Eat Drink Style The Ubiquitous Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Lady in Los Angeles

On Monday night, I saw a band at the Silver Lake Lounge. Once the show was over, I headed for the door. But as many of us Angelenos know, around the bar and club areas, there's always something in the air. Before you even step out into the sidewalk, you've been hit with that fabulous aroma of something salty, something being crisped up, some type of animal being immolated – luring you, whoring itself for a mere $3. And then there's that sound that appears to be like one hundred snakes hissing in unison.

Enter the Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Lady.

This definitely isn't a new thing here, but it is an integral part of Los Angeles' food culture like taco stands and trucks. I had forgotten about this snack long after my college days because I nearly overdosed on a whopping 8 smaller bacon-dogs while in Mexico. I have not eaten one in nearly a decade.

I got it out of my system.

But every now and then, I'll shamelessly stop in front of a lady and ask her how much one dog would cost. Even though I know exactly what they cost, I am really just buying some sniffing time. A cheap high that any midnight civilian would take up, even vegans and vegetarians.

For me, a danger dog represents something of the past. I'm much older and my tastes have changed, but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate its divine simplicity. It is what it is. A long slab of bacon wrapped around some unknown hot dog and sloppily topped with greasy onions and condiments. It's what Gallagher would eat.

Last year on a trip to New York, I met a friend at the Please Don't Tell bar. A simple call from a phone booth in the neighboring Crif Dogs, reveals a "secret door", and you're transplanted in a dark, timeless bar in the East Village. The drinks, they say, are the main attraction, but I think it's really the various hot dogs customized by New York's top chefs that put them in the lead.

I ordered a Wylie Dufresne, being a fan of WD-50. And of course, David Chang's Kimchi Bacon Dog. I had to order the Chang special – I'm from Los Angeles and I adore Korean food. It tasted fine - chopped up Kimchi relish on top of a neatly wrapped bacon hot dog. But it didn't look right... it was too clean. There was no oil on the bun from the Danger Dog Lady's fingers. No half charred onions. No special aioli created from the mayo & grease.

I may not eat one of these again because of its threat to my health, but I hope these ladies continue to serve their street delicacies. I'd be very sad if the health department ever deleted them from Los Angeles' food scene – it'd be a true loss of culture.

Do YOU crave the Danger Dog? Thanks for reading.