Beijing’s Wangfujing Night Market, just a stone lion’s throw from the Forbidden City, bustles with city dwellers after the last bicycles are put away for the day and “the peoples’” thoughts turn to food. Tucked behind the Raffles hotel, five lanes of stalls open under the glow of naked light bulbs hanging from uninspected wires. Steam billows, open fires dance and exotic odors mingle as everyday folk line up in the open air to order Andrew Zimmerman snacks like fried crickets on a stick or salted bags of seahorses.

 

Snacks mean something in Beijing (as unconventional as they may sound to Western ears). In fact, all around Asia these markets bustle — so much so entire city blocks are dedicated to the pastime. Folks don’t dine alone — the night markets bring social circles together. They exist to satiate, but mostly to facilitate friendships and conversation. 

 

We have that in America, too. Five thousand, four hundred and eight miles from Beijing, a wave of purple and gold convened last weekend in the parking lot outside Husky Stadium in Seattle to, as the sun set, enjoy a different form of evening market known as the tailgate.

 

Row after row of cars lined up with everyday fans camped out under purple awnings or exposed to the open sky, sitting on camping chairs, enjoying beer and wine that the police turn a blind eye to, and preparing traditional football fare known the country over. These fans don’t skewer slugs on a stick or pass around a possum’s tail to gnaw on, but they will grill a mean bratwurst, boil a pot of meaty chili or pass around chips and a spicy bean dip.

 

You see, we aren’t that different from each other.

Snack pack

An evening tailgate under the stars provides an enchantment all food lovers should experience. The energy created when thousands of people gather to focus on food and friendships often means more than the actual game (especially this Husky season). Folks take their food (and drinks) seriously —some grilling on full-sized barbecues trucked in for the game — others pulling together full buffets for 30-plus people. It’s a sight to be seen.

 

But that’s Seattle. In Tacoma, one must work a bit harder to organize their own tailgate during their son’s U-12 soccer game at Fort Steilacoom Park. Sure, you could make the food at home, however, in these trying economic times, it’s better to spread the monetary love and save yourself some time as well. Three hot dog joints make the process easy.

Is that a hot dog in your pocket?

A recent phenomenon, gourmet hot dog joints have popped up in Tacoma and Puyallup. They share much in common — decent dogs, firm buns and fixings to stop a heart from beating. Lucky’s Hot Dog Diner (106 W. Main, Puyallup), The Red Hot (2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) and Hot Rod Dog (1742 Pacific Ave., Tacoma) bring more than mustard and ketchup to the table — in some cases, its everything but the kitchen sink.

 

Take, for example, The Red Hot’s Tideflat — two all-beef dogs on an open faced, poppy seed bun topped with yellow mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, tomatoes, pickle spear, sport peppers, jalapenos, coleslaw, sauerkraut, Giardiniera, nacho cheese and meat chili. Makes me fart just thinking about it. It would probably make the folks in Beijing say “eeew,” but here it’s tailgate heaven.

 

Hot Rod Dog serves more traditional fixings, while Lucky’s in Puyallup seems to bridge the tastes between the other two. All three can wrap up whatever you want for outside eating in the crisp fall weather. Now all that is left is to find out what’s in the neon green relish these places serve — freaky.

The second course

Beyond weenies, a South Sound tailgate needs tacos — at least if you study the local census charts for the past 10 years. Masa (2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) makes a mean soft taco perfect for reheating over a camp stove. My favorite — the smoked pork with grilled pineapple and spiced crema — is tasty. Masa’s tortillas taste lighter than their Mexican and Central American counterparts, which may bode better for Western tastes, however, substandard they are not. Slightly crisp on the edges, these babies provide an excellent counterpoint to a heavier hot dog. 

Down the street, another joint puts an international flavor on the collapsible picnic table. The Crown Bar (2705 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) celebrates the snack world with tastes discovered while traveling through foreign food markets. Stop by and grab the Charmoula beef to go — tender steak on skewers marinated in a North Africa sauce consisting mostly of cumin, clove, olive oil, and coriander — exceptional.

The third course

Speaking of gas, Metropolitan Market (2420 Proctor, Tacoma) keeps a pot of hot (and I mean hot) meat chili bubbling next to the produce department. With a variety of to-go containers and all the Saltines you want, the recipe tastes smooth and light, low on the acidity and high in beefy flavor. Put it in your own pot and who’d know.

I wish your child’s team the best of luck. But, then again, he or she probably just cares about a juice box and cookie at half time.