Sausage Fest

Ze double team.

After watching Bourdain house a foie gras and duck sausage on No Reservations, it was time for the Dynamic Duo to check out Hot Doug's on California and Roscoe. I personally made an attempt at the infamous line a couple years ago, but failed miserably so today Aussie and I made a blood pact to wait out the line at whatever cost to life or limb. An hour and a half later came the payoff.

The foie gras and duck sausage wasn't fucking around, although I do prefer a contrast in texture whenever I ingest something that rich.  Even charring the outside of the sausage would have given it something, but who am I to complain? Easily the greatest development in encased meat preparation, since some genius decided to stick these things in buns. 

As for the Gator Dog?  For starters, it smelled like God's sweaty socks.  You know--the ones He's been wearing since, oh say eternity?  I'm to blame knowing full well this Creation was topped with the holiest of Blue Cheese--St. Pete's.  I love the stuff, but this was like showing up to work in a tuxedo.  The sausage alone was worthy of extra salivation, but perhaps the gator was just my rebound when I really longed for more foie gras.  Either way, an A for effort, especially considering failures are still victories with this place, as such risks have eventually paid for themselves in the form of innovative ingestions.

Genuinely sad about the last bite.

I had a bite of Aussie's mountain man sausage (mind out of the gutter....now.  Thanks). Elk and venison among other manly mountain meats, not a hint of gaminess. The superfluous sauce and Comte cheese completed the yin and the yang.     

Nothing needs be said about duck fat fries. They're fries fried in duck fat.  Some might say you can't really tell the difference, but that's bullshit.  Name one food that isn't better tasting deep fried in rendered animal fat.  Game over. 

Hot Doug's: absolutely a place to check out, despite the cries from neighbors posing as annoying passersby that "it's just a hot dog".  I happen to be a big fan of Superdawg, but Hot Doug's is Chicago's premiere encased me at purveyor.