When Andersonville's Great Lake closed, my heart broke a little bit. Not only did the restaurant serve some of the most authentic and fantastic pizza outside of Italy, but that cramped little hole in the wall was the scene of my first date with the woman who is now my wife.
I was begrudgingly curious when I noticed one blustery winter afternoon that the Balmoral storefront had been transformed into Hoppin' Hots, a bright and cheerful hot-dog joint that, like its predecessor, churns out food so incredible that it's surprising the stuff originates from such a tiny kitchen.
I'll always feel sort of sad that my wife and I can't go to Great Lake on our anniversary to reminisce about our first date, but if anything could ease my pain, it is the salted caramel milkshake and poutine at Hoppin' Hots. The shake is thick enough that you might want to dig in with a spoon at first, and the flavor is spot-on—salted caramel in cool and creamy liquid form. And as for the poutine, it is hands down the best I've had in Chicago. The French fries are thin and saturated with the correct amount of grease. The gravy is rich and savory and thick enough that it sits on top of the fries, but doesn't make them soggy. Most importantly, the cheese curds are the real deal—we're talking state-fair quality. You don't need more than a few heaping, gooey bites of this decadent concoction, so one order is more than enough to share. Now that I've paired several hot dogs with poutine, the notion of a dog with regular old ( naked ) fries seems tragic.
Now, about those dogs—the extraordinary poutine and milkshakes hardly upstage them. Far from your average wiener, these dogs are updated and elevated with gourmet toppings. Think lavender fennel aioli, duck confit, chorizo and pineapple relish. All of the dogs, or "hots" as they're called here, can be prepared with a beef, duck or veggie link.
The Modern Chicago Hot is a clever upscale version of the original we all know and love—with one major deviation: there's ketchup of sorts on this guy. However, hot dog purists may find the offense forgivable because the "ketchup" is actually a tangy tomato jam. In place of regular yellow stuff, there's jalapeno mustard that provides a hint of heat but doesn't overpower with its spiciness. And where a typical Chicago dog has a plain pickle on top, Hoppin' Hots upgrades with a crisp spear that is lightly battered and fried.
The Frazzled Hot combines sweet maple mustard and a fried egg, making it the closest thing to a breakfast hot dog that I've ever encountered—and probably an excellent hangover cure. Another outstanding option is the Carbonara Hot. If ever a hot dog could be described as succulent, this is it. The high-quality beef dogs are juicy enough in their own right, but when you top them with a slice of fried pork belly, you enter into a new stratosphere of delicious. Garlic aioli is drizzled on top, uniting the flavors of the hot dog and the pork, and the masterpiece is finished with ciccoli, intensely flavorful bits of dried pork that has the consistency of crumbled potato chips.
If you're thinking Hoppin' Hots is reminiscent of Chicago legend, Hot Doug's, you are right on the money. In fact, Hot Doug's devotees may find some solace from their mourning at Hoppin' Hots when the former closes its doors in October. You won't find any andouille or thuringer at Hoppin' Hots ( yet ), but just like at Hot Doug's, you will get a creatively upgraded hot-dog experience made with high quality ingredients and served in a casually upbeat atmosphere. And with all due respect to Chicago's reigning king of encased meats, the Hoppin Hots poutine beats the pants off of Doug's duck-fat fries. So, maybe there is hope for hot-dog fanatics after all.
Hoppin' Hots is located at 1477 W. Balmoral Ave.; call 773-989-4687 or visit www.hoppinhots.com .
Do you need some more Sugar & Spice in your life? Follow me on Twitter @SugarAndSpiceMS for inside scoop and commentary on Chicago's dining scene.
