In a town that’s home to five-star chefs, you might be surprised that the trending food item this winter has been a hot dog. Yeah, crazy! Some say skiers wait upwards of 45 minutes to savor the delicacy that Dan Aykroyd and John Candy referred to as … well, just Google it.
This week we’ve gone in search of Park City’s most sought-after culinary delight. What is it that constitutes a truly great hot dog?
We couldn’t track down Joey Chestnut of Nathan’s fame, but we found a local expert. Retired Marine and 2018 Paralympic ski guide Brandan Ashby knows his wieners. He once planned a 10-day road trip eating nothing but hot dogs. Sadly, he lasted only four days.
In looking for a good dog, Ashby eschews condiments and looks for the flavor of the dog. “I like to savor the depth of the meat and seasonings,” he said. Ashby also has a secret test he was willing to share. “A good dog breaks apart with a snap,” he said referring to the Ashby Snap Test (AST). “That’s a testament to the casing. You’re looking for natural casings, not synthetics.”
Since he’s an athlete, I asked if he had ever trained with Chestnut, the extreme eating champion who threw back a record 76 dogs in 10 minutes at Coney Island last July 4. While Ashby didn’t know Chestnut, he knew what it took to be an elite eater. “It’s all about getting past the pain cave,” he said. “It’s a lot like what we saw from the cross-country skiers in Beijing.”
The benchmark dog: I felt that a ballpark dog was a good benchmark to use for comparison. So I joined the throngs at Vivint Arena to see what a classic stadium dog had to offer. J. Dawgs did not disappoint!
The benchmark dog was a remarkable meal. Priced at just $8 it was a full 8-inch wiener in a soft, oversized bun perfect to gather in all the condiments. On first bite you could savor its fresh-grilled taste. Wow, our mountain dogs had a ways to go to match J. Dawgs.
Deer Valley Grab ‘n Go: As the clock hit 11, I arced some turns down Supreme to be first in line at the Empire Grab ‘n Go. For the champions of turkey chili, what would the Deer Valley Difference mean with a hot dog? What a menu — wild boar bratwurst, taco trio, Cubano sandwich. But I was there with frankfurters on my mind.
As I saw a chef working the outside grill, I savored the char of grill marks and a lightly toasted bun. Well, not exactly, as the grab ‘n go guy handed me a foil-wrapped, steamed dog.
It was a thick Nathan’s all-beef wiener, about 6 inches with a good meaty taste but little seasoning. The bun was fresh-baked, but soaked up the moisture of the dog. At $8.25, it’s probably the best bargain on the mountain. It was a savory lunch on the sun-baked deck of Empire Lodge.
Mid Mountain Lodge at PCMR: This was the fabled wiener for which skiers reportedly queued up in long lines. A mid-morning crowd at Bonanza Express had me worried I would miss my window of opportunity. I skied down to Mid Mountain Lodge and hustled upstairs. The line was already forming.
Hands down, this was the best atmosphere. A courteous host pointed me to a table in the Public House, with the friendly bar maid pouring a hometown Wasatch 9990 Lager — pairing nicely with the dog. Outside at the food window, a smiling young woman handed me the foil-wrapped frank with a smile for just $8.25, and in literally one minute I was gone.
It was a good-looking wiener, complete with grill marks, maybe 7 inches long. The bun was minimal but was toasted, and the wiener nestled in. I was worried about the snap test, but it broke at just 45 degrees — best of any test dog! The wiener had a nice, meaty taste, with some good seasoning. Most of all, I was struck by the attentive service at every step of the way.
Corner Store: The legendary Corner Store is always a great Resort Center option. A friendly hockey-jersey-clad waiter had my order in seconds. Less than five minutes later, the hot dog was delivered.
At first glance, it was pretty basic — maybe 6 inches in a soft bun. It didn’t perform quite as well in the AST, breaking at 120 degrees. What really struck me was that it had been grilled to order. The wiener itself had a wonderful taste, well seasoned. It was smaller than the Mid Mountain frank, but packed a bit richer taste.
It was more expensive, penciling in at $13.25, but it did include a hefty helping of cottage fries.
7-Eleven in Canyons Village: Often overlooked as a Canyons Village lunch stop, the Sev is just a short cabriolet ride away. 7-Eleven is the king of hot dogs, serving up more than 100 million a year. I slunk inside with the familiar double chime and found my way to the patented roller dog machine in the back.
So many choices, and all for just $1.99. Wow, for the price of one hot dog on the mountain, dad could just come down to 7-Eleven and get a bagful for 10 bucks. I went with the Big Bite, a pretty plain dog. The AST on this wiener didn’t quite cut it, getting 160 degrees before it snapped. Heinz ketchup and mustard was great, but no relish.
Ridgelines Wiener Award: Before declaring the first Ridgelines Wiener Award, a few thoughts. Given the hardship in finding employees all over town, it truly says something that every single person I met on this tour was friendly, smiling and helpful. And for all the hype on overpriced on-mountain burgers, I had some pretty reasonably priced lunches.
Every hot dog was a positive experience for me, though two or three in one day can be daunting. None of the mountain wieners matched the J. Dawgs benchmark. But each provided an economical and tasty lunch. The DV dog offered the most substance and the best bun. Corner Store had a narrow edge over Mid Mountain in taste. But I was really struck by the overall experience at Public House in Mid Mountain Lodge. So that’s my wiener!
And remember — we’re all up on the mountain to have fun!
Wisconsin native Tom Kelly landed in Park City in 1988 (still working on becoming an official local). Inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2019, he is most known for his role as lead spokesperson for Olympic skiing and snowboarding for over 30 years until his retirement in 2018. This is his 52nd season on skis.