National Hot Dog Month is Coming!

July is almost upon us, which means one thing: it's almost National Hot Dog Month. As in years past, each day I will feature a different hot dog joint every day in July. There are two cookouts on the docket- one on July 4 and one on July 20. Featured at the cookouts - you guessed it - HOT DOGS!

This year's tour features all "new" hot dog joints. There are a couple of "old friends" that have new places, but there is not one repeat (other than Casey's on the 31st). 

This year's tour also features hot dog venues in 9 (possibly 10 if I can bomb down to NYC for a day) states: California, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont.

There will be iconic establishments, hot dog trucks, hot dog carts, and just about any venue you can imagine.

Videos of each featured stop on the tour will be published daily on Hot Dog Stories, so join in on the hot doggin' fun and HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

Shark Tank's Daymond John answers THE QUESTION

As you may know, I author The Shark Tank Blog. The other day, I had the privilege of being invited over to Babson College where ZBoard won Consulting Services From Shark Tank's Daymond John, Babson College & Startup America.

They had the requisite press conference, which I attended, followed by a nice lunch.

I got to meet the entrepreneurs who created ZBoard, the Start-Up America principles, and of course, Daymond John himself. We chatted about entrepreneurship, his philanthropic endeavors, and the Shark Tank.

I would have been remiss had I not asked him "THE QUESTION."

For the video answer, head on over to Hot Dog Stories!

Framingham Food Truck Festival Today

Little Miss and I are off to the Framingham Food Truck Festival today where I will be eating at my 99th different hot dog joint. I'll have that story up on Hot Dog Stories in a day or two.

In the mean time, here's last year's video of the Festival.

Enjoy.

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!

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!

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!

Hot Doggin' in Maine at Nui's Delicious Dogs in Winter Harbor

The second stop on our little Hot Doggin' in Maine tour was the achingly scenic community of Winter Harbor, Maine. This little Down East Maine village of 500 or so people is breathtakingly beautiful; I didn't want to leave!

Winter Harbor, known for its annual Lobster Fest, is also the home of Nui's Delicious Dogs, a spiffy little hot dog cart in the parking lot of the Fisherman's Inn. Husband and wife Matt and Nui Johnson run the hot dog business, selling Maine Red Snappers, Pearl Franks, and Lobster Rolls.

I opted for a chili dog with cheese and Onion Crunch.

I chowed down!

Here's Matt and Nui with Matt's father, Carl, a two time Maine Chef of the year and owner of the Fisherman's Inn.

Get the full story on our visit to Nui's Delicious Dogs on Hot Dog Stories.

Hot Doggin' in Maine at WIENERS in Portland

Our first stop Hot Doggin' in Maine was at WIENERS, a little hot dog cart on the corner of Dana and Commercial Streets in downtown Portland.

Cart owner Jess Cady left the corporate world to sling Maine Red Snappers, burgers and "regular" hot dogs 8 years ago and has been firmly entrenched in the same location, just across from the harbor, since then.

Maine Red Snappers are pork and beef, natural casing franks that have been injected with dye to give them their garish color. Jess explained they are popular because they're the same color as lobster. They were originally dyed red to differentiate them from other purveyors' product "back in the day."

Mrs. HDM and I did our thing and chowed down! The food, atmosphere, owner and clientelle were all fantastic.

Get the rest of the story on our visit to WIENERS in Portland, Maine on Hot Dog Stories.

Back from Hot Doggin' in Maine!

Our annual trip to Maine to revel in a week sans children is complete. We always let out a cheer when we cross into Vacationland!

When you go to Maine, it's important to know where you're going! Mrs. HDM and I headed up the Maine Coast for our annual vacation and our now new tradition of combining business with pleasure by Hot Doggin' in Maine along the way. We spent five glorious days in Vacationland, site seeing, swimming, biking, eating, and drinking.

Our first stop was at a cute little cart in downtown Portland called, very simply, Wieners. The specialty of the house was Maine Red Snapper franks.

Next up was our primary destination for the week "Down East" in Winter Harbor (pronounced Wintah Hahbah). We were guests of renowned Maine chef Carl Johnson and family, owners of the Fisherman's Inn Restaurant, Sunset House Bed and Breakfast and Grindstone Neck Smokehouse.

No trip to Maine would be complete without Lobster. Carl and his staff did not disappoint.

Carl had a few tricks up his sleeve. The photo above is a "Lobster Dog;" that's a baked, stuffed lobster stuffed with Maine Red Snapper franks and served on a hot dog bun!

Carl didn't stop there, he made a "Hot Dog Roulade." This is a quarter pound, Pearl frank, stuffed with Brie, wrapped in bacon, and served on a bed of home made chili!

The reason Carl is so into hot dogs is instead of opening the restaurant for lunch, his son and daughter in law operate a hot dog cart in front of the restaurant. They serve Pearl Franks, Maine Red Snappers, and lobster rolls.

We also had dogs at Wasses' Belfast, Maine location for some yummy fried dogs.

Last up was Hoss and Mary's in Old Orchard Beach, Maine for a grilled Pearl and Mrs. HDM's favorite: POUTINE!

I shot a bunch of video and will have five or six stories in the coming week (Mrs. HDM only lets me film and download on vacation- no writing or editing), so 

STAY TUNED!!!!!

Hot Doggin' in Maine 2012

Every summer, Mrs. HDM and I cruise up the coast of Maine, WITHOUT children in tow and have ourselves some fun. The past few years, we have gone Hot Doggin' in Maine while on our journey. We stop at little Hot Dog Stands, lobster joints, and B&B's along the way.

We usually head up to the Kennebunks and to Scarborough. This year, we are going further up the coast, all the way to Winter Harbor. Carl Johnson, owner of the Fisherman's Inn Restaurant in Winter Harbor invited me up to check out his restaurant which operates a full dinner service AND as a hot dog cart for lunch! We will be staying at the Sunset House Bed and Breakfast in nearby Gouldsboro, Maine while in  the Winter Harbor Region.

Johnson, a Culinary Institute of America Alumni, was recently voted "Maine Chef of the Year." The hot dogs ought to be out of this world. There was a nice write up on Johnson's Delicious Dogs in the Bangor paper. We can't wait to get up there and try the fare!

On our way up to Winter Harbor, we'll be stopping in Portland at the White Cap Grille for lunch. Our old pals from Wicked Good Weiners are helping to run the place this season and promised Mrs. HDM and I the first Red Snappers of the season!

Those are our only two planned stops, but there are sure to be plenty of other impromptu stops along the way. If you know a neat hot dog joint in Maine, let me know- we'll pay them a visit if it's on the way!

National Hot Dog Month Day 14

Dell's Kitchen was stop number 14 on the National Hot Dog Month Tour. Proprietor Della Sylvia and her daughter Kyla were working in the Dell's Kitchen trailer at Wareham High School on Saturday morning, July 14. Dell's is the food concession for the Wareham Junior Basketball program which takes place every Saturday morning.

Dell's Kitchen is a family affair. Daughter Kyla was helping out in the kitchen, Dell's husband was providing "moral support" and their ten year old was playing in the league. Dell coached in the league for many years and now she's happy to be providing fuel to players and fans alike.

This is still a part time gig for Dell, she works construction full time and hopes to retire to the hot dog business full time in a few years.

Drew isn't with me on weekends, so there won't be the usual pile 'o pictures on the Hot Dog Stories Facebook Page. That's too bad- cuz there was lots to see today and the food needed that high def lens of Drew's.

Still getting caught up on videos, but the full story is over on Hot Dog Stories.

National Hot Dog Month Day 12

July 12th features The National Hot Dog month Tour stop in Wells, Maine at the recntly crowned home of the "Best Hot Dog in New England," Yank's Franks. Owners George and Janice Yankowski are very proud of their achievement. They switched over to Pearl Franks this season- maybe that's why they won!

Yank's Franks is a cute little shop on Route 1 in Wells, Maine. This is a popular vacation spot and if you could get up there on a day like today, you'd see why. I love Maine- I just wish the water was a bit warmer!

This was my second trip to Yank's Franks. Mrs HDM and I popped in there last summer while Hot Doggin' in Maine.

Tour photographer Andrew Bennett took a bunch of pictures which will be up on the Hot Dog Stories Facebook Page.

Get the full story of my visit to Yank's Franks on Hot Dog Stories.

National Hot Dog Month Tour 2012 Day 7

July 7, 2012 was day 7 of my National Hot Dog Month Tour. I found myself in Onset, MA at So Sabe's: the area's newest hot dog spot. Owner and Pastor Gerry Fernandes has only been open since March.
I brought Pastor Fernandes and number one So Sabe's hot dog man Rick "RAM" McGruder some Jalapeno Pearl Franks, Onion Crunch, and a NHDM 2012 Tour tee shirt from DreamMaker Hot Dog Carts.

There was a local reporter on hand too- you can read her report about our visit to So Sabe's here.

Get the full story of our visit on Hot Dog Stories.

National Hot Dog Month Tour Venues

It's June 27 and the National Hot Dog Month Tour is set to begin! Drew Bennet (from the Benspark blog) and myself will be touring four New England States eating a hot dog a day at a different venue each day in July. We kick started the tour today by visiting Pearl Meats in Randolph, MA. Business owners Bob Camelio and Marshall "Buddy" Lazaro gave us a tour of the facility and showed us what goes into their hot dogs.

The real fun begins on July 1 when I will eat the first hot dog of the tour at the stroke of midnight at Fenway Sausage Works in New Bedford, MA. From there, we'll be all over the place!

Here is a list of stops we plan to make throughout the month. While we will try to adhere to this schedule, weather may alter it over the course of July (we don't want to eat at a hot dog cart in a thunderstorm). If you want to know exactly where we'll be, follow me on Twitter  Follow @Hotdogman1964 or go "like" Hot Dog Stories on Facebook. As always, videos of each day's visit will be posted on Hot Dog Stories dot com.

Without further ado, here are the tour stops:

July 1:   Fenway Sausage Works, New Bedford, MA
July 2:   Zippity Do Dog, Framingham, MA
July 3:   Sullivan's, Boston, MA
July 4:   Cookout, My House! (with Pearl Franks on the Grill)
July 5:   The Dogfather, Worcester, MA
July 6:   Boomer's, Westborough, MA
July 7:   So Sabe's, Onset, MA
July 8:   Hot Dog Cart, Rochester, MA
July 9:   Larry Joe's New England Fire Pit, Bellingham, MA
July 10: Yank's Franks, Wells, ME
July 11: Gilley's, Portsmouth, NH
July 12: Flo's, Cape Neddick, ME
July 13: Snappy Dogs, Hopkinton, MA
July 14: Dell's, Wareham, MA
July 15: South Coast Coneys, Middleborough, MA
July 16: Onleyville New York System, Providence, RI
July 17: Beezer's, Northborough, MA
July 18: Simco's, Boston, MA
July 19: Tex Barry's, Taunton, MA
July 20: Tex Barry's, Attleborough, MA
July 21: Cookout @ The Beach (Pearls on the Grill)
July 22: Jimmie's, New Bedford, MA
July 23: Windy City Eats, Weymouth, MA
July 24: Harbor Dogs, Scituate, MA
July 25: Auggie Dogs, Methuen, MA
July 26: Hot Dog Annie's, Leicester, MA
July 27: That's My Dog, Attleboro, MA
July 28: Donna's Dawgs, Middleborough, MA
July 29: Naughty Dogs, New Bedford, MA
July 30: Fred's Franks, Wakefield, MA
July 31: Casey's Diner, Natick, MA

There you have it folks, the 2012 National Hot Dog Month Tour! Make sure you check in to be sure where we'll be. Last year, the schedule changed several times for a variety of reasons.

Happy National Hot Dog Month!

National Hot Dog Month Tour 2012 Seeks Funding

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.

Trina's Starlite Lounge

Trina's Starlite Lounge is located on the Cambridge Somerville border, right where Hampshire Street turns into Beacon Street in Inman Square.

Mrs. Hotdogman, who makes her 2012 "season debut" on Hot Dog Stories, and I popped in for some cocktails and to sample Trina's Gourmet Hot Dog of the day.

Trina's Starlite Lounge is a funky little neighborhood bar with a kitschy, 1950's vibe. 

There's nothing like highballs and haute dogs on a Friday night!

There's lots of cool old signs and 1950's era memorabilia all over the walls.

They serve up all sorts of comfort food classics. I was hard pressed to stay focused on hot dogs because everything looked so good. Tonight's Blue Plate Special was a triple cheeseburger!

The manager and our server greeted us warmly, but were "camera shy."

Chef and chief hot dog maker Suzie Maitlin was more than happy to share her inspiration with us though.

We ordered up some onion rings and a corn dog to share. Mrs. HDM, after getting assurances that all the cheese in the joint was of the fresh, grated variety, ordered up a chili cheese dog while I opted for the dog of the day: The Parisian. This is a split, griddled, all beef Kayem frank served on a baguette with pecorino cheese, arugula, and the house spicy mustard blend.

Alas, it was very dark in the dining room, and we didn't get good photos of the dogs. I shot some "night vision video though."

Mrs HDM and I both give Trina's Starlite Lounge

TWO THUMBS UP!

Check out the whole story of our visit to Trina's on Hot Dog Stories. 

An Interview With the Hotdogman

Back in January, I attended Affiliate Summit West. I had a blast cruising the conference floor asking folks "The Question." One of my victims was Bryan Knowlton from YourBossBlows.com. He answered correctly! In fact he liked what I was doing so much, he decided to interview me.

Bryan is a bit of a procrastinator, so he just posted the video today. Check it out for some insight into the life and times of The Hotdogman.