You're One Unexpected Ingredient Away From A Seattle Style Hot Dog

When you think about it, the humble hot dog is surprisingly versatile. You can cook it on a griddle in butter, spiralize it for the grill, or even encase it in a crispy cheese shell. Then there are the many regional variations on the classic frankfurter. While a Chicago dog involves yellow mustard, bright green relish, and plenty of vegetables, a proper New York street dog favors sautéed onions, brown mustard, and tangy sauerkraut. For the Seattle dog, things are simpler. This style is defined by one unique ingredient: cream cheese. 

It's a combo that sort of makes sense. The savory, salty snap of a quality grilled hot dog complements rather than contrasts with the smooth, tangy cream cheese. Add the general requisite grilled onions for an umami component and the flavor trifecta is complete. That said, there's not a first-timer alive who didn't balk at the concept initially. Two bites in, however, and you may quickly become a convert.

The prevailing wisdom is that this particular combination of ingredients has its roots in 1988, the year Washington-based grunge pioneers Nirvana moved to Seattle. An Ohio transplant named Hadley Longe also arrived in Seattle and began working for a bagel spot in downtown's Pioneer Square. He got permission from the owner to open a hot dog cart, which kicked off in '89. It turned out to be an excellent beat, as Pioneer Square is near the city's stadiums, and boasted an active nightlife.

Longe told Seattle Weekly that he combined his love of bagels with the popularity of his hot dogs by replacing the standard bun with a bialy stick, essentially bagel dough worked into a bun shape then baked rather than boiled. With the bagel connection, adding cream cheese was a no-brainer.

Naturally, there are competing origin stories. A bagel purveyor named Otmane Bezzaz opened a spot called J&M Cafe in Pioneer Square, and claims he invented the combo of cream cheese and hot dogs in 1993. Before long there were several purveyors, specifically distributing around concert venues, which cemented their popularity. Joe Bernstein, who opened Joe's Grilled Gourmet Dogs in 1998, claims he was one of the first to call it a Seattle dog (though in 1999 it was still called a cream cheese dog in print). When grilled onions came into play is not well documented, but many fans won't call it a Seattle dog if it doesn't have them too.

These days, many vendors can whip up a tasty Seattle dog, but one of the best is Dirty Dog, a Black-owned food cart that frequents the Capitol Hill neighborhood and various festivals. One twist is that they'll make any of their specialty dogs Seattle-style, including cream cheese and onions with the other toppings. However, it's pretty easy to build your own version at home.

First, get the best hot dog you can, one that will survive and thrive on a hot grill. Consider trying slightly larger, plumper options like Nathan's Bun Length franks, or go all-in on the Pacific Northwest vibe and pick up Fletcher's Seattle Mariners all-beef franks. For the buns, there's no need to go with a bialy stick but consider using poppy or sesame seed buns for maximum flavor. You'll want to grill both the buns and the dogs (butterfly your dogs before grilling for accuracy).

Then come the toppings. For the onions, slice them into long strips instead of chopping them finely; they can be caramelized or not. There's no reason to go any fancier than a classic Philadelphia cream cheese brick, but whipped cream cheese also works nicely here. You want your cream cheese cool, but not ice cold, so that it's easy to smear on either side of the bun. Want to get even more authentic? Load a Prince Castle Sauce Dispenser or Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro with cream cheese for clean and quick application.