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Where every hot dog has its day
By KATHY SAUNDERS © St. Petersburg Times, published August 24, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- I can't remember the last time I bought lunch for six people for less than $20. At American Dogs it's not only possible to eat for a bargain price, it's hard not to. The most expensive item on the menu is a steak sandwich for $3.59. It's also hard to imagine that a place that calls itself American Dog serves much of a variety, but this restaurant offers hot dogs in ways that impressed the hot dog-loving group I recently dined with. I figured it would be hard to beat any hot dog that wasn't served at a ball park. I was skeptical and chose the Polish sausage to avoid comparisons with the baseball season staple in my life. It wasn't exactly like the kind I used to watch my Polish grandfather stuff in the basement of his Chicago row house, but it didn't give me the same kind of heartburn either. The Polish sausage ($2.59) was nicely charred from the grill, and the poppyseed bun was fresh and warm. I could have eaten two, but I was glad that I didn't; one dog made for a nice lunch. Had I eaten the dressings, which I requested on the side, I would have been stuffed. The regular sausage comes with grilled onions, mustard, a pickle spear and peppers. The Chicago Dog ($1.99) was a Vienna beef hot dog with mustard, relish, onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear and peppers. The menu described the relish as "bright green," and it wasn't an exaggeration. "Don't let the neon green relish scare you," said one of our group who had sampled the Chicago Dog beforehand. "It's really good." She was right. The relish was a nice consistency, both sweet and crunchy with just enough kick. The Chicago Chili Dog ($2.29) went quickly. The Vienna beef hot dog was smothered with chili, tomato wedges, onions and mustard and topped with a cheese that reminded one of our diners of Cheez Whiz, but it didn't last long enough for any of us to be concerned about the cheese type; it just melted into the meal and seemed to work well with the other dressings. The chili was chunky, and we could still taste plenty of hot dog under the toppings. That wasn't the case with the New York Dog ($1.69). The Nathan's hot dog was hard to detect under the sauerkraut, steamed onions, brown mustard and relish. By the time we got it to our lunch table -- about 20 minutes after it was prepared -- the hot dog was rather soggy, and we couldn't taste the onions. We decided that the New York Dog doesn't travel well and probably should be eaten as it comes off the grill. The last item we sampled was a grilled chicken sandwich ($2.79). The chicken breast was moist and delicious with a nice flame-grilled taste. It was topped with honey mustard, lettuce and tomato and served on a big Kaiser bun. We figured that half the chicken sandwich would make it home for a cold supper, but it was a hit, and we cleaned our plate. American Dog also serves chicken franks and an L.A. Dog made of tofu. Besides the Polish sausage, the menu offers Italian sausage sandwiches and bratwurst. The cooks will grill hamburgers as well. Milk shakes are another popular item at American Dog. The creamy shakes sell for $1.59 for a small and $2.59 for a large. They are homemade and creamy. We tried a vanilla shake that made us wish we had ordered five more. Strawberry and chocolate also are available. I had a medium-size cup of sweet iced tea, but I was disappointed that it was a fountain brand and not fresh-brewed. American Dog, which opened a year ago, had a busy lunch crowd on the day I visited. The cooks were grilling non-stop, and the counter was well-staffed. The restaurant has a separate counter to pick up carryout orders that are phoned in, as mine was. American Dog also has plenty of seating for in-house diners. Next time I visit I will bring my children thanks to the restaurant's no-smoking policy. PINELLAS TO GOAmerican Dogs 6297-A Central Ave., St. Petersburg Phone: 343-4718. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Consumers: Six adults. What we got: A Vienna beef hot dog on poppyseed bun, a chili dog on a poppyseed bun, a Nathan's hot dog with sauerkraut and steamed onions, a charbroiled hot dog with chili and cole slaw, a Polish sausage on a poppyseed bun, a chicken sandwich on a Kaiser roll, a large vanilla milk shake and a medium-sized, sweetened iced tea. What it cost: $17.46. Time it took: 10 minutes. Pay with: Cash only. Do you have a favorite takeout restaurant? If so, tell us the name, and we may feature it in Pinellas to Go. Mail your nominations to Pinellas to Go, Taste Section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail to floridian@sptimes.com.
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From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
