This story first ran in DNAinfo in 2016. The Magnificent Seven are reduced to the Magnificent Four: relish, onions, hot peppers, and mustard. Where other chains failed, Portillo took the idea to a whole new level by opening more of a food emporium. The menu runs the gamut, from 60-cent hash browns at breakfast to a gut-busting double baconburger for $6.55. It did. Like it or not. Store in the refrigerator. It was working in an institution, not in a store, Karm said. His high school sweetheart and new wife, Flaurie, was a newly minted teacher. It was about the experience.". So its literally, the proverbial garden on a bun. The dogs come in three sizes: $3.10 gets an 1/8lb; $4.24 gets a 1/4lb Jumbo Dog; and for $5.54 a 1/2lb Dogzilla can be yours. Also: How many mail-in ballots are left to be counted? That's not, however, what makes Dave's Red Hots special. Relish and onion are available upon request. The neighborhood I know is absolute greatness.. This would be the fairest of fairs. Her late father was Daves second owner. To get the water he needs, he runs 250 feet of garden hose from a nearby building into the trailer. Shirley Fountain, from left, Corey Holmes, Marquita Fountain, Brianna Fountain and Eugenia Fountain at Dave's Red Hots, in the 3400 block of West Roosevelt Road, the oldest hot dog stand in Chicago. Ratings. Donald Duks Red Hots. Mervyn Dukatte and his cousin Donald Marselle thought it was a catchy name for the West Town hot dog stand they opened in 1957, an obvious reference to the most famous of all ducks but also to themselves. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). But I think its because the Chicago hot dog has perfect culinary Feng Shui. For most of America (with the exception of New York), hot dogs arent really a big deal. He used his idea to open a small stand on Polk and Western and would be instrumental in putting The Chicago hot dog AND Maxwell St on the map. On first approach, you may wonder if the faded sign still applies to the peeling red facade with boarded windows upstairs and black metal gates out front. Opened in 1916, it's no shock that Shorty's is the oldest business in Wake Forest. These days, the one-time chain named for what was Abe Drexlers nickname is grammar school, is now just a stand again. One of their equipment suppliers was Ray Kroc yes, that Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame, according to Gullicksons obituary (he died in 2000, after Woods). As he looked down at his encased frankfurter placed alone on a white bun, he couldnt help but think to himself that something was missing, and found that he couldnt get the loneliness of that little hot dog out of his mind. Served with fresh cut fries. While Fountain has honed her skills starting as a 14-year-old working weekends, she left after graduating from college and worked as a legal advocate for survivors of domestic violence with the states attorneys office. Theyre just carrying on that tradition, Kraig said. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card. Not to be defeated, in 1950 Gene gathered enough money and re-opened the stand with the help of a friend and co-worker, Jude DeSantis as his business partner. The red hot ($3.10) is served up with a mountain of fries, and an excellent seared. The original menu offered a quaint quartet of kosher-style classics: red hots, Polish sausages, pastrami sandwiches and salami sandwiches, always with a side of fresh-cut fries. A post office, a Blockbuster, a McDonalds, numerous bars -- all gone. Due to its central location, its a go-to for neighborhood residents, especially high school students from Mather High who have been scrounge together a few bucks to hit the stand up after class since it opened. It touted elaborate live-action exhibits like Buffalo Bill Codys Wild West Stage Show featuring pygmies. His first bosses, Fred Woods and cousin Jack Gullickson, started their business in 1946 as a pushcart on 76th Street, graduating to a corner building and eventually three more locations. According to Don, the secret to Superdawgs success is because Maurie was very particular and paid attention to detail. He saw a man put a For Rent sign in the window of an Uptown storefront. Ive met so many people here, and its not at all like people in the neighborhood are portrayed. Art's Chili Dog Stand Art's Famous Chili Dog is a bargain at $2.30 and includes mustard, chili and onions. For decades, legacy customers and a 100-year-old former employee cited the shops original owners as a Jewish couple who opened it in 1938 on Homan Avenue and what is now Roosevelt Road. After 10 years of long lines and grueling work days, Sohn closed his doors at his brick and mortar spot. But my grandfather was a pretty happy-go-lucky, friendly kind of guy. Both restaurants shared a supplier, who told Gaines that Daves was for sale. Many other GI vets were using this model for employment, peddling hot dogs often alongside tamales. The self-proclaimed Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium was one of Chicagos most visited restaurants during the 10 years it was around. Shes been there 20 years. Dave Kaplans grandson Jerry Kaplan lives in California, so he couldnt join the family reunion. Register your Hot Dog Stand Business for Taxes. Keep it simple, stupid, she said. There were hot dog stands all over the streets of 1920s Chicago, including one on the northwest corner of Halsted and Maxwell owned by Jimmy Stefanovic's aunt. The wedding was for Morris Kaplan, Daves oldest child, standing left, and his bride, Sharon (Rothbart) Kaplan, standing next to him. Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago 6466 Hot Dogs Salad Burgers $River North "I will definitely miss Portillo's hot dogs. Its your typical South Side spot. Smooth and cool., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Its there you will find posters of Chicago encompassed in hot dogs and various other kitschy hot dog memorabilia on the wall -- some with a Japanese theme -- telling the tale of a bygone-era when William Murphy, the owner and namesake of Murphys was tapped by a few Japanese moguls to bring the Chicago Dog overseas. In 1939, when Stefanovic. Chicago's Gene & Jude's Hot Dogs Since 1946, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The full story has now been unearthed with help from the living descendants of not one, but two families, including an 88-year-old who once ate a hot dog five days a week and returned recently to the same booths he polished as a boy. It has been selling tasty Vienna Beef hot dogs on steamed buns accompanied by a handful of fresh-cut greasy fries since 1954. 636 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 Duk's Red Hots is a Chicago-style hot dog stand that has been proudly serving Vienna Beef dogs since 1954 (back pre-lawsuit when the name was Donald Duk's). Compared to the nearly century-year-old Chris' Hot Dogs, Montgomery's That's My Dog is just a pup, having been open in its current . Gene was pretty content with his original toppings, and ever since, it has been served the original way to those who want to get the full experience. "I don't see it as just a hot dog place. When it comes to ketchup, Bowen has an explanation that is simple and logical, We just dont do it. Teens, couples, and families could ride the streetcar for five cents and spend the afternoon by a forest preserve or a neighborhood pool and finish off a day at Superdawg. One (1) hot dog and One (1) polish Served together on a steamed bun. Plus, a large demographic of customers are Cubs fans, which account for increased traffic during the spring and summer. A hot dog shack that fans of "Breaking Bad" may recognize, the Dog House Drive-In keeps things simple and cheap. Despite the existence of detractors from their earliest days (H.L. From a standpoint, the Portillos Chicago Dog is everything great about a hot dog. Flaurie was a teacher at the time and because the newlyweds were on a similar schedule with summers off, they decided to open a business selling hot dogs from a roadside stand. Ronald Meyerson shows a picture from the 1950s of his grandparents Ida Kaplan and David Kaplan, the founder of Dave's Red Hots, on Sept. 2, 2021. Many Chicagoans will tell you that if you are going to eat only one Chicago hot dog and you want to understand what a Chicago hot dog is, then the dog for you is Byrons. Ive been applying to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund since last November, but Ive been turned down twice, she said. In terms of hot dogs, there is everything that can be thought of: a red hot, the chili dog, the cheese dog, the double dog, the super dog, the double cheese dog, and so forth. On the east side of the stand, the words THEE HOT DOG are written. They are charred or grilled, topped with the Magnificent Seven. Easton-Style Hot Dog. In 1950, Berman passed the certified public accountant exam and made Superdawg a year-round business. Literally. My mother and father both worked for my grandfather at the hot dog stand while they were going to high school, Kaplan said. Possibly Chicago's oldest hot dog stand.and it LOOKS it! And about 95% of what they sold was hot dogs. A fixture on the West Side for over 65 years, the family-owned and operated hot dog stand lays claim to being the longest-standing hot dog stand in the city of Chicago. This is a funny, unique hot dog style that's sort of hybrid between Jersey's deep fried dogs and Pennsylvania brands, served in an almost quasi-Chicago . For $3.10 you get a Vienna Red Hot and for $3.20 you can get a charred, Vienna hot dog. By the 1930s, the Drexler family had opened three more locations, a second at Roosevelt & Central park in 1932, a stand at Lincoln & Ogden in 1935 and another stand at Blackstone & 63rd St in 1936. 15. That's not, however, what makes Dave's Red Hots special. In 1939, when Stefanovic arrived in Chicago from the former Yugoslavia, his aunt was sick and ready to call it quits. Business didnt suffer. A model that has kept him growing strong ever since. Dave's Famous double red hots are seen at Dave's Red Hots, 3422 W. Roosevelt Road, the oldest hot dog stand in Chicago, which dates to 1938. Located at 72nd St & Western, the teeny tiny hot dog stand has served those who live locally and those who travel across the city to those in search of the perfect Chicago hot dog since May 12th, 1972. 5. In the early days of the stand, a mean, black dog used to live near property where the parking lot was and harass customers. Portillos is legendary, and their hot dog is one that many locals hold very close to their heart. But for locals, a hot dog is beloved. You could also expect to find an excited gaggle of diners, sharing sausages and French fries. "'I don't see it as just a hot dog place. Dave's Famous double red hots are seen at Dave's Red Hots on Aug. 13, 2021. Fountain sent out Polish sausages for everyone, kosher style (mustard, pickle and sport peppers only), each with a side of some of the best fresh-cut fries around Chicago. What you need to live your best life now. $ American, Hot Dogs Hours: 3422 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago (773) 722-9935. All my cousins and I worked on weekends and after school. Patio, a Taylor Street mainstay since 1948, is not to be confused withThe Patio, a suburban chain of barbecue restaurants. Don and Lisas kids also both work at Superdawg. 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