Gene & Judes on River Road (River Grover I think), doesn’t even carry ketchup. They refuse to have it in the store. You have to bring your own.
I’m from Chicago as well, and I hear people all the time tell me it’s a sin for a Chicagoan to put ketchup on a dog. Nonsense, most folks I know ketchup their dogs. Maybe not those in the new “gentrified” lake shore neighborhoods (the gays and liberals), but real Chi-towners put everything on a dog (sport peppers and celery salt too!)
Plush Pup in Des Plaines has the best dogs IMO.
Slotkowski’s (which used to be in old Jew-Town off Halstead, which for those who don’t know, was the black area in the Blues Brothers where Aretha Franklin worked, later tore down by Mayor Daley), would NOT serve a Chicago Polish with anything but mustard and grilled onions. Even if you asked for it plain, the guys would nod and you’d get one with mustard and grilled onions. Hilarious to watch people there at 2 am try and order custom Polish.
I'll have to look up Plush Pup. (I'm just a few towns over)
For my dogs it depends what I'm in the mood for.
ALWAYS ketchup
At times Ketchup and lite mustard.
Or Ketchup and tomato
Or Ketchup, tomato and lite mustard
Or Ketchup, tomato and lite pickle relish
Or Ketchup, tomato, lite relish and lite mustard.
Sometimes with a little celery salt (but usually most places put on too much)
I have a Portillos 2-1/2 miles from my house, so I'm there quite often.
Hotdogs
Chili dogs
Eyetalian Beeeefs
Combos
Maxwell Street Polish...mmmmm....
The only way for me to eat a polish is with mustard and grilled onions. (ESPECIALLY at Comiskey watching the WHIITE SAHKS...oh yeah...US Cellular...Nah...its Comiskey)