In Defense of the Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog

If you don't live in Los Angeles, chances are you've never even contemplated a bacon wrapped hot dog, much less tasted one. I can't really think of anything that would be worse for you, from a nutritional standpoint. But if you've never contemplated one, then you've also never inhaled their heavenly aroma. When you've had a few beers, and you're on your way home late in the evening, the smell of a bacon wrapped hot dog sizzling on the grill is next to impossible to resist. There are many shrewed vendors of bacon wrapped hot dogs within the city of Los Angeles. Many of them are undocumented, and nearly all of them have an uncanny knack of knowing exactly when and where to find you when your bacon dog jones is at its worst. (i.e., outside of bars at closing time, Metro stops, or popular tourist destinations) Lately the bacon dog has been under assault from both the Health department and the LAPD. Apparently there are certain rules and conditions that must be obeyed when you're dealing with raw pork products.(Adequate refrigeration comes to mind...) Since people who grab a bacon dog from a street vendor at 3 am are unlikely to report the fact that they spent the rest of the night with the trots, statistics determining the real danger of the bacon dog are nebulous at best. Yet still the authorites persist, with a full scale bacon raid taking place at the Hollywood and Highland mall last weekend. The Health department is calling the BD a public health threat; the vendors say they're just trying to make a living. Either way,if you're a meat eater, I'd recommend grabbing a bacon dog next time you get a chance. Their days may be numbered.

UPDATE:
Silly me, with my doom and gloom predictions. The bacon wrapped hot dog has of course, refused to go quietly. According to LAist, several vendors returned to the scene of the crime last Sunday night at Hollywood and Highland:

http://laist.com/2008/08/25/hot_dog_vendors_back.php

Thankfully, it appears that the LAPD had better things to do. Caveat Emptor! Viva La Bacon Dog!