2008 The I-94 Hot Dog Tour:

Driving up to a Closed Bill's Drive-In !!! 

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Now most Mike and Bone Hot Dog adventures take place in the context of a broader vision of destruction, but nope, not this one. This silly-as tour was solely dedicated to eatin’ dogs in greater Chicago-land! So in the sultry summer heat of mid-August, Mike and Bone got a chance to link up in Chi-Town to knock off a coupla of the famous Chicagoland Hot Dog stands and perform a "Mike and Bone Taste Test Comparison" between Bill's Drive-in in Evanston and Portillo's of Chicago experience.

The first stop was the Hot Dog Stand that the two “Hot Dog experts” on the Hot Dog Program extolled the virtues of the Chicago-style version of the venerable tube-steak, Bills Drive In ! 

The formerly famous Bill's Drive-In

The History of Bill's Drive-in. Bill's was founded oddly enough by a guy named Bill in the 1940's catering mainly to Northwestern University students and facility (who the two pompous experts were Facility in). Bill passed it on to his Son, who passed it on to his Daughter. The Daughter and Son-in-Law ran it for a few years, until babies came on the scene. So after the Hot Dog Program, finding it too hard to raise a family and run the Restaurant the Couple sold Bills to its current Indian Owners. Despite its reputation and the scenes of the Hot Dogs from the Hot Dog Program, The "word" on the Internet is that the quality of the "dogs" has sadly dropped in quality.

Working downtown at a IBM client, Mike picked up Bone downtown around 6:30 after driving for over an hour downtown, and now had to drive right back the same way !! Fortunately it did not take as long for the Boys to get out to Evanston and drove up to Bill's Drive-in at 7:15.... which was bad because unbeknownst to Mike and Bone the place closed at 7:00 !!!!!!!

After Hours !!! Whining, Cajoling and Bribery does Work!

 

Working downtown at a IBM client, Mike picked up Bone downtown around 6:30 after driving for over an hour downtown, and now had to drive right back the same way !! Fortunately it did not take as long Pulling up in their car the Boys were incredulous !! They missed it by 15 minutes!  Desperate, the Boys went up to the Drive In Window where the Current Owners were cleaning up shaking their heads no to the Boy pleas of mercy, as their hopes for Chicago dogs were diminishing, when the Indian gods of Krishna and Vishnu looked down and smiled on the forlorn hot dog aficionado's with multiple open blue arms, and had the Indian Owner open the door (with a $20 bribe) and re-fired up the grill. 

Man !! The Gracious Team that Re-Opened for Mike and Bone !!!

And the Verdict!

The Boy's at their gracious and humble best as the new Owners cooked up 4 Lions hot dogs (instead of the traditional Chicago Vienna All Beef) with all the fixin's on a plain hot dog (instead of sesame seed) bun. The Boys tipped the Team again and went out back on Bill's picnic tables to have........ very ordinary hot dogs !! They were Chicago-style, but they were nothing special beyond the fixin's, but worth the effort, with yet another Hot Dog Program Stand Down !