A steaming museum of American wiener culture, Fab Hot Dogs is Joe Fabrocini's and Susie Speck Mayor's lovingly curated shrine to the Hatch chile dogs of New Mexico, the slaw dogs of West Virginia, the northern New Jersey–style Italian hot dog and a close facsimile of the street-cart dogs sold in New York's Central Park — prepared, like almost everything at Fab, with the artisanal, natural-skin, small-production franks Joe imports from New Jersey. Fab even makes a version of the cheesy, bacony Sonora dog, which is the unrequited crush object of generations of Arizona refugees. Fab's actual specialty is a kind of deep-fried, New Jersey–style monstrosity called the Ripper, a frank tossed in the deep fryer until it literally explodes. It is awesome, really, the number of Fab customers who plow through three of them, toss down an order of homemade tater tots, then swagger up to the counter to order three more. 19417 Victory Blvd., Reseda. (818) 344-4336, fabhotdogs.com. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. No alcohol. Lot parking. AE, MC, V. Hot dogs.

99 Essential L.A. Restaurants 2011:

Jonathan Gold's Introduction
Anne Fishbein's Photos
The Google Map

The List:

A-Frame
Akasha
Alcazar
Angeli Caffe
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Antojitos Carmen
Attari
Babita
Bludso's
Border Grill
Bottega Louie
Bulgarini Gelato
Cacao
Campanile
Casa Bianca
Chang's Garden
Chego
Chichén Itzá
Chung King
Church & State
Ciro's
Comme Ça
Cut
Dae Bok
Din Tai Fung
Drago Centro
El Huarache Azteca
El Parian
Elvirita's
Euro Pane Bakery
Eva
Fab Hot Dogs
Father's Office
Fig
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Golden State
Good Girl Dinette
The Gorbals
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Huckleberry
Hungry Cat
Ink.
Jar
Jitlada
Kiriko
Kobawoo
La Casita Mexicana
Langer's
Larkin's
Lazy Ox Canteen
Le Comptoir
Little Dom's
Lou
Lucques
LudoBites
Lukshon
Mantee
Marouch
Mayura
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Mezze
Mo-Chica
Mother Dough
Mozza
Musso & Frank Grill
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
Newport Tan Cang Seafood Restaurant
The Nickel
Night + Market
Oinkster
101 Noodle Express
Palate Food + Wine
Park's Barbecue
Picca
Playa
Pollos a la Brasa
Providence
Ray's
Red Medicine
Rivera
Rustic Canyon
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Sea Harbour
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
Spice Table
Street
Tacos Baja Ensenada
Tasting Kitchen
Terroni
Tsujita L.A.
Vincenti
Waterloo & City

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