19 January 2007

Encased Meat Mecca

I finally made the pilgrimage to Chicago's legendary bastion of encased meats: Hot Doug's. Seriously, I don't know why I hadn't made the trek to the corner of Roscoe & California sooner (oh right, I had a day job, and HD's has notoriously limited hours). But one thing led to another, and there I was crammed in the backseat of an overstuffed station wagon on my way to hot dog heaven.

Vegetarian? Me too. Fret not, there's a veggie dog! You can even dress up the plain v-dog with any of the daily special (and rather gourmet) toppings, or go the ol' kraut and ketchup route (my fave). There's a veggie corn dog for two bucks, too. Mr. Doug himself greets you at the register to take your order, and is quite the model of customer service.

My meal:

- Veggie Dog with Sun-Dried Tomato Mustard, Caramelized Onions and Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
- Veggie Corn Dog
- Cheese Fries (oooooooh the cheese fries...)

Also, depending how veggie-strict you are (like say, you'll eat stuff cooked near or in animal products, but just don't want to eat the flesh itself), there are the infamous duck fat fries, only avail on Fridays and Saturdays. Fried in (duh) duck fat, they have a different texture than regular fries, maybe to help the grease stick to the lining of your arteries better.

I feel a little more like a true Chicagoan today.

14 January 2007

Failure to Launch

I just finished my fifth and final grad school application. Two grant applications to go, then Operation: Free Days and Matinees kicks into high gear. Or any gear, really. Tumbleweeds been blowin' through this blogotown.