BEST HOT DOG BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER The Best Hot Dog winner for 2019 is Barrio Dogg (2113 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan, barriodogg.com), with its creative, even artsy, takes on the TJ-dog. The TJ-dog is not so much one specific kind of hot dog as it is a wide-ranging approach to meat in tubular form inside a bun. Put differently, it’s tacos done as hot dogs: wrap the dog in bacon (or don’t) then fry or grill it and pile on ingredients of your choice. There are no rules. It was when that Tijuana-born and bred hot dog travelled north of the border and found a home on streets that it really became “a thing.” Barrio Dogg is in front of (and inside) the Cruizin Lowrider Galeria, an art gallery dedicated to lowrider culture. That dedication is apparent from before entering the front door. The street cart on which the dogs are cooked—and which replaces the gallery’s front wall/ window—is itself a lowrider: a candy red 1964 Chevy Impala. For decades Chicano lowrider culture was marginalized based on perceived associations with gangs and drug dealers. And yet, it is, in many ways, a Baroque approach to mid-century Detroit automobiles. By taking a pre-existing functional object, celebrating and elevating it beyond any functional requirements lowrider culture has over time, gained wider acceptance. That is, essentially, the same thing Barrio Dogg does with
32 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 16, 2019
of this dog and you’ve got a tastebud, it’s going to be firing. The dog has snap, the peppers have bite, the relish has sweetness and the pickle has umami and sourness. Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria (3448 30th Street, North Park, 619-295-1720, and 4030 Goldfinch, Mission Hills, leftyspizza.com), another 2019 hot dog finalist, also offers a truly great Chicago dog. On top of that, though, Lefty’s also offers another take on the theme, honoring Chicago’s substantial Polish population by swapping out the beef dog in favor of a Polish kielbasa. A trip to Lefty’s is worth it just to try these two side-by-side. San Diego CityBeat readers were, it seems, wowed by the craft dogs at Vista’s franchise of the Dog Haus Barrio Dogg. (Submitted photo) Biergarten chain (227 East Broadway, Vista, sandiego.doghaus.com). Dog Haus alternately describes TJ-dogs. Does a hot dog really need seven chile peppers? its dogs as “the absolute würst” and “craft-casual gourmet Must it be wrapped in bacon? And high-end beef? There’s a hot dogs [and] sausages.” They use high quality ingredients beauty in that Baroque approach to the lowly hot dog. San and, somewhat uniquely, serve all the dogs on grilled King’s Diego CityBeat’s readers clearly agreed. Hawaiian buns. One of the 2019 Hot Dog finalists was Daddy’s Hot Dogs Doggos Gus (various locations, doggosgus.com), like this (1281 University Avenue, Hillcrest, daddyshotdogs.com). year’s hot dog winner, offers TJ-dogs but instead of brick Daddy’s take on the Chicago Dog may be the perfect dog if and mortar, is mobile. Owner Gustavo Tonella fell in love not the perfect dish: a beef hot dog accompanied by diced with bacon-wrapped hot dogs during his college-years trips onions, tomatoes, relish, a pickle spear, yellow mustard and to Tijuana and Mexicali (where he was born). After working pickled chili pepper, it’s the liberal sprinkling of celery salt various farmers markets, he opened the mobile business ofthat elevates the whole affair. If you take a big enough bite fering gourmet takes on the Mexican street classic.
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