To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.
The hot dog will never be the same. Seriously, every machine-pressed, synthetically cased, mass-produced hot dog you've ever eaten is about to be thoroughly destroyed the second you're handed a Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot. You don't even have to take a bite, you just know your hot dog experience is going to be epic the second you lay your eyes on that slender, wrinkled link.
That natural casing toughens up as it cooks on the grill and yields with a satisfying snap to reveal coarsely ground, intensely seasoned beef. The tubesteak might be good enough on its own, but Brian Luscher decides to throw everything in the hand-crafted, hot dog accouterments arsenal at these things, starting with a locally baked bun.
The bread is pillow-soft and glossy and lightly dusted with the black poppy seeds that are the hallmark of Chicago's greatest street food. It's lapped with hand-made mustard and sprinkled with diced onions and tomatoes, and because that's not enough a couple of pickled cucumbers are tucked along the side and a single pickled chili is laid on top.
Fatty meat with a garden's-worth of bright, acidic vegetables makes for happy hot dog eating and if you have one of these your hot dog cookouts at home will seem a little stale in comparison. Good thing for you, you can pick up a package of red hots to cook for yourself at the Green Grocer. You can grab some of Luscher's mustard too.
No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co. No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen No. 87: The White Album at Spoon No. 86: Ramen at Tei An No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta
