My Favorite Hot Dog?

I have another little blog called Hot Dog Stories. The premise is I go to a hot dog joint, sometimes with my kids or wife, I talk to the owner (or whoever is minding the store), snap a bunch of pictures, and do a little write up on the place.

In the last 6 months, I have eaten at nearly 40 hot dog joints. I usually arrive unannounced and give the owner my spiel- I have only been told "no thanks" by one cart operator on the Boston Common. He was a dumb kid who didn't see the value of free advertising. Other than that, every operator has been gracious- a few have even bought me lunch!

I am getting to the point where some owners recognize me. Many owners ask after my daughter, "Little Miss," who has become a regular featured "critic" on the site. She is only 6 years old and she gets a kick out of all the attention she gets; she even brought the site up on her kindergarten classroom computer for show and tell.

I enjoy doing the stories and the "minor fame" I have in the hot dog world. I also enjoy meeting the owners and some of their patrons. One hot dog trailer owner called me the "Phantom Gourmet" of hot dogs! (I should be so lucky)

A question I have been asked a lot lately is "which is your favorite?" My stock answer is, "All of them!" That might sound wishy washy, but it's the truth. The reason there aren't many hot dog franchises is the unique preparation each hot dog joint operator brings to their craft. One joint might have some cool home made relish, another home made chili, while another might just serve a basic hot dog. It's hard to screw up a hot dog- I have only been to one establishment where the food was so bad, I didn't publish the story. The rest, which you can read about on Hot Dog Stories, are good hot dogs. The key to a good hot dog is that it's HOT. I won't buy the luke warm crud at Fenway or many other sporting or concert venues because the dogs aren't hot. A grilled bun is a touch I enjoy too, but not having it isn't a deal breaker for me. Just serve me up a HOT hot dog, and I will probably be satisfied.

I plan on doing Hot Dog Stories throughout the winter, just not at the same pace as during the warmer months-many carts, trailers and trucks close down in the winter. The ones that stay open WILL get a visit from me. By next spring, I am going to have a better "rating system" in place and I plan on going with video in addition to the photos. In the mean time, I'll seek out iconic, indoor hot dog joints.

This Sunday, I am hitting George's Coney Island in Worcester while "Little Miss" attends a birthday party out that way. Stay tuned and stop by Hot Dog Stories for some tasty reading!

If you own a hot dog joint and you'd like to be featured on Hot Dog Stories, leave a comment and we'll figure something out!

Keep on Doggin'!