ArtsEtc.
Chicago ‘Dog’ arrives tame in Madison
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Jason Engelhart:
- Cuisine inspires potent quotables (April 30, 2008)
- Proper grill etiquette, unique food spices up summer (April 23, 2008)
- Carbonation: Chemistry behind prickly past (April 16, 2008)
- Barnes leaves music lovers hungry (April 2, 2008)
- Asparagus hints at feast to come (April 2, 2008)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
For a long time, Madisonians who wanted a Chicago-style hot dog — that bewitching combination of a processed beef frank, mustard, sweet pickle relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle, sport peppers, a dash of celery salt and a poppy seed bun — had to hop on the interstate and make a long journey south to Illinois. However, with the August (although not particularly august) arrival of Mad Dog's Chicago-Style Eatery, students can now get their frank fix on foot.
Mad Dog's is unique among State Street eateries in that it has absolutely no seating. In fact, the interior consists of the cash register, an extensive condiment bar, the hot dog cooker and a cooler with drinks. Suffice it to say, Mad Dog's appeal lies inside a steamed poppy seed bun, not in the restaurant's décor.
However, on a trip to Mad Dog's yesterday, I found what lies inside the bun to be a bit underwhelming. As my dining companion and I raised our hot dogs in a celebratory toast and took our first bites, we were both struck by how difficult it was to take a proper bite. The pickle spear, traditionally the crowning accoutrement of a Chicago dog, was simply too firm for either one of us to enjoy. The frank was otherwise fine: The sweetness of the relish, the piquancy of the mustard and peppers and the fresh, grassy note of the celery salt balanced one another perfectly. Nevertheless, the pickle's durability was a glaring interruption to this harmony.
After stumbling out the doors of Mad Dog's half-satisfied and $3.75 poorer, I began to wonder if I just hated Chicago-style hot dogs. A Minnesotan by birth, I had tragically little experience with them, so perhaps I had deluded myself into thinking a Chicago dog was something other than what it was. In order to dispel any confusion, I spoke with Chicago-area native, UW senior and hot dog enthusiast Kevin Clarke.
Clarke confirmed my suspicions.
"A Chicago dog should be mushy goodness," he said. "You should always be able to get consistent bites, and the pickle should not be firm."
Finally, I had authoritative evidence that Mad Dog's has at least one major kink to work out in their formula. Granted, diners who want Clarke's ideal "mushy goodness" could just leave off the pickle, but that detracts from the Chicago-style hot dog experience. Thus, the institution must scrap its turgid pickles if it is the least bit serious about its Windy City moniker.
Luckily for Mad Dog's, even if major pickle reform does not occur, its two target markets — the after-bar crowd and people who would do anything for a Chicago dog—are unlikely to be too fussy about a stiff pickle. However, if you are a pickle progressive who wishes to instigate reform from within the Wiener Industrial Complex, there is a glimmer of hope. According to an advertisement on its website, Mad Dog's is currently hiring "Hot Dog Artisans." Perhaps one day, a visionary artisan will rise through the wiener hierarchy and install soft pickles atop all of Mad Dog's dogs.
Name: Mad Dog's Chicago Style Eatery Location: 309 N. Henry St. (Next to Four Star Video Heaven) Price: $3.75 for a Chicago-style hot dog, other sausages range from $2.75 to $6.50. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Two and a half stars out of five.
16 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Top Classified Ads (view all)
Place your classified ad online and have it show up here. Your ad will hit thousands of viewers a day!
DON'T READ ME! Too late. If you're reading this, guess how many other people are reading it. See... advertising in The Badger Herald does work!
IP hash: 6929c9d3
Attention: Don’t believe this report…….we pooped in this guy’s hot dog because he looked like a dork. your dog will taste much better!
IP hash: f8cf49e7
I cannot speak for other Chicagoans, but I must say that after a long night of drinking, I prefer stiff pickles to limp.
IP hash: aeab0c00
Stiff pickles are where it’s at! What’s this guys problem?!?!
IP hash: 10394e89
There is another location in Madison where you can get Chicago-style hot dogs. That would be Papa Cornofolio’s (sp?) which is located just off of Stoughton Rd on Buckeye Rd on the east side of town. It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten there, but their Chicago dogs are pretty good. Being a Chicago area native, I’m familiar with how one should taste. They also have Italian beef sandwiches (if you’re from the Chicago area you know what I’m talking about) that are not bad, although they are nowhere near as good as the real thing.
IP hash: 37024250
Wow, I’ve been eating Chicago-style hotdogs for years and the mushy factor never was even a bleep on my radar. A firm pickle in a chi-town dog, sounds damn good to me son, especially if it has been well dusted with celery salt. I could care less about Mad Dog’s, because I already got the scoop on the best Chicago-style dog in Madison - are you ready for it? Home Depot. Seriously, the hotdog stand in Home Depot is superb - I’ll go there just to pick up one of those suckas. As I was eating my dog in the parking lot on the way to my car, I received no less than 5 comments from random peeps confirming that what I had in my hand was, “The best dog in Madison”.
IP hash: c042e40e
IP hash: 7bf6ecb6
Seriously, why is someone from Minnesota being critical about a Chicago dog? I’m from Chicago and will confirm that I’ve never had nor wanted a mushy pickle! This place has real Vienna dogs (Chicago) and Scala Beef (Chicago Original). Foodies will know what I’m talking about. Home Depot has Best dogs (the same ones you can get at Sam’s club-I asked the woman server) Mad Dogs is the new Best Dog in Madison!
IP hash: 7bf6ecb6
Here’s a website from a few fellow Madisonians that will clear up the pickle debate. http://www.hotdogchicagostyle.com
IP hash: c9fc86d8
I agree that someone form Minnesota has no right to critique/review a Chicago dog. And who is Kevin Clarke? If he knows anything about Chicago dogs, he would realize that a comment like “Mushy Goodness” makes no sense, but it’s sure a great sound bite in a literary piece. I can’t believe that they are complaining about a firm pickle. Kind of hard to ruin a pickle, but maybe they have never tasted a true deli-style pickle. I will have to try Mad Dog’s for myself. Someone should probably let the experts from hotdogchicagostyle.com review Mad Dog’s. They seem to actually understand what a Chicago dog is…unlike Jason E and Kevin C.
IP hash: 21b9c651
I wish these guys would deliver. I order from Madtown Munchies all the time, maybe they could deliver dogs as well!
IP hash: 29e140d1
The guys from HotDogChicagoStyle.com have reviewed Mad Dog’s.
Guess what? They loved the dog (and even the pickle). Here is a direct link to the review: http://www.hotdogchicagostyle.com/rate_madison.php#maddogs
IP hash: 1f472cd8
You can also get them at the Home Depot (I am not kidding) on the west side! And I like my pickles stiff!!!
IP hash: c9fc86d8
Check out Paul Soglin’s review: http://www.waxingamerica.com/2007/10/a-chicago-hot-d.html
IP hash: 2ef56855
haha, looks like you were wrong. you should apologize.
-Slapps
IP hash: 4f4b9b46
Okay..the notion of a limp pickle is just foolish. Kevin Clarke go back to Joliet or whatever junkyard part of ‘Chicago’ you’re from. I guess they’re closed now, but Real Chili used to have a damn good Chicago dog. I used to work there, our peppers were super juicy (unless you like flat soggy peppers). They would seriously squirt across the room.
IP hash: 61f78a17
over a decade ago when I lived in madison there was truck that would sell chicago style dogs, is that still around, what is it called?