The Dog House

I finally made it to this place for lunch a couple of Saturdays ago - the takeaway/delivery hot dog joint where Paul's BBQ used to be. It was a nice day out after all and what better way to spend a little bit of it than devouring a 1/2 lb. of processed meat. I had fully intended to get the Junkyard Dog, a half-pound hot dog covered with chili, beans, onions, coney sauce, sauerkraut, wing sauce, jalapeños, cheese, blue cheese dressing, catsup and mustard, but as I thought about it, it reminded me too much of the legendary Rochester, NY, staple food, The Garbage Plate, and I was certainly not going to eat a garbage plate on such a wonderful day.

One of the owners suggested the specials, either a huge beer brat cradled between two strips of bacon and topped artfully with a mysterious yellow sauce dubbed "Critter Sitter" or a a massive red spicy hot dog disturbingly dubbed "The Pelini Wienie." Good taste alone drove me to the brat, made by Cetak Meat Market in Ord.

The St. Bernard (huh?) Bacon Beer Brat was much spicier than most brats you'll encounter. A look into its mysterious meaty interior revealed flecks of red pepper and bits of red chili. The bacon seemed superfluous because the spice of the bratwurst completely hid the bacon flavor. I for one expect more from my bacon so the whole package was a bit disappointing even though the bratwurst itself was great. The sauce, too, was overpowered by the pepper flavors so I really have no idea what it tasted like. Don't get me wrong though. The brat wasn't Super Taco red sauce hot but the other flavors added weren't enough to overpower the spice of the meat.

I wish they'd add a traditional Chicago-style dog to the menu. They have a kosher-beef dog available but they lack most of the toppings (no tomato, no dill wedge, no fluorescent green relish). Still, it's a nice little place for lunch if you need a post-lunch nap.