Hot Dog of the Day: Publican Quality Meats

Publican Quality Meats Not a fan of the traditional hot dog? Check out the upscale sausage offerings at this West Loop meat shop/café from the folks behind Publican and Big Star. On a recent visit earlier this month, I tried the truffle sausage ($12), which comes topped with a slaw made out of apples, fennel, snap peas and a dijon vinaigrette. The bun—let's face it—it's a baguette disguised as a bun, is delicious but makes the plump, juicy sausage difficult to eat. You have to start to attack this thing with a knife and fork. But the light, yet savory flavors make it the perfect summer lunch. And the kale chips on the side (so trendy right now!) have a red pepper kick to them that will probably make you order a glass or two of white wine.—Kevin Aeh