During the dog days of summer, there’s no better time to observe National Hot Dog Month.

Hot dogs are an essential vacation and recreation food – they’re highly portable, easy to eat (no plates or silverware required, but pack some napkins), are adaptable to almost any condiment, kids love them, they’re inexpensive and can be warmed in a microwave or heated on the grill alongside more exotic, or gourmet, fare.

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, last year consumers spent more than $4.1 billion on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets, equaling more than 1.5 billion pounds.

And there’s nothing like a ball park frank, whether at the local Little League venue or when cheering on those major leaguers who make far too much money to indulge in such simple pleasures. Once again, according to the national council’s statistics, Americans will eat enough hot dogs as major league stadiums this year to stretch from RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., to AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Even overseas, soldiers need something to remind them of home. Last year U.S. troops in military posts around the world wolfed down 2.4 million franks.

Whoever first came up with the idea to combine that Southwest staple, chili, with the hot dog developed an instant classic. Coneys, regular or foot long, are perhaps the most popular form of hot dog consumption.

The humble hot dog restaurant is something of a legend. Most towns boast one, frequently a humble, hole-in-the-wall establishment.

Tahlequah has been home to a few, but no longer has a restaurant specializing in hot dogs. The most recent, Swanky Franks, closed down earlier this year. And Chet’s, a legendary weenie haven popular with decades of teens in Muskogee, experimented several years ago with a short-lived attempt to open a branch here, in the now-vacant building west of El Zarape.

One successful local restaurant, Vidalia’s, began as a more humble coney eatery, then branched out into specialized sandwiches, salads, tempting desserts and catering. But hot dogs and their accompaniments remain an important part of the menu.

Regina Mills, co-owner of Vidalia’s, said the restaurant began as a Coney Island and she has operated it nearly 16 years.

“We’ve been selling them the entire time,” she said of hot dogs. “Probably the most popular is a coney with mustard, chili, cheese and onions.”

Some customers at Vidalia’s also ask for sauerkraut on their hot dogs, a token of their German heritage. Others heat them up with jalapeños.

The Chicago dog includes pickle relish, onions, tomatoes and celery salt.

Many people eat their hot dogs at home because they’re so easy to prepare, and order something else when they go out.

For Mills, the opposite is the case. She offers no recipes for homemade hot dog concoctions.