I have wanted to go there for years but just didn't seem to make plans to actually go there. A couple of years ago I actually drove by the place seeking a mid day snack but for reasons I can't recall never pulled into the free parking area to place my self in the long, long line of folks seeking this Los Angeles/Hollywood hot dog stand delight.
Ok, how did we wind up there today? G asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday dinner. Since we both have to work Monday, the celebration woud have to take place Sunday. Without hesitation, I said, I want to eat at Pinks. Amidst feelings of why there and boy is this going to be a cheap date (I could have asked for dinner at a Michelin Star Restaurant and he would have accomodated me), we planned a early afternoon hot dog venture.
G asked how we should dress. I reminded him this is a hot dog stand. We are going to have to wait in line for over an hour in the heat for a hot dog. Well, why would anyone do this? It is a dinning adventure. Similar to why someone would spend hours to get a French Laundry reservation and pay a fortune for one of the best meals ever. A dining adventure. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a hot dog at Pinks is the best meal ever. The experience of getting that dog is what is special.
We ordered three hotdogs and an order of fries. We ordered the Martha Stewart 10 inch stretch dog with relish,onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut, and sour cream, a Bacon chili cheese dog with tomatoes, cheese and the works and we ordered a spicey polish dog with mustard chili and onions.
We got in that line at 4:05pm and were served at about 5:30p. That equates to about an 1 1/2 hour wait. One of the best things about being in line are the people you meet (another BBQ lover who I invited to join us on the CBBQA website). After finally ordering we were invited to move to the line inside to pay and get our treats. We consumed those dogs in less than a half hour. A southern California treat. Hot Dogs at Pinks. They were good with that renowned snap when you bite into that dog. Unique choices with all seemingly tasty.
Happy Birthday To Me
More photos on my Flickr site
8 comments:
First, Happy Birthday! What a fun thing to do.
I too have lived here most of my life and have passed Pinks and said "yeah, I gotta stop sometime." I agree it's the whole package, the experience, the people and the food. Thanks for sharing.
awww Happy Birthday to you. Sounds like fun..I love LA - my Honey's from Compton and he never told me about a Pinks - I would have loved the experience of standing in line for a Hot Dog !!
You never tell anybody when your birthday is until after it's over. I would have taken you two to dinner. Or atleast cooked for you. In my own kitchen so you wouldn't have to clean up after me!
I went to Pink's once late at night. After standing in line for 1/2 hour, my hot dog was served cold. I never went back. Could have just been a bad night but it's funny how one thing can color your perception.
Anyway, Happy belated birthday!!
happy belated birthday! my pinks story: my husband and i had just finished a very nice anniversary dinner at campagnola down the street and were being driven in a limo back to our hotel. we drove by pinks and i saw the line was short, so of course, i demanded we stop! we had chili cheese dogs for our anniversary "dessert" with our driver. don't tell the campagnola folks, but i think the pinks was better!
If you really want a great hot dog experience, try Fabs Hot Dogs in Reseda--I recently tried and I think it's the best in SoCal. They have a deep fried hot dog. I guess that's all that's needed to be said. Give it a try!
Hi~ Fun blog! Bacon on a hot dog, oh my gosh. Now THAT'S Heaven! :)
happy birthday! We live very close by pinks near LA farmar's market so we come here a lot. We usually just stock up on bacon chili cheese dogs and we can see you had those too! Cool blog!!
Should I ask why a 10-inch hot dog is named after Martha Stewart?!
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