Chicago Dog @ David’s Hot Dogs in Windsor

[Melanie Wong]

Recently I stopped by Windsor’s Town Green to check out David’s Hot Dogs. It’s next to Powell’s and has taken as serious an approach to celebrating hot dogs as its neighbor has to candy and sweets. Proudly displayed on the wall is a letter of appreciation from Jeff Mall, the owner of Healdsburg’s Zin Restaurant.

This is a Vienna Beef house, so of course I had to order the Classic Chicago Dog ($4.50 + tax) for my first time here. Even better, David’s uses the natural casing dog although I saw a handwritten sign that skinless hot dogs are also available. The chili is imported from Vienna Beef too.

The enthusiastic young man who waited on me assembled this Chicago dog with considerable care, as shown in the photo linked below.

Vienna Beef classic Chicago Dog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/2742761739/

Cradled in a soft poppy seed bun, the Vienna dog was garnished with a thick pickle spear, freshly chopped onions, neon green relish, tomato wedges, sport peppers, a squiggle of spicy brown mustard, and a sprinkle of celery salt. Besides the classic fixings, the attention to detail showed in the perfect paired alignment of the tomatoes and peppers. Along one side, the tomato wedge was on the north half and the sport pepper placed below it on the south pole. This was reversed on the opposite side with the pepper on top and the tomato below. Munching from one end to the other, each bite had both tomato and hot pepper due to this precise symmetry.

This was my first taste of a natural casing Vienna hot dog. The taste is more robust than our local product, maybe a little more smoke and spice as well as meaty depth. This one beats my previous favorite, the Chicago dog at Hot Dog City. That one's good, but the Vienna Beef gives David's that something extra.

I enjoyed this outside at a sidewalk cafe table. I'll be back to try some of the other specialty dogs here.

SONOMA COUNTY HOT DOG CHRONICLES:

Chicago Dog @ David’s Hot Dogs in Windsor
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/554574

Hot Dog @ Code 7 Mealtime, Healdsburg
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/544328

Russotti’s Italian Hot Dogs (Cotati Farmers Market
)http://www.chowhound.com/topics/544163

Santa Rosa’s D & D Hot Dogs @ Friedman’s Home Improvement
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/543993

Reuben Dog @ Hot Dog City, Santa Rosa
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/541982

Chicago Chili Dog @ The Dog House, Bodega Bay
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/437658

Happy Dog, Sonoma
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/430079

Charlie's BBQ Chili Dog
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/427966

Rajun Cajun @ Hot Dog City in Coddingtown Center - moved
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/379586

Chicago Dog @ Hot Dog City in Coddingtown Center - moved
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/334358

Hot Dog City in Downtown Santa Rosa
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/315110

Uncle Bill's Gourmet Corn Dogs
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/321878

The Casino in Bodega
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/311761#1788845

Inn the Hot Dog House, Sebastopol
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/312016

The Dog House, Bodega Bay
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/38626#182137

Ralph's Courthouse Classics, Santa Rosa
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/39279

Karen’s Hot Dogs (Al Estilo Mexicano), Santa Rosa - closed
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/20559

[margieco]

Thanks for the report! Always searching for Vienna beef in the bay area..

[Melanie Wong]

The other two places where I've had Vienna beef dogs locally are Gumbah's in Vallejo before the ownership change for a Polish dog and The Dog House in Bodega which has the skinless dogs and Vienna Beef chili.

I look forward to hearing from you about the new place in SOMA.

[P. Punko]

You know, there is a little ice cream shop in Mendocino that has Vienna Beef dogs. I never knew where to put it on the board, so I might as well just file it with MW right here.

[Melanie Wong]

That would be California board land, thanks. And, you've jogged my memory that the carwash on Soscol in Napa has Vienna Beef dogs too, but only skinless ones when I last checked. Now with more outlets offering VB, maybe we'll see the natural casing dogs more often.

[Scott M]

I recently passed by a new "Chicago style" hotdog stand on Petaluma Blvd., in Petaluma. Might be worth checking out.

http://roysdogs.com/

[Melanie Wong]

Hot! You'll probably get there before I do, so please do report back.