Don’t forget about the fabulous taco quiz, which is still open for entries.
Here’s some of the hot dogs and hot-dog-esque foods I consumed to keep my energy up while enjoying SXSW last week.
The Best Wurst sells a number of sausages from their 6th Street carts. They are at the center of the live music universe. Now, their Italian sausage can’t strictly be called a hot dog anymore than megaladon can be called a great white shark, but there is enough similarity to list it here.
This is a two-handed sausage and a filling repository of grease and animal protein, exactly the sort of food one needs just before going in to see a Japanese all-girl punk band.
Best Wurst Italian – Grade A
When one has to walk out of a two-hour long meandering art film, one immediately heads for the concession stand outside the theater. There you are presented with the choice of over-priced popcorn, or a single, overpriced hot dog. When I ordered the hotdog, the man picked the pre-wrapped foil pouch out of the steam drawer and then pointed to their condiment bar: a single plastic cocktail glass with a handful of mustard packets.
The bun was stale from a whole day, or perhaps longer, spent in the drawer. The meat was an off-gray color and slightly rubbery. It looked like something you would find a raccoon washing in a mud puddle. This hot dog squarely earned the lowest grade I have ever awarded.
Convention center concession stand hot dog – Grade F minus
Champions is a Texas-themed sports bar in a downtown hotel. As you might imagine, the food is something like having a Chilis menu re-designed by a high-school gym teacher. This is some seriously filling food. The chili dog plate came with not one but two hotdogs, smothered with beany chili (Texas chili must NEVER have beans!!), and about two pounds of spicy waffle fries. The waffle cut is used to increase the surface area that the fry oil can soak into.
The meat was pretty substantial, flavorful and crisp to the teeth. And the buns were nothing to complain about either.
Champions Chili Dog – Grade B
