A sausage discussion isn't complete until there's mention of Hot Doug's in Chicago. "There are no two finer words in the English language than 'encased meats,' my friend."

...this is the sausage of choice.  Particularly, from this place.  Sadly, they don't do online orders.  Nonetheless, definitely a quality product and if you're ever in the area I'd suggest stopping in and getting some.  The stuff you buy in a grocery store isn't even remotely close to the same - it's like comparing urine to a fine white whine - they may be vaguely the same color and they're both liquid, but otherwise the similarities end.  

I just got a large order of salami with some co-workers from Salumi which is a salami place run by Mario Batali's father.

We ordered six different flavors to try everything out.  The Mole salami is excellent, spicy and with a dark undertone of chocolate.

In San Francisco we are blessed with the presence of Rosamunde Sausage Grill, a hole in the wall in the Lower Haight where you can pick up the standard bratwurst or knockwurst or get something a bit more exotic like wild boar or spicy beer sausage.  Sausage is the only thing they do here, and they do it perfectly.  The best part is it's adjacent to the Toronado, a bar with a huge selection of delightful beers and a surly bartender.  "Sunday Brunch" for me is to order my sausage, drink beer at the Toronado for 10 minutes, then pick up my sausage, and back to the Toronado to enjoy it with another beer.

For the record I'm partial to the Hungarian spicy smoked pork sausage, with brown mustard, onions, and hot peppers.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/rosamunde-sausage-grill-san-francisco

SAUSAGES!!!

There are so many different types.  Germany alone makes over 300 varieties.

One of my favorite is blutwurst: pig's blood and barley in a sausage casing.

One of my fondest memories of sausage was a small place in Paris, France, that served a dozen different varieties along with french fries (Blutwurst was called Boudin Noir).  What makes it memorable was that the sausages were deep-fried in the same oil as the fries, so the oil took the taste and fragrance of all the sausages cooked in it that day and imparted it to the fries.

Heart Attack City, I know.  But deeelicious.

When I was in Scotland, I was introduced to Lorne Sausage, which, in its raw form, resembles sliced meat loaf.  The stuff is awesome, though.  It's a bit like that Jimmy Dean sausage in a tube, but more subtle, and yet richer at the same time.  It's also fresh.  I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Every trip to the Safeway involved picking up a few slices.

I have never had anything even remotely like it back in the states.  You just can't find it.

sierra tango foxtrot uniform

Make your own.

(And a quick review - only been there once)

It's like "Night of the Living Republican." The idiots are right outside, and they want to eat your brain.