Since my 2 favorite words in the English language are "Free Beer," I took them up on the invite.
Get the rest of the story on Hot Dog Stories.
Breaking Down The Burger
Since my 2 favorite words in the English language are "Free Beer," I took them up on the invite.
Get the rest of the story on Hot Dog Stories.
The Hotdogman goes for BURGERS!
Tonight, I'll be shifting gears to hamburgers when I hop into Boston to "Break Down the Burger" with Amstel Light, and renowned chefs Will Gilson and Jamie Bissonnette, at The Beehive, for a night of music, beer and burgers!
Will and Jamie have created three specialty burger recipes that are sure to be hits and Amstel has invited me (and others) to try them out!
I may be the Hotdogman, but I like a good burger too!
New Jersey Hot Dog Tour
I made it back from the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour none the worse for wear and delighted to have met such a great group of true hot dog aficionados. I arrived at the first stop, Galloping Hill, an hour before the buses showed up- I was that pumped!
Once people started arriving, I circulated amongst the crowd, doing my Hot Dog Stories thing.
There were six stops on the tour, so I did NOT visit my 100th spot. Be on the lookout for a special, 100th Hot Dog Story in the near future. I am currently sorting through the several hours of video footage I shot and I'll be making a video that documents the entire experience.
The six stops were:
Tommy's Italian Hot Dogs
Jerry's Frankfurters
I had so much fun, I am going to do my best to return next year for the 10th tour!
Ready for the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour
I have been looking forward to attending the 9th Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour since tour organizer John Fox invited me last spring, and the day is finally here!!
When I get on the bus today, I'll be bringing along my cameras and filming the tour for posterity on Hot Dog Stories. As an added bonus, somewhere in New Jersey, I will be making my 100th stop at a different hot dog joint!
Here's the first video of the weekend!
Guest Doggin' at Snappy Dogs
I will be working the grill at Snappy Dogs today while Theresa goes off to Maine for a wedding. Stop by Snappy Dogs in Hopkinton Center for a delicious grilled Pearl All Beef Frank. Friday's special will be a Snappy Chicago Dog!
After I get done at Snappy Dogs, I am going south to New Jersey for the 9th Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour!
Jay Kriner, BevBuckle Entrepreneur from Shark Tank answers The Question
He told me all about his new business ventures. To read about that, check out my interview on The Shark Tank Blog.
I also asked Jay The Question: "Do you put ketchup on your hot dogs?"
He answered: "BA-BAM! Yes I do."
BA-BUMMER for you Jay.
Steve Gadlin of "I Want to Draw a Cat For You" answers The Question
Over on The Shark Tank Blog I get the opportunity to interact and interview many of the entrepreneurs who have appeared on the show. I have even spoken to Lori Greiner, one of the Sharks and the "Queen of QVC."
Steve Gadlin, the guy who was funded by Mark Cuban and the creator of I Want to Draw a Cat for You, is one of the most popular entrepreneurs from season three. His fun, quirky business features custom made Cat Drawings. He's also branching out into a variety of new cat drawing related businesses.
While I did not interview Steve, I did participate in a live podcast on OvalEye.tv with him the other night and I asked him:
"Do you put Catsup on you hot dogs?"
Steve, like the true Chicagoan he is, answered:
"In Chicago, you do not put ketchup on a hot dog. I don't even like ketchup. I'll do a Chicago hot dog with no mustard, no relish: I'll have onion, tomato, slice of pickle, celery salt, and some sport peppers."
Atta Boy, Steve! You made Chicago proud!
Texas Tommies
We had a rare treat at home this past Saturday night; so rare, in fact, we've never had these before! Wait, you're probably thinking, "Hotdogman, you've had hot dogs at home before;" and you're right- I have.
That's not just a hot dog though, it's a Texas Tommy. I have my Texas Tommy topped with Colman's Mustard, Onion Crunch, and yellow mustard.
What's a Texas Tommy? Mosey on over to Hot Dog Stories to find out!
Assisted Living Hot Dog Story
Way back on July 2, at Zippity Do Dog in Framingham, where I stopped for the National Hot Dog Month 2012 Tour, I met a guy named "John" who works at Heritage Assisted Living in Framingham, MA. He was wondering if I would be interested in speaking at the "Men's Luncheon" sometime.
Since I was pretty busy in July running around eating hot dogs, and I was in New York for the date of their August luncheon, we settled on September. Well the date is upon us, tomorrow as a matter of fact.
John sent me an email in which he said:
"We are hoping you would speak. I know the guys would be interested in hearing
about your travels and adventures and anything to do with hot dogs. We will have hot dogs on the menu along with various side dishes."
I will be bringing my camera to do a little hot dog story with the guys.
All men who put ketchup on their hot dogs will be asked to join the ladies!
Dazzlin Franks
In keeping with the "pay it forward" theme started by Dogfather Mark Gallant's Food Trucks Paying it Forward, I thought I'd tell the hot doggin' world about a guy I met on "the hot dog boards" named Bob Breault. Bob is going to enter the ranks of hot dog slingers with his new hot dog business, Dazzlin Franks. That's the short story. The (slightly but not complete) longer story about Bob follows.
Bob's been a tow truck operator for 6 years or so, but he recently had wrist removal surgery (ugh), so he set out to look for a new avocation. Hot Dog Cart operator is his new chosen profession. Unfortunately for Bob, his Scumbag Insurance Company left him high and dry with $16K worth of medical bills (don't get me started) and pretty much cleaned him out of funds, so he's building his own hot dog cart. As you can see, he's just getting started.
Building your own cart (or buying used) is a good way to get started in the hot dog business without a lot of capital, but it's still work and it does cost money. So Bob and his Dazzlin Franks have an Indiegogo campaign going to help him raise funds for his cart build. He's not looking for a ton of cash- only about $1,500, but when you have been cleaned out by medical bills, it might as well be a million bucks! Consider Paying it Forward by slipping a future hot dog man a few bucks. Every little bit does help!
Read more about it HERE.
Food Trucks Paying it Forward
My hot doggin compatriot, Mark Gallant of "The Dogfather" just picked up his second Hot Dog Truck. Aint it a beauty? I am happy for him, he works hard at the hot dog business and I am glad he's finding success. Mark says "treat every customer like he's your friend," and you will be successful. It doesn't hurt having extreme hot dogs either! I can't wait to go check out his new rig.
Another reason Mark is successful is he is a "pay it forward" guy. He's always doing things to help his community, like the annual chili dog eating contest he sponsors to benefit a local church. He plans on doing much more charity type stuff and has even started a Facebook group called Food Trucks Paying it Forward.
Mark describes his mission:
"The food truck craze is sweeping the country. Let's face it...nobody NEEDS a visit to a food truck...but eating off a really good food truck makes you feel good! There's lots of people who can't get out to a truck. Why not take the truck to them? Homeless or veterans shelters, the elderly, family shelters, etc. If you're an owner of a food truck, an administrator of a shelter or home, or someone who just wants to volunteer to help on the truck, please post your thoughts and comments here. Maybe through social media we can make a small difference in someone's life, and they in turn can do the same for someone else."
If you own a food truck (or cart or trailer), I urge you to check out his group and join. Think about how you could make a difference- even a small difference- by bringing a little mobile food magic into someone's life.
I have taken Mark's message to heart and will be doing something in my community next week, but THAT's another story for another day.
The New Jersey Hot Dog Tour!
Well, summer is almost over, but there are still hot dog joints to visit and more hot dogs to eat!
On September 22, 2012 I am taking the Hot Dog Stories show on the road to the 9th Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour! Each September, tour organizers John Fox and "Benzee" rent out a bus (this year there will be two) and drive around to different popular hot dog joints in Jersey. There are 9 or 10 stops along the way and some old school icons will be featured.
Here's a photo from the Hot Dog Nation Facebook Page of last year's big sign announcing the tour.
On a very cool note, somewhere in New Jersey, I will visit my 100th hot dog joint. I will be bringing some goodies for tour attendees and I hope to have something special for stop # 100.
Of course, the video cameras will be accompanying me. It should be a busload of hot doggin' fun.
Stay tuned for updates!
Hot Doggin' in Maine Tour Makes the Local Paper
I met up with a reporter while Hot Doggin' in Maine last month! She put together a little "end of summer" piece the other day.
Click HERE to read the story!
Football is BACK!
Don't forget to play along with Winning Football Picks.
We've had two winning seasons in a row!
Snappy Dogs Friday Special
My wife's cousin from England, Geoffrey, has been visiting for the past three weeks. I have been promising to take him over to Snappy Dogs for a Friday special. He's been "pretty keen" on the Pearl Franks while visiting, so today was the day! Lisa and Theresa were serving up "The Candidate," a grilled Snappy Dog with roasted peppers, crisp red onion, feta cheese, black olives, and parsley pesto.
Lisa has done it again- it was DELICIOUS!
Get Ready For the 2012 NFL Season with Winning Football Picks
NFL Football is BACK tonight when the Dallas Cowboys travel to the Jersey Swamps to face the New York Football Giants!
The NFL referees are on strike, so there could be some real circus calls.
As we have since 2007, Laz and I will be making our weekly picks on Winning Football Picks.
Play along with us and win some dough! We have had two winning seasons in a row!
Shark Tank Season Premiere
The fourth season of Shark Tank on ABC premieres on Friday, September 14th. The new season features 22 episodes where entrepreneurs pitch the super rich panel of Sharks to invest in their businesses.
There hasn't been a hot dog business on Shark Tank yet, but when there is one, you can bet the Hotdogman will be watching!
Once again, I will be doing my Shark Tank Previews, reviews, and interviews on The Shark Tank Blog. If you are a fan of Shark Tank, The Shark Tank Blog is a must read.
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