Showing posts with label mrs. hotdogman. Show all posts

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!

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 Hoss and Mary's in Old Orchard Beach

Our fourth and final stop while Hot Doggin' in Maine was Hoss and Mary's in Old Orchard Beach. Hoss and Mary's is literally right next to Palace Playland in the heart of Old Orchard Beach- the last true "honky tonk" beach in New England.

Owner Mary, and her husband Hoss, form the culinary and management team at Hoss and Mary's. They were wicked busy when we stopped in and they stay open year-round due to a strong local following.

They have a wide variety of menu items, but of course I was here for a hot dog. Mrs. HDM LOVES Old Orchard Beach (aka The Canadian Riviera) because she can get one of her favorite foods here: POUTINE! She is a World Renowned Expert on the Québécois delicacy.

I got a grilled hot dog: an all beef Pearl, with mustard, onions and relish. The real focus of this visit, however, was Mrs. HDM's poutine.

See how she liked it and get the whole story on our visit to Hoss and Mary's on Hot Dog Stories.

Hot Doggin' in Maine at Wasses in Belfast

The third stop while hot doggin in Maine was Wasses in Belfast, Maine. Wasses has two locations, plus a mobile trailer. The original Wasses is located in Rockland and has been in business over 40 years. The Belfast location, further up Penobscot Bay, has been around half as long.

Jackie, sister of Wasses' part owner Denise Fuller, was minding the stand today along with her mom and other sister who hid from my camera for nearly the entire visit. It appears that at Wasses, the hot dog business is a family affair!

Wasses cooks up an Old Neighborhood frank on a flat top grill with peanut oil! They also saute their onions in the oil. What this does is give the ot dogs a little extra snap and a load of extra flavor.

Both Mrs. HDM and I thought these hot dogs were excellent.

You can get the whole story on our trip to Wasses on Hot Dog Stories.

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 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.

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.

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.

CBS Mystery Theater

I have about 600 channels on my cable TV. Last night, my wife and I were looking for something to watch and all we could agree on was the new episode of Pawn Stars. My wife is a reality TV junkie and I kind of like that show, so that's what we put on. You'd think we'd be able to find at least one other show or movie that appealed to both of us, but we couldn't.

We do have some rules on TV watching: Football gets precedence on the big screen when it is on, as does any game involving the Red Sox and Yankees. Movies or shows we have not seen are also watched on the big screen. The rest of our TV viewing is usually done in our bed room; the caveat is we both must agree on what to watch. UFC cage fighting is taboo in the boudoir- Mrs. HDM is not a fan. Any "paranormal" reality show is also verboten; an hour of people saying "what was that?" is not my idea of entertainment.

But we still have the conundrum of what to watch when the 600 or so channels offer us nothing compelling. Sometimes we will curl up and read in bed, but other times- particularly when it's been a long day- we just want to be entertained.

We are both big mystery fans so, much to our delight, we discovered a website called CBS Mystery Theater that has all 1,399 episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater from 1974-1982. I remember listening to these shows as a kid- well before cable TV or books on tape. We agreed to give some of these shows a listen- we can stream them or download them (we plan to burn a few copies for long car trips). It sure is a nice alternative to some crappy cable TV show.