Hot Diggity Doug’s
This story begins in the summer of 2008. I was home watching TV and some show on either the Travel Channel or the Food Network was airing an episode on Chicago food. To be honest, nothing really spiked my interest until they mentioned a place that served something I’ve never heard of before. Fries cooked in duck fat. The place was called “Hot Doug’s,” and not only did they have fries cooked in duck fat, they also had all sorts of sausages served in traditional hot dog fashion. Peep their menu because words can’t do justice to the type of variety they have.
Some of that variety
Remember that this was in the summer of 2008. My memory is fuzzy, but I never had a free weekend to get down to Chicago (duck fat fries are only served Friday and Saturday), and so when it was time to go to school in Champaign, the quest for these elusive fries had to be put on hold.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into semesters, and the dream faded from my mind. Langston Hughes once wondered what happened to a dream deferred. The answer could be that it waits for Anthony Bourdain to visit the place on “No Reservations” and then resurrects its firey passion. Well at least that was the case with Hot Doug’s. So spring break started and there was a journey to Hot Doug’s only to be curtailed by a 3 block long line.
Like this, but with lots of people in a line
Yes, 3 blocks.
In the world capital of hot dogs.
So we ended up eating dim sum in Chinatown and eating some wonderful BBQ pork buns as well as durian bubble tea (yummy!…?).
So what really happens to a dream deferred? It waits for my roommate to go down to school early and instills in him a desire for some encased meats.
Me and my roommate got there at around 11am on a Friday, and the line wasn’t yet out the door. Considering ourselves lucky, we waited for a couple minutes and finally met this vaunted Doug. He will chat with every customer, my roommate gave him props on that since it gives his staff time to make each order and it does wonders for customer service. So props Doug.
I ordered a Salma Hayek (andouille sausage), a Chardonnay-Infused Rattlesnake Sausage with Sweet Peppadew Dijonnaise and Cumin-Gouda Cheese, a corn dog, and an order of duck fries. My roommate ordered something else.
This guy ordered something too
The Salma Hayek was really good. A nicely spiced sausage with enough kick to stand up to the bread and other condiments without being too overwhelming. Probably my favorite thing I had.
Bottom Left: Rattlesnake, Right: Salma Hayek, Above: Corndog. Also Pictured: Duck fat fries!
The Corn Dog was almost as good, but suffered from some mushiness. The outside was wonderfully crispy though.
I was a little disappointed with the rattlesnake sausage. Apparently rattlesnake does not have a lot of flavor so it was completely overwhelmed by the dijonnaise and even more so by the cheese. I wasn’t really a fan.
Duck fat fries tasted a lot like regular fries, I guess I really can’t complain though. As my roommate said, “You can’t expect me to go here and not order them.”
Due to the insane amounts of variety, I would totally go back and try more stuff, though if the line is 3 blocks long, you can’t go wrong with going to Chinatown and getting some bbq pork buns (mmmm).
Pork Buns...mmmm
Hot Doug’s
3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
Mon-Sat 10:30am-4:30pm
www.hotdougs.com
