Hot Dog of the Day: Kim and Carlo's

Kim and Carlo's Hot Dog Stand The lack of meat is no detriment to this Chicago-style "not dog," whose juicy texture and colorful fixins make it almost indistinguishable from the real deal. Kim and Carlo’s, a no-frills aluminum cart nestled between the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, offers a $3 vegetarian dog alongside a variety of regulars. The frank in the meatless version comes from a company called Soy Boy and is notably better than other veggie dogs, which tend to be bland and rubbery. This encased “meat” was soft and smoky, and its flavor remained intact through gobs of yellow mustard and chopped onion. This dog follows the Chicago recipe down to the celery salt, complete with sport peppers, relish, pickle spears and tomatoes, with just the right amount of everything packed into a fluffy poppy seed bun. This is just the kind of thing vegetarians (and vegans; this is a dairy-free dog) need to get back in the hot dog game.—Sammy Caiola