A Seattle-style hot dog, locally referred to as a Seattle Dog, is a
hot dog topped with
cream cheese and
sautéed onions and served in a pretzel bun that is often sold from late night or game day
food carts in
Seattle.
History
Although the origins are not clear, it has been adopted as a regional variation. It is believed that the concept began in the
Pioneer Square
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
neighborhood in the late 1980s or early 1990s. One possible inventor is Hadley Long, a food vendor from
Ohio who operated a bagel cart situated beside the
Central Saloon at night. In 1989, in response to continual requests for hot dogs, Long acquired custom-made
bialy-style buns on sticks from the Bagel Deli on
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
and incorporated hot dogs and cream cheese on them to sell to customers.
Seattle Dogs increased in popularity at
bars and music venues during the
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
movement of the 1990s. They are now often sold at bars and their surrounding
street vendors at night. They are also available at and near the city's sporting venues. A vendor told ''
The Seattle Weekly
The ''Seattle Weekly'' is an alternative biweekly distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as ''The Weekly.'' Its first issue was published on March 31, 1976. The newspaper ...
'' that he believed large crowds visiting stands outside of
T-Mobile Park during the
Seattle Mariners 2001 116–46 season was "the big boom"
[ for the recipe.
]
Preparation
The meat is typically grilled and the pretzel roll or bun is usually toasted
Toast most commonly refers to:
* Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat
* Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken
Toast may also refer to:
Places
* Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States
Books
* ''T ...
. Polish sausage is common. Street vendors often cut the sausage down the middle to cook it quickly and all the way through.
The use of cream cheese defines the Seattle-style hot dog. Sellers sometimes use pistol-grip sauce dispensers to quickly add the thick cream cheese. The owner of Dante's Inferno Dogs says that he was the first to introduce their use.[
Grilled onions are one of the most popular additions. Other toppings include jalapeños and other peppers, sauerkraut or grilled ]cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
, and scallions. Condiments such as mustard (American yellow or spicy brown), barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting (cooking), basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs (food), ribs and chicken as food, chicken. I ...
, and Sriracha sauce
Sriracha ( or ; th, ศรีราชา, ) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.
Use
In Thailand, sriracha is frequently used as a dipping sauce, particular ...
are favorites, while ketchup is used less often.
See also
* List of hot dogs
References
{{Hot dog variations
Hot dogs
Culture of Seattle
Pacific Northwest cuisine