Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Hot Dog Didn't Even Come From New York

The list of wonderful things that can be said about the late, great Anthony Bourdain goes on and on — and one of them is that he certainly had strong opinions about food. His opinion about what classifies as the best hot dog is no exception, and his definitive stance might surprise you.

While Bourdain himself lived in New York (which he deemed home to plenty of stand-out food options), his favorite hot dog style was actually from Chicago. Markedly different from the classic New York version, according to Eater Chicago, Bourdain called the Chicago staple the "finest hot dog on the planet."

Although he appreciated a wide variety of hot dogs and sausages from across the globe, the topping-laden, condiment-heavy dog from Chicago had his heart. He left no room for interpretation on his opinion either, as he's quoted in Eater Chicago saying, "There. I said it. I mean it," regarding his take on the dog. His strong, somewhat surprising stance aligns with some of his other opinions, as Anthony Bourdain's favorite cheesesteak wasn't from Philly, either. 

A classic Chicago-style dog consists of a beef hot dog served in a poppy seed bun — but that's just the beginning. What really makes Chicago hot dogs stand out from the rest is the requisite toppings. The frank is topped with yellow mustard, sweet relish, white onion, a pickle spear, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt. There are so many colorful, veggie-centric toppings on a Chicago-style hot dog that they're often described as being "dragged through the garden."

The history of the Chicago-style dog dates back to the Great Depression. A restaurant called Fluky's claims to have invented them, and they served as a cheap, filling food for working-class people who needed a substantial bite. This style of hot dog is distinctly different from its New York counterpart. Hot dogs from the Big Apple forgo the poppyseed in lieu of a plain, soft bun. They're served with spicy brown mustard instead of yellow mustard, and they're topped with either sauerkraut or a tomato and onion sauce instead of the slew of veggies.

As much as Bourdain loved Chicago-style hot dogs, he was also a big fan of dogs from New York City spots like Gray's Papaya and Papaya King. Two hot dogs and a papaya drink were his go-to order. He was not a fan of ketchup on his hot dogs, and also took a decisive stance on the hot dog-as-a-sandwich debate (it is absolutely not a sandwich, according to Bourdain).

His stance on where the absolute best hot dogs can be found aside, Bourdain also enjoyed other institutions such as Puka Dog in Hawaii, where he dined on a Polish sausage in a Hawaiian roll with lemon garlic sauce and a fruity, tropical relish. In fact, Puka Dog was one of the restaurants that Anthony Bourdain absolutely loved. In Sweden, he tried a hot dog wrapped in flatbread and served with shrimp salad and mashed potatoes. He was always up for unique hot dogs from around the world, and he stated in a "No Reservations" episode that, "I love few things more than meat in tube form and especially in, like, local, mutant forms of hot dogs."