I like a good hot dog. I don't generally go out of my way for a good hot dog, but if one presents itself, I'll happily oblige it with inclusion in my gastric contents.
So, a couple of weeks ago when loyal reader (and chum dating back to my days as a Madison Senator) Mak mentioned that she had gone to, and enjoyed,
Wynn's Hotdogs (at 4th and Morrison), I took it as an invite to see if I liked them as well. Because we do accept reader ideas for places to try out. Hint hint.
And wasn't today a nice day to take a walk?
So, at 11:45 Gastro Boy and I walked down to 4th and Salmon, where we met JLowe. GastroBoy ended up heading over to Romano's Macaroni Grill (perhaps he'll write a review, since he's been slacking shamelessly) and JLowe and I forged on for weiners (cue the Beavis and Butthead laughs here).
As you walk up on the Wynn's cart, kitty-corner from Pioneer Place I and so close to Geraldi's sandwiches that I almost failed to stop, there's a sign advertising their 8-inch beef franks. That's a good start.
The menu is simple. Regular dogs, of course, and then a few specialty dogs. There's the Big Bad Red, which is a hot-link type sausage dog; The Chicago Dog (hotdog with fresh cucumber and tomato slices); the Seattle Dog (hotdog with cream cheese and bacon); and the Portland Dog (a combination of the Portland and Chicago ingredients). The specialty dogs are available with a hot-link instead of a regular frank. The non-specialties are available with cheese and kraut. There are condiments available, including relish, pickle spears, jalapenos, pepperoncini, and onions, plus the traditional mustards and ketchup.
JLowe opted for the Big Bad Red, with only yellow mustard on top. That was $4.25.
I opted for the Chicago Dog, to which I added onions, relish, deli mustard, and a thin line of ketchup. With a can of soda, I was at $5.50.
We then headed over to Pioneer Courthouse Square, grabbed a stair, and dove in.
My reaction? Mixed. The quality of the ingredients is not questionable. The beef frank was not fatty or otherwise suspect. The vegetables were clearly fresh. The bun held everything well and entirely refused to disintegrate. But the flavor was a bit of a let-down. The frank was non-descript and mostly unnoticeable. The cucumbers and onions didn't really do much to add to the flavor, and the whole thing just ended up being uninspiring. Which is sad, because I figure if you're going to go out of your way to eat food you otherwise shouldn't, there should be a payoff in the palate. This indulgence ended up just being sort of blah.
JLowe was pleased with his hot-link, however.
Now, I plan on going back. I have two more attempts in mind. I'll have the Big Bad Red with some cheese and kraut, and I'll have the Seattle Dog with a hot-link. I think one or both will probably prove worthwhile, and I'll try to let you know.
One thing that I shouldn't neglect to mention: the people at Wynn's are super-friendly and, in and of themselves, merit you stopping by. We saw Jim Francesconi, former mayoral candidate, walk by, which launched JLowe and I into a discussion about whether he'd run in the next mayoral race, and whether Tom Potter would as well. The people at Wynn's noted that Tom Potter had never been seen by them on the street, whereas they used to see Vera Katz all the time, and she'd even come by for dogs from time to time. I'm always happy to patronize a business where they can take part in your conversation without making it weird, and where you can walk away feeling like you've gained some sort of knowledge, even if it's relatively mundane.
So get outside and try a dog. Just make sure to really indulge, and go out of your way to add some flavor.
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