Mission #1: Taste the Turkey and Deep Fried hot dogs at Fab Hot Dogs and report back on your findings...

What a novel idea for those that don't live in LA and want to virtually experience some of its local fare or even those locally that want a real opinion before they venture out themselves! 

Traditionally, girllovesfood is reserved for only the things that I love...but in the case of missions, you asked for it so I'll post it...even if the findings weren't up to par.   

I was given a special mission by one of my Dad's co-workers to try this hot dog spot in Reseda called Fab Hot Dogs.  The mission was to order the Turkey Dog (which is supposedly a rarity) and the Deep Fried Dog (what the...!).  Was I skeptical...absolutely.  

Mission Requested by: DeShawn

Destination Background: Fab Hot Dogs was inspired by the travels of owner Joe Fabrocini and the variations of dogs he sampled in different regions around the US.  You know the deal...Chicago's got their sandwich style dog, NY has their all beef cart dogs, and I believe there was (or is) a petition to make the Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog LA's thing...no word on that yet.  He came up with the brilliant idea to bring them all together in one place...and now we Angelenos have Fab Hot Dogs!

When I walked in, I was overwhelmed by the amount of options to choose from.  The possibilities were endless: Foot long dog, Veggie dog, Polish Sausage, Bacon Wrapped Dog...Do I want the dog steamed or charred?...topped with Homemade Chili, Grilled Pastrami, NY Red Onion Sauce, Grilled Peppers and Onions, Neon Relish etc.???? 

I knew what kind of dogs the mission required but had no clue what to top them with...so I called up my Dad for some assistance.  We decided to go with a charred Turkey Dog w/ natural casing (especially made for Fab's) done up Chicago Style and the "Bald Eagle Ripper" a deep fried hot dog variety imported from New Jersey and topped w/ Fab's housemade Spicy Mustard Relish.

I LOVED that the casing on their dogs wasn't too thick...it was perfect, I could enjoy the flavor of the hot dog and the toppings without being distracted by an off-putting texture.  I had never had a Chicago hot dog before so was super excited to try one...and I think I may have fallen in love!  First of all, the Turkey Dog was SUPER flavorful and the charring added to it's perfect texture.  Topped with Neon Relish, Onions, Sport Peppers, Tomato, Celery Salt, Mustard and one of the best darn pickle spears I had ever tasted!  It was hard for me to stop eating, but I remembered I still had work to do!

"The Ripper" hot dog got its name because it tears and crinkles when deep fried...it's native to New Jersey but lucky for us, Fab's gets them imported for our enjoyment!  I imagined a deep fried hot dog would taste dehydrated but this was the complete opposite...the outside may look abused but the inside is soft and juicy.  The "Bald Eagle Ripper" came loaded with the ToDieFor Spicy Mustard Relish (I mean seriously, can I get a bottle of this to take home!?).  The stuff IS spicy but hits every flavor note perfectly...and mustard lovers like me will be in heaven!

I also got an order of the Garlic Ranch Fries...which to me were nothing special but tasted decent (Warning: be prepared for GLOBS of garlic inside of the fry bag!) and one of the Raspberry Red Velvet Cakewiches from Cake Monkey which was surprisingly lite and really tasty (think gourmet Hostess Ding Dong)!

Overall some of the best hot dogs I have ever tasted!! So Fab's is going onto my list of all things great about LA!

Mission: Accomplished!

World...I will be your guinea pig!  I...eat...for...YOU (let's be honest, and for me haha)!  Feel free to email your mission requests to: info@girllovesfood.com

*Props to my Dad and his exceptional sense of humor, I give him full credit for inspiring this new addition to girllovesfood...and many thanks to DeShawn for the awesome request!!  Thanks to you I now have a new "go-to" place for hot dogs :)  


Fab Hot Dogs www.fabhotdogs.com 19417 Victory Blvd. Reseda, CA 91335

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