By Morgan
Portland, Oregon
I’m not a foodie. My palate has all the refinement as that of a rhino. Or perhaps a giraffe. Like the one that thought my brother, about 4 at the time, would be a tasty treat.
But that doesn’t mean food isn’t an important part of my life. And as a transplanted New Yorker, there are foods that are iconic in my memory.
Yeah, I’m talkin’ hot dogs.
From the cart, on the sidewalk, from a guy who’s gruff and cranky and a sweetheart underneath the rough NY exterior. It’s been ages since I had a honest to goodness New York hot dog.
And I’m not gonna get it from Chad, the Whipple Beef Cart guy. Because he sells Chicago hot dogs. But it’s SO CLOSE!
See, the quintessential New York street cart-style hot dog is a Hebrew National All-Beef Kosher Frank, boiled with your choice of condiments; preferably deli mustard and sauerkraut. And that’s exactly what the new Whipple Beef cart serves up. They specialize in the Chicago version however – poppyseed hot dog buns, with radioactive neon-green relish (really? that’s edible?) and these things called sport peppers (read: hot). They also serve Italian beef sandwiches, which I have yet to try. But the prices are great, and so is the service and the food. I mean, Hebrew Nationals!
Run by Chad, a guy who grew up outside Chicago, who left his job framing pictures for something a little more appetizing. I asked him why the switch to hot dog man? “I wanted to be outside, and I always liked the comfort of the Chicago lunchtime”, he answered. Look for Chad in the middle of Holladay Park right by Lloyd Center, just a few steps from the Lloyd Center MAX stop.
All I know, is that the quintessential New York hot dog cart he uses attracts displaced New Yorkers like fire attracts bugs. And this bug got burned, and is totally going back for more.
Reprinted from Our PDX.com
