Slawesome

Every dude needs a kick ass local hot dog spot. And until recently it appeared Los Angeles remained content to be deprived of such. Anyone who thinks Pink's is good... please stop reading now. Luckily, there's Pasadena's Slaw Dogs to the rescue. Sure, it's in fucking Pasadena. When will I be in Pasadena? Why would I ever want to be in Pasadena? These are very legitimate questions. However, Slaw Dogs happens to be right next door to Polkatots, possibly SoCal's best cupcakery (Polkatots was a personal favorite at this year's LA Cupcake Challenge). So there you go, killer cupcakes and hot dogs in the same shopping center -- now you can probably get your lady friend to come for the drive...

And the drive is certainly worth it. Slaw Dogs features none less than 11 daily hot dogs (not to mention specials). Ranging from the classic Vienna beef to the slightly more exotic Spicy Calabrese Sausage. All the dogs come with three free toppings. You can get a combo (like I did) for a little less than $10.

The combo includes: a dog with three toppings (I chose Chicken Apple Sausage w/ grilled onions, diced tomatoes and horseradish mustard).

Belgian-style fries (which were beautifully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside -- much due to a courteous double frying method).

And for good measure... a nice homemade chocolate fudge square.

The combo (which also included a fountain drink -- I assumed you knew what that looks like) was an all-around champion. The Chicken Apple Sausage was perfectly cooked, incredibly tasty and mixed well with the horseradish mustard. The fries were definitely above average and the chocolate fudge served as a very charming touch from a restaurant that oozes in personality. Overall, the less-than-ten-dollar combo stands as one of the best bargain unemployment lunches I've had in a long time. Can't wait until I have to go to Pasadena again.