#6 - LA Street Dog at Fab's Hot Dogs

“This strip mall has everything! CVS, Pizza Hut, Loehmans…” said John’s Mom, Peg O’Toole, from the backseat of the Prius. The sight of a Pizza Hut can only mean one thing folks...we’ve entered unchartered territory. A land where strip malls outnumber strip clubs, where you can find two Wal-Marts and three Chili’s in a 4 mile radius, where if you went just a little farther north, you’d be in Canada. You guessed right…we’ve landed in the San Fernando Valley.

Now before you go all Cher (from Clueless) on me for venturing out near Ventura County…there are a few redemptive qualities about the land on the other side of the hill.

1. The Valley is the only part of Los Angeles where restaurants and stores have actual parking lots…where you don’t have to pay to leave your car (unlike The Grove, The Beverly Center and most Trader Joes).
2. Burbank is the Valley…I just like saying Burbank…
3. I don’t actually have a third quality, but things are always funnier in threes…

The Valley is also home to Fab Hot Dogs, which happens to be the 7^th pLAte on my list of 99. John’s mom and step-dad, Peg and Lew, were in town for a quick jaunt and casually dropped that they might be interested in joining us for a pLAte. Any hesitation was quickly cast aside when John mentioned that Fab Hot Dogs was not only on the list, but also happened to be featured on a recent episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Triple D).

“Well I’d like to see it!” said Peg as we turned off the 101 and into scenic Reseda. Time check – 10:50am.

Nothing like a famous Ripper hot dog to wash down the breakfast we just had merely 45 minutes ago. “Calories don’t count when you’re blogging about them” I assured the car as we pulled into the wide-open (aforementioned perk) parking lot.

Truth be told John and I had actually been to Fab’s before with Kelly (the one who inspired this blog). Cue the Wayne’s World flashback….

Ten months ago we were paler, hungrier and seven pounds lighter…food blogs do a number on the waistline.

The experience was memorable, not so much for the hot dogs (the Texas Burrito Dog I’m eating above was GROSS)…but more because we visited Nora Walker’s house that afternoon.

Flash forward to November (now 10:55am – frankly, pun intended, a great time for a hot dog) and we were ordering up three dogs for Round 2 at Fab’s. I went for the required pLAte, the LA Street Dog, John opted for the famous Ripper Dog and Lew went for the Ripper with Bald Eagle Relish.

“Do you guys want any fries or Tator Tots?” – Cashier

“No, we’re on a diet” – Lew. ZING!

While waiting for our orders to come up, John took notice of the Hot Dog Challenge Champion plaque/posterboard on the wall. “10 ½ Hot Dogs…really, he couldn’t finish the 11^th. Seriously, I could take this guy.”

Look out Stephen Willard, you’re about to face some formidable competition on the Hot Dog version of Name That Tune. “I could eat that hot dog in 2 bites…”

CRUNCH…is the sound you hear when taking your first bite of a Fab Hot Dog. The secret to the crunchy outer shell comes from grilling, then deep frying the dog to give it that extra boost of fatty flavor. The LA Street Dog (which looked a lot like a Chi-Chi hot dog – holla Boston College) is wrapped in bacon (joy!) and topped with peppers, onions, mayo, mustard, ketchup, jalapenos and tomatoes. You know those amazing hot dogs you get at 2am on Santa Monica Boulevard on Halloween when you are wasted…yep the LA Street Dog tastes just like that, except you don’t need to be blitzed to enjoy it!

The all-beef link in John and Lew’s Ripper Dog is imported directly from New Jersey (where all great things come from) and is also deep-fried for that crunchy goodness. Lew’s spicy mustard relish was piled high and upon further inspection actually included bits of carrot. “My mouth is still spicy from that relish,” Lew chimed in.

Despite not ordering her own, Peg did sample each of the dogs. “They look worse than they taste, ” she said and if that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.

With another pLAte accomplished and our bellies full from two meals in under three hours, we rolled out of the parking lot around 11:45. “Hmmm...” I wondered aloud, “When’s lunch?”

Fab Hot Dogs

19417 Victory Blvd.

Reseda, CA 91335

www.fabhotdogs.com