LA's Favorite Late Night Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog Could Go Legitimate Thanks to City Hall

Thank goodness. According to noted City Hall policy-sniffer Dennis Romero at the LA Weekly, Los Angeles could soon be on its way to allowing and regulating this city’s many fine street meat carts. Not that it will keep the illegal ones away.

The legalization effort has been gaining some serious steam of late. Following regulations years back that finally allowed for health inspectors to begin grading the city’s many mobile food trucks, there has been a push to legitimize the endless fruit carts, street stands and late night hot dog operations throughout the county. And now just today, L.A.’s Economic Development Committee will take up the proposal for legalization, per this published motion on the city’s website.

The motion, originally bought by Councilmembers José Huizar of District 14 and Curren Price of District 9 — which, when combined, cover everything from Highland Park, Cypress Park and Downtown through much of South L.A. — pushes the EDC create a "comprehensive legal framework to effectively address sidewalk vending," noting that thousands of unregistered vendors currently operate outside the law in many parts of L.A. proper.

So what does this mean for Hollywood’s beloved bacon-wrapped hot dog? If agreed upon, the motion would make way for a 90 day reporting period that would gin up some recommendations for regulation and permitting, with an obvious eye on making sure the food is safe and healthy for human consumption — not just when you’re drunk outside of the Echoplex.

Like all things related to restaurant regulation and City Hall, don’t expect a quick resolution on this one. But, if done right, we may just be able to legally enjoy next summer’s bacon-wrapped hot dog. Still, with a likely high cost of entry and limited resources for enforcement, it’s doubtful that every mom and pop street cart operation will be bother to get the permits, at least at first.