Sonoran hot dogs have been on my foodie bucket list for about a decade, and I blame Man vs. Food. It was the episode where Adam Richman visited Tucson, Ariz. to be exact. He visited a spot called El Guero Canelo and its owner, the enthusiastic Daniel Contreras, and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Not only did it look like a food straight from my dreams, but I loved the adoration that Contreras showed toward this regional dish.

Since then, my mind has never ventured far from the realm of Sonoran hot dogs, and there have been plenty of times when I've thought about taking a road trip to Tucson just to try them out for myself. But good things come to those who wait, and recently a food truck called Nana's Sonoran Hotdogs (Instagram: @nanas_hotdogs, 623-210-7320) decided to share this delicacy of Northern Mexico with the Wasatch Front.

So, what separates a Sonoran hot dog from the one you'd get at the baseball park? I'd say first and foremost it's the bacon. The hot dog frank gets wrapped up like a savory meat mummy a slice or two of fresh bacon. Once it's grilled up, the frank just soaks up all that bacon fat, creating a veritable torpedo of pork and beef. When the proteins are ready, they get stuffed into a warm, pillowy roll that would not deign to be signified as a bun. It's finished off with some pinto beans, salsa and sour cream for a flavor combo that is surprisingly nuanced—well, as nuanced as a hot dog wrapped in bacon can be.

Nana's is the real deal, owned and operated by Arizona local Robert Ledezma and his family. "I grew up with Sonoran hot dogs," he says. "In Mexico we'd have them, and in Phoenix and Tucson." After he and his wife moved to Utah, our lack of this childhood staple prompted him to start a food truck. "The recipes are from my family—my mom is a really great cook," Ledezma says. "We use a lot of fresh ingredients and import the bread, which comes from a Mexican recipe, from Arizona."

When I try to narrow down what really makes a Sonoran hot dog special, my calculations always bring me to the roll. It's impossibly soft, yet it doesn't get soggy. It maintains the elasticity to contain all of the fillings, but it never loses that dreamy texture. I have a feeling this is one of those recipes that has seen dynasties rise and fall. "It's so hard to recreate the buns up here," Ledezma says. "It even comes down to the type of oven you use, so that's why I get mine from the source."

If it's your first Sonoran rodeo, you have to get the original Sonoran ($6.50), which comes with all the right moves. This is where the legend begins, and where diners can really wrap their heads around this street-food heavy hitter. Those who are feeling a bit more dangerous can go for the Arizona ($6.50), which ratchets things up with a liberal scoop of nacho cheese along with some crumbled flamin' hot Cheetos (or Ruffles for those who can't take the heat). Nana's also offers a Chihuahua ($6) with grilled onions and tomatoes or a cheese quesadilla ($6) for those in the mood for something more subdued.

Though I loved the Arizona for what it was—more food needs to be finished off with a Cheeto crumble, in my opinion—the Sonoran was the one that stole my heart. There's always a bit of apprehension when you finally get a chance to try something you've only imagined for the past decade, but my first experience with these fantastic Southern imports was nothing short of perfection. I absolutely cannot wait until the weather warms up and I can just hang out in front of Nana's while I shotgun a few Sonorans.

At the moment, Nana's Sonoran Hot Dogs is a mobile operation that is in business on weekend evenings primarily at Latino's Furniture (7659 S. Redwood Road) in West Jordan. Starting in April, however, they will be part of the prestigious lineup at Soho Food Park (4747 S. Holladay Boulevard).

With the popularity of Nana's, it won't be long before Sonoran hot dogs start to become more of a fixture around the Wasatch Front, but that's something Ledezma is actually looking forward to. "I think they will definitely start popping up more, which is great," he says. "It brings me back to my childhood memories—it's hard to even describe the first time having a Sonoran. I love seeing people try them for the first time."

As someone who recently had the opportunity to try Sonoran hot dogs for the first time, I have to say there's not just nostalgia at work here. There's something magical, engaging and just plain fun about kicking off the weekend with one—or five—of these hot dogs and sipping a Jarrito soda while dusk descends on the city.