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But they're really best when they're grilled/toasted on the outside. Don't know about this steaming thing.

Flo's "relish" sounds really good, though.

A good local hot dog stand is a fine thing!

Lobster rolls are great too but Flo's is really unique. And more recession friendly- despite all the popularity her prices are really really low.

The buns are only steamed for a few seconds and not soggy. They are also great grilled or toasted. but I dont think flo's has a toaster or a grill though.

Really it's the care that's put into each hot dog that makes the wait worth it. I think she needs an apprentice though, someone to replenish the ingredients or take orders.

Yup, mayonnaise. I thought the same thing until I tried it. It's awesome. Works with the wonder-bread-esque new england rolls, maybe it evolved as a nod to the lobster roll?

All the cool foodies have been putting mayo on their hot dogs lately. So I tried it. OH thought I was keee-razy. Honestly, I didn't really like it. It didn't add much flavor, and I like the fattiness of a hot dog on its own. Don't think it benefits from more fat.

I respectfully disagree regarding Flo's. I went there while on vacation in Maine about 10 years ago. In my opinion it is one of the two most overrated hot dog joints in the country; the other being Hot Dog Johnny's in N.J.

I hate mayonaise on a hot dog and I don't eat onions, so I didn't have their special sauce. I usually only have mustard on mine anyway. They served a steamed Schutz brand beef and pork dog. Steaming is not my favorite way to prepare a hot dog; especially if it's a milder beef and pork dog. Grilling or even frying better brings out the flavor in a mild beef/pork frank. But the Schutz dog wasn't mild; it was downright bland. Or at least bland compared to the German style franks I'm used to eating.

A few years later Schutz went out of business. I returned to Flo's on my last trip to Maine hoping it would be better. It wasn't. I don't remember the new brand of dog used (I have it posted somewhere), but it was equally bland.

Hawk,

Different people have different tastes and preferences regarding cooking methods, toppings, levels of spicyness in dogs, etc. You like what you like. For me it's all about the dog. Occasionally I'll have chili or the special relish at Rutt's Hut. 90% of the time it's just mustard. Otherwise the toppings (hot sauces particularly) interfere with and mask the flavor of the dog.

The Flo's dog is just bland and consistently so. Have you sampled some dogs in New Jersey? Every year I run a hot dog tour. This year it will be on Sat. Sept. 26th. I'll make an announcement soon regarding the itinerary, It's open to everyone. Perhaps you would like to attend this year?

Rutt's Hut's dogs are Thumann's brand. But it is from a recipe that is made specifically for deep frying. Two extra ingredients are added to aid in frying and withstand the high temperatures of deep fat frying. The relish is unique and goes well with this dog. Be warned. There seems to be no middle ground with this dog. People either love it or hate it. If you've ever been to Crif's in New York, you've had this dog.

I like it better at Rutt's because the dogs are fried in beef tallow and prepared to different degrees of doneness. I like the "weller" or well done. A regular dog, fried to where the skin rips is called a "ripper". This is what you get if you just ask for a hot dog and don't specify. A lightly fried dog (the skin doesn't rip) is an in-n-outer. A dog fried for a long time until the skin is dark brown is a cremator. Too well done in my opinion.

King T,

I agree that Flo's can hardly be considered the best in the country. We all have our tastes and opinions, and it's said that the best hot dog is the one you like best. While taste is subjective, other parameters can be used in judging whether a hot dog is a quality dog or not. Such as ingredients and spicing. A quality hot dog is made from whole cuts of beef and/or beef and pork. I know the Vienna beef dog is a quality dog, made from bull meat. But so is Best's from New Jersey. Not to be confused with the Best's popular in Chicago that was made by Sara Lee and is now gone. Vastly inferior to New Jersey's Best. I've had both.

While you're probably a fan of Vienna Beef hot dogs (since it is used at approximately 85% of Chicago hot dog establishments), in my opinion there is a hot dog in Chicago that is better than Vienna, Best's, Sinai 48, Red Hot Chicago, Leon's, David Berg, or any other hot dog brand from Chicago that I've sampled. And that is the hot dog from the Romanian Kosher Sausage Company. And I wouldn't even consider that the best all beef hot dog in the country. Have you had Best's from New Jersey? Usinger's from Milwaukee? Sabrett's from New Jersey/New York? Boars Head? All with more flavor and in my opinion better than Vienna Beef.

I guess it's hard to be objective if you've grown up in Chicago and Vienna Beef is what you're exposed to with little variation. We have much more variety in the East; especially in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. There you will find not only top of the line beef dogs, but German style pork and beef dogs, which to most Chicagoans is anathema. But many in other regions of the U.S. as well as Europe (specifically Germany) would argue that the beef and pork dog is the more traditional.

Brands like Thumann's and Schickhaus from New Jersey, Sahlen's, Hofmann's, Zweigle's,and Hartmann's from upstate New York, and Hummel's, Mucke's, and Grote & Weigel from Connecticut are excellent examples of delicious, traditional European or German style franks. Not to mention the homemade franks produced at small Pork Stores and European butchers.

Hot dogs are regional and I would say that most areas produce mediocre franks where the focus is on the stuff you put on the dog rather than the actual meat itself. While I enjoy an authentic Chicago style hot dog (my preference would be for the minimalist version at Gene & Judes), I prefer to have a hot dog most of the time with just mustard. A good one doesn't need all the crap that is piled on some dogs served in Chicago. Namely Byron's. Lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers? Not on my dog. And even the spicy sports peppers mask rather than enhance the flavor of a hot dog.

And for all the complaining Chicagoans do about ketchup on a hot dog (I too think this is an abomination), why do you put sweet relish on a spicy, garlicky beef hot dog? That's inconsistent if you ask me. The only time I put relish on a hot dog would be when I go to a place called Rutt's Hut here in N.J. The relish is unique and goes well with their mild pork based hot dog.

Chicago is just one area of the country known for good hot dogs. And known for one particular style. As I mentioned earlier, most of the country serves cheap mediocre hot dogs. Quality hot dogs can be found in the East; mainly New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan. Other areas with a good hot dog culture are Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Try some of the offerings in these areas. You might change your mind about what is best.