Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Editor’s Note: In prior stories, CultureMap contributor Lila Levy has sussed out the top bagels in Dallas, and tried pretty much every lavender latte in town. Now she’s ready to offer her take on that summertime classic: hot dogs.
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Hot dogs are the quintessential summer food and an item that nearly everyone loves. They’re simple, flavorful, easy to make at home, and affordable if you dine out.
Some cities like Chicago have a long-standing tradition with hot dogs, and while Dallas is not Windy-City-level quiet yet, we’ve seen an influx of some exciting new hot dog concepts come to town, joining a few locals who’ve been dishing out memorable hot dogs all along.
Here’s the 7 most interesting hot dogs you can find in Dallas-Fort Worth:
Portillo’s in the Colony, Chicago-style hot dog, $4.50
Chicago-based fast casual brand known for its hot dogs and other favorite Chicago fare, has expanded to Texas, with its first restaurant in The Colony, which opened in January 2023. Chicago-style hot dogs are my favorite kind, and Portillo’s does it right. Their basic hot dog comes with “everything”: mustard, relish, celery salt, chopped onions, sliced tomato, pickle, and sport peppers on a steamed poppy seed bun. I loved the condiments, especially the peppers and relish. My companion thought the bun was too soft, but it was fine for me. Their hot dogs have a snappy casing with a robust tangy flavor.
Hunky’sHunky Dog, $4.25
Cedar Springs pioneer has been serving hamburgers, fries, and malts, since 1984. They’re known for their burgers but they also do a trio of hot dogs including the classic “Hunky Dog,” a hefty quarter-pounder with relish, onions, and mustard. I’ve been here before and know it’s best to ask for the hot dog to be grilled extra, to give it that additional “burnt hot dog” cookout flavor. At $4.25, it’s a bargain and their presentation is cool: They split the hot dog down the middle and place the onions and relish on top, and they toast the edges of their bun.
Fletcher’s Original Corny DogsMake Mine Texan, $10
No story on hot dogs is complete without Fletcher’s, famed purveyor of the classic corny dog. You used to have to wait for the State Fair of Texas to get them, but now that they have a food truck, you can find them camped at venues such as the Dallas Arboretum, and they’re also at Klyde Warren Park Tuesdays-Sundays. They’ve expanded their lineup of flavors so I ordered their most recent invention: Called Make Mine Texan, it’s a hot dog made of beef and brisket, with smoke seasoning that adds a heartier Texas flavor.
Dog Haus in RichardsonTooo Chi, $8
California hot dog chain takes a gourmet approach with jumbo hot dogs, veggie dogs, vegan sausages, and 40+ toppings including some you might not expect, such as arugula. I ordered the Tooo Chi, their version of the Chicago hot dog, which they brag is a hormone- and antibiotic-free beef hot dog, with tomato, pickle, neon-green pickle relish, mustard, diced onions, sport peppers, and celery salt. Their cooking added a nice char that emphasized the grilled flavor. It made me nostalgic to the days when my parents would grill hot dogs in the summer outside. Their point of distinction is their bread: sweet rich King’s Hawaiian rolls, which they butter and grill, for a nice contrast of soft roll and crisp edges.
Angry DogAngry Dog, $8.95
Deep Ellum staple had hot dogs on the menu long before hot dogs became the foodie sensation they are today, and they offer a simple plain hot dog on a bun as a nod to those humble days. But everyone gets the signature Angry Dog: a kosher dog, split in half and grilled, placed on a toasted open-faced bun, then topped with chili, grilled red onions, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. It’s more of a chili casserole than a hot dog, a knife-and-fork kind of deal where the bun gets soggy underneath the mountain of toppings, and you almost lose track of the hot dog. But unbeatable for a hangover cure or a big cheat meal.
Globe Life Field, Ballpark hot dog, $7
In recent years, the Texas Rangers’ food service division has been jazzing up its ballpark menu, introducing new items, some of them crazy like the Boomstick 2-foot-long hot dog. I stick to the basic ballpark hot dog, with the only option being that you can get grilled onions at no additional charge. It’s a standard six-inch hot dog, with self-serve mustard, ketchup, and relish, on a soft, nondescript bun, with a nice snap, the prototypical hot dog you eat while cheering on the hometown team.
Frank Seoul, Potato hot dog, $5.49
Korean hot dogs, also known as Korean corn dogs, are a Korean street food that started showing up in Dallas a few years ago, via Korean-born chains such as Two Hands and K-Town. Frank Seoul was one of the first and has locations in Carrollton and Frisco. Their specialty is hot dogs coated in a batter and deep-fried, like a corny dog but with a batter made from flour or rice flour, and additional ingredients such as the coating of diced potatoes in the potato hot dog that I ordered. They have a wild variety like a “cream cheese dog” — literally cream cheese on a stick &mdash and prices are all $6 or less.
This is not the place for a hot dog purist. The hot dog itself was lackluster, but the “shell” of crispy fried potatoes was magnificent, like a wonderful hash brown, and great on its own, didn’t need the mustard I added a bit.
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most quiet teams during the free agency, much to the chagrin of fans. Cap room could be a big issue as to why owner Jerry Jones did not make any significant moves to improve the team’s roster. However, it appears the team is not done searching for potential playmakers, as the team has brought in multiple free agents for workouts.
Read more: Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Reportedly ‘Fed Up’ With Jerry Jones
According to the team’s website, the Cowboys brought in four former UFL (United Football League) players for a workout at The Star on Tuesday.
Defensive end Jonathan Garvin, defensive end Wyatt Ray, defensive end Derick Roberson, and running back/fullback John Lovett all arrived to showcase their skillset to coaches ahead of training camp.
Garvin was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2020 and played three seasons with the team, racking up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was cut by the team in 2023, leading to his signing with the Birmingham Stallions. In his first season in the UFL, he recorded 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Ray was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2019 but would be waived during rookie training camp. He spent time with the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos before landing with the San Antonio Brahmas in 2024. During his first season with the team, he logged 24 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Roberson was signed by the Titans in 2019 as an undrafted free agent, spending three seasons with the team. During his three-year stint, he secured 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He would be drafted in the XFL Supplemental Draft to the Houston Roughnecks in 2023 but was eventually released in Dec. 2023. He would land with the DC Defenders in 2024, finishing the season with 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Lovett was initially signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent but was cut during rookie training camp. He would eventually land with the UFL San Antonio Brahmas, where he ran for 423 yards (fifth in the league) and scored five touchdowns (second in the league).
Though the Cowboys already have Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, it wouldn’t be terrible to add some depth players at the pass rush position. The team also brought back running back Ezekiel Elliott, but there is no true fullback on the current roster, making Lovett a good option should he make the 53-man roster.
The Cowboys are doing their due diligence, as are the rest of the 31 teams in the NFL. The UFL had its first inaugural season, leading many former NFL players to suit up in hopes of returning to the NFL.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Veteran guard Odyssey Sims signed a hardship contract with the Dallas Wings, the team announced Tuesday.
A hardship exception is a replacement contract eligible to any team with two players out due to injury, illness, or other conditions. Sims replaces Morgan Bertsch, who previously signed following forward Maddy Siegrist’s injury last week (finger) but was released on Monday.
The Irving-native rejoins her hometown team, as the Wings look to breathe new life into their losing season. Sims, 31, played for the Wings in three previous stints, including when the team was formerly in Tulsa.
Dallas sits at the bottom of the league on an 11-game losing streak, without a win since May 26.
Sims played 28 games with the Wings last season. She joined the team via a hardship exception, before signing a rest-of-season contract on June 28, 2023. She averaged 12.0 minutes, 2.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
She began playing in Dallas in 2016 after the Tulsa Shock moved their franchise and became the Wings at the end of 2015. She appeared in 34 games, averaging 14 points and nearly four assists.
The 5-8 guard brings a decorated 11-year professional career to the losing team.
Since being drafted second overall in the 2014 WNBA draft, Sims has averaged 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. She was a member of the 2014 All-Rookie team while on the Tulsa Shock, was named a 2019 All-Star and made All-WNBA Second Team while on the Minnesota Lynx.
She also brings much-needed winning experience in her home state.
At Irving MacArthur, Sims led her team to the state semifinals her senior year. She was rated the top point guard in the class of 2010 and had her jersey retired. At Baylor, she was a member of the 2012 national championship team, finishing the season with a perfect 40-0 record.
The veteran was also a part of the Los Angeles Sparks’ 2017 and the Connecticut Sun’s 2022 WNBA finalist teams.
Sims will make her debut on Thursday, as the Wings look to reverse their luck against Minnesota.
Find more WNBA coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Dallas roads are getting more congested, according to a new traffic study.
Transportation data and analytics company INRIX studied hundreds of cities around the world and found that post-COVID, traffic patterns are still adjusting, with a new midday rush hour and different peak travel times.
Traffic in Dallas has increased 12% compared to before the pandemic, according to the company’s 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard. The report ranked Dallas as the 17th most congested city in the country.
Long-distance commuting has surged across the country after the pandemic, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. On average, people who work in Dallas have added 35 miles per trip to their commutes. “Super commuting” more than 75 miles to work has increased 29% post-pandemic, the study found.
Bob Pishue, the traffic scorecard’s author and a transportation data analyst at INRIX, said Dallas doesn’t have as much traffic as other large metros, despite its large size. Toll roads and public-private partnerships give the city more ways to address transportation issues to alleviate traffic.
“Texas is always looking at interesting ways to finance and deliver infrastructure, and that is not that common in other states or areas,” Pishue said. “Dallas isn’t afraid to build.”
While the city isn’t at the top of the country’s most congested cities, Dallas drivers still face busy roads every day.
“If you’re sitting in it, it sucks,” Pishue said. “[But] for its size, it does pretty well in terms of traffic congestion and delay.”
The average driver in Dallas lost 38 hours due to congestion in 2023, a six-hour increase from 2022, costing $658 in wasted time. This was slightly below the national average of 42 hours. The value of time lost in traffic was based on the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s 2016 guidance, which puts one hour in traffic at $17.45 after adjusting for inflation. The value takes into account a population’s average hourly income, demographics, mode of transportation, purpose of travel, distance and other factors.
Dallas’ US-80 Eastbound from I-635 to FM 548 in Forney was the 11th most congested corridor in the country, with drivers losing 66 hours due to traffic on that corridor alone. Its peak congestion is reported around 5 p.m., the study found. The Texas Department of Transportation is in the process of expanding that route from two to three lanes in each direction as the Kaufman County city ranks among the fastest growing in the country.
I-30 Westbound from St. Francis Avenue to I-345 is the city’s second busiest corridor, with an average delay of 34 hours annually for Dallas drivers. Third was North Walton Walker Blvd.
The company has published an annual report on traffic patterns for more than 15 years. The scorecard looks at nearly 1,000 cities across 37 countries to see how traffic is changing and uses anonymized data from trucking fleets, delivery vehicles, passenger vehicles, mobile apps and more.
The pandemic changed traffic patterns, but congestion is ramping back up as people return to offices. Still, Pishue sees a “new normal” on the roads. Dallas is one of many American cities experiencing a new mid-day traffic rush as work schedules are more flexible and many people work from home.
INRIX found a 23% increase in mid-day trips in the U.S. compared to before the pandemic. Almost as many trips are made nationwide at noon as at 5 p.m., the report said. Work hours and changes to the traditional workday have also affected traffic patterns. Across the country, the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each saw a higher volume of trips than 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Another change has occurred in downtown trips. In Dallas, Pishue said the downtown holds only about 2% of the region’s jobs, and the pandemic deemphasized, to different degrees, downtown areas across the country as economic centers. But in 2023, the city’s downtown trip volume was up 3% and the average speed for drivers downtown was 16 mph.
The scorecard put New York City as the most congested city in the world, followed by Mexico City and London. According to the report, traffic congestion shows economic growth but also means lost time and money for commuters.
The report helps cities identify problems in transportation systems and address issues relating to traffic patterns, Pishue said.
“Those that do it best, at least right now, are looking at these post-COVID travel patterns and adjusting,” Pishue said. “That’s what it’s about, is being able to adjust more frequently.”
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