A few months ago, we offered a few ideas for traveling the world with the humble hamburger. Our "Build Your Own Burgers" Agua Cafe article shared topping tips that would allow guests at any pontoon barbeque to sample the flavors from the Mediterranean, France and Germany to Asia, Mexico and the good old USA.

That got us thinking... what is the other staple of backyard cookouts? Hot dogs! Why couldn't we do the same thing for hot dogs? As pontoon boat owners every-where enjoy the Fourth of July and other summer celebrations, they'll certainly be looking for ways to make onboard meals even more fun.

So, here are a few different ways you can dress up your 'dogs as the summer season really gets cooking:

Baja Dog: Top with queso fresco, diced tomatoes, avocado and jalapeños. If you like a saucier dog, add a little spicy mayo or chipotle sauce.
British Dog(s): Either top with baked beans and crumbled sausage, or top with aged white cheddar and horseradish sauce. One is a breakfast dog, while the other meets the needs of lunch!
Buffalo Dog: Top with buffalo-wing sauce, blue cheese dressing and celery slices.
Caesar Dog: Top with hearts of romaine, caesar dressing and, for the not-faint-of-heart purists, anchovies.
Chicago Dog: Top with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices/wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt. (Don't skimp on the napkins when serving this one, which is admittedly not a good choice for a first date.)
Cobb Dog: Top with chopped iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, crumbled bacon and blue cheese dressing. (If you're a real blue cheese fan, add some crumbles too!)

Coney Island Dog: Top with chili, cheddar cheese and fresh onions. (See napkin and first-date issues, above.)
Desert Dog: Top with pepper jack cheese, grilled poblano peppers and grilled onions.
French Dog: Top with sliced brie and either sliced apples or pears.
Island Dog: Top with sweet relish and chunks of fresh tropical fruit. Bananas are easy… get creative! Add mangos, papayas, kiwis and other tropical fruits.
Pizza Dog: Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and crushed red peppers.
Reuben Dog: Top with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and Thousand Island or Russian dressing.
Southern Dog: Top with your favorite barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and grilled onions.

As you can see, the options are endless. And the nice thing with dressed-up dogs is that you can prepare all the toppings at home the day or the morning before you cast off the docklines. If you like, you can save items such as poblano peppers and onions for grilling alongside the hot dogs, but that's up to the chef!

Tips

• Don't go for the cheap hot dogs. You want your guests to savor every mouthful, and nothing beats a hearty, fully loaded, real-deal hot dog. Vienna Beef hot dogs are always a great choice... these are the only hot dogs real Chicago Dog vendors will use. This editor is also a big fan of Hebrew National kosher hot dogs. They're delicious.
• To simplify preparations, ask each guest (or each family) to bring the ingredients for a particular kind of hot dog. If you're going to be cruising or rafting up with multiple pontoons, you can even arrange a dine-around event, where each pontoon features different dogs.
• Most of these ingredients will be easy to find, with the possible exception (depending on where you live) of queso fresco. Most major grocery stores with substantial cheese selections now carry it; if your favorite store does not, however, look to see if your urban area has a Mexican grocery. (And you'll be amazed at the other wonderful things you'll discover there!)

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