Next Thursday, New Times will publishes the Best of Miami edition. "The Rising" is almost upon us, and the balloting has officially closed. So if you didn't get a chance to vote for your favorites in our Readers' Poll, sorry, please try again next year.
Anyway, in honor of New York Rep. Anthony Weiner living up to his name, we decided to spread the wealth and share some of our picks for Best Hot Dog before the winners are posted on June 16.
5. The Argentinian Manolo restaurant serves up foot-long hot dogs, Latin style. You can get these thin dogs plain, with ham and cheese, or if you're looking to go all out, wrapped in bacon. For the hungriest among us, Manolo's has a special: three of these bacon-wrapped babies (yes, that's three feet of meat), French fries and a soda for $13.95.
4. Arbetter Hot Dogs has been feeding Miami for decades. If you're looking for good, simple hot dogs, this is the place. There are no Colombian eggs-bacon-chips-lettuce-tomato combos here. Instead at this joint, which won best hot dog in 2006 and 2009, you'll find the basics, like ketchup, sauerkraut, and chili cheese fries. The prices are cheap, starting at just $2, which means that you can easily buy six to make up for Manolo's super-combo.
3. Dogma Grill, which won Best Hotdog three years in a row starting in 2003, makes the cut because of all the awesome combinations they offer. From the Cali (sliced avocado, grilled bacon, sour cream and vinaigrette) to the Tropicale (Dogma sauce, mozzarella, bacon, pineapple and crushed potato chips), the options are like entire meals themselves. The prices barely creep above the $4 mark, great for the adventurous operating on a tight budget. And while Dogma will be undergoing a menu change soon, don't worry -- almost all of these concoctions are here to stay.
2. Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries figured out a trick that I wish I had learned long ago: cut your dog open so that it cooks through and fits better in the bun. It may sound silly, but it makes a difference. The whole hot dog has a slightly crisped exterior, and the bun is warm and toasted. You can also order one with bacon and cheese, and all additional sixteen toppings are free. This means that my mushroom, onion, peppers, mayo, mustard and ketchup hot dog still costs me less than $3.75, and there are always the free peanuts to munch on while everything is prepared. That microwavable pack you have sitting in your fridge is starting to look pretty bad right about now, isn't it?
1. OK, so maybe this winner isn't technically a hot dog, but at least we know what's in these (anyone else remember the Vienna sheep intestine ordeal?). Hot dogs are the ultimate American street food, so it figures that the food truck craze would be looking for cool, innovative ways to serve this easy-to-eat option. None has done this better than Dog Eat Dog, a truck devoted to, what else, hot dogs. They have the usual options, but also feature menu items like the Not Dog, a vegetarian dog made with Portobello mushrooms and onions. For dessert, you can order the After Dog, made with caramelized banana, Nutella and marshmallow sauce. The most creative option here, however, is the Asian dog, made with a thick, hot dog sized slice of pork belly and jalapeño sriratcha and pickles. Everything is homemade, down to the sauce, and the meat melts in your mouth.
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