When it comes to the fabled Montreal hot dog, are you Team Steamé or Team Toasté? In my mind, there’s no competition: Toasté, all the way!
My friend Mark Slutsky and I were among those who got interviewed on the subject by a writer from American’s Test Kitchen. Turns out we’re on opposite teams. (You think you know a guy!)*
You can read the article (“The Montreal Hot Dog is Magnifique”) here.
But I can tell you that the author asked me a few things that didn’t make it into the final version. I also volunteered a bunch of things that didn’t make the cut.
Among other heresies, when asked why Montreal is such a good hot dog town and why hot dogs here taste better than they do elsewhere, I had this to say:
I'm not sure that I think that Montreal hot dogs are better than in other places. Maybe they used to be (maybe), but I'm not sure they are now. That might be because they're not as central to the culture as they used to be. They're certainly not as central to the culture as they still are in places like Buffalo and Chicago. It's still a pretty good sausage town, though…
That doesn’t mean I don’t have a soft spot for certain venerable Montreal hot dog joints. As much as I love the gritty glamour and the cultural significance of the Montreal Pool Room (I mean, check out that photo from the Montreal Gazette photo archives, ca. 1974!), and the iconic qualities of a place like Gibeau Orange Julep, when asked what my preferred Montreal hot dog establishment was, I responded as follows:
My favourite hot dog place is probably Paul Patates in Pointe-Saint-Charles, although it's now been quite a long time since I've been (because I moved away from Montreal a few years ago). Back in the day, it was a regular stop for a couple toastés, some excellent fries, and a bière d'épinette. You can find out more about them here: http://www.bieredepinette.ca/restaurant-paul-patates/ . Their signature bière d'épinette is made in-house [Bière d’épinette Bertrand! 100% natural fermentation!] and is a true taste of old-school Montreal/Quebec culture [since 1898!]. It's also a great accompaniment to a hot dog.
Now that I’ve plugged a legitimate old-school Montreal joint (since1 1958!), and one that totally deserves the love, why not drop one last bit (bite?) of Montreal hot dog heresy—one having to do with the vitality of the local hot dog culture?
As much as I love an old-school hot dog joint, I think one sign that Montreal is no longer as vital a hot dog town as it used to be is that there haven't been any upstart/new-school (but traditionally minded) hot dog joints that have opened here. I'm thinking of a place like Frank's in Buffalo ( https://www.findfranknow.com/menu ), where they make their own dogs in-house and only use premium ingredients.
Traditionalists in Buffalo have been known to decry the “high prices” at Frank’s, but, personally, I’m all too happy to pay a little more for quality and craft. Plus, it would be hard to find a restaurant that’s done more for its community over the last year, during exceedingly trying times.
To my knowledge, only one venture has tried to take the Montreal hot dog in this general direction in recent years: Jonathan Cheung’s short-lived Chaud Dogs food truck, where both the dogs and the buns were house-made.
So, which side are you on? And what are your hot hot dog tips?
aj
*Actually, I already knew that about him. It hasn’t hurt our friendship too much. :)
[photo courtesy of Montreal Gazette photo archives]