The Short List: Best hot dogs

Welcome to The Short List. Each week we'll pick a topic and share our favorite - or, in some cases, maybe our least favorite - things about the Bay area.

The only thing more American than fireworks on the Fourth of July is eating hot dogs. More than 150 million of them will be consumed on Monday, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council.

The council also estimates Americans will eat 7 billion wieners between Memorial Day and Labor Day, truly the dog days of summer.

Nathan's Famous hot dog stand on Coney Island holds its iconic hot dog eating contest at midday on the Fourth with live coverage on ESPN.

Meanwhile, the historic landmark Dairy Inn in St. Petersburg (1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr St. N.) holds a similar Independence Day contest. The record here is 14 hot dogs in less than 10 minutes.

Stuffing down plain frankfurters and buns is no way to enjoy this glorious food. But really good dogs are hard to find in the Tampa area. Here are five places where hot dogs are to be savored not gulped. If you know of any others, let us know.

1. Mel's Hot Dogs, 4136 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa, is a landmark that's been the top dog for hot dogs in Tampa since the 1970s. The walls are lined with photos of Mel's fans as well as numerous reviews of the place.

Owner Mel Lohn, who hails from Chicago, serves up more than a dozen different styles including the classic Chicago dog, chili dog, slaw dog, Reuben dog, bacon-cheddar dog, veggie dog, bagel dog and fire dog (with cayenne pepper). If Lohn is behind the counter, patrons get the added treat of his sarcastic wisecracks.

2. Coney Island Grill, 250 Ninth St. N., St. Petersburg, is one of the area's iconic diners. Little has changed since it moved to its small downtown location in the 1950s (classic booths and revolving stools at the counter).

Here the chili dog is king, served with a secret chili recipe handed down from original owner Peter Barlis, a Greek immigrant who sold chili dogs for a nickel. The price is still right at $1.85 a dog - and most patrons order two or three at a sitting.

3. Campbell's Dairyland, 200 S. Parsons Ave., Brandon, is an old-fashioned style ice cream stand that also sells sandwiches and hot dogs. The Campbell family has been running it since 1985. Several generations of customers keep coming back for hot dogs topped with a chili made from a recipe created by founder Boyd Campbell.

4. Bruce's Chicago Grill & Hot Dog House, 7733 Ulmerton Road, Largo, is a cozy and colorful diner in a strip mall where owner Bruce Karlin pays homage to the windy city with a classic Chicago-style hot dog and walls lined with memorabilia (Blues Brothers, Siskel & Ebert, Bozo the Clown, Da Bears and so on).

Bruce has 22 variations on hot dogs, steamed or char-grilled. "Dragged through the garden" describes a Vienna beef wiener wrapped in a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard, green relish, celery salt, dill pickle, tomato, onion and hot peppers. Regulars also rave about his slaw dogs, Reuben dogs and chili-cheese dogs.

5. Burger 21, 9664 W. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa, is a new upscale restaurant in Westchase specializing in fancy hamburgers. But the grilled hot dogs here also are elevated to gourmet status.

Grilled Hebrew National all beef wieners are tucked in thick toasted buns. The Danish dog comes with pickled cucumbers , chopped tomatoes, crispy onion strings and the house remoulade sauce. The Reuben dog is topped with sauerkraut and a sauce made from cheese and ale. The chili-cheese dog is topped with chili sauce, salsa, jalapeños and cheddar.