Matters of Taste: In a dog-eat-dog world, the Valley has the best: More than a hot dog stand

That brings me to the latest entry in the Valley hot dog sweepstakes, also on Ventura Boulevard, just west of Balboa Boulevard, in Encino. Although it's called the Stand, it actually is a restaurant — complete with a chef; a staff of 28 cooks, waiters and waitresses; half a dozen desserts; and 10 wines by the glass.

The Stand has a dozen tables plus counters and stools inside and about 40 tables outside, on a shaded patio. As at Rubin's and the Wiener Factory, you have to stand in line to order and pay for your food. But what the owners call "modified table service" is available — i.e., if you're at a table with your hot dogs and you want more soda or a dessert, one of the waiters will get it for you "if we're not too busy," as our waiter explained to us.

The Stand is the brainchild of Richard Shapiro, who grew up in Encino and went on to run a 30-office Budget Rent-a-Car franchise and to become the designer and co-founder of the Grill in Beverly Hills.

"I retired in 1992, and after a few years I got bored and depressed," he said, "so I opened an antiques gallery and started kicking around this hot dog idea.

"There is no better flavor package anywhere in the food world than your first bite into a hot dog properly cooked, with the right casing and bun and condiments. But the hot dog has never been properly elevated to its rightful place in presentation or in the environment in which you enjoy it, and that's what I wanted to do."

An "elevated" or "upscale" hot dog may be the ultimate oxymoron, of course — an even greater contradiction in terms than "delicious okra" or "compassionate conservative." Hot dogs are the simplest of foods, meant for ballparks, beaches and backyards, not Real Restaurants.

Shapiro's "elevated" hot dogs are made by Papa Cantella's in Vernon, "based on our specifications and using our seasoning recipes — except for the kosher dog, which we get from Hebrew National."

The Stand offers 10 different hot dogs (ranging from $3.50 to $3.95 apiece) and 10 sausages ($4.95 to $5.50). All are accompanied by the customer's choice of homemade condiments. Homemade side dishes are also available for $2.25 each.

Since the Stand has been open only two weeks — and since it's about 20 miles from both my house and my office — I haven't had a chance yet to work my way through the entire wiener repertoire (and I don't ever expect to try any of the three — shudder! — "low-fat" chicken and turkey sausages). But so far, I really like the bratwurst with sauerkraut and the "Polish classic" with mustard, although neither is as satisfying as my favorites at Rubin's and the Wiener Factory.