Ever had cream cheese on your hot dog? Me neither. Apparently, it’s delicious. This Seattle delicacy can be found on street corners of the Emerald City. You grill the dogs, warm the cream cheese, pour it on the dogs, and top with grilled onions simmered in butter. Yum!

I remember as a child–might I add, a child of German descent–frankfurters, bratwursts, weisswurst, kielbasa and bologna were standard fare. Smoked meats were as commonplace as white bread in the 1960s. I love ‘em. That said, I grew up mainlining sauerkraut, German mustard and horseradish. Straight-up hot dog eating.

But I am very open to new ideas. And reading about the cultural and regional nuanced hot dogs is fascinating. In the Southwest, I understand, dogs, or franks as I call them, are wrapped in bacon (double smokey fun) and topped with pinto beans and jalapenos (pronounce the ‘j’ if you’re like my mother).

In New York, you’ll risk your life if you put ketchup on your frank. Take note, my little nephews.

Chicago dogs are  force to be reckoned with. Piled high with neon green relish, chopped onions, mustard, a dill pickle spear (whole not diced) and tomato slices, these I assume are eaten with a fork and knife. (Reader note: See the comments section for the secret ingredient.)

Ever had a Mexican hot dog? Guess what? They’re fried! Seriously. After being wrapped in bacon. Then you serve it in a split bolillo, and top it with pickled jalapeños, guacamole or fresh avocado slices, beans, ketchup, salsa, and–wait for it–topped with mayonnaise.