It all started, as things often do, with a chance happening. We thought nothing of it at the time. But then a delicious chain reaction began, and somehow a weekend trip to Seattle to attend a dear friend’s wedding became a spectacular celebration of all-beef hot dogs.
Des and I landed in Chicago at eight in the morning and we had a ninety minute layover until our plane left for Seattle. We had gotten up before dawn to catch our first flight and skipped breakfast and now we were starving.
The food court at the Chicago airport was huge. We walked up and down past dozens of places, exploring and debating our options, until we came across an authentic looking Chicago hot dog joint.
Des loves hot dogs. What six year old doesn’t? But Des’s love for hot dogs runs a bit deeper than your average kid. He can eat them any time and all the time, breakfast included. I think he could happily survive on hot dogs alone. I was the same way when I was his age. Like father, like son.
But Des had never had an all-beef hot dog. We’re from Buffalo, and Buffalo is Sahlen’s country. Sahlen’s makes a pork and beef dog that truly is the best hot dog on the planet, and that’s what we always eat at home.
Chicago is famous for hot dogs, and more specifically all-beef hot dogs. This struck me immediately. Here we are in Chicago, and how often would we really be in Chicago? And since Des had never had an all-beef dog before, shouldn't I get him one? Isn’t that what a loving father would do in this situation?
It was breakfast time, though, and the Chicago hot dog joint wasn't serving hot dogs now.
“How good are your all-beef hot dogs?” I asked the guy at the counter.
“They’re the best,” he replied. He meant it, I could tell. He had an honest face, and it was obvious he’d eaten his share of hot dogs in his day. I could also tell by his response that he’d never had a Sahlen’s dog, but I didn't hold that against him.
“Here’s the thing,” I said. “My son has never had an all-beef hot dog and this is his chance. We’re on a layover and we fly out in an hour. Can you please make him one?”
He looked at the sign that said they’re only serving breakfast during breakfast hours. Then he looked at Des. Although none of us knew it at the time, this was a moment of great consequence that would shape the direction of things to come, not only for that weekend, but arguably for our entire lives to follow.
“Ok, I’ll do it.” He immediately went to work. Five minutes later he presented two beautiful all-beef dogs to Des and I.
We sat at a table in the food court and feasted. From what I could tell, this was a revelation to Des. This thing he was eating looked like a hot dog and felt like a hot dog, but it was also entirely different than any hot dog he’d had before. He loved it and smiled with great joy. I snapped a photo of Des taking a massive bite and sent it to Julie, who had stayed home for the weekend with our newborn daughter.
We touched down in Seattle in mid-afternoon and got to the hotel around four o’clock. Once again we were famished. I found a highly rated burger place online that was close by. Perfect. Des and I love burgers, too.
As soon as we entered Uneeda Burger we felt right at home. It had a cool yet relaxed vibe with gourmet comfort food served from the counter. The menu was dominated by burgers and sandwiches, but then we got to the kids section and saw something unexpected that grabbed our full attention. Right there in black and white were the words ‘Hot Dog,’ and in the brief description beneath it said ‘all-beef, naked.’
It felt like a message from above. For the second time today we were stopped in our tracks by all-beef hot dogs calling out to us, enticing us. And from the kids menu no less! Des was only six, but he was a big guy that had graduated to the adult menu a long time ago.
Des immediately said he wanted an all-beef hot dog. I did, too. To be honest it didn’t feel like we had a choice, as if somehow the decision had already been made for us. So we got a couple and sat outside in the warm sunshine. Everything was perfect. Des and I were talking and laughing and having a great time. We were excited to be on the ground in Seattle after spending the day up in the air. And of course we couldn't wait to dig in to the all-beef dogs before us.
The hot dogs at Uneeda Burger were much different than what we had in Chicago. There was an artisanal quality to them and you could taste the naturalness in every bite. They were amazing! We devoured them quickly, but not before sending a pic of Des and his second all-beef hot dog to mom back home. Then we relaxed for an hour in the hotel and headed to Eric’s house for a proper dinner. That night we stayed up late having a lovely time with great friends.
The next morning our plan was to check out some of the tourist sites around Seattle before the rehearsal dinner that evening. To power up we gorged ourselves at the hotel’s all-you-can-eat waffle bar and then went to Pike Place Market, but soon felt overwhelmed by the massive throng of tourists. So we left and started walking towards the Space Needle, which Des really wanted to visit. Thankfully it wasn’t too crowded when we got there, but it was busy enough that we had to buy timed tickets that wouldn’t let us in for another half hour.
We walked and talked in the plaza outside the Space Needle. We had already experienced so much on this trip and the wedding festivities hadn't even begun yet. Des noticed a guy off to the side eating a large and mouthwatering hot dog. Interesting, I thought. As we went further, we came upon an older couple intently munching away on two huge, exquisite-looking hot dogs. We were also hungry again as it was a little past lunch time. Moments later we entered a clearing and found ourselves surrounded on all sides by people chowing down on the biggest, most succulent hot dogs you could imagine. What was going on? It felt like another divine signal. Then, straight ahead we saw Dog in the Park, a colorful and inviting hot dog stand. And right there on top of the menu was the ‘All Beef Favorite.’
Des and I looked at each other and silently acknowledged this mind blowing situation. No words were needed. We went right to the back of the line and waited our turn as we watched giddy customers, one after another, walk away from the counter with gorgeous and enormous hot dogs.
The Dog in the Park all-beef dogs were heavenly and cooked to perfection with impeccable buns. Did I mention they were gigantic?! Des and I sat on a shaded bench and ate them ravenously. Yet again, a totally new and transcendent all-beef experience. And of course I took a photo of Des enjoying his Dog in the Park that I immediately texted to Julie.
We’d now had three very different all-beef hot dogs and had tasted perfection each time. How could this be? It was impossible to wrap our minds around, and yet deep down it all made sense.
The rest of the weekend was a blast. I will never forget Des breakdancing at the top of the Space Needle on the glass floor high above Seattle. Matt, the groom, was my roommate in college and his wedding filled me with sweet happiness. I reconnected with old friends and Des made new ones that he played with all weekend long. I should also mention that we made it back to Uneeda Burger on the wedding day for lunch because we loved their hot dogs so much and wanted to make sure we had proper sustenance to get us through to dinner.
Des and I still reminisce often about our trip to Seattle. It was truly special in so many ways. But the all-beef hot dogs are what we talk about most. A mysterious door opened that fateful morning in the Chicago airport and we enthusiastically went all in. We didn’t realize it then, but slowly, as the weekend unfolded, it became clear that we had entered all-beef hot dog heaven, and I have no doubt we’ll remember our brief stay there for the rest of our lives.