So far, in my comparison of Midwest eateries that I visited on a recent trip to equivalent LA eateries, the Midwest is up 1 to 0. Chicago's Frontera Grill beat out Santa Monica's Border Grill by a slight margin because, well, Rick Bayless' guacamole pretty much kicks the Too Hot Tamales' asses.
Today, we go from hot, trendy Mexican cuisine to haute dog cuisine: Pink's, an LA institution vs Portillo's, a Chicago chain that, incidentally, just arrived with a branch in OC.
I have tried the chili cheese dog and some other crazy creation at Pink's. At Portillo's, I went with, of course, the Chicago-style. At both places, the all-beef dogs were hot, juicy, and had a subtle snap when I bit into them. As for the toppings, Pinks chili runneth over with shimmering oil, and Portillo's relish was a ridiculous neon green. In both cases, dog and toppings make the competition an even match.
However, in the end, the hot dog winner is...Pink's!
The deciding factor was the bun. At Portillo's, the poppy seed studded bun, which is steamed, was way too soggy and was in fact no longer even identifiable as bread. It had practically disintegrated into elementary school paste all over the dog. Think of what happens to a slice of Wonder white when you drop into a bowl of water. At Pink's, the bun had soaked up either chili oil or juice from the toppings, but unlike the Portillo's paste disaster, it still maintained its integrity as bread. The bun was a juicy, delicious mess holding the dog.
Score: Midwest 1, LA 1. Next up: Beef sandwiches.
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