Hot Diggity Dog! How to Pick the Incomparable Wienie 500

The hot dog is a polarizing vessel across the United States.

One of the last times I was back home in Chicago was for a Fourth of July cookout that featured juicy smashburgers, succulent chicken thighs and a hot dog bar with all the accoutrements a Chicagoan could ever desire.   

A red-and-white checkered cloth covered a table stacked with dogs, poppy seed buns, three kinds of mustards, fresh tomatoes, neon sweet relish, chopped onions, pickle spears, sport peppers and shakers of celery salt.