Hot Dog of the Day: Gold Coast Dogs

Gold Coast Dogs The Chicago-style char dog ($3.30) has the makings of a great hot dog. It’s served piping hot, slathered in yellow mustard and accompanied by traditional Chicago-style toppings: tomato, neon green relish, chopped onion, pickle spear, sport pepper and celery salt. The real star, though, is the dog itself. My expectations were not high for this small hot dog joint that shares its space with a Popeye’s. But I was quickly proven wrong. The char dog’s flavor and texture are almost reminiscent of hot dogs cooked on a campfire during childhood camping trips. The outside is slightly crispy, while the inside is chewy and moist. Combined with the toppings, the char dog is what a Chicago-style hot dog should be. What keeps it from being the best in the city, however, is the split ends and the bun. Both ends of the hot dog are split into four sections that curl when the dog is cooked. This makes it hard to eat and difficult for the bun to contain. Speaking of the bun, it fell apart after a couple of bites.—Emily Gilmer