I used to think I knew a lot about hot dogs.

I mean, I've always enjoyed a frank at the ballpark, and I've never been known to pass up a dog at a family picnic. All things considered, I fancied myself something of a hot dog aficionado.

I've never been more wrong.

For the past two weeks, during the Connecticut Post's first Top Dog contest, everything I thought I knew about hot dogs has been flipped upside down. I suppose eating 10 hot dogs in five days will do that to a person. The idea for the contest started with a simple question: "Where's the best place around to get a hot dog?" Rob Varnon, the Post business reporter, and I nominated ourselves to learn the answer.

We asked visitors to ConnPost.com to e-mail us their top hot dog restaurants, and more than 140 of you sent in your favorites. Then we put a poll of the top 10 nominees on our Web site, and, more than 3,000 votes later, we went out and sampled dogs at your top five: Mr. Mac's Canteen, in Milford; Goodies in Milford; Duchess, which has 15 locations in Fairfield and New Haven counties; and Merritt Canteen and Tomlinson's, both in Bridgeport. We even developed a scientific formula for rating each dog, dubbed the "Top Dog Index," in an attempt to quantify the actual deliciousness of each. What followed was a week where Rob and I ate a combined 20 hot dogs in five days as part of our quest to find the perfect hot dog.

No. 5: Duchess Restaurant

If you're on the go, Duchess is your beacon of hope. With

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15 locations spread throughout both counties, there's always one near by. And in terms of taste, all those other "fast" food places can't begin to compete. Duchess doesn't sacrifice taste for speed and that shows in their hot dogs. No matter which location you order them from, the dogs are consistently snappy and thoroughly grilled. A dog with "The Works" comes with mustard, sauerkraut and relish. The three toppings mesh well. There's a reason Duchess restaurants have become a true Connecticut institution.

No. 4: Mr. Mac's Canteen, Milford

This was the first stop in our journey. As it would turn out, it would be our baptism by fire — or, at least, a baptism by fiery hot chili. Throughout the contest, both Rob and I sampled two hot dogs at each restaurant, one plain dog and one "house special." At Mr. Mac's, the house special included some of its famously hot chili. It lived up to the hype. The chili had a sweetness to it, followed immediately by a delicious kick of spice. I lost sensation in my top lip for a few minutes. This is a dog that must be experienced to be believed.

No. 3: Goodies, Milford

It's always tough when you have big shoes to fill, but the shoes for Goodies were positively gigantic. Taking the reins from The Greek's, which had become an iconic hot dog destination during its decades in Milford, was no small order. But Goodies has risen to the occasion, offering hot does that are just as good and — dare I say it — maybe even better than The Greek's. Just like at The Greek's, a basic dog comes with bacon bits, which adds the unbeatable combination of deliciousness and value to their hot dogs. A "Goodie Dog" comes with chili, cheese, onion and bacon. The mush of toppings plays off the snap of the lightly fried dogs well.

No. 2: Merritt Canteen, Bridgeport

In a city where so much has come and gone — people, places, even entire industries — the Merritt Canteen on Main Street is a bona fide Bridgeport institution. Since 1942, Merritt Canteen has served up hamburgers, french fries and, yes, hot dogs, to hungry Bridgeporters. Jay Rodriguez has been the owner since 2001, and he says not much has changed in 65 years. If that's the case, then it's no wonder why the place is so famous. The place always seems to be busy, and if you'd like a crash course in efficiency, watch the masterful performance of one of the restaurants cashiers. "The Works" here comes with bacon, sauerkraut, mustard and relish, but it is the bacon and sauerkraut that truly shines. The two pull the dog together. Merritt lives up to the hype.

No. 1: Tomlinson's, Bridgeport

Where to begin? In a contest of five fantastic restaurants, each of them with superb hot dogs, Tomlinson's was a class above. Though the scores were very close, both Rob and I had Tomlinson's just barely squeaking out a win over Merritt Canteen in our deliciousness index. While a plain dog from Tomlinson's is tasty, go for one with "The Works" — chili, onion, bacon and cheese. Mr. Mac's chili beats out Tomlinson's in terms of heat, but Tomlinson's strikes the perfect meld of spice and sweetness. The bacon used is true fried pork and tastes like it, and the slice of American cheese under the dog adds a taste of richness. There are hot dogs, then there are delicious hot dogs, and then there is "The Works" from Tomlinson's.

Disagree with Keith and Rob? Post your comments and get the true flavor, along with plenty of video, of our Top Dog contest by visiting www.connpost.com/topdogs