A trip to Pink's in Hollywood!

Ok... let it just be said that you cannot go to Pink's and expect to be "good" when it comes to what you order.  If you just eat the hotdog and a bun, sure, that is not so bad.  But no matter how much you're planning to get ONLY a hotdog on a bun, by the time you reach the counter at Pink's, you will have changed your mind. About everything.  Including the promise you made to yourself regarding not ordering the chili cheese fries.

I'm currently on a diet, I eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day.  I allow myself one cheat day a week, and this week it was supposed to be Valentine's day.  WAS.  My husband suggested a trip out to Pink's, since we dropped our daughter off to spend a day with her grandmother.  Yesterday I looked up the calorie count in the Hoff dogs that they have a Pink's and I figured that if I got that hotdog with coleslaw on it, that would be ok.  (Just for the record, I love Pink's coleslaw dogs....).  We also made an agreement not to order fries.

Well......we arrive at Pink's and as usual, there's a long line.  Pink's is known for it's long line of people waiting to buy hotdogs.  If there is no line when you get to Pink's, it's almost disappointing.  Standing in line is part of the Pink's experience.   Standing in line is also dangerous.  First of all, you have plenty of time to read all the posters they have, featuring their famous hotdogs, as well as their menu board.  In addition to the visual stimulation of reading about all the ingredients they pile on to the hotdogs, there's also the hotdog smell in the air, you can smell it from blocks away.... and THEN, as if that's not bad enough (especially if you're hungry), once you get closer to the counter, you can SEE the fabulous hotdogs being made, the mountain of fries that is piled up underneath chili and nacho cheese.... Your mouth starts watering and your mind starts wondering, and all of a sudden you find yourself ordering a Mulholland Drive with a side of chili cheese fries.....  Let's just say.... that is probably IT for my daily calorie intake.  (Although.... I only ate half the cheese fries ... ;-))

Let me just give you a dosage of visual stimulation to show you what I mean.... :

Pink's Famous Chili Dogs... line around the block.

Pink's is decorated for Valentine's Day tomorrow :)

Even the mighty chef, Gordon Ramsay, eats at Pink's! If it's good enough for him, well ... then no doubt, it's worth a visit :)

Just a small selection of all the celebrity photos & autographs that are hanging on the walls @ Pink's! It's quite the happening place!  You never know who you're going to run in to!

A troth full of hotdogs, ready to be consumed!

The Pink's crew is amazing, how they keep track of everyone's orders
the way they do, I don't know.... Always friendly and helpful too!

Here is our order: A Mulholland Drive (10" dog with grilled mushrooms, grilled onions and nacho cheese + I added jalapeno peppers), a Planet Hollywood (same as a Mulholland, except with a spicy sausage instead) and the chili nacho cheese fries.

And of course.... Dr. Brown's diet Cream Soda to top it all of! (And yes, I do see the irony in ordering a diet soda after all that, however I do actually enjoy the flavor of diet sodas more as they are not so sweet)

Here's a close up of my Mulholland Drive dog... jalapenos, bacon, mushrooms and onions... It was a challenge to eat, but I somehow managed without too many mushrooms ending up on the floor. I may have snorted some nacho cheese though....

The chili nacho cheese fries are to die for.  Literally.

The after math .....

Even the Good Year blimp was hovering over Pink's... wondering if they have a way to haul those hotdogs up to the blimp?

Well, the damage has been done.  It was worth every single calorie. Pink's is a rare treat, and let me just say, there is no point in thinking about calories when you're there.... just enjoy it!  Run an extra mile on the treadmill tomorrow instead.

Apart from the Mulholland Drive, I have also tried and highly recommend the following dogs:

Coleslaw dog - simple but ohhh so delicious!

Lord of the Rings dog - 10" stretch dog with onion rings and BBQ sauce on top (Warning: BBQ sauce will end up all over your face, there is no graceful way of eating this one.....)
Ozzy dog - I just had a bite of this one once, it's generally too spicy for me, but for the ones of you who enjoy some fire, this is the one for you!
Chili Cheese Dog - Best chili dogs in town. 'Nuff said.

Now that I've got you all thinking about food... (don't lie.... I know you are!)....

Happy early Valentine's Day everybody!