The Great American Mid-West Hot Dog Tour

Many people were a bit disappointed that I didn't do my National Hot Dog Month Tour this year. For the past three years, I ate a hot dog a day at a different place every day in July. This year, I took a break.

To make a long story short, I ran out of places to visit close to home! Sure, I didn't hit every hot dog joint in a 50 mile radius, but I hit most of them. I also wanted to spend more time with my family during the summer. My wife usually spends a LOT of time coaching in July (including weekends), but this year, like me, she took a break.

So where does that leave the Hotdogman? Well, I still have a few surprises up my sleeve! This year, the family and I are going on a road trip to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and Montreal. On the way to Chicago, we'll stop at an iconic Hot Dog Joint.

While in Chicago, I will be guests of the good people at Vienna Beef - the makers of THE Chicago Hot Dog! I will tour their factory, attend Hot Dog University, and serve patrons at their factory hot dog shop. I also plan to hit several Chicago Hot Dog spots, ask Chicagoans "The Question," and a few other hot dog related surprises. On our way to Niagara, we're stopping for some Coney Dogs at another iconic joint in Michigan. Once we get "north of the border," Mrs. HDM will use her skills as the world's most renowned Poutine expert.

We'll be shooting video throughout the entire trip and our escapades will be featured over at Hot Dog Stories.

Stay tuned and KEEP ON DOGGIN!

National Hot Dog Month Day 18

Olneyville New York System in Providence, RI was stop number 18 on the National Hot Dog Month 2012 Tour. This is an iconic hot dog shop that's been open since 1946 and is currently run by the 4th generation of the Stevens family.

Current Olneyville New York System owner Greg Stevens has been working in the hot dog business since he was 14 years old and he clearly loves his work. He sat down and gave me the history of the joint and a lesson on the difference between "hot dogs" and "wieners."

This was one fun visit. Mrs. HDM joined in on the fun today and had her first taste of a Rhode Island delicacy: Coffee Milk. We had a lot of laughs as Greg and the staff goofed on each other and some of the regulars. Everyone in the place seemed genuinely happy to be there.

Drew Bennett took his usual pile of pictures which will be posted on the Hot Dog Stories Facebook Page.

Check out the full story about our visit to Olneyville New York System on Hot Dog Stories.

Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner in Attleboro, MA

I took Little Miss to the zoo of all places on the coldest day of the winter-so far. We needed some lunch and found ourselves not too far from a rather iconic little hot dog diner: Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner, located at 31 County Street in Attleboro, Massachusetts. They're open Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The actual diner is an old Worcester Dining Car Diner. It's history is featured in the book Classic Diners of Massachusetts.

They even have a Facebook page.

Tex Barry's is owned by Arthur Bombardier. He took the joint over from his mother back in 1985- she bought it from one of the original franchisees back in 1979. Tex Barry's was once a burgeoning hot dog franchise in the Southeastern Massachusetts area, but only two remain- the one in Attleboro and another in Taunton, MA.

Tex Barry's has- like any "real" Coney Island Joint- it's own secret recipe for their sauce. Like any self respecting Coney Island Dog man, he wasn't sharing the recipe. Arthur serves em up with the works: a grilled Kayem frank with Coney sauce, onions and mustard on a steamed roll. Old school, authentic, iconic, and DELICIOUS.

I ordered up one with the works (I eventually downed three)...

...and some fries.

Little Miss got her standard half plain/half mustard.

For the rest of the story, check out the video of our visit to Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner in Attleboro, MA on Hot Dog Stories.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 31: Nick's Original Coney Island Weiners in Fall River

The quest is finished. I have had a hot dog a day for the past month. Today was day 31 and I went to another long standing establishment- a joint that has been open since 1920: Nick's Original Coney Island Weiners at 534(ish) South Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

I chose Nick's as the final stop for a couple of reasons. First, it was fairly close to where I was hanging out this weekend. Second, along with Casey's Diner (in business since 1890) and George's Coney Island (in business since 1918), Nick's represents as one of the three oldest hot dog joints in Eastern Massachusetts. These three hot dog joints are the icons of the industry in this area- I would have been remiss had they not been included in the quest. So Nick's completed the trifecta.

It's a small shop that hasn't changed much in its 91 years. The little school desks date back to 1894 and came from a school in Tiverton, Rhode Island. All the desks are right handed- back in those days if you were a lefty, the teachers "retrained" you to write right handed.

Current owners Fred and Marcy Beaudry have added to the menu. They serve a lot of fish dishes on Thursday and Friday nights, but the main attraction is the hot dogs and related fare.

One bit of related fare is Nick's Coffee Milk. Coffee milk is a staple drink in hot dog joints in these parts and Nick's has the only dairy infused coffee milk in existence in Massachusetts. Coffee milk is like chocolate milk, except a coffee syrup is used to make it instead of chocolate syrup. It's quite good.

Most coffee milk these days is mixed fresh or distributed in plastic containers. At Nick's instead of coming in plastic containers, the coffee milk comes in the old school, metal dairy containers. They're able to serve it this way because they're grandfathered in on the codes.

Another signature item at Nick's is the hand cut fries. They go through 70 pounds of potatoes a day on average- one by one.

They have a unique and proprietary frying system that cranks out the fresh cut fries nice and crispy. Most of the fresh cut fries I have had tend toward the soggy side. These were YUMMY!

Of course the biggest item is the Coney Island hot dogs. They cook up the Coney Island sauce fresh daily. The original owner, Nick Pappas, brought the recipe to Fall River from Philadelphia. He had befriended a Coney Island hot dog stand operator who had perfected his recipe while working at the original Nathan's on Coney Island. The Philadelphia vendor gave Nick the recipe with two caveats: don't share the recipe and STAY OUT OF PHILLY! To this day, the original recipe remains unchanged and is treated like a state secret at Nick's. They have added a spicier version of the sauce which is the original recipe with the addition of some "Cajun spices" to heat things up a bit.

Nick's has lots of cache' in the hot dog world as many famous people have eaten there. The wall is covered with photos of folks who have eaten there.

Rocky Marciano was a regular. His family still stops in to this day.

Bobby Kennedy ate at Nick's.

So did this guy!

Carl Switzer, Alfalfa and George "Spanky" McFarland from the Little Rascals have chowed Nick's Coneys.

Curly, Larry and Moe ate here too.

Perhaps the most notable recent visitor was President Bill Clinton who stopped by while still in office. He stayed in the limo while the Secret Service guys came in for the dogs.

Lucille Ball....

Jackie Gleason....

...and Jack Haley- the tin man from the classic 1939 film the Wizard of Oz all scarfed down Coney Island hot dogs at Nicks. There is so much history here.

But Nick's is all about the hot dog- the Coney Island hot dog to be exact. Properly dressed, it is composed of a Kayem Old Tyme frank on a steamed roll. The mustard goes on the dog first, then the sauce, then it's topped with chopped onions.

I ordered one and....

CHOWED DOWN!!!!!

And thus the 2011 Eat a Hot Dog a Day in honor of National Hot Dog Month quest came to a close.

Stop by Nick's for a Coney Island dog, coffee milk and fries. You will LOVE it! Tell Fred and Marcie "the Hotdogman sent me."

Happy National Hot Dog Month!!!!!!

See the video of my visit to Nick's Original Coney Island Weiners on Hot Dog Stories.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 29: Casey's Diner in Natick, MA

On the 29th day of my quest to eat a hot dog a day at a different venue in honor of National Hot Dog Month, I stayed real close to home. I could have walked to the oldest continuously run hot dog joint in the state: Casey's Diner in downtown Natick, Massachusetts. The Casey family has been in the hot dog business since 1890. The fourth generation of the family is currently manning the copper kettle steamer that pumps out 800 hot dogs a day (and some 400 burgers too) inside one of the oldest existing Worcester Lunch Car Company diners in existence..

Casey's was placed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1977.

Fourth generation hot dog man Pat Casey takes it all in with an easy going attitude and nearly constant smile.

Pat works the hot dog steamer and the take out window while two helpers work the counter and grill.

There are twelve seats at Casey's and a small shelf for the standing room crowd. Intimate would describe the place accurately.

Today's visit attracted some local media and this kid: Hot Dog Boy!

If you aren't in the mood for a hot dog, Casey's has the best burgers around! I will often get a burger with a hot dog for an "appetizer."

I was here for a hot dog a day, so I ordered up one all around and

CHOWED DOWN!

Happy National Hot Dog Month!!!

I will be returning to Casey's in the next month or two to do a full on video documentary. Pat promises to break out "the old guys" for the shoot. I will keep Hot Dog Nation posted.

In the mean time, stop by Casey's for a couple of dogs all around and tell Pat "the Hotdogman sent me."

Check out the video of my visit to Casey's on Hot Dog Stories.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 25: George's Coney Island in Worcester

July 25th, the 25th day of my quest to eat a hot dog a day in honor of National Hot Dog Month, brought me to one of the region's hot dog icons: George's Coney Island on Southbridge Street in Worcester. The circa 1937 art deco exterior and neon sign are like a beacon for hot dog lovers everywhere.

Third generation business owner Kathryn Tsandikos greeted me warmly and was eager to share the story of her family's ascent to the top of the heap in local hot dog lore. She has a deep appreciation and respect for the position George's has in the heart of the community. George's Coney Island is in rare company, it's one of very few hot dog joints that have been in business for over 90 years. Kathryn's grandparents bought a small hot dog stand from a friend in 1920 and remodeled in 1937 to make it into the George's it is to this day. The neon sign was designed to emulate George, Kathryn's grandfather, grasping a hot dog in his hand.

The interior looks essentially the same as it did in 1937, with the exception of the digital juke box.

The menu has remained largely unchanged too. There are burgers, grilled cheeses, and egg sandwiches but it's the hot dogs with "the works" that are the real stars of the show. 

The place was slammed with customers well before noon.

Customers line up at the counter for their hot dogs, then seat themselves at one of the many graffiti covered tables. For over 70 years, patrons of George's Coney Island have carved their names into the wooden booths. It's a practice that is not condoned, but tolerated as long as it doesn't get destructive.

This chair that is reminiscent of old fashioned classroom desks is one of three remaining from the pre 1937 furnishings. It's on display in the front window.

The bar in the adjacent room looks as if it was still vintage 1937- with the exception of the LCD TV.

While the history, decor, and ambiance is a big part of the experience, as I said before, it's the hot  dogs that are the star of the show. The Coney Island sauce is the premier component of a dog with the works at George's; just put it on top of one of the over 1,000 grilled Kayem hot dogs served here daily, add some onions and mustard and you have a little piece of heaven. Kathryn makes the sauce and closely guards the secret recipe.

The sauce simmers on the stove top awaiting hot dogs to top.

The finished products ooze deliciousness.

I ordered one with the works and

CHOWED DOWN!

The Coney Sauce has a nice bite, without being overpowering and dominating the other flavors. Balanced with the hot dog, onions, and mustard, the Coney sauce adds the right balance to make this one of the finest dogs you'll find. 90 years worth of patrons wouldn't keep coming back if the food wasn't good!

There are just too many thumbs up to count. George's Coney Island is a full on hot dog and Americana experience. As one patron said to me today, "it's the only hot dog worth driving for."

You simply MUST try George's Coney Island if you are to be considered a true hot dog aficionado. The place deserves mecca like status in the hot dog religion.

GO TO GEORGE'S CONEY ISLAND! Give Kathryn the "Coney Island Handshake" and tell her "the Hotdogman sent me." You will not be sorry.

HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

View a  video of my visit to George's Coney Island on Hot Dog Stories.