What Hot Dogs Can Teach Us

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What Hot Dogs Can Teach Us: How can hot dogs teach us an important life lesson?

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For my twenty-second birthday, my cousin bought me a hot dog toaster. Yes, a toaster – complete with a push down lever, heat preference dial, and slots for both a hot dog and its bun (because we all know that a warmed, crisp bun makes a b.i.g. difference). The invention baffled me with its obscurity and amazed me with its ingeniousness.

If that sounded like sarcasm, or exaggeration, let me clarify: it is not. The following year she bought me a book titled Hot Dog: A Global History. We’ll return to the book later, but the point is that her gifts were impeccable for me for one reason:

I am obsessed with hot dogs.

So it was only natural for me to continue this love on my travels. While some people might research the best museums or monuments in a new location, I keep my eyes carefully tuned to eateries that serve my favorite delicacy. Not surprisingly, these hot dog-serving landmarks often don’t appear high on the Tripadvisor’s list of things to do in an area. The rankings usually contain buildings, galleries, parks – things that people deem culturally and historically significant.

But why shouldn’t the best hot dog restaurants be on these lists? Who decides what is culturally and historically significant?

Allow me to take you on my search for hot dogs around the country and the world. Toggle through my personal experiences, or skip ahead to the life lessons hot dogs give us.

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My friends and I allowed me to choose the first restaurant stop once we arrived in Montreal for our long weekend. In my search for “cheap eats,” one restaurant jumped out at me: Lafayette Hot Dog.

One would think that if a place had hot dog in its name, it would serve quality dogs. Turns out, that was not the case. After the waitress accosted my friend for ordering a poutine plate and a burger (“That’s a lot of food for one person,” she said, putting no effort into hiding her judgment of our American diet), I ordered two bacon cheese dogs. There was a little confusion, as the menu was in French, but I was eager for my order after she walked away.

It didn’t take more than a glance at the plates to realize my eagerness was ill-founded. I imagined a perfectly crisp dog, coated in melted cheese and sprinkled with bacon bits. Instead, the waitress handed me a plain dog sitting atop a cold, square slice of American cheese. Somebody had literally placed the cheese slice into the untoasted bun, and then put the boiled hot dog on top. One piece of wilted bacon was then plopped on the hot dog.

My friends and I shared a good laugh over the disappointing meal, and I walked away with a new distrust of restaurants named for specific foods.

[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”Hot Dogs in New Orleans, Louisiana” open=”no” class=”” id=””]

I was determined to experience all of the different types of food in New Orleans; on the trip, I tried jambalaya, turtle soup, and alligator sausage. That doesn’t mean that when a restaurant search brings up Dat Dog as a top choice, I won’t prioritize it as well. My friends each had specific food goals for the Cajun food capital, so Dat Dog wasn’t anybody else’s priority. I respected their disinterest and wasn’t going to push the subject.

But since we wanted to experience the nightlife on French Street, and Dat Dog was just two blocks away, and I happened to be the navigator for our group… well let’s just say I made sure our walking route took us near the establishment. When our nightly festivities came to an end and everyone got a little hungry, Dat Dog just happened to become the best option.

Remember how I was open to the new foods in NOLA? Not yet having found a place to eat crawfish (one of the specialty foods on my list), I ordered a crawfish dog! They have a long list of toppings – exciting for any true hot dog lover – and I ordered cheese, chipotle mayo, and bacon on top. In the end, I couldn’t detect a distinct difference with the crawfish base; too many drinks beforehand or too many toppings on top, it’s hard to say. But all in all, Dat Dog 100% lived up to its namesake and should be must-stop for any hot dog lovers (and anyone else, for that matter) visiting New Orleans.

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My cousin and my first stop in Greece was the northern city of Thessaloniki. Just like in NOLA, I was determined to experience Greek cuisine; whatever the list of “foods you must try in Greece” said, we were going to check off on our fourteen-day search. We expected gyros and mediterranean dishes galore.

What we did not expect was for nearly every coffee and convenience shop to advertise, “Coffee and Hot Dogs.” I’m not kidding. On every street, we saw signs advertising for the American delicacy that I know and love. Even when I don’t plan for hot dogs, they find me!

And that’s not even my best hot dog story in Greece. Halfway through our trip, we climbed off a bus at midnight in the small city of Chania. I did a quick search of nearby food stops that were still open. And what do you know… less than ¼ mile away there was a place called Daglas, which had glowing reviews of its amazing burgers and dogs.

Exhausted but hungry, Callie and I rolled into Daglas and immediately knew the reviews were true. Ten different specialty dogs were pictured on the large menu. We each ordered ourselves a dog, and then went back to split a Mediterranean dog (see, we cared about local cuisine). Being the only customers in the restaurant, we had a lovely conversation with the owner; he and his two friends started the business a year ago. New and hip with the age of social media, he pulled out his camera to take a photo of the American tourists who raved about the hot dogs. See the photo below.

[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”Hot Dogs in Portland, Oregon” open=”no” class=”” id=””]

I’d be lying if I said Daglas was the only hot dog restaurant social media we were featured on. Three years ago, Callie and I flew to Portland, Oregon to visit our other cousin. We were excited about the “food truck capital of the country” and frequented multiple different food trucks while there. It was fun to walk around the city and look at all the trucks that lined the streets and sidewalks.

One fateful afternoon, however, as we peered around at all the trucks, I noticed an eatery that wasn’t a truck. Across the road, in an actual building, the yellow words popped against the red sign: Spike’s Hot Dogs.

Decision made. We went into Spike’s, met the owner, and ordered one of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. The restaurant had a bar of 50 toppings that were all unlimited and included in the purchase of a dog, but I’m telling you – it was the dog that was the best part. We showered the owner with our praises and learned about his business, as well as how all of the meat was organically and locally produced.

We were so impressed with the hot dog, we told our cousin that she needed to check it out. And so, on one our four nights in the city, we went back to Spike’s for a second time. The owner Bob (his partner was named Spike) relished in our return and posted about it on his Facebook. Spike’s really demonstrated to me the positive effect that local, natural meat could have.

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Speaking of local meat, in Costa Rica many families run a restaurant from the side of their house. These tiny “sodas” pop up in the most unexpected places. At the campground we were staying in, there was a soda ½ mile away on a road that couldn’t have had more than twenty houses on it. I have no idea how they stay in business or who goes to them, but I think that’s the American in me. To them, these restaurants are simply an extension of their kitchen.

The group I was with walked to the soda and ordered. Our translator helped me with the menu, describing the sausage as “similar to a hot dog.” That was was enough for me. We then moved to one of the two plastic tables on the patio. Above us, a rotating disco light splashed stranger patterns of color around us. The ambiance was strange, to say the least.

As for the hot-dog-esque sausage? One of the best meats I have ever taken. I cannot describe how the soft but chewy texture, crisp outer layer, and flavor left my taste buds dancing. Not to mention the “salsa verde” sauce, a condiment in Costa Rica that resembles a mix of ketchup and some type of garlic mayonnaise. Edgar, a native to the area, told us that the meat came from a pig that the family raised, butchered, and seasoned in their own backyard.

[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”Hot Dogs in Belmar, New Jersey” open=”no” class=”” id=””]

I don’t always think of hot dogs when I think of beaches on the Jersey Shore (particularly when there’s usually boardwalk food), but I will now. On a trip to Belmar, New Jersey, I walked by a sign on a door that said, “Home of the Italian Hot Dog!” Intrigued, and wondering if an Italian hot dog was simply a sausage, I grabbed a menu.

To my great delight, I found a list of nineteen specialty hot dogs. Not only did the specialities include toppings like Mac & Cheese, bacon, cheese, chili, peppers, pulled pork, and baked beans, but you could choose if you wanted your hot dog boiled, grilled, or deep fried. A deep fried hot dog? My mind was blown.

Needless to say, we made Sonny’s Grille a priority on our trip – and it did not disappoint. Not only were the workers super friendly, the manager brought us free spaghetti and meatballs as an appetizer to our hot dog feast. We each ordered two dogs, but the favorite by far was the Mac Chickady Pork Dog: a hot dog with Mac & cheese, bacon, and chicken fingers on it. It might be one of the best dogs I’ve ever tasted. If you are ever in the Belmar area, I highly recommend you take a trip to Sonny’s Grille.

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What Hot Dogs Can Teach Us

The Pressure of Tripadvisor and “Should Do”

As you can see, I’ve had my fair share of success in my pursuit of hot dogs. But as I reflect fondly on these experiences, I can’t help but think back to the Tripadvisor lists. Sure Lafayette Hot Dog gave me some laughs, but should have I prioritized seeing the churches in Old Montreal? Was a crawfish sausage at Dat Dog a worthy memory, when I didn’t go on a single ghost walking tour? Did Spike’s really warrant two visits during a four-day stay?

At times, I feel an unspoken pressure to come back with a pile of history when I travel to a new city or country. I think about that one person – and we all know that one person – who will barrage you with questions of this sentiment after you go on a trip: Did you visit the [blank] museum? Did you see the [blank] monument? I’ve heard the [insert historically significant category of building or artifact here] are amazing there – were they?

Namely, the question that underlies them all: What did you learn?

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How This Pressure Affects Us

These insecurities came out for me during the end of my Greece trip. Callie and I were staying in Heraklion, the largest city in Crete, for our final two days. I was tired out from the trip, but I was willing to muster up what little energy I had left to experience Heraklion. I gave Callie a list of sites we could visit (probably from Tripadvisor).

“I don’t really care for museums,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’d just as soon spend the day on the beach.”

In my mind, two separate voices reacted to her confident statement:

Voice One: “How can we spend our last day in Greece on the beach when Crete is known for so many historical sites?”

Voice Two: “Oh my gosh, a day on the beach sounds absolutely perfect.”

We ended up relaxing on the beach, but I dragged Callie to see the remains of a castle that night, compelled by a need to see at least one piece of history in Crete.

But why?

Who dictates what I need to see and not see? What things do we really need to learn?

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Our Education Tells Us What to Think

As I ponder these questions, I think back to what could be the source of it all: our education. I’ll spare you the teacher-perspective and instead tap into my experience as a student. Years and years of history, in which I learned and memorized important dates and historical events. Do you want to know how much I remember from those years (as a model for success with a 99 average)?

Next to nothing.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe knowing events of the past is hugely critical in understanding the present and future. Every social issue is layered in complexity with roots from the past; every story is nuanced with its origin, conflict, and attempted resolutions.

True Learning is Driven By Interest

You see, I remember the issues and stories that interest me. The ones I see the purpose in. I can tell you about man’s effect on the environment from the theme of Ishmael. I can tell you about the first original Cobra Effect and how a reward for killing snakes caused the opposite. I can tell you three key ideas from Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast, despite not being able to list off the other fourteen episodes that I listened to.

Why can I remember these things but not the facts of history that are deemed so important?

For the same reason that I can tell you about the sodas in Costa Rica that are family-run, and what a difference in taste authentic meat has. I can tell you about the Canadian stereotype for Americans, as well as the melding of cultures in Greece.

I can even tell you the origin of the name “hot dog.” Despite a common myth that a famous cartoonist dubbed the “red hot” sausages at a baseball stadium to be called “hot dogs,” the name actually originated at Yale as a term to describe someone who was showing off – just as ethnic jokes at the time poked fun of Germans putting dog meat into their sausages and showing them off in buns. I learned that from reading Hot Dog: A Global History in preparation to write this blog (see, don’t say I don’t do my research!).

We don’t learn things because we are told by society that we should. We learn things because we are interested in them.

Passion drives exploration, and exploration drives learning.

I need to remember this when I feel a pressure to follow the lists of Tripadvisor. Because those lists are ranked with the same generalization of our education system: here is something we say everyone should know.

I want to be confident enough to choose my own pursuits.

What Hot Dogs Can Teach You About the World

Another thing I read about the hot dog was how it held an iconic place in American culture. It represented two of the biggest American ideals: individualism and equity. A hot dog allows people to share a foundation while having their individual choice, with toppings, styles, and flavors, to make it their own. A hot dog also is a social unifier, bringing people of all economic classes and cultures together as a universally accepted and respected food.

Some people might believe this iconic meaning is misplaced, but that shouldn’t affect me. The whole point of “meaning” is what meaning I derive from something. What meaning I pursue.

After all, that’s the only way to really learn.

What is your metaphorical hot dog?

I encourage you to search for your respective hot dog, whatever it might be and wherever it might take you. Dive into your pursuit, free of insecurity and hesitancy, and embrace the knowledge you learn.

And if anyone gives you a hard time, tell them the story of the hot dog. The fact that it shows how one particular piece of food has traveled the globe, changed over history, represented ethnic jokes and discrimination, morphed with local influences, served as an entrepreneurial staple, and transformed itself time and time again. It is the great social unifier across class, culture, and history.

And if they still don’t believe you?

Well, quite frankly, that’s not the point.

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