One of Ferris Bueller’s more creative stunts revolves around the tricky teen pretending to have a reservation at one of the Windy City’s finest restaurants, posing as Abe Froman, “the Sausage King of Chicago.” With some telephone theatrics and solid bluffing, Ferris and friends end up eating lunch like royalty. Luckily, Cincinnatians don’t have to go to such great lengths to get a good meal here, especially when it comes to sausages and hot dogs.
For starters, OTR mainstay Senate is regularly mentioned in national media for chef/owner Daniel Wright’s inventive elevation of the ballpark staple. One special dog to look out for this summer is an all-beef frank topped with wasabi cream cheese, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, sushi sauce and crushed wasabi peas. (Senate is also set to open a second location in Blue Ash in October.)
But, of course, there’s more to a good dog than gourmet toppings, so we scoured Cincinnati for some other packed meats that would make Abe Froman proud.
FOOTLONG CHEESE CONEY
The Place: The Root Beer Stand, 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville, 513- 769-4349, therootbeerstand.com
The Description: A classic Cincinnati-style coney with a soft white bun, boiled weiner, meaty chili and lots of shredded cheddar; surprisingly neat and manageable for 12 inches of coney goodness.
The Scene: Serving up root beer floats and hot dogs since 1957, the Root Beer Stand is straight out of a John Mellencamp song (although “Suckin’ on a chili dog outside the Tastee Freez” remains one of his creepier lyrics). But don’t expect some sleepy diner with rows of booths — this tiny joint, often packed with patrons, consists of a tight countertop with a few stools. Many order to go and eat under the drive-in-style orange crinkle-cut awning in the parking lot or in the new picnic area with a playground out back.
Also Try: Homemade root beer with water from an on-site well and the Stand’s orange drink float.
Froman Scale: 4/5. Ultimately, the Root Beer Stand is all about novelty and classic, familiar flavors — and the footlong delivers.
VEGETARIAN YUKON CORNELIUS
The Place: Wurst Bar, 3204 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout, 513-321-0615, wurstbarinthesquare.com
The Description: A meatless apple sausage filled with Yukon Gold potatoes and sage, topped with (perhaps too many) roasted red peppers, green chilies and sweet mustard on your choice of Italian, brioche or four-grain bun. WB’s goat cheese spread complements the flavors nicely. It’s a great veggie sausage with interesting but not overpowering flavors, a good consistency — which is hit or miss on many meatless dogs — and definitely filling.
The Scene: Wurst Bar might be located in Mount Lookout Square, but it’d fit right in on Vine Street. It boasts a hip but laidback vibe and a cool bottle-shaped Bevador fridge behind the bar.
Also Try: The jalapeño cheddar dog and the Flying Pigs in a Blanket. Froman Scale: 4/5. A great dinner or brunch spot comparable to OTR offerings without the wait or sardine-like atmosphere.
STREET MEAT CHEDDARWURST
The Place: Avril-Bleh & Sons Meat Market & Deli, 33 E. Court St., Downtown, 513-241-2433, avril-blehmeats.com
The Description: Avril-Bleh’s cheddarwurst tastes like summertime. Savory meat with ooey-gooey cheese on a soft white bun to soak it all up. With more than 100 years of sausage-making under their belts, the folks at Avril-Bleh know how to make a dog that snaps when you bite in — just beware of the rogue steamy cheese that tends to ooze out.
The Scene: Each spring, Avril-Bleh puts a grill out front of its Court Street butcher shop for the lunch crowd. Perfect when you only have a few minutes to step out of the office and a few bucks in your pocket. From hot dogs and burgers to brats and metts, the grill is filled 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays (depending on weather).
Also Try: A chorizo, hot mett or Chicago dog with all the fixings.
Froman Scale: 5/5. Simple but satisfying.
ZINZINNATI CURRYWURST
The Place: Wunderbar, 1132 Lee St., Covington, 859-815-8027, facebook.com/wunderbar.covington.3
The Description: This spicy — but not hot — smoky sausage is loaded with cumin and curry (duh) and topped with a curry-ketchup sauce. No bun! The focus is on the wursts here, which are all made in-house.
The Scene: A cozy dive bar with really fresh, locally sourced German food, intriguing fusions and a decent beer list. Get your obligatory selfie in front of the front end of an old Volkswagen bus.
Also Try: Any sausage on the constantly rotating menu, housemade veggie sausage, traditional pierogies and the giant pretzel with beer cheese.
Froman Scale: 5/5. This is not the spot for your standard hot dog — or even your standard fancy hot dog — but Wunderbar will definitely satiate a sausage hankering.
This article appears in Jun 1-8, 2016.