Anthony Bourdain Said This City's Hot Dogs Are Better Than NYC's, 'Hands Down'

Anthony Bourdain made no secret of his love for "meat in tube form. He especially liked local "mutant forms of hot dogs" —  a quintessential Bourdain description of the classic street food. Throughout his travels, the chef turned author and food explorer tried quite a few versions across the world, from late-night hot dogs in Iceland to Vancouver's Japanese-fusion Japadogs. However, the hot dog city that topped his list was the one that likes its hot dogs "dragged through the garden." In no uncertain terms, Anthony Bourdain admitted on an episode of Travel Channel's "No Reservations" that "Chicago has, hands down, a better hot dog than New York City." As anyone aware of his reverence for NYC's dirty water dogs and love for Papaya King knows, the late chef crowning another city's dog as the greatest is kind of a big deal.

To be fair, the hot dog that got Bourdain to finally pick a winner was Chicago's Hot Doug's, an icon in its own right. Sadly, it closed in 2014 but not before fans queued for up to 8 hours to get one last taste of what many called the best hot dog on the planet. However, even without Hot Doug's eclectic menu that featured unusual garnishes like escargot, foie gras, and Guinness stout mustard, all served with a heaping side of duck fat fries, the Chicago hot dog, with all its complexities, sets the bar very high on the street food scale.

While Anthony Bourdain (like many famous chefs) had some controversial views on popular foods, his take on the Chicago dog is widely echoed, including in our ranking of regional hot dogs. Of course, there are detractors, and the "dragged through the garden" moniker isn't necessarily one of affection.

Nevertheless, the long list of toppings (yellow mustard, vibrant green relish, onions, tomato wedges, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt) is a carefully assembled flavor puzzle. Each component has a specific role to play, and when executed correctly, the hot, briny, and tangy ingredients balance the sweetness of the relish and perfectly complement the beefy richness of the natural casing beef frank. 

You may wonder why, with the recipe so painstakingly perfected, many iconic Chicago hot dog joints offer so many topping permutations and combinations. It's because they are made and served by those who perfectly understand what makes the Chicago hot dog great. Pros learn the rules before breaking them. From charring instead of steaming the sausage to caramelizing the onions, or going the Hot Doug's route of essentially elevating every aspect of the dog, the Chicago hot dog is about finesse and balance — which is also why ketchup just does not fit into the picture.