Wiener Takes All

Sometimes you just need a big, juicy dog.

By Leah Blewett
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Oct. 17, 2007

In dog we trust: It's not just the burgers that are delicious at Five Guys.

No matter how juicy the steak or crispy the bacon, there's a meaty craving that nothing but a beige meat rod can cure.

If Kitsch Is Your Condiment of Choice
You know you've got a soft spot in your hardened heart for the sweet, red-carnation-and-babies-breath nostalgia of Johnny Rockets (443 South St. 215.829.9222), and their split-and-grilled hot dog fits right in. The toasted baguette is a little too thick for the classic dog, but their superior chili-topped version hits the spot like an atomic bomb. T S N

If You've Ever Had a Roadside Stand Dog
There's only one dog in Center City that replicates the sweet summer joy of a country road hot dog stand, and that's the grilled dog at Five Guys (1527 Chestnut St. 215.972.1375). They'll top it with as many fixins as you can imagine, and the bun is big enough to hold the dog but not so huge that it compromises that charred, picnic-y flavor. As the steamy season draws to a close, this one just seems ... right. T S A

If Canned Vienna Sausages Are Your Comfort Food
Plenty of people have savaged the modified comfort food menu at 707 (707 Chestnut St. 215.922.7770), and not without some justification. Their "petite hot dog trio" costs a whopping $10 and consists of three thumb-sized gray weenies on mini buns, topped with either too-sweet relish and mustard; limp, flavorless sauerkraut; or a meaty chili that outshines the corpse-like doggies beneath. W N

If You Can Keep Your Faith
Okay, so we wrote this Field Guide with the absolute confidence that the Phillies were going all the way this year. But so what if you have to wait till April to once again taste the jumbo Hatfield franks at Citizens Bank Park (1 Citizens Bank Way. 215.463.5000), served on a crusty baguette roll and custom-topped with the classic selection of onions, relish, mustard and ketchup? The wait will be worth it--especially if next season they serve them all the way through the end of October. O N

If It's Gotta Be Buttery
The ridiculously juicy organic beef franks at Bootsie's (38 S. 19th St. 215.988.0089) need a little ketchup-y sweetness to offset the meaty richness, but paired with their seasoned french fries and a little Heinz, it's a ballpark-worthy fix without all that pesky heartbreak. Or the pesky screaming fans. O N

If You Won't Settle for Less Than Kobe
Bootsie's still got your number. Just ask for the Kobe dog, custom-made in California and spiced according to the specifications of Boots himself. Check this puppy out during dinner hours, when the kitchen shuts down the flat-top griddle and charbroils it. The smokiness of the char makes the dog's aniseed flavoring a subtle enhancement. It's more sausage than hot dog, but it's still pretty delicious. O A

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Key

T: Toasted bun.
S: Split and grilled.
O: Open wide--it's huge.
W: Wimpy weenie.
N: Needs condiments.
A: Stands alone.

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