Three Ways To Celebrate National Corn Dog Day
By Lisa White in Food on Mar 21, 2014 9:05PM
Tomorrow is a sacred holiday for lovers of both encased meat and fried food; National Corn Dog Day. Sure, there is a national holiday for pretty much any food item and we don’t need some special day to indulge in meat on a stick but we don’t mind celebrating either. Here are three of our favorite ways to get your corn dog fix and celebrate tomorrow.
Franks ‘N’ Dawgs
We already wrote about their delicious triple truffle fries this week in best of, but Franks ‘N’ Dawgs also serves up a bevy of higher end sausages including the mystery corn dawg platter. I like a bit of suspense in my dining endeavors, so the fact you aren’t sure what sausage you’ll get inside each of the four corn ‘dawgs’ keeps my taste buds on edge. And it’s fun guessing which sausage you got, like a built in board game with your meal. The platter serves 4 artisan sausage cloaked in an Anson Mills polenta batter. I’ve come to realize Franks ‘N’ Dawgs batter tends to be a bit heavier and wetter, so you’ve been warned if you are a fan of a drier corn dog. But the polenta pairs well, especially if you get a spicier sausage in the mix. I like to order up a few dogs and split the platter with a friend because it is the perfect size for sharing. If you are wanting to celebrate with a less traditional corn dog, Franks ‘N’ Dawgs is your best bet.
Hot Doug’s
When you wait in line for Hot Doug’s, you don’t just get up to the counter and order one hot dog. You go for variety, share with friends and always throw a few corn dogs on the side. Or as they call them at Hot Doug’s, the Shirley Hardman. Much like everything else at Hot Doug’s their corn dogs are top quality, always cooked to perfection. Their corn dog is simple and no frills, which is exactly what I want to temper my taste buds after biting into my foie gras sausage with truffle aioli and foie gras mousse.
I also like to order the Charlie and James Sohn, an order of mini bagel dogs and tater tots. I consider mini bagel dogs a distant cousin of the corn dog, so I think that justifies indulging in both if you stop by. Also National Corn Dog day just happens to fall on a Saturday this year, which means if you stop by Hot Doug’s to celebrate, you can grab some duck fat fries.
Wiener and Still Champion
This Evanston fry joint not only has some of our favorite fries but might take home the title for our favorite corn dog in Chicago. Not surprising, given the amount of diligent work owner Gus Paschalis puts into his creative endeavors behind the counter. He is very particular about ingredients and makes sure to test any item thoroughly before adding it to the menu, whether it be country fried bacon or chili bombs. The Dippin’ Dog, his house version of a corn dog, is another shining example of Gus’s labor of love. He spent months finding the perfect batter and sausage, testing out a wide range of products. After finding the right dog, he worked on testing a range of recipes for the batter, finally settling on a special mixture made in house of cornmeal, flour and other special ingredients that gives WASC Dippin’ Dog a perfectly crisped exterior, the sweetness of corn shining through and an inside that is never dried out or undercooked and always full of flavor. This is the quintessential corn dog.
And even better, to celebrate National Corn Dog day, Dippin’ Dogs will be available Saturday only for $1.50 each. We can’t think of a better reason to head up to Evanston and spend Saturday with a plate of Dippin’ Dogs. It's the true 'Voice of America' thing to do.