National Hot Dog Month Tour 2012 Day 5

July 5, 2012 was day 5 of my National Hot Dog Month Tour. I found myself in Worcester, MA at The Dogfather: Worcester's ONLY Extreme Hot Dog Truck.

The last time I visited The Dogfather, owner Mark Gallant was putting on his annual Chili Dog Eating Contest. While it was a fun event to cover, I don't go for eating contests. 

Another famous contest got a LOT of press the past few days: Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. The winner, Joey Chestnut, ate 68 hot dogs in ten minutes. That's more than twice as many hot dogs as I will eat all month!

The National Hot Dog Month Tour isn't about eating to compete, it's about celebrating each vendor and each unique spin on the American staple they create. Some places are more traditional in their approach while other places push the encased meat's culinary extremes.

The Dogfather is a place that creates hot dog concoctions that are out of the ordinary. I heard Mark had come up with a new creation, so I headed on out to see what it was.

Catch The Dogfather on Hot Dog Stories

A Coney Island at Zipity Do Dogs with Onion Crunch

Last week, I got this email from a guy named Nick Loeb:

"I would love to send you a samples to Blog about Onion Crunch, we are in 100’s of hot dog carts and restaurants around the country, all the Sabrett Hot Dog Carts and Angels Stadium as a Hot Dog topping

Let me know where I can send it"

Since Onion Crunch is a hot, new hot dog condiment, Nick wanted the expert opinion of the Hotdogman. Those who know me well know "if it's free, it's for me," so I sent Nick my address and in a few days I got this honkin 12 ounce container in the mail.

Nick grew up in Scandinavia- his dad was the US Ambassador to Denmark under President Reagan. While he lived there, he got addicted to a roasted onion topping the Danes put on their hot dogs. While visiting Denmark as an adult, he brought some home and his friends loved them. 

Long story short, Nick figured out a way to make his Onion Crunch in the USA and a new company and hot dog topping were born.

I did a bit of research on Nick. The lucky dog is the longtime boyfriend of Sofia Vergara from the ABC TV show Modern Family.

He is also a former candidate for Florida's state senate (I won't hold that against him) and is a Managing Partner at Carbon Solutions America. Not exactly the resume for a hot dog condiment tycoon, but what the heck.

I decided to take my container of Onion Crunch down the road to Zipity Do Dog in Framingham. I thought Onion Crunch would taste good on a Coney Island dog and Mike down at Zipity's has the best Coney Island Sauce in the area.

I turns out Mike had some Onion Crunch too! He loaded up a Coney Island Dog for me, replacing the standard chopped onions with Onion Crunch. He was thinking of creating a specialty dog highlighting Onion Crunch as the central ingredient, but for now he's just using it as an additional condiment.

I CHOWED DOWN!

Onion Crunch tastes just like you'd expect. It has a nice onion flavor, but it's crispy and crunchy. I called it "Crunyumchy." It is similar to the canned fried onions you may be familiar with, but it is a bit crunchier and not at all greasy like other brands I have encountered. According to Nick, Onion Crunch is catching on as a hot dog condiment nationwide. I can see why- it has a nice, almost smoky onion taste and the crunch adds nice texture to your hot dog; anyone who has ever put potato chips in a sandwich will love that. It's not bad as a little snack either.

Onion Crunch is available in Massachusetts at Price Chopper, Big Y and Costco. I imagine it will be available at other stores soon too. You can also buy Onion Crunch online in the 12 and 6 ounce size or by the case. It's only $5.79 for the 12 ounce size- about the same for a big old jug-o-mustard- and it really is great on a hot dog! 

Even Sofia Vergara likes to

CHOW DOWN

on a dog with Onion Crunch on it. What a woman!

Just in time for the Spring doggin' season in the Northeast, Onion Crunch will come in some additional flavors: chipotle, Parmesan, bacon-flavored and barbecue. 

Bring it on, Nick. Onion Crunch is Crunyumchy!

Check out the video of my visit to Zipity Do Dog with my container of Onion Crunch.

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.

Naughty Dogs Out

I was kinda sad this past weekend when I read about a place I visited on my National Hot Dog Month Tour. Naughty Dogs, a joint in Fairhaven I visited on July 24, is being evicted from their location. Their landlord gave them 30 days notice! The owners of Naughty Dogs received a thirty day notice to quit at the beginning of the month. Apparently local fans of the place are feeling sad about this great little place having to leave.

Not for nothing, but if they lawyer up, they can stay until after Christmas! That would get them through the busy Christmas shopping season (it's right near a busy mall) and give them time to find a suitable new location.

 I went through the same thing with my hot dog truck. While it wasn't pleasant, I was able to get through the season. Whatever they decide to do, I wish them well. I will keep Hot Dog Nation abreast of these developments.

Read all about it on South Coast News.

Hot Doggin in Maine: Nunan's Lobster Hut

Our third stop on our Hot Doggin' in Maine mini tour was a restaurant that is on my top 5 favorite restaurants list: Nunan's Lobster Hut in Cape Porpoise, Maine.

Nunan's is a rustic little shack, built on stilts out over a salt marsh. The Nunan family has been selling lobster since 1953 and has seen 4 generations work in the family biz.

I ambushed Terri Nunan, wife of one of the third generation Nunan's, who runs the front of the house-er-shack. It is rumored that Terri walks over ten miles per night in the restaurant. She was gracious enough to give me a "behind the scenes look" at the operation. It's a true family business. They own three boats to catch the lobsters and everyone is involved in some way, whether it's catching them, cooking them, or working in the restaurant. The first fifth generation Nunan is a few months old- CONGRATS!

She let me in the kitchen and gave a nice interview for Hot Dog Stories.

In case you're wondering why I would be visiting a lobster shack for Hot Dog Stories, Nunan's qualifies: they serve Kayem franks. Of course you'd have to be out of your friggin mind to order a hot dog at this place!

The inside of the place is funky and very lobster shackish.

There are all sorts of photos of old Kennebunkport, lobsters, boats, lobster memorabilia, even mounted lobsters. 

The requisite lobster nets and buoys hang from the rafters.

Lindsey, our server, was terrific and a real good sport. Mrs. HDM and I are easy customers at Nunan's: we know the drill and we know exactly what we want.

The first thing they bring you at Nunan's is a roll, a bag of chips and two or three pickle slices. We always ask for extra pickles.

Mrs. HDM gets a kick out of the "extra pickles" schtick.

We always split a tray of steamers to start. The clams were sweet and tender. No grit at all.

Next up is lobster. These suckers always get me worked up!

We each got the twin lobster special of the night. The lobsters come pre-cracked for easy dining.

Every once in a while, you get one that needs to go back in the pot! (just kidding-it's actually the annual "goofy lobster picture")

We tore into these babies-there's no lobster meat left when we're finished!

After dinner we washed up in one of two dining room hand sinks- lobster in the rough is a tad messy.

To complete a perfect meal, it takes a perfect dessert and Nunan's Home Made Blueberry pie fits the bill. The pies are baked daily and I have yet to find better blueberry pie ANYWHERE (sorry mom).

Look at that bite of pie. Yummmy!

Lobster tastes better in Maine and it tastes even better at Nunan's.

TWO THUMBS WAAAAAAAY UP!

Put this place on your dining bucket list.

If you're in the Kennebunk area- heck even if you're not- GO EAT AT NUNAN's.

Make  sure you tell Terri "the Hotdogman sent me."

Check out the video of our visit to Nunan's on Hot Dog Stories.

Withdrawal Symptoms: Zippity Do Dog's Coney Island Hot Dog

Today is August third, three short days after the completion of my National Hot Dog Month celebration where I ate a hot dog a day at a different venue. I ran into Zippity Do Dog owner Mike Gerrol while we were both grabbing an iced coffee at Cumby's last night. He remarked on my visits to George's Coney Island in Worcester and Nick's Original Coney Island Weiners in Fall River and told me I had to try his Coney Island dog. So, today I stopped by around noon.

Metrowest doesn't have a true Coney Island hot dog joint. The closet you get is Archie's on a Roll in Marlborough, but he serves Michigan Sauce on his dogs. I won't go into the differences between the two sauce styles, but suffice to say there isn't a Coney Island hot dog stand between Boston and Worcester.

Coney Island sauce is essentially a meat only kind of chili. The main ingredients are ground beef and chili powder, but each hot dog joint has their own spin on their sauce. Some are spicier up front, some are sweet, and some are very savory. Every good Coney Island hot dog joint guards their sauce recipe like a state secret. Whatever way any given Coney Island sauce is seasoned, if the sauce is fresh made, it's sure to be a good experience.

I stepped up to the counter and asked Mike for a Coney. It really should be called a Coney Island style dog, since it's served on Zippity Do Dog's signature grilled, split top New England bun (a bun methodology wholeheartedly endorsed by yours truly). An "authentic" Coney Island hot dog would be served on a steamed hot dog roll. I am not going to get nit picky about authenticity- I like grilled buns. I also gave Mike a pointer on the presentation; he served it up with the onions and mustard on top of the sauce. Fred Beaudry, the owner of Nick's, said the proper way to serve a Coney dog is to put the mustard directly on the hot dog, cover that with the sauce, then put freshly diced onions on top. Mike assured me he would correct the presentation (his niece Jenny had been telling him to serve them that way for quite some time and she felt vindicated by my "correction").

The most important ingredient of a Coney Island hot dog, after a piping hot (Kayem in Zippity's case) hot dog, is the sauce. Mike's Coney sauce did not disappoint. It was not overly spicy and it had a hearty flavor that said "hey, this here's a mighty fine meat sauce." Mike said he'd stack his Coney sauce up against any others out there. It was good, but I really don't like getting into the whole "who has the best sauce" argument. Like I said, each place is different. On this day, Zippity Do Dog had the best Coney Island hot dog in the parking lot!

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.