New Yorkers may demur, but nothing beats a genuine Chicago hot dog. For the uninitiated, that's a pure beef frankfurter, made with natural casing and covered with a lurid kaleidoscope of toppings: yellow mustard, emerald green relish, white onion, juicy red tomato, forest green pickles and olive-colored chilies, known locally as "sport peppers." Served with celery salt in a poppy-seed bun, this great Chicago tradition typically sells for less than $5.

For many Chicagoans, the quintessential place to munch on a hot dog is the historic Wrigley Field baseball stadium while watching a Chicago Cubs game (cubs.com). Top tip for newcomers: pace your dining by the innings, particularly if you have children and need to plan for attention deficits during lengthy pitching changes. Order a starter of popcorn in the fourth, followed by a hot dog main course in the fifth. For a sixth-inning dessert, go for the blue-and-pink cotton candy. By the seventh inning, the cotton candy will have turned your mouth purple. Go for a second hot dog in the eighth, and nurse your bellyache in the ninth.

If you don't have the time or inclination to sit through a game of baseball but would nonetheless like a side order of Americana along with your hot dog, there are lots of other venues to choose from. Foremost is Portillo's, tel: (1-312) 587 8910. The main location is at 100 W. Ontario, but there are more than 30 branches in the Chicago area — and many are appointed in riotous, 1960s American kitsch, including old cars hanging from the ceilings. For once, the vibrant décor is not a ploy to distract from the quality of the food. Juicy, big (but not too big) and with just a touch of spice, Portillo's hot dogs are perhaps the best in town.

An equally cherished institution — despite, or because of, its notoriously rude staff — is the brilliantly named Wiener's Circle at 2622 N. Clark, tel: (1-773) 477 7444. Don't expect fine dining (it's basically a glorified hot-dog stand), but the Lincoln Park location is hard to beat. By day, it's the

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) perfect picnic locale; late at night, it's the pit stop of choice for university students on a bar crawl.

Of course, hot dogs aren't merely an accompaniment to beer, ball games and rowdiness — they can be served up with surprising gourmet twists. The best place to try these is Hot Doug's at 2314 W. Roscoe, tel: (1-773) 348 0326. The daily specials include such haute dogs as foie gras and Sauterne duck sausage with truffle sauce and goat's cheese. There's a veggie wiener on the menu too.

Lastly, if you want to refuel after seeing some local sights, try America's Dog at Navy Pier, tel: (1-312) 595 5541. With its myriad attractions, shops and amusements, Navy Pier is a hugely popular Lakeshore tourist draw — and after a long day there, many visitors make a beeline for America's Dog. Magnanimously, this hot-dog stand also offers New York-style dogs with speckled brown mustard and sauerkraut toppings. But you haven't come to Chicago to order one of those now, have you?

• LARA WOZNIAK
• Hot dogs are a Chicago specialty. Here's where to find the city's best