The Hot Dog Truck

Guest Doggin' at Snappy Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:36:00 +0000

Once again, the Snappy Dogs gals have reached out to the Hotdogman for help. Lisa is taking a few days off, so I will be "guest doggin'" at Snappy Dogs on Thursday and Friday!

Stop by the trailer for a nice, grilled Pearl Frank and say hi to the Hotdogman!

Casey's Diner Documentary

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:34:00 +0000

An ongoing project of mine has been to create a documentary about a hot dog joint near and dear to my heart, Casey's Diner in Natick, MA. This is over and above anything related to the National Hot Dog Month Tour.

You see, Casey's is one of those places that are disappearing from the American landscape. Small, family owned diners like this used to be in every community, now they have succumbed to the "mallification" our country. They are more than mere "museum pieces," they are a connection to a past that was simpler, more wholesome and welcoming in retrospect, and had much more soul and personality.

Casey's is also the oldest family run diner, continuously run by the same family, in the USA. The Casey family has been serving hot dogs to the citizens of Natick since 1890. That in itself is not only an achievement, but a testimony to the enduring nature of small business, entrepreneurship, family values, and community that make this nation so great.

Today, Drew Bennet, from the Benspark Blog, and I went to visit Casey's before they opened. Drew and I are collaborating on this project. We chatted with Fred Casey, third generation owner, who comes in every morning to do the prep work and his son Pat, the fourth generation (and Hot Dog Stories Star). We spent about an hour and a half shooting video and taking pictures, while getting Fred's insight into the Casey's story.

Drew and I will finish the National Hot Dog Month Tour at Casey's Diner on July 31. We will begin work on the Casey's Documentary and the National Hot Dog Month Documentary the very next day!

National Hot Dog Month Tour Official Press Release

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:35:00 +0000

National Hot Dog Month begins on July 1 and once again, the Hotdogman is eating a hot dog a day at a different venue each day to celebrate!

The official press releases went out today.

Here is the official National Hot Dog month Tour Press release:

Contact: Rob Merlino FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

hotdogman@thehotdogtruck.com

http://www.hotdogstories.com

HOTDOGMAN TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH

Pledges to eat a hot dog a day in July, 2012

May 29, 2012, Natick, MA- Rob Merlino, a former hot dog vendor turned “ambassador to Hot Dog Nation,” will celebrate National Hot Dog Month again this July by eating a hot dog a day at 31 different venues. Mr. Merlino publishes the website Hot Dog Stories as well as several other hot dog related websites. Last summer, he gained national attention for his month long tour. Once again, his mission is to explore and publicize the multitude of hot dog carts, trailers, and trucks, plus other dining venues that feature the ubiquitous summer food: the hot dog. This year, in addition to producing 31 videos of each visit, Merlino intends to produce a 60-90 minute documentary style film centered on the event and write a book about it as well. He is actively seeking sponsorships for this project as of this writing. “There are many businesses that could benefit from being associated with such an outrageous stunt,” says Merlino. More information about the book and film project can be found at http://www.thehotdogtruck.com/2012/02/national-hot-dog-month-2012.htmland http://www.indiegogo.com/National-Hot-Dog-Month-Tour-2012?a=406771

Mr. Merlino ran a hot dog truck for six years. He had two locations during that time, one in Southborough, MA for 4 years and another in Marlborough, MA for two years. Health issues forced the sale of his business in 2010, but he still had a lot of love for hot dogs. So he set out to explore hot dog joints. He visited over 35 different hot dog joints in 2010, 48 places in 2011 and plans to top 2011’s number in 2012.

The idea for the Hot Dog Stories site came to him after appearing on the PBS television show Roadside Stories. “I figured I would take the concept of that show- stopping at the side of the road to hear people’s stories- and apply it to hot dog stands,” says Mr. Merlino. His stories are published once or twice a week from mid April through mid December. He has started making videos of his hot dog excursions and publishes them on Youtube.

The idea to celebrate National Hot Dog Month in a public way was actually a suggestion given to him by one of his story subjects. The particular vendor who gave him the idea wanted him to eat at his trailer for all 31 days in July! Mr. Merlino will document his epicurean feat on his website. “I figure there are always stories in the news about hot dogs in July due to it being National Hot Dog Month, so I decided it would be a good idea if ‘the Hotdogman’ celebrated with a hot dog a day.” A big part of Mr. Merlino’s motivation to conduct this tour is to bring smaller businesses, which might not get any media exposure at all, into the limelight, even if it is only for one day. He also likes to chronicle established, “iconic” locations. “Hot Dog Joints are an American phenomena that have not succumbed to the ‘big boxification’ of the American landscape; the small hot dog cart at the side of the road and the long standing iconic joint s speak to the independent and entrepreneurial nature of American culture,” says Merlino. Mr. Merlino confesses to eating at least one hot dog a day every day he operated his hot dog truck. “The average American eats 70 hot dogs a year- I guess I’m above average!”

Copyrights, Attribution, and Hot Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Fans of this site and Hot Dog Stories know I do a lot of video. Recently, I began experimenting with soundtracks. I used The Who's Baba O'Reilly in a story at Luke's Coney Island in St. Petersburg. I used Chariots of Fire by Vangelis and The Godfather Waltz by Nino Rota in the Dogfather's Chili Dog Eating Contest 2012. They were all short sound clips that added to the video.

Youtube has a thing about using music that you don't have rights to- they don't always allow you to do it. "Always" is the key phrase here. Many times using music is allowed, you just can't put ads on your videos. I am OK with that. I don't make much on the ads on videos and using recognizable music makes the segments a bit more fun. Youtube inserts a link on the video page and sells an MP3 of whatever music is used. It's a win-win in my book.

I recently made a video montage for my National Hot Dog Month Tour using O Fortuna a medieval poem set to music by the German composer Carl Orff in 1936. It is the most played piece of classical music in the past 75 years and has a near ubiquitous presence in movies, television, and commercials where epic music is required. It is also all over Youtube- that's where I got the sound clip.

Unfortunately, I downloaded a version that appeared on a recording from EMI Music, one of the world’s leading music companies and home to some of the most successful and best known recording artists. Back in the day, The Sex Pistols recorded a goof on EMI after being dropped by the company.

But I digress. I was talking about National Hot Dog Month and the epic video I made to promote funding for the film I intend to make. Apparently I downloaded a version produced by EMI. They blocked the video. Now I don't dispute their right to do that, I would probably do the same, especially if I reworked a 77 year old musical rendition of a medieval poem. I know the music industry's argument on this, but I sincerely doubt my using 45 seconds of O Fortuna in a hot dog video is going to bring down EMI.

Here's the original video:

If you can see it, great! Most will see a "Content Blocked" warning. Bummer. So I went and found a creative commons version by the MIT Concert Choir who allows the use of their version with attribution. That was easy! So the epic can now be seen by all. It's the featured video on Hot Dog Stories and on my IndieGoGo National Hot Dog Month 2012 funding site. So THANK YOU MIT Concert Choir! And screw EMI!

Here's the video:

Hot Dog Stories Facelift

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:29:00 +0000

I am in the midst of a face lift for my website Hot Dog Stories. I have completely redesigned the site giving it a cleaner, sleaker look. The layout is more manageable and the site should be easier to navigate. I am also moving the site to a private server, so it should load much faster. If you are looking for Hot Dog Stories and you get an error page, do not dismay! I just moved the name servers and it takes a little while for the internets to catch up with that stuff. The site should be back up by tomorrow morning.

American Coney Island Celebrates 95 Years in Hot Dog Business

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:26:00 +0000

So how do you celebrate 95 years in business? If you are American Coney Island in Dearborn, Michigan, you dump 955 hot dogs out of a helicopter!

Greenway Open Market

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:35:00 +0000

The Food Truck Festivals of New England gear up in a few weeks with food truck rallies going on all summer through the fall. You can see the full Food Truck Festivals of New England schedule here.

If you can't wait to get your food truck fix, the folks at Sowa Open Market have the solution. In case you don't know, SoWa has been running farmer's markets in Boston since 2003. SoWa is short for "South of Washington," the neighborhood where the market is located; it's kind of like Boston's answer to NoHo. Every weekend, dozens of artists and crafters, plus a bunch of local farmers have a huge outdoor market. Food trucks are a big part of the market too.

SoWa has decided to take their show on the road. They aren't going all over the state, just across town to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Every Saturday, from Memorial Day through the end of October, the SoWa Market experience will become The Greenway Open Market. Each weekend, you can browse the arts and crafters and munch on food truck fare.

Check it out!

A Summer of Food Truck Festivals

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:12:00 +0000

Foodies and Food Truck Fans will have lots to do this summer as the Food Truck Festivals of New England get underway on June 10 at UMASS Boston! There are eleven scheduled events throughout Massachusetts and New England through October, so there are many opportunities to chow down at the area's best mobile food operations. This year, the Festivals are featuring fixed pricing, so it's kind of like a giant, outdoor, all-you-can-eat buffet, on wheels!

Here's the schedule:

June 10 – The Boston Food Truck Festival at the UMass Boston Campus Center, Boston, MA* (Please Note: This date has been changed from May 26th, all original tickets will be honored)

June 16 – The Charlestown Food Truck Festival at Pier 4, Charlestown, MA

June 30 – The New Hampshire Food Truck Festival at Rockingham Park, Salem, NH*

July 14 – The Worcester Food Truck Festival at Elm Park, Worcester, MA

July 28 – The Charles River Food Truck Festival at DCR’s Artesani Herter Park, Brighton, MA

August 25 – The Cape Cod Food Truck Festival at Barnstable Fairgrounds, Falmouth, MA

September 8 – The Lowell Food Truck Festival at the Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA

September 22 – The Suffolk Downs Food Truck Festival, East Boston, MA

September 29 – The Shipyard Food Truck Festival, Hingham (Shipyard), MA

October 6 – The Framingham Food Truck Festival at Shoppers World, Framingham, MA

October 20 – The Newport Food Truck Festival at the Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI*

You can keep up to date on all the Food Truck Festivals of New England news on their Facebook Page.

Mick Jagger: Hopefully NOT the Last Time on SNL

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:38:00 +0000

When Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones appeared on Saturday Night Live for the first time back in 1978, they were panned by critics as being unrehearsed and just plain bad. My guess is the "chemical culture" Mick and the Stones embraced back in the 1970's had something to do with that; they were probably coked up out of their minds.

Last night, as I was peeling back the covers and flipping through the channels, I came upon the Saturday Night Live season finale, hosted by none other than Mick Jagger. Being the age I am, I sat up and took notice. After all, Mick and the Stones have provided quite a soundtrack for my life and countless others from my generation. He was listed as host and musical guest. I was very curious. Mick Jagger is only 2 years younger than my dad. I just can't envision my father prancing around on stage singing "Satisfaction" (or anything for that matter).

I wasn't sure what to expect from Mick, but I can assure you, I wasn't disappointed! Each musical performance was well done and left me urgently waiting for the next. When six gospel singers took the stage around midnight, I didn't know what was going on- then I caught what they were singing. Before long, Mick was doing his thing, singing "The Last Time" with a band called Arcade Fire.

The next time Mick hit the stage, I recognized The Foo Fighters as his band and I knew it was going to rock! A medley of "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "It's Only Rock n Roll" blew me away. I think the Foo Fighters are one of the best "new (er)" bands playing rock music today and to see them going all out with the iconic Mick was amazing. They literally blew the place out.

The next tune was a blues riff, with Mick singing about life in the White House and the 2012 Presidential elections. Jeff Beck joined Mick and the Saturday Night Live Band and hit a home run. Beck was the star of this segment as he took blues riffs to new heights. Jagger had some quippy lyrics; my favorite was a line about Mitt Romney: "one little thing about him, don't ever let him cut your hair."

The ending sequence, a tribute to Kristen Wiig who is leaving the show, was a medley of "Like a Rainbow" and Goodbye Ruby Tuesday." It was bittersweet, but well done and once again, musically spot ON. I don't always watch Saturday Night Live, but if Mick Jagger hosts again, I will be tuning in for sure!

Hotdogman on Chronicle

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:59:00 +0000

In case you missed Chronicle the other night, here is a link to the story featuring my footage:

Hotdogman on Chronicle

Here's the link to the original video we shot at Fei Fan Eatery.

Two Hot Dog Stories this weekend, including video of The Dogfather's Second Annual Chili Dog Eating Contest!

National Hot Dog Month Tour 2012 Seeks Funding

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:56:00 +0000

<a href="http://www.linkedtube.com/w2YXRalCaYw712f356e45fe7f53b62095a0b7701992.htm">LinkedTube</a> With only six weeks to go until National Hot Dog Month, my team and I are still seeking funding to make the project happen. We have secured new camera equipment and some corporate sponsors, but we still need one very important thing to make it happen: GAS MONEY!

We are also looking for lodging in Old Orchard Beach and/or Wells, Maine for a mid-week run through some Maine establishments. If you own an Inn, hotel or motel and can spare a couple of rooms mid-week, we will shout about you from the rooftops and list you as a tour sponsor! We are also accepting tee-shirts, hats and other promotional items to hand out along the way. If you have promotional items you'd like to see on the tour, contact me.

Seriously, we are going to 31 venues (there are two cook-outs on the tour) and shooting 31 videos plus doing 31 write ups AND we'll have some supplemental videos as well. Once the tour is over, we are going to pour through the hundreds of hours of footage from last year and this year and put together a 60-90 minute, feature length documentary. I will also be producing a book about the experience.

One of the best things we do is bring publicity to small business people who are in the hot dog business. The media attention and exposure these joints get really helps them. It is a lot of fun doing the tour, but it's also a lot of work. There are literally weeks of planning and during July, the tour is a 24 hour a day job.

This year, Drew Bennet from the Benspark Blog is the official tour photographer and videographer. Adding another person to the team doubles the travel expenses as we both have to travel from our homes to each location every day. We just need some help with the gas and in turn, we will give you gobs of publicity- if that's what you desire. If you want to remain anonymous, that's OK too.

Click HERE to find out more about the film.

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

To all you moms out there in Hot Dog Land, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

A very special day to my lovely wife, Mrs. HDM and my mom too!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

The Hotdogman on Chronicle

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:25:00 +0000

WCVB Channel 5 in Boston has a long running, popular news magazine show called Chronicle.

The show chronicles life in New England. It's not hard news, you see stuff like restaurant reviews, visits to historical places, and their long running segment Main Streets and Back Roads of New England.

Next week, they are starting a What's New segment where they seek out new stuff all over New England.

On Tuesday, May 15 at 7:30, the Chronicle crew will air a segment shot at Fei Fan Eatery in Chinatown. You may recall I visited Fei Fan last month on Hot Dog Stories. Apparrently, the producers saw my video and they will be using some of my footage on the show! You can check out the preview HERE.

Hot Dog Hand Bag by Debbie Brooks

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:12:00 +0000

What do hot dogs and hand bags have in common? Other then reaching into a hand bag for some cash for a quick bite, not much. Until now.

I recently became acquainted with Debbie Brooks, a New York fashion designer who makes hand bags that are all the rage with celebrities and fashionistas alike. I must confess, I didn't know who the hell she was until she appeared on Shark Tank recently and I spoke to her for an interview on the Shark Tank Blog. In all fairness, my daughters knew her. Debbie and I hit it off and in one of those weird, serendipity-type moments, we began talking about hot dogs.

It seems Debbie made a stop not too long ago at the famous HillBilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia. Debbie, a vegetarian, was not there for the food, she just liked the funkiness of the place. Luckily, the young lady working that day was also a vegetarian and made Debbie a soy dog, HillBilly style.

The visit, the charm, and the yummy hot dog inspired Debbie to design a limited edition Hot Dog Hand Bag! I am currently working with Debbie's "people" to help craft and promote a contest related to the Hot Dog Hand Bag. A panel of judges from both the fashion and hot dog worlds will judge designs and pick a winning design. The winner will receive a hand bag, as will Sherri, co-owner of HillBilly Hot Dogs. I believe the young lady who served Debbie the soy dog will be getting one too. Yours truly will be one of the judges!

I will have many more details regarding the contest as they develop.

As always, stay tuned.......

Detroit Coney Tour

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:21:00 +0000

The Hotdogman isn't the only one who goes on hot dog eating tours. Authors Katherine Yung and Joe Grimm are organizing a bus tour of Metro Detroit featuring stops at famous Detroit Coney Island Hot Dog Shops. People on the tour will get a Coney dog and a history of each establishment at each stop.

Detroit, like many other cities in the early 1900's, saw an influx of immigrants. Greek immigrants disproportionately opened up Coney Island Hot Dog Joints all over the country. A typical Coney Dog has a natural casing frank topped with a meat only Coney Sauce, onions and mustard.

There are many Coney Island hot dog joints in my area, each boasting their own spin on the sauce. Coney Island sauce recipes are closely guarded secrets no matter where you go, but the Detroit area has claimed this brand of hot dog as their own.

Yung and Grimm are fellow hot dog lovers and have written a book called Coney Detroit. In this hot dog history lesson, the pair highlights famous Coney Island Hot Dog eateries in Detroit and across the nation.

For more info on the tour, check out Rob's Hot Dog Tales.

Florida Doggin

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

I was in Florida last week and visited a hot dog cart factory, 4 hot dog joints, and the world HQ of Nardo's Natural. It was a fun week! I will be posting videos to Hot Dog Stories as I put them together, there are a few already up. I will also be posting videos of my interview with Kyle Nardo on the Shark Tank Blog.

Here I am with Reed Coffman of DreamMaker Hot Dog Carts after touring their operation.

Tha't Kurt Horlacher of Chicdoggie, Inc.

Here's me with the Nardo's Natural guys from The Shark Tank at Luke's Coney Island in St. Pete.

I checked up on Mitch and Maria from Mad Dogs in Venice.

We couldn't resist stopping By Bobby's Beach Bistro

It was a great vacation and I met a lot of nice hot doggers!

Nikki Bilski and Lindsay Johnson from Shark Tank Answer "The Question"

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Lindsay Johnson & Nikki Bilski

I spoke to Lindsay Johnson today. Lindsay and her partner, Nikki Bilski, two Pittsburgh hockey moms who appeared on The Shark Tank last week, were not funded for their line of interchangeable tank top line called TriMiTank.

Even though they didn't get funded, the pair has spent most of this week fulfilling orders. We chatted for nearly an hour about her Shark Tank experience and I asked a bunch of questions like "how do I get on Shark Tank" and others.

Since the pair spends a lot of time in hockey rinks, they have had their fair share of hot dogs.

I had to ask them The Question: "Do you put ketchup on your hot dogs?"

Nikki, who answered by email, was obviously brought up right. Her answer was she "HATES KETCHUP." She prefers a little cheese (hopefully not the processed kind) on a soft roll.

Lindsay is another story. She uses Ketchup and Spicy Mustard. That's a five minute misconduct!

Lindsay's half way there. I only hope there aren't any glove dropping condiment confrontations in the business partners' future!

Occupy Food Trucks

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:42:00 +0000

Just a reminder, the Greenway Mobile Food Fest is this Saturday, May 5. It was supposed to be last fall, but the Occupy Boston folks kept the Food Trucks away. All the Occupy Boston people (or a good chunk of them) will be blowing town in a week or two when the colleges are done with finals, so I think the Food Trucks will prevail this time around. Rain could be another story- the rain date is Saturday, May 12.

You can read all the details HERE.

The Dogfather: 2nd Annual Chili Dog Eating Contest

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:44:00 +0000

The Dogfather will be hosting his second annual chili dog eating contest on Saturday May 19th, 2012 at 3pm at 84 Holden St. in Worcester.

This is at the corner of Shore Dr. and Holden St. just across from The Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester and Bancroft School. Spectator admission and parking is free. For a $12.00 donation, which will go to UUCW, participants will have 15 minutes to eat as many chili dogs as they can. First prize is one year worth of free hotdogs at The Dogfather hotdog truck. Details at the website and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/worcesterhotdog. Additional prizes and raffles will also be available to raise funds for the church. Polar Beverages will be on hand with a sampling booth.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester is highly committed to social justice and equality. We have the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry which distributes food once per month to needy people. We also regularly support a number of social service agencies around Worcester through collections at church and providing services. Our facilities are used each week by a number of self-help groups, we participate in the yearly Crop Walk, and partner with a number of groups in Worcester designed for the betterment of peoples’ lives.

You can bet the Hotdogman will be there, camera in hand!

Fashion Designer Debbie Brooks answers "The Question"

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Debbie Brooks, the funny and sassy handbag designer to the stars, spoke with me today about her recent appearance on The Shark Tank. Her husband and business partner, Paul was in on the chat too.

I talk to a lot of people who appear on the Shark Tank- I interview them for the Shark Tank Blog. Debbie was very excited to tell me about a new handbag design she has in the works that was inspired by a visit to Hillbilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia. Debbie is actually going to design a "Weenie Bag!" It will be a limited edition handbag, to be sold on her website and at the Trunk Shows she conducts on a regular basis.

She's promised me I will get a sneak peek....

But enough of that girly stuff. This is The Hot Dog Truck and we all know there is only ONE QUESTION I really wanted Debbie and Paul to answer:

"Do you put ketchup on your hot dogs?"

Debbie, a vegetarian who enjoys a soy dog now and again, dresses her dogs as smartly as she dresses her celebrity clientelle. "Relish and Kraut," was her answer.

Husband Paul, also a vegetarian who chows down the occasional soy dog, proved to be a bit of a disappointment. Alas, Paul puts ketchup on his hot dogs.

The pair have been together for over 15 years and have a 17 month old baby girl. I pray Debbie does the condiment education in their household!

Food Truck Festivals of New England

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:01:00 +0000

The Food Truck Festivals of New England have lots of dates and a few changes, so be sure to check the schedule below. The Hotdogman will be at one or two of these events this Spring, and I will definitely be at the Framingham Food Truck Festival in the Fall! Maybe next year they can have one in New Bedford.....

The press information they sent me follows:

FOOD TRUCK FESTIVALS OF NEW ENGLAND ANNOUNCE

NEW DATES AND NEW LOCATIONS

Festivals in Newport, RI and Salem, NH Added and the Boston Food Truck Festival Moved to June 10th

Boston, MA – Food Truck Festivals of New England is pleased to announce new locations outside of the Bay State with the New Hampshire Food Truck Festival at Rockingham Park in Salem, NH on June 30^th (replacing the Topsfield Food Truck Festival) and the Newport Waterfront Food Truck Festival in Newport, RI on October 20^th (replacing the South Coast Food Truck Festival). These changes been made so that our festivals can get to a broader audience and reach fans! There are 11 festivals in total spanning from June through October launching on June 10^th with the Boston Food Truck Festival at the UMass Boston Campus Center (rescheduled and now in a new location within UMass Boston). All festivals will take place from noon to 4 pm, with a special VIP Preview hour from 11am – noon.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.foodtruckfestivalsofne.com. Over 50 trucks from all over New England will be participating on a rotating basis; some will be at all, others in select communities. Participating trucks include Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Bon Me, Staff Meal, Woodman’s of Essex, and Kickass Cupcakes. A complete list of up-to-date participating trucks can be found online at www.foodtruckfestivalsofne.com/the-trucks.

TICKET PRICES:

VIP Tickets $40/each (limited quantity)
General Admission $30/each ($35 day-of)
Foodie Four Pack $25/each with the purchase of four tickets ($100 for four pack)
Children 6 -12 $10/each
Children 5 and under FREE

Each ticket allows one serving from each of the 20 to 30 participating food trucks and does not include beverages. NOTE: There are a limited number of tickets for each festival, based on the capacity of the venue. We will post on the festival site as to availability of tickets the day of the festival.

2012 Planned Festival Schedule

June 10 – The Boston Food Truck Festival at the UMass Boston Campus Center, Boston, MA*

(Please Note: This date has been changed from May 26^th, all original tickets will be honored)

June 16 – The Charlestown Food Truck Festival at Pier 4, Charlestown, MA

June 30 – The New Hampshire Food Truck Festival at Rockingham Park, Salem, NH*

July 14 – The Worcester Food Truck Festival at Elm Park, Worcester, MA

July 28 – The Charles River Food Truck Festival at DCR’s Artesani Herter Park, Brighton, MA

August 25 – The Cape Cod Food Truck Festival at Barnstable Fairgrounds, Falmouth, MA

September 8 – The Lowell Food Truck Festival at the Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA

September 22 – The Suffolk Downs Food Truck Festival, East Boston, MA

September 29 – The Shipyard Food Truck Festival, Hingham (Shipyard), MA

October 6 – The Framingham Food Truck Festival at Shoppers World, Framingham, MA

October 20 – The Newport Food Truck Festival at the Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI*

* notes a new location

For the very latest news on the 2012 Food Truck Festival Season, the most up-to-date list of participating trucks and news on the availability of tickets, please follow @foodtruckfestofne on twitter and “like” us on facebook.com/foodtruckfestivalsofne.

For public information please call 617-782-7117

Update on New Bedford Hot Dog Man

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:23:00 +0000

The other day, I wrote about a fellow hot dogger named Corey Hanks. He runs a cart called Fenway Sausage Works in New Bedford, MA. Or at least he did. The City of New Bedford shut him down on Easter eve. On an ironic note, the cop who shut him down had the last name "Jesus." The city said he wasn't approved for a fixed location. Of course, no one told him he couldn't operate at his location until after they collected $480 in permitting fees from him. So the guy is out all that money, and he needs to find a new location.

Corey reached out to me and asked if I could help him some way, so I wrote a rather scathing, un-objective, one-sided article and sent emails to the mayor, the health inspector, and all the City Councilors. I spoke with two councilors who are sympathetic to Mr. Hanks' situation and they are going to propose a new ordinance that allows mobile food vendors to operate with less restriction in the city.

These things usually take some time to pass as the political process moves at its own pace, but Mr. Hanks and I are both optimistic it will get done. The councilors I spoke with seem enthusiastic about a new ordinance.

I had also planned to write a newspaper article about this and send it out on the wires, but I live nearly 60 miles from New Bedford, so I'm not what you'd call a "local," even though Hot Dog Nation knows no boundaries. I contacted the New Bedford Standard Times and they decided to run with the story! They are sending a reporter out to see Corey this weekend.

While it is too soon to say whether all this will have a happy ending or not, through a little (not so subtle) media pressure, both Mr. hanks and I were able to get his cause, and the cause of all mobile vendors in New Bedford, "out there," and that's a good thing. Corey also tells me he has found a new location in a neighboring community, so that's good too.

I just hope he's set up in time for National Hot Dog Month!

More Flowers and an Epiphany

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Phlox

Rocks

Phlox on Rocks

Crocs

Crocs on Phlox

Crocs on Phlox on Rocks

Rocks in Crocs

Dear God, I have to stop letting my seven year old read Dr. Suess to me!

Hot Dog Stories on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:40:00 +0000

If you want to keep up with all things hot dog related, head on over to The Hot Dog Stories Facebook Page and LIKE it.

When you do, you'll get a little old post on your wall every time there is new content on Hot Dog Stories or The Hot Dog Truck. You can even access my Paper.Li newspaper, Rob's Hot Dog Tales, right from the page.

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New Bedford Bullies

noreply@blogger.com (hotdogman) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Operating a hot dog cart is a dream business for many independent entrepreneurs all over this great nation. There are scores of stories of individuals who, for whatever reason, decide to make a living selling hot dogs from a small hot dog cart or trailer. One such entrepreneur is a guy I know through the hot dog boards; his name is Corey Hanks.

Corey recently opened up Fenway Sausage Works in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He complied with all local rules and ordinances, got his Servesafe Certificate, and was approved by the Board of Health. Corey set up this year at a private, commercial property on Acushnet Avenue, because the city's hawkers and peddlers ordinance states he is not allowed to be at a standing location or to park on public property, or within 100 feet from a public picnic area, park or playground.

Apparently a local business owner that is also the president of the area neighborhood association has made Corey his pet project and brought his name up in his meeting that all the city councilors go to, as well as law enforcement. A few days after this meeting, Corey was approached by a cop letting him know his name came up in a meeting, and he wanted to see his permits. Corey showed him and he was satisfied.

3 days later A lieutenant came to the trailer and was disrespectful to Hanks. He basically let him know that he was sent by the president of the neighborhood association. He fought with Corey and said that he needed a city hawkers and peddlers license; Hanks told him that he didn't from what the department of standards told him specifically. The lieutenant was arguing that he needed a food handlers permit, and Hanks showed him his Servesafe and told him that they don't exist, and that the city doesn't have them anymore. The lieutenant was taunting him at every step, then finally furnished Hanks a memo that was given to the police department by the building department and the city solicitors office. This memo stated that if a vendor tried to set up on private property, the police were to kick Mr. Hanks out and that it was a zoning issue. After talking to the building commissioner, he told Mr. Hanks that if he planned to set up on private property, he needed a building permit, and if he tried to get one, he would reject it. He would reject it because Fenway Sausage Works would be considered a fast food establishment and the city zoning laws state that fast food establishments are required to have 25 dedicated parking spaces. Hanks was told that if he set up in the city again, he would be fined every day he tried.

About a week later, Mr. Hanks observed several mobile food establishments set up in Buttonwood Park- a PUBLIC park.

There are many things wrong with this scenario. First of all, the New Bedford police surely have better things to do than hassle small business people. If I were a taxpayer in this city, this would infuriate me, especially after reading the police blotter. New Bedford's police have a difficult job in a city that has it's fair share of crime; they do their best with what they have, but I don't think it is their business to bully small business persons on behalf of irate residents, whether they have political clout or not.

Secondly, Mr. Hanks went through all the proper channels. He was granted permits and given the green light all the way. Why would any political or administrative city office go after this budding entrepreneur? Was it at the bequest of the neighborhood association president? If it was, then there is something rotten in City Hall.

Thirdly, why the selective enforcement? If the city shut down Hanks' business, why are other vendors allowed to set up on PUBLIC property with impunity? Do you need to be friends with someone in City Hall to run a business in this community? If that is the case, then the City of New Bedford is going to be perceived as unfriendly to business. That's not a good policy in these economic times, not matter how big or small the business may be.

America was built on entrepreneurship. When government, whether it's local, state, or federal, makes it difficult for businesses to get started and attempt to thrive, it becomes counter productive. Perhaps the citizens of New Bedford and Massachusetts would prefer Mr. Hanks go on welfare instead of trying to earn an honest living? I don't think that is a message the city fathers want to send, particularly in a community that has suffered a huge loss of industry and jobs in recent years. Hanks publicly wondered why a mobile food vendor in New Bedford gets shut down faster than heroin dealers- it's a good question and one the citizens of New Bedford should be asking their local "leaders" and law enforcement personnel.

Mr. Hanks is circulating a petition and plans to fight city hall. Good for him! Lend your support HERE.