After 9 months in Kabul, Afghanistan, I was heading to Honolulu, Hawaii to meet up with my wife of 15 years and my 8-year-old son. As an original Chicago native and a 20-year member of the U.S. Air Force, I had to get some Vienna beef hot dogs sent to me to enjoy a taste from home. Using a local Chicago company, my wife has them overnight express ship them and they arrived the night before Christmas 2010. My Christmas eve dinner was an authentic Chi-town hot dog with all the trimmings. I will be back visiting in April and plan on eating a few more dogs and some Italian beef sandwiches. You never know how much you will miss something until you can know longer get it. God bless our men and women in the military!

Our family has a lot of memories eating Vienna hot dogs. On the day my Mom was buried, her best friend knew our family would be driving in from all different directions to meet at the cemetery and she knew that we would all be hungry. She also knew our family so well that she knew one of my Mom's favorite places was Gene & Judes for Vienna hot dogs. She decided to surprise us with 40 hot dogs and fries that her and her boyfriend brought in a big foam cooler in the trunk of her car. That day we all tailgated at the cemetery celebrating my Mom's favorite things - family and hot dogs. It was a cold November day and those hot dogs tasted so good. I will never forget it - ever.

Every year I take care of the family football pool. On AFC/NFC championship Sunday I host a party to announce the winner and give out the rewards. On that Sunday I serve chili and hot dogs (Vienna, of course). Everyone knows I go down to the factory during Christmas break to pick them up. I have to get assorted sizes also. Who likes the 4/1, who likes the 8/1, who likes the 10/1. Now even the youngest ones (the youngest being 4) look forward to coming over for hot dogs. It's become a family tradition, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. there is no hot dog like a Vienna. I even send to my friends in Florida, who have migrated there from Wisconsin.

My father recently passed away and he was born in Chicago. I live on the west coast of Canada and have never been to Chicago.I decided i need to go and see where my dad came from and spread his ashes around the city.One of his final requests was a hot dog so of course i had to try one of the famous Chicago style dogs.talk about delicious! Now i know what he was talking about-i ate 2 a day during my visit, at Al's Beef. i must return because the peppers and dogs are not available in Vancouver and i love that toddlin town-go hawks!

While living in the sunshine state, i dream of all the great tasting food i have always known of. Chicago has the best Hot Dogs i've ever taste. No one can make a dog like Chicago style. This is my story and i'm sticking to it. Go Chicago Bears, Blackhawks,Cubs,White Sox,Bulls. Chicago is my kind of town...