed them when the knife went through the skin there was a pop and the skin split. I am not a fan of hot dogs or most cured meat but I do remember them with fondness.

my childhood girl friend's mom used to make us 'pennied' hot dogs. she would brown them on both sides and then add to scrambled eggs!! we loved it.

today i eat Applegate Hot Dogs. im boring, french's mustard and if i feel like it, American cheese.

when we went MLB games, pre-Covid, nothing like a ballpark hot dog!!

I did buy uncured bacon only once, but it was a nationally marketed brand, not some off brand.

I sometimes use a bit of bacon in the prep of Thanksgiving. This bacon was so lacking that I ended up not using it at all after frying up some in the skillet.

Are hotdogs with skin just a Northeast thing? Never had one before until I was in Boston in 2009. Same for the split top buns, never seen them elsewhere.

I bought some uncured bacon at Mom’s Organic Market and it was out of this world delicious. Seriously the best bacon I’ve ever had. Unfortunately it cost about $1 a slice.

They're hot dogs in a natural casing--pig intestine. Just don't think about it when you eat it.

Boar's Head and Nathan's both sell franks in natural casing. Kroger carries Boar's Head in their deli. All of the Boar's Head products are excellent.

Boar's Head deli products are often featured in the deli service counters of the middle market range grocery stores in my area. For my own personal taste, I've found Boar's Head stuff to be mediocre and I try to avoid buying it. When deli meat in a case doesn't have the brand packaging visible, I ask.

Toby, I was in Krogers this morning. I don't go there often, I will have to check Publix or make a trip back. Thanks. I have bought the Nathan's, they have so many different kinds and I am never sure what to buy.

None of the brands I used to love seem to taste the same.

What brands do you prefer at the high end markets you shop at, Elmer?

They don't smoke bacon, ham, and sausage like they used to, which gives the flavor.

Toby, we do plenty of shopping at the mid-range markets, we just don't buy deli meats at them because the quality doesn't seem that good. We don't eat a log of deli meat but when we do, I have to say that I've found that higher end markets have better quality and more tasty products. Often (not always) from boutique processed meat producers, usually more expensive, but (to us) worth it. We have two sources - Whole Foods is one, and a family owned small chain market (Lunardi's in Los Gatos for anyone in the area) both seem to have much better than average quality choices.

Chicago hot dogs

https://twitter.com/InsiderFood/status/1306050310067154945?s=09