With the Iowa City Jazz Festival and fireworks drawing crowds for the Fourth of July, attendees can look to downtown restaurants to get their classic American picnic food fixes on special.

If you’re craving a hot dog with a twist, Swankie Frankie, 125 S. Dubuque St., will offer a free drink with the purchase of any dog this weekend. I would recommend the Lady is a Tramp ($4.09 for a regular dog), a baseball-park dream. This premium pure beef hot dog is clothed in nacho cheese sauce and topped with slightly soft, crushed-up potato chips. After all, what is more American than that?

The messy but delicious Fly Me to the Moon is also worth checking out, with grilled onions, bleu cheese, and BBQ sauce topping the $4.29 hot dog. For more of a classic, order up the Frankie, an all-meat chili, mustard, onion, and shredded cheese hot dog for $4.29. All are messy, and gooey but so worth it. Who doesn’t like raking in the calories to celebrate the great country we live in?

For a more dignified selection, Pullman Bar & Diner, 17 S. Dubuque St., will have the patio open and feature weekend special 14-ounce bone-in strip steak with local vegetables and Italian salsa verde. 

Deluxe Cakes & Pastries, 812 S. Summit St., will be open to sell American desserts, including star cookies dipped in white chocolate and red, white, and blue pies.

“The Fourth of July is a time for American desserts such as apple pie, blueberry pie, and strawberry pies,” said Jan, a Deluxe employee.

To celebrate the day with some drinks, you can head to the Airliner, 22 S. Clinton St., for $5 Bloody Mary’s, $2 domestics, $3 wells, and the première of some red, white, and blue shots for $2.

For some after-Jazz Festival entertainment, the Clinton Street Social Club, 18½ S. Clinton St., will feature the Scott Barnum Trio performing on the main floor and highlight such classics its zesty deviled eggs ($6) up for munching or, for a main course, the vintage cheddar burger with aged Milton cheddar, bacon, griddled onions, and mustard on brioche for $13.

If, at the end of the day, you decide going home and devouring some junk food is most appealing after roaming about the festival, Pizza Hut just released a pizza whose crust is hot-dog stuffed, and I’m pretty sure at that point, pizza is more American than Italian.