Hot dog stand in Colorado mountain town inducted into Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame

Between the ski slopes and rafting of Colorado's Grand County, you'll find a little taste of Chicago. Fraser Valley Hot Dogs in Winter Park has been serving up Chicago-style hot dogs for years now, but the mountain town stand is finally getting a national honor.

Vienna Beef has inducted Fraser Valley Hot Dogs into its Hot Dog Hall of Fame, a designation reserved for just a handful of its customers across the country. For owner and operator Matt Cordts, the Chicago dog has always been the star of the menu.

"That's our No. 1 seller," Cordts said. "We use the Vienna 100% beef, all-beef hot dog."

Then come the toppings: yellow mustard, diced onions, neon green relish, a pickle spear, tomato and sport peppers. (Your Reporter in the Mountains Spencer Wilson almost called them "spicy peppers" but was corrected.)

For Cordts, it's more than just a good hot dog. He grew up in the Midwest, and the Chicago dog brings back memories of home. "Just ... refreshing, and reminds me of where I grew up," he said.

That nostalgia is part of what makes the Chicago dog so beloved, according to Dago Cordova, executive producer of the CBS Colorado Stream and a Chicago native.

"Every time I go back to visit my parents, I go and get a Chicago dog," Cordova said.

He says locals have strong opinions about how it should be made, most importantly, no ketchup. There's a history lesson that goes along with that rule. 

"Go back to, kind of like the meatpacking days where butcher shops and markets would put ketchup on meat to make it seem fresh and red and cover up like any abnormalities," Cordova explained. "So when Vienna Beef came out with their dog, they're like, 'hey, you don't need to put ketchup on these. These are fresh and delicious as is."

Vienna Beef has been making its hot dogs since 1893, when the company was established at the World's Fair in Chicago. Maizy Lind, a marketing coordinator with Vienna Beef, said the company receives nominations for its Hall of Fame from across the country, and it's a competitive process.

"We can get up to 20 applications annually while we'll only see through two or three a year," Lind said.

The company looks for businesses with at least 20 years as a Vienna Beef customer, along with a welcoming environment, strong community ties and a commitment to doing the hot dog right. Fraser Valley Hot Dogs checked those boxes.

"It's humbling because there's a lot of hot dog stands out there," Cordts said. "I think it's the dedication ... and our quality product."

And customers are already taking notice of the new honor. Larry Schell stopped by for a Chicago dog after hearing about the award.

"We had to come check this out!" he said.

Whether you're a Chicago native craving a little nostalgia or a Colorado local trying the combination for the first time, there's one important rule to remember: No ketchup.