Frugal feast at Chicago Reds features New York Dog and Garlic Parmesan Fries
Mary Bilyeu, Contributor
My dinner companion ordered the Chicago Style Dog for $2.99: "The Classic Chicago Dog, a Vienna all beef dog topped with tomato slices, Kosher Pickle, Neon Relish, chopped onion, yellow mustard, Sport Peppers & celery salt on a steamed poppy seed bun." It was definitely "dragged through the garden," as they say, and generously so.
My friend enjoyed it immensely, taking a sharp detour from his usual healthy diet of steamed vegetables and rice to indulge in one of his favorite guilty pleasures. He's had a difficult time of late, and it was good to see him smile so happily as he ate.
I, however, don't want all of those salad ingredients and funky colors on my hot dog. I'm from New York, born and raised; I want my "dirty water" dog (affectionately named because street vendors keep the wieners in warm water until they're served to customers) with mustard and sauerkraut, period. So for $2.59 I ordered the New York Dog: "Sauerkraut & yellow mustard on a steamed poppy seed bun." Perfect in its simplicity, I felt transported back to my hometown for a little while.
To accompany the mainstays of our meal, my friend and I shared the basket of Garlic Parmesan Fries (pictured above) for $3.49. These were as close to perfection as fries might possibly come — golden, crisp, hot, salty, garlicky, cheesy, but none of these attributes was overdone. The consistency was ideal, and the flavorings were exceptional. And the serving was so generous, especially with the hot dogs, that we had to take some of the fries home.
So our very filling meal plus some leftovers cost the two of us less than $10, falling perfectly within the Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person or less. And there are lots of other options within this budgetary constraint, as all of the beef hot dogs are under $3, and the Polish sausages and vegetarian Italian sausage all range from $3.59-$4.79.
For a great inexpensive and casual meal — not to mention some passionate arguments over which city's hot dogs are best! — head over to Chicago Reds.
Chicago Reds
312 S. State St. (inside Amer's Deli)
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-761-6000
Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures in the kitchen. She was thrilled to have her post about Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread named as one of the daily "Best of the Blogs" by the prestigious Food News Journal.
Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related. Her newest feature is Frugal Floozie Friday, seeking fun and food for $5 or less ... really! Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.
The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here.
Comments
Jim Pryce
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 10:38 p.m.
I like my hot dogs grilled (well done) & plain. Just the meat & the bun. I more than likely could eat a package of 8 dogs at 1 sitting.
treetowncartel
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 8 p.m.
I'll have to try them out. Best Chicago dogs around are out in Troy at Hippo's. Red Hot Lover's is not what it once was.
a2miguy
Fri, Oct 7, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
I love hot dogs just about any way you can possibly make them.... anything from loaded with stuff, right on down to plain with nothing but the wiener and bun. My favorite.... heavy mustard, chili, and slaw (my own homemade slaw, cuz no one around here knows how to make good slaw). Thanks for this article. And for reviving my craving for hot dogs (which never sits dormant for very long).