there are giants in hotdogs just as there are giants in sports. these are the ones who define the game, whose sheer heart and stamina carry a merely silly form of movement into an artform, into a way of life. these are the namoths, the refrigerator perrys, the favres.
these are the prontodogs.
the pronto mart sits on top of the intersection of 43rd st. and duval, deep in the heart of hyde park. pronto means ‘quick’ in spanish, although for the past three months or so it’s been the ‘ronto mart’ and the ‘p’ still doesn’t look like it’s going to hang on for long.
the hotdog facilities meet you as soon as you walk in the store. you might say they are the corner-stone of the pronto-mart institution. the hotdogs draw in the customers and then the customers buy the 36oz. cans of lone star.
one hotdog is a mere 99cents, and you can buy two for $1.79 which gives you a remarkable savings of, um, about a dime.
the condiment facilities are always fully stocked. a three-chambered bin contains chopped onions, shredded cheddar, and relish. in the rack above the hand-washing sink, are bottled condiments, and not just the usual ketchup and yellow mustard, but also soy and hotsauce. there are also mayo packets for those of us who like to kick our hotdogs up a notch.
the dogs themselves spin on a lurching carnival ride of a rotisserie. this is the secret of the prontodog experience. every hotdog has been stewing on the racks all day long (after 10pm they’re half off and they rarely have leftovers to throw away). the juices have had time to marry, to mingle. it is the heated ferriswheel of tastiness that gives a prontodog its subtle character.
but the final touch, the added bonus that sets this apart from all others, is the chili crockpot:
beneath the protective chili-crust, the pronto-chili is kept at a bacteria-discouraging 114degreesF. cracking that crust with the chili-spoon is a tactile pleasure akin to breaking the crust of a creme-brulee.
taken together, a pronto hotdog and a pronto chilidog are a hotdog man’s hotdog.
Pronto Dog, Overall Score: A
