82: Sooo Cali Dog at Dog Haus

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes.

82: Sooo Cali Dog at Dog Haus.

Maximalist-topping hot dogs aren't exactly new in Los Angeles. Pink's has been creating celebrity-named behemoths for the better part of a century. And those famous bacon-wrapped hot dogs, drowned in grilled onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, mayo or anything else on hand, are common enough to be labeled a public commodity.

But a few years ago, the ante increased — toppings became more gourmet, more extreme and much, much bolder. Would it be too far to call fried eggs and onion strings the new mustard? Pasadena's Dog Haus, which recently opened a second location complete with an outdoor biergarten in Old Town, is one of the few places in town that distinguishes the fine line between creative hot dogs and condiment overloads.

The quarter-pound hot dogs are substantial things, seared to the point of yielding an audible snap on the first bite, tucked into a couple grilled sweet Hawaiian rolls. The “Little Leaguer” covered in chili, cheese and crushed Fritos, or the “Grand Slam,” topped with a breakfast platter of tater tots, bacon and a fried egg, are as good as they are formidable. But it's the drawlingly titled “Sooo Cali” that finds the best balance: a handful of green roughage, a few slices of avocado, tomato, shards of tempura-fried onion and a thorough dousing of zesty basil aioli. Pizza elitists were known to cluck their tongues when Wolfgang Puck first put BBQ chicken onto a crust. We imagine the hot dog bourgeois might share the same sentiment. Us? We'd prefer seconds.

100: Lukshon's Dan Dan Noodles

99: Cemita de Milanesa at Cemitas Poblanos Elviritas #1

98: Chichen Itza's Cochinita Pibil

97: Tsukemen at Tsujita L.A.

96: La Cevicheria's Bloody Clam Ceviche

95: Duck Shawarma at Momed

94: Peruvian Chicken at Pollo a la Brasa

93: Squash Blossom Quesadilla at Antojitos Carmen

92: Thai Boat Noodles at Pa-Ord

91: Baco Mercat's Bazole

90: Furikake Kettle Corn at A-Frame

89: Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns at Providence

88: Fried Pig Tails at Night + Market

87: Egg Salad Sandwich at Euro Pane

86: Galbi Jjim at Soban

85: Truffle Honey-Laced Fried Chicken at Manhattan Beach Post

84: Mool Naeng Myun at Yu Chic Naeng Myun

83: Chicken Vampiro at Mexicali Taco & Co

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