When one thinks of hot dog carts and street food, three cities come to mind.  New York, Chicago, and Toronto.  Granted there are the secondary venues like Miami, LA, and Charlotte, as well as the third tier towns which include rural localities such as Union, MO (my current home).  Before anyone starts taking offense, I’m not saying you can’t make good money selling hot dogs in Des Moines.  You can.  I’m just saying that no one thinks of Paducah, KY as hot dog central.

I just read a blog this morning which compared the hot dog culture of Chicago to that of Toronto.  Apparently Canadians are more subdued about their love of the tubesteak than those in the Windy City, even though Toronto may have more hot dog carts per capita.  I guess it’s just a function of the personalities of their inhabitants.  Being from Chicago, I can tell you that we aren’t very subdued about anything.  Especially the ketchup thing…

In case you haven’t heard, no one in Chicago is allowed to put ketchup on a hot dog unless they are under 12 years old.  This is actually an enforceable ordinance passed in 1975 by “Hizzoner, Da Mare”  Richard J. Daley, who once said, “The policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.”  (I pause to wipe a homesick tear from my eye.)

Apparently it’s OK to put ketchup on a hot dog in Toronto…

Liberals.

– Steve

P.S.  Allright…I have an occasional ketchup dog every now and then.  So what?!!!  I don’t have a problem – I could stop whenever I want.  Really.

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