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Nana's

Hot dogs are a Chicagoland tradition. So much so, that there are more hot dog stands in and around Chicago than all three of the major fast food chains combined! A Chicago-style hot dog is a steamed or boiled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun. The dog is topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish (usually neon green), a dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt; but never ketchup. Every neighborhood has it’s own favorite stand, so this week my travels take me to “Nana’s” in Streamwood. The menu at “Nana’s” covers your basic hot dog stand favorites such as burgers, Italian beef, and of course hot dogs. Place your order at the counter, and then grab a seat at one of the handful of booths lining the windows. To get a true sampling of what “Nana’s” has to offer, my wife and I decide to try a few of their specialties. The order consists of an Italian beef (w/hot peppers), double cheeseburger, hot dog, and an order of mozzarella sticks. Leading off is the dog, which is a Vienna beef dog nestled in a steamed bun and topped with their fresh cut fries.  Every dog order comes with the excellent fresh cut and freshly fried french fries. The natural casing dog has a great snap to it but, “Nana’s”  commits one of my pet peeves when it comes to hot dogs; no poppy seeds on the bun. While the bun is perfectly steamed, poppy seeds are an essential part of the Chicago style dog. Batting second is the Italian beef, which is thinly sliced beef topped with giardiniera and nestled on french bread. The beef is very tender and has plenty of flavor, my only complaint is that they dipped my bread even though I did not ask them to. While many people enjoy their beef this way, I actually enjoy a slight crusty texture to the outside of the bread.  I paired the beef with the golden mozzarella sticks. The crunchy coating at first looked under cooked but proved to be done perfectly and very satisfying. Bringing up the rear is the double cheeseburger. When compared to favorites such as “Poochie’s” and “Paradise Pup”, this burger dissapoints. The ¼ lb patties are char grilled and then assembled on a sesame seed bun. The problem is that the burger tastes very much like a “Whopper”.  While I know many people have made that burger famous, this is not a national chain, and there fore they should offer something different. Final bill for everything was about $16, which is on par for the amount of food ordered. Overall “Nana’s” offers reasonable seating and good food that could be better with a few minor tweeks, all at a fair price. Rating ** out of ****. Location 1102 E Irving Park Rd Streamwood, IL 60107-3154 Phone: (630) 289-2226                                                      Home

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