A Night at the Wiener Circle

Host Ira Glass spent a Saturday night — from 9:00 p.m. until dawn the next morning — at one of the most frenetic, joyous, efficient, angry, boisterous hot dog stands in the nation: Chicago's own Wiener Circle. Prologue: Ira introduces what we're about to listen to: a casette tape of the show. It was never broadcast internationally, only locally, and no master exists any more. Act One: Ira meets the workers of the Wiener Circle; they're screaming and cursing at each other, and the customers, and they actually seem really happy. And then we meet some of the customers. (15 minutes) The Customer: Playwright and contributor Beau O'Reilly talks about a more typical relationship between restaurant and customer. (13 minutes) A Parable of Politics: Reporter Shirley Jahad investigates the politics of the Chicago hot dog on Navy Pier. (11 minutes) Fast Food Heart: Cassandra Smith has temptation in Kyoto.