This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Three years ago, when Francis Liong left Los Angeles to become the owner of Lamb's Grill, he noticed something missing from Salt Lake City's culinary scene — hot dogs
"In any big city there's tons of good hot dog places," said Liong, who recently opened Red Hot, a gourmet hot dog shop in a small space next door to Lamb's at 165 S. Main.
It's one of several new downtown hot dog places including Good Dog Hot Dog Emporium, 30 E. 300 South, and Dexter's Dogs inside City Creek.
At Red Hot, the dozen or so hot dogs on the menu are made from high-quality American-style Wagyu (Kobe) beef from Snake River Farms in Idaho.
For the traditionalist, there are the Coney Island topped with house-made chili, onions and cheddar ($5.25) and the Chicago Dog with pickles, peppers, mustard, relish and tomato ($5.95).
But don't skip over the unique offerings such as the Hawaii Five-O, a bacon-wrapped dog topped with pineapple salsa and drizzled with teriyaki and mayonnaise ($5.50); the Reuben, topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss and thousand island dressing ($5.95); and the banh mi dog, topped with cilantro, jalapeños, pickled vegetables and chipotle aioli ($5.75).
"They're the sushi of hot dogs," explained Liong. —
Red Hot
This gourmet shop next door to Lamb's Grill serves hot dogs made from American Kobe beef as well as banh mi sandwiches, fresh-squeezed lemonade in four flavors and sides.
Where • 165 S. Main, Salt Lake City; 801-532-2499.
Prices • Hot dogs range from $4.95 to $6.50.
Open • Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Details • redhot-dog.com