Portillo's Hot Dogs - Where to Sample a Chicago Dog

I enjoy hot dogs two ways - served in a soft bun and topped with a beam of mustard and ketchup at the baseball stadium, or diced with onions and pierogies in a cast iron skillet. Otherwise, I don't really go out of my way to eat hot dogs. It's not that I grimace at their compositional makeup as I do with other processed foods - namely, bologna and scrapple. Rather, it's that hot dogs never feel like a satisfying caloric expenditure. That being said, Chicago is a town known for its distinctive red hots, and it would be foolish not to taste regional cuisine when given the opportunity. So I did.

Thanks to the in depth research of a foodie companion, Portillo's emerged as the best hot dog place within reasonable distance of our hotel. You might be tempted to question the place's authenticity en route to the Ontario Street entrance - after all, it is adjacent to a Rainforest Café, Hard Rock Café, and best of all, a giant McDonald's - but do not let apprehension get the best of you. Portillo's is worth a stop. The interior floor plan is in the style of a food court, as Portillo's shares a building with Barnelli's Pasta Bowl, so you can round out your meal with a little starch.

My food connoisseur and I were there strictly for the hotdogs, however. A regular hot dog with all of the fixings - mustard, relish, onions, tomato, pickles, peppers - will set you back $2.29. For a little more meat, you can upgrade to the $2.65 Jumbo Hot Dog. I sampled the original style, as I was informed that it is most representative of a Chicago dog. The all-beef dog was moist and flavorful, reminding me just how mediocre those low fat franks at the supermarket taste. Its consistency was meaty, but the exterior lacked that "snap" I hear so much about on those foodie television shows. The toppings were sweet and sour, although perhaps a bit sweeter than I was expecting thanks to the relish. I had considered ordering the Maxwell Street Style Polish, which is topped with onions and mustard, as a richer, tangier flavor experience would be my preference. (This is coming from a person who prizes mustard as the champion condiment.)

If traditional or Polish dogs do not tempt your taste buds, Portillo's also offers Chili dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, tuna, burgers, and a host of other indulgences. The ambiance is kitschy in an inviting, groomed kind of way. The staff prepares everything right in front of you and will customize the orders to suit your tastes. And although I still do not grasp what distinguishes one region's hot dog from another's, my Portillo's experience has made me eager to learn.