Chicago, Chicago that toddlin’ town.
Frank Sinatra certainly sang it straight up about The Windy City.
Words cannot express how thrilled Chris and I were when our favorite band Phish announced they were playing three nights at the famous UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, this year. We have friends in Chicago that we don’t see nearly enough and the prospect of Chicago eats for a week had us salivating. We had many fun culinary experiences during our stay, but three restaurants topped the pack. I will tell you about our adventures in eating at Hot Doug’s and The Purple Pig this week. Stay tuned for next week’s article about our fantastic meal at Girl and the Goat.
HOT DOUG’S
While planning for the Phish run, one theme came up repeatedly: SAUSAGE! Chicago is well known for its tubular meat—whether it be in the form of the famed Chicago hot dog, Polish sausages or the more creative gourmet sausage sandwiches—and we were determined to try them all. Chris insisted that we spend at least one lunch at Hot Doug’s – otherwise known as “The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium.”
Hot Doug’s is a bit of an enigma. It is a tiny space by Chicago standards, and their hours are 10:30am – 4:00pm six days a week. You are almost always guaranteed to wait in line—sometimes for hours—while you drool at the thought of eating these encased masterpieces. Doug Sohn creates all of his sausages in-house, and each sandwich receives careful consideration in pairing the ingredients.
- Previously: Jon Hochstat’s Chicago Hot Dog Trip
READ ON for more on Hot Doug’s and The Purple Pig…
