A Delicious Hot Golden Mess

Frisbee-throw a deep-dish pizza in Chicago and you're likely going to be within walking distance of a great hot dog. And often at these fine encased meat establishments, along with great hot dogs, you're going to find yourself some great cheese fries. You know there's absolutely nothing healthy about it — crispy fries served in a tall, thick Styrofoam cup that are completely covered and smothered with wet, small-grind chili and liquid cheese. But you really just don't care. And Devil Dawgs sets a high bar.

"It's processed cheese!" You're saying. "Goverment issue! It doesn't change from place to place." Oh yeah? Sure it does. Some places it can taste watery. Not so at Devil Dawgs. You stick your finger and thumb into that thick, molten yellow-gold mess and try to find that first fry, the one that will unlock the others from the tasty mess above. One after another the Devil Dawgs chili cheese fries disappear the same way, a messy puzzle that halfway down the cup is still full of enough toppings to get you to the bottom. And for these reasons this dish made my list of most memorable meals of 2011.

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