UPDATE: We talk with the person behind the Hot Doug’s Twitter stream here.

Today must be the day for hot encased meat news.

On a tip from a friend, we checked out the Hood Internet’s Twitter stream. Seems they were at Hot Doug’s for some culinary delights and discovered a scandal that is set to rock Chicago’s dining scene to its core: “doug just informed us that someone is fake twittering AS doug.”

Determined to get to the bottom of this, our ace investigative reporter Julia Kramer called Doug Sohn, owner of the encased-meat mecca. Here’s her thirty-second conversation, condensed and paraphrased:

TOC: Who is controlling Hot Doug’s twitter?
Doug Sohn: I have no idea who it is. Someone who’s pretending to be me. Someone came in and pointed it out to me last week. [Note: the feed's been active since Feb 15.] As long as they’re not saying nasty things, I’m okay with it.
TOC: They seem to know a lot about the goings-on at the place.
DS: Yes, it has crossed into the creepy. So how many followers do I have?
TOC: A lot. Like hundreds.
DS: Aren’t you impressed that I knew to say ‘followers’? I’ve now pretty much run the gamut of my Twitter knowledge. I’m like 100 years old, Julia.

Whoever is behind the Twitter account seems to be a benevolent sort, and it’s at least as helpful, if not moreso, as the Tamale Tracker.

But still, I have to ask: Who is this masked crusader? Will he or she reveal themselves? And will the Hot Doug’s Twitter-er continue to use his or her powers for good, not evil? If he or she is angered, will lovers of encased meats be fed (no pun intended) false information about its latest celebrity sausage? Is all of Chicago helpless to stop this diabolical scheme? More bulletins as events warrant.

–Scott Smith and Julia Kramer, Senior Hot Doug’s correspondents.