Tampa Bay Food Monster

i know, i know… this is a tampa food blog. HOWEVER, i retain the right to do whatever the fuck i want. i have resisted making so many entries about things like terrible movies, awesome comics, and things that suck. but after my week in LA, and having gone to some incredible eateries, i can resist no longer. so enjoy.

the place: pink’s hot dogs. if you haven’t heard of it, you’re not watching enough crappy television (turn on the travel channel… like right now. go ahead. it’s probably some show about pink’s. or man vs. food. oh hell yeah. i love that show. seriously… i want to be adam richman when i grow up). or maybe you’ve just never been to hollywood and done all the stupid touristy things you’re supposed to. don’t worry! i’ve done the job for you. so what’s so special about this place? other than their wall of fame.

the truth is… they may sell the best hot dogs i’ve ever eaten. yeah.

pink’s offers an insane variety of hot dog types, with different combinations of the same ingredients organized into different dogs named after still-relevant celebrities like rosie o’donnell and ozzy osbourne. deliciously relevant. but the main menu features all you’re really going to need. i ordered a 10″ stretch chili dog, and their bacon chili cheese dog. and a bubble up. [if you haven’t had a bubble up, you’re missing out on the best lemon-lime soda currently available. but i’ll review that another day.]

so this is it – their standard chili dog, but in ten-inch form. pink’s beef hot dogs have a natural casing, and they are plump and meaty. with a little snap when you bite into them. perfect dog. the chili dog comes with onions, mustard, and of course their delicious chili, on a pretty typical bun. the chili is just incredible… warm and hearty. not really much of a spice to it, but just a good, savory flavor. the onions and mustard really just take a back seat to it, but they are still present. it’s the classic combination.

and then there’s the bacon chili cheese dog. same as above, but the regular sized wiener, add cheese, tomatoes, and three slices of crisp, perfect bacon. the cheese is almost completely lost underneath all the chili, but the combination of the taste of the chili, the bacon, the tomatoes, and the dog… it’s amazing. it’s what sex would taste like if you could eat it. fatty, greasy sex. with tomatoes on top.

i don’t really have much else to say about this place. they just do everything right, and consistently deliver a perfect product. everything is exactly what it should be. through my whole stay in LA, this is the only place i made a return visit to. because just once was not enough. forget celebrities, forget sightseeing… pink’s is just about a good hot dog.