If you were anything like me, you cried the day you learned that Hot Doug’s was closing for good.
A Chicago landmark for years, Doug Sohn and his Encased Meat Emporium created adventurous, genre-pushing culinary masterpieces for the everyman. It was unpretentious, completely unique and well worth the average two hour wait time. Doug himself took every order from the walkup counter at his restaurant, interacting with the hoards of hot dog fans that formed lines out his door everyday. In short, he made gourmet food affordable and approachable.
And then, this past weekend, the Sausage King of Chicago brought back Hot Doug’s as a pop-up at the Goose Island Barrel Warehouse. As Lakeshore Beverage’s fearless beer and food blogger, I volunteered for the difficult task of covering the event. Because someone had to eat all the hot dogs.
I put on my game face, loosened my belt and set out to eat 10 (yes, 10!) gourmet hot dogs from Hot Doug’s legendary menu, paired with Goose Island’s IPA, Blue Line, Green Line, Sofie, and Matilda… and then ended the day with a pour of Proprietor’s Bourbon Country Stout.
This is my game face.
Oh, and Duck Fat Fries. Lots of Duck Fat Fries.
Here’s what my day looked like:
Chicken Chorizo With Muffaletta Mustard and Chihuahua Cheese
Spicy Thai Chicken Sausage With Thai Peanut Sauce And Toasted Coconut
The Atomic Sausage With Chipotle Mustard and Pepper Jack Cheese
Bacon Cheeseburger With Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce And Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Ultimate Garlic Sausage With Goose Island Honker’s Ale Mustard and Roasted Garlic Cloves
Baked Ham Sausage With Cherry Mustard and Pineapple Salsa
Hungarian Smoke Pork Sausage With Smoked Paprika Mustard And Smoked Gouda Cheese
Jerk Pork Sausage With Jerk Dijonnaise and Plantain Chips
Spicy Andouille With Brown Mustard And Caramelized Onions
Duck Fat Fries
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