I have to say, when reflecting on my recent trip to Iceland, the second night there really stands out to me. This is when I, a known hotdog lover in Cincinnati, tried an Icelandic hotdog for the first time. The walk from Hôtel Leifur Eiríksson to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur was such a fun way to see Reykjavík come alive at night. While I left the hotel with only a couple of others from our group, we ended up bumping into everyone else planning on heading to the hotdog stand on our way!
Though we ended up splitting back up so some people could shop a little and others (like me!) could make a beeline for the hotdogs, I still got to see some of the beauty of the city. We passed by so many different murals, I am not sure whether I have ever seen so many in one place before. They covered every wall big or small, whether it was an alleyway or a storefront. One that I really liked was one that depicted two people playing basketball. By the time we made it to the hotdog stand, I felt as if I had been through an art museum!
When it comes to ordering a hotdog, I like to keep things simple. Despite the constant recommendations to try one “with everything”, I opted for a plain hotdog. There is no better way to take in the novelty than having my usual order in Iceland. This hotdog was transcendent. I ended up going back many more times throughout my week there and wish I could have gone more! The lamb in it in combination with the usual pork and beef was insane! The flavor combination was so unique and, like many of the other moments I experienced in Iceland, it felt otherworldly.
Moreover, I think the experience of gathering outside the hotdog stand brought people together in an unexpected way. We each started snapping pictures to post and helping each other get just the right shot to prove we tried “the best hotdogs in town”. It even happened that on the second or third trip I made there we connected with a couple from Australia, with whom we talked about taxes and how glad we were to see such a low price tag for such a delicious meal.
Now that I am back in Cincinnati, the search begins for how I can possibly get these hotdogs here! At the airport in Keflavík there was a Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur selling refrigerated packages of the hotdogs for purchase. I snapped about a thousand pictures before saying goodbye to the hotdog of my dreams and going to get in line for the plane.
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