LaSorted owner Tommy Brockert listened to his father's “birds and the bees” talk at a Wienerschnitzel drive-thru.
“I remember thinking, 'Are we really doing this right now?'” Brockert said.
Afterwards, they ate chili dogs.
Hot dogs have been a constant background in Brockert's life: from awkward conversations between father and son, to discovering traditional hot dog stands while traveling the country with his former photo booth business, to his increasingly popular “Visitor Dog” series at his Dodger-themed pizza and sandwich shop in Chinatown, in which Brockert recreates an entire catalog of regional hot dogs during baseball season.
LaSorted owner Tommy Brockert builds a Cuban dog in the kitchen of his Chinatown location.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Here's how it works: When the Dodgers have a home game, LaSorted's serves a hot dog from the visiting team's city or region, available only while the visiting team is in town. Each one is crafted with great attention to detail.
Of course, when the Cubs arrive, Brockert prepares a Chicago dog true to form, poppy seed bun and all. When the American League Tigers travel to Vin Scully Avenue once every two years, a warmly spiced Detroit-style Coney dog graces the menu. From there, however, things get darker.
LaSorted's offers lesser-known hot dogs from places like Miami, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Atlanta and Washington, DC. Hot dogs topped with Polish sauerkraut, coleslaw, cream cheese, green chili and cream, provolone cheese and grilled onions or grilled ham. Sometimes they're wrapped in pretzel buns or dipped in a top-secret corn dog batter.
In Los Angeles, hot dogs are firmly embedded in the city's culinary identity. From bacon-wrapped hot dogs sold at carts all over town, to chili dog chains like Tommy's and Wienerschnitzel, and classics like Earle's on Crenshaw and Carney's.
However, at LaSorted's, Brockert has successfully and authentically brought together America's best regional hot dogs, all under one roof, fueled by a love of family businesses.
A temple to the Dodgers
Brockert was born in Tarzana and is a third-generation Dodger fan. LaSorted's, a nostalgic neighborhood pizzeria built as a temple to the Dodgers, was designed to feel lived-in, almost like a Dodger fan's basement, with dozens of memorabilia and family photos hanging from the wood panels. It opened in Chinatown in October 2024, right in the heat of a Dodgers postseason run that ended with a clean sweep of the Yankees for their eighth World Series title, selling pizzas, sandwiches, wings and salads.
At LaSorted's, Brockert has brought together America's best regional hot dogs, all under one roof, fueled by the love of family businesses.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Hot dogs were not part of the initial plan. Now, LaSorted's has become a hot dog place. Everyone—restaurant industry, Los Angeles immigrants, travel fanatics, and curious Angelenos—has come to enjoy a regional hot dog served far from its natural habitat.
“I have a unique opportunity to not compromise on quality and tap into nostalgia,” he says. “Even training my staff in [each hot dog]I'm very particular.”
The idea is that each hot dog is perfect, so that if you've had it before, it takes you back to a specific time and place.
“You can see it in people's faces,” Brockert says of the customers who recognize each hot dog, “they're having their 'Ratatouille' moment.”
secret recipes
With every hot dog, Brockert ensures the restaurant's original ingredients and proprietary recipes, and often has brats and mustard flown in from across the country. “I don't do it to make money,” he laughs. Still, it is a job that is taken seriously. “These brands trust me,” he says, “it's a big responsibility.”
Time 50 minutes
Yields Serves 8 to 10 servings
Each hot dog served during the “Visitor Dog” series is tied to a legacy business and its history.
When the Colorado Rockies were in town at the end of May, Tommy bought Hatch's Chili Cheese Brats. Polidori sausage in Denver, a family-owned sausage company that has been in business for more than 100 years. Top the chili cheese brats with their own green chile sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and Mexican crema.
When the Colorado Rockies were in town, Brockert would buy Hatch chili cheese brats from Polidori Sausage in Denver. They are topped with green chile, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and Mexican crema.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
In August of this year, when the Pirates came to Dodger Stadium, Brockert struck a deal to partner with a 120-year-old Pittsburgh institution, Isaly's, to serve a hot dog topped with its signature chopped ham spread barbecue sauce.
Some collaborations resonate more than others, such as Fletcher's Cheesy Dogsa fixture at the State Fair of Texas since 1942. Note: It is nearly impossible to experience a freshly fried Fletcher's corn dog outside of Texas. Fletcher's ships its corn dogs nationwide through Goldbelly, but those corn dogs come already battered and frozen.
At LaSorted's, corn dogs are fried on site using Fletcher's original grits dough recipe. According to Brockert, he is the first person Fletcher's has entrusted with the recipe. He even offered to sign a confidentiality agreement, but in the end Fletcher trusted him and apparently only him, to make the legendary hot dogs from scratch. The corn dogs were such a success that they sold out in one day. “One woman bought 10 just because she's from Texas,” he says.
LaSorted Cuban Dog: Viennese veal sauce from split and roasted beef, roast pork from Port and smoked ham, Genoa salami, pickles and special sauce, served on Cuban bread brought from La Segunda Bakery in Tampa.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Partners in the “Visitor Dog” series include traditional restaurants such as Skyline Chili in Cincinnati (1949), Caspers in San Francisco (1934), Varsity in Atlanta (1928) and Walter's Hot Dogs in Mamaroneck, New York (1919).
“I have a lot of empathy for these legacy brands,” Brockert says. “These stories die at a certain point.”
At a time when so many iconic restaurants, both in Los Angeles and elsewhere, are closing, Brockert sees it as his duty to continue his narratives.
Perhaps the most influential regional hot dog in Brockert's life comes from the aforementioned Walter's Hot Dogs, which is located about 30 miles northeast of New York City. It's a natural casing hot dog made from beef, pork and veal, split in half, grilled upside down in a buttery “special sauce,” then placed on a bun with a thin layer of Walter's proprietary mustard.
The split and flat hot dog with mustard.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Brockert even went so far as to send Walter's special hot dog mix, mustard, and even the labeled wax paper used to wrap the hot dog. LaSorted's served hot dogs earlier this year when the Mets were in town, and many customers brought their wrapped Walter's hot dogs to the game (LaSorted's is just under 2 miles from Dodger Stadium, allowing fans to bring in food from outside).
In Los Angeles, hot dogs are firmly embedded in the city's culinary identity. From bacon-wrapped hot dogs sold from carts all over the city, to chili dog chains like Tommy's and Wienerschnitzel, to classics like Earle's on Crenshaw and Carney's, to the Dodger Dog, which is a staple of the Los Angeles baseball experience.
“They really are a wonderful combination, aren't they?” Brockert said about hot dogs and baseball. “It's pure joy.”
(Ron De Angelis/For The Times)
LaSorted's, 984 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, (213) 301-0339, lasorteds.com.
