Frankfurter or frank, wienerwurst or weenie—whatever you call these meat-stuffed casings of joy, you ought grill one up for the ol’ red, white and blue today. Originating as far back as ancient Rome, the little weenie that could has traveled far and wide, across continents, stuffed to the brim with various meats and ultimately launching into the eye of a Phillies fan at 60 miles per hour out of a cannon shot by a green furry, leaving said fan bruised, battered, in need of a CAT scan, but grateful to have been awarded one free admittance to a game.
If that’s not the story of America, I don’t know what is.
Today we salute the sausage, cheer the chunked meat stuffed into the small intestines of sheep, and gather ‘round the grill to eagerly await our chance to snag the one and only food that can bring us together.
The hot dog, any which way you like it, is a symbol of who we are as Americans. Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs to King George VI and the Queen of England in Hyde Park in 1939; and it’s estimated by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yeah) that Americans consume somewhere around 20 billion hot dogs per year, which rounds out to a reasonable 70 dogs per person, per year.
On this day of our Independence, let’s remember that we, too, are a mishmash of meats and isn’t that what the great U.S of A is supposed to be all about?
Here at The Citizen we work hard every day to get you the best information for ways to be civically engaged, encourage you to think critically about your city, and challenge you to go out and do something. At our core, we believe that begins with hot dogs.
Hot dogs are a mishmash of all kinds of different things. Sometimes you know what it is. Sometimes you don’t. But at the end of the day, we’re drawn to those curious meats that make up this one long delicious food product and have dubbed them part of the fabric of America.
They’re a staple at our baseball games, a go to for a birthday party and always there when you need a pick me up. It’s the diversity, the mystery, the flavor and essence we celebrate in our beloved dogs and we wouldn’t have it any other way. On this day of our Independence, let’s remember that we, too, are a mishmash of meats and isn’t that what the great U.S of A is supposed to be all about?
Here are the top 5 places to grab a dog on this patriotic day:
Johnny’s Hots
Go here for the classic Philly style dog: fishcake smooshed around a hot dog. Or have one of their hot sausages topped with griddled long hots and peppered hash. 1234 N. Delaware Ave.
Texas Wieners
Visit this South Philly spot for a split dog that’ll split your dang heart open. Try their double decker dog, the Texas Tommy or stick to the classic dog topped with mustard, onions, and sauce. 3963 Lancaster Ave.
Gus’s Hot Dogs
This little cart has been holding down the corner of 5th and South since 1979. Word on the street is he’s got the best pepperhash in town and he’s got a lot of fans on Facebook to back him up. Corner of 5th and South
The Hot Diggity
I’m sure their hot dogs are good but they made this precious 3 year anniversary video that almost made me cry even with no music in the background. They just seem like they really care about their customers and that’s what hot dogs are all about. 630 South St.
K C’s Pastries
All the love is for the buns here. Stop in this Chinatown spot for a pig in a very large blanket. Also, it’s tagged as “nightlife” on Facebook, which should be enough to get you in the door! 109 N. 10th St.
