Pink's Hot Dogs

Pink's isn't your usual guidebook recommendation, but then again, this corner stand isn't your typical hot dog shack. This L.A. icon grew around the late Paul and Betty Pink, who opened for business in 1939 selling 10¢ wieners from a used hot dog cart. Now this place serves 2,000 dogs every day on Pink's soft steamed rolls. There are 24 varieties of dogs available, many coined by the celebrities who order them. Martha Stewart once stopped her caravan to order a 10-incher with mustard, relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut, bacon, and sour cream, and now you, too, can order a "Martha Stewart" dog. The heartburn-inducing chili dogs (made from Betty's chili formula that's still a secret) are craved by even the most upstanding, health-conscious Angelenos. Lots of folklore emanates from this wiener shack: Bruce Willis reportedly proposed to Demi Moore in the parking lot, and Orson Welles holds the record for the most hot dogs consumed in one sitting (18). Even though the dogs are churned out every 30 seconds, expect to wait in line even at midnight -- you'll invariably meet a true crossroads of Los Angeles cultures.

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