Best summer food: Hot dogs vs. hamburgers

It's one of the oldest and most long-lasting competitions of all time. People eagerly line up on one side of the fence or the other, debating each side with passion and dedication. It's the age-old battle of hot dogs versus hamburgers, and the battle comes to a head every summer when the grill comes out and you have to decide which meat to enjoy for barbecue season. How do you decide? What goes into choosing one delicious food over the other? Here's an idea that will help you put an end to the battle once and for all.

Battle Hot Dog Versus Hamburger

Invite all your friends over for the signature event of the summer season — your hot dog versus hamburger battle. Make a few different kinds of each and prepare blank ballots for each item, then let your friends and family vote on what they thought was the winner. You can pit different kinds of hot dogs against each other, then pit all the hamburgers against each other and eventually let them meet up in a bracket-style tournament to impress even the most dedicated foodies.

Make It Fun

If you're going to throw a hot dog versus hamburger battle barbecue, you may as well make it as fun as possible. Consider dressing your table in classic hot dog and hamburger Americana décor. Red and white checked tablecloth, mustard and ketchup in those classic diner-style squeeze bottles, napkins in a silver diner-style napkin dispenser, and anything else you can find that reminds you of the days when hamburgers and hot dogs ruled the party season. You can even put your chef in a paper hat and white apron just like the chefs at a classic diner to really set the mood just right for your guests.

Bring On The Condiments

You'll want to have a whole spread of different kinds of mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheeses, veggies and more. Create a special condiment table for your guests, by bringing out the big guns to help them make gourmet burgers. Sure, you can throw a stack of American cheese singles on the table, but what about some fresh gouda or smoked mozzarella? Also spring for a few different kinds of mustard and gourmet spreads, so people can make their own amazing culinary creation, using your burger or hot dog as the base.

Vary Your Sizes

Part of the fun of a hot dog versus hamburger battle barbecue is getting to eat more than one of each. However, with those big foot-long hot dogs and burgers reaching more than a half-pound each, it's nearly impossible to consume as much as you'd like. Instead, try slicing those dogs in half or quarters and serving smaller portioned slider burgers instead. That way, your guests can create several different variations of each item to help determine which is truly the best once and for all.

Closing Ceremony

Cap off the evening with the crowning of the winner. Once all the votes are in and you've consulted your accountants (or your friend that happens to have a calculator on his phone) it's time to announce your winner. You could go all out for this with fun awards for each burger or hotdog like "best bun" or "most creative" or even "best use of mustard" and "creative ketchuping." Get as creative as you like, and make this backyard shindig the best annual event for all your friends and family. Before you know it, they'll all be looking forward to your next barbecue. Maybe you can decide between potato salad and macaroni salad?

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.