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Andersonville’s Becoming Quite a Sausage Fest

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Pheasant-Cognac Dog

Hot Doug Is Reincarnated Next Door to Chicago’s Most Notorious Northside Wiener Factory

A Chicago Northsider Considers the Irony, then Swallows Three Juicy Sausages

Want to read a conventional “Hot ‘G’ Dog” restaurant review? See “Former Hot Doug’s Cooks Carrying the Torch at New Hot ‘G’ Dog in Uptown,” By Mina Bloom at DNA Info. Wanna hear things no one else will tell you? OK…

Hot “G” Dog is at 5009 N Clark, next to Man’s Country, a notorious spa … Andersonville’s nonpareil-cum-bane. If you can’t corral a wiener at one, you can have a crack at the other. One of my cronies says he’s had comparable novelties at both places, some unsatisfying: smoked shrimp, fire dog (with a side of penicillin) … and some noteworthy: classic Italian, Polish sausage, and the special Jerk Chicken. I have a cousin who claims he had hot G on a dog at Man’s Country no less than a fortnight ago.

I’ve never been to Man’s Country, but like all the folks who ever have, let’s try to forget all about it and focus on something more pleasant. Like a coterie of fantastic hot dogs.

Kangaroo Dog and Duck Fries

My friends and I had three dogs off the specials menu:

• Pheasant with Cognac: Sweet Brandy Sauce, Pineapple, Port Wine Derby Cheese. $8.50. Rich, filling, and mild. Not gamey. Alluringly spicy: hints of tarragon, mace, and juniper. Thinking pheasant to be enough of an experience, I was apprehensive about such a distinctive cheese. But they complemented one another beautifully. The hits of pineapple put it over the top.
• Kangaroo: Strawberry sauce, Almonds, Dill Havarti Cheese. $8.50. Kangaroos are so adorable. They’re also spicy and half as gamey as home-shot venison.
• NY Style Hot Dog: Sautéed Onions, Spicy Mustard, Bacon and Ketchup. $5.00. A delicious mess.
• Duck Fat Fries: Friday, Saturday & Sunday. $4.00. Just like Doug, they don’t make them every day. They’re good fries, believe me. I love them.

NY Style

I used to frequent Hot Doug. I can tell you that Hot G’s nailed the menu; the sausages are just as interesting and just as good. Differences? Ambiance (-) and seating (+). Doug was funky. In a far-off neighborhood. You didn’t just swing by; you made a pilgrimage. It was a discovery: unique and fantastic food, in a hole in the wall, in a nondescript neighborhood, far from anything relevant. The waits were unbelievable. Get in line right after breakfast: you might get a late lunch. Hot G doesn’t have that mystique, but it does have two or three times the seating, enabling people to get in with reasonable wait times. (Some Yelp reviewer complained about a half-hour. Bitch, please.) It’s also awaiting a liquor license – yeah, how would you like a beer with one of those?

Hot “G” Dog

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Image Credits: Make It Like a Man! Hover or them, as well as any green text, for pop-ups. Click to jump.

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