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.

National Hot Dog Month Day 30

July 30, the second to last stop on the National Hot Dog Month Tour, brought me to my home town of Needham, MA to Dog Gone Ron's. Owner Eric Wegner has been slinging hot dogs out of a tiny cart (and a nicely restored 1974 Chevy Blazer) out in front of the Mobil Station he owns for 9 years.

I originally had other plans for today, but after watching another Needham native, Ally Raisman, perform on the Olympic stage in women's gymnastics Sunday night, I got nostalgic. That's what brought me to Dog Gone Ron's. People in town were definitely buzzing about the young lady who is poised for Olympic greatness. I wonder if she puts ketchup on her hot dogs?

Drew Bennett was sleeping off another weekend of working the help desk, but I brought my camera and posted some pictures on the Hot Dog Stories Facebook page.

Get the full story on my visit to Dog Gone Ron's 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 21: Dog Gone Ron's in Needham, MA

On Thursday, July 21 for the 21st day of my Eat a Hot Dog a Day in honor of National Hot Dog Month tour, I found myself in the hometown of my youth, Needham, Massachusetts.

That's the home of Dog Gone Ron's hot dog cart. Since 2003, Eric has been slinging dogs in downtown Needham and he's currently Needham's only mobile food vendor.

Dog Gone Ron's is located in front of the Mobil Gas station at 1111 Great Plain Avenue in Needham. It's owned by a classmate of my little brother's, Eric Wagner. Eric also owns the gas station, but he confessed he likes being a hot dog man better than a gas station man. He tows a small hot dog cart with a 1975 Chevy Blazer he's restoring (he's retired the 1971 Blazer he used to tow it with).

This is one of the smaller towable hot dog carts I have come across, but Eric manages to sell over 200 hot dogs a day. He's open from 11:30 to 3:30, Monday through Friday. He's also been known to do a few local events on weekends with his cart.

They serve up an all beef, skinless Old Neighborhood frank "dirty water"" style at Dog Gone Ron's. Eric says he grew up loving these hot dogs, that's why he sells them.

Like most hot dog carts, the condiment selection is streamlined. You can get hot sauce, celery salt, kraut, onions relish, brown or yellow mustard, and ketchup.

The dining room consist of a small bench surrounding a perennial garden in the corner of the gas station lot.

It was close to a hundred degrees outside, but Dog Gone Ron's was slammed at the lunch rush nonetheless. Eric sold a ton of cold drinks today!

The Boston Globe, who will be doing a feature article on yours truly in this Sunday's Boston West section, sent out a photographer to take a picture of me chowing down! That's Eric, the owner, looking on.

Dog Gone Ron's gets TWO THUMBS UP

HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

Stop by Dog Gone Ron's the next time you're in Needham. You can fill up your tank, then fill up your tummy. Make sure you tell Eric "the Hotdogman sent me."

Be sure to check out the video of my visit to Dog Gone Ron's on Hot Dog Stories.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 19: Jeannie's Weenies in Holliston

July 19th's stop on my journey to eat a hot dog a day in honor of National Hot Dog Month was an old favorite- Jeannie's Weenies, on the corner of Chestnut Street and route 16 in Holliston, Massachusetts. 

The "open" flag was flying, so I pulled in.

Jeannie's Weenies is run by the husband and wife team of Bruce and Jeannie Farago. They have a combined 37 years of restaurant experience and last year they decided to parlay all that know how into opening Holliston's only hot dog cart. Bruce runs the cart and slings the dogs while Jeannie does the books, marketing and catering. When she's not running her hot dog business, she tends bar at Casey's Pub in Holliston.

It's a cute little cart- a Ben's Big Dog cart to be exact. Bruce believes hot dogs taste better from a hot dog cart and he has customers who stop just for the cart.

It's self service on the condiments at Jeannie's Weenies, unless you get chili or cheese.

The customers were in high spirits on this gorgeous summer day. This guy wants to be a model for the next generation of Uncle Sam posters.

This guy joked around while waiting for his chili dogs. He said his camera shy friend wouldn't get his picture taken because he's in the witness protection program. He was kidding.... I think.

These guys made sure the dogs weren't hot. The hot dogs at Jeannies Weenies are the hottest around.

Here's my hot dog. Jeannie's Weenies serves up an Old Neighborhood frank on a steamed, split top roll. Bruce makes the hottest dogs around- and they have a real good snap too. Condiments include chili, cheese sauce, yellow and brown mustard, ketchup (don't get me started), relish, onions, and red pepper relish. I made one all around and...

CHOWED DOWN!

I think Bruce is right- hot dogs DO taste better from a hot dog cart; especially when it's from Jeannie's Weenies. I see five thumbs up in this picture- it would have been six, but I didn't want to drop my hot dog!

When you're in Holliston going down route 16, stop at Jeannie's Weenies and tel Bruce and Jeannie "the Hotdogman sent me."

HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

See the video of my visit to Jeannie's Weenies on Hot Dog Stories.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 17: Gary's Best in New Bedford

It was a drop dead gorgeous day July 17, the 17th day of my quest to eat a hot dog a day for National Hot Dog Month. We had some serious decision making to do about how and when I was going to get my daily hot dog and still grab a full day at the beach. Luckily, a friend told me about Gary's Best on 958 Ashley Boulevard (route 18) in New Bedford. Not only are they open Sundays- they are open from 9 AM to 9PM! Hot dogs for brunch anyone?

The dining room is HUGE at Gary's Best: there are 17 picnic tables!

Mrs. Hotdogman, Little Miss and I ambled up to the window at ten past ten and were greeted by two of the cutest and friendliest hot dog vendors we've come across in our journeys: Fabulous Felicia and Amazing Amy. We were greeted like old friends and they were eager to share the story of Gary's Best.

The menu offers hot dogs with standard condiments, quahogs, linguica, tuna salad, chicken salad, and pork butt sandwiches. They serve up Old Neighborhood Franks here and their signature dog is a hot dog topped with the house specialty linguica sauce. The sauce is a tomato based meat sauce that uses chopped linguica instead of ground beef as the meat.

There's loads of choices on the drinks and chips side of things.

I couldn't believe there was a line at quarter past ten on a Sunday morning- these dogs must be good!

We spied owner Joe Franco chatting up some neighborhood gals- he wasn't working today, but he was hanging around chatting with the regulars. You can tell by talking to Joe he loves his business and his customers.

Joe started Gary's Best back in 1984 when he was laid off from a local plant. The day after he was laid off, he was on a plane for a previously planned trip to Hawaii with his wife. While sitting on the beach, Mrs. Franco asked him what he was going to do for work when they got home. He had an epiphany- he'd had a part time job at a hot dog stand in the past, so he decided to open Gary's Best. That's just what he did when he got back from Hawaii! The hot dog joint is named after Joe's son and has been open for 27 years. Joe thinks he owes his success to the fact that he likes to treat his customers right and keep them happy.

With Awesome Amy flashing that pretty smile, she could probably kick me in the throat and I'd be happy!

Mrs. HDM and I ordered up two dogs with the signature linguica sauce, onions under and squeeze cheese. Little Miss got one with mustard.

Little Miss is loving it.

Mrs. Hotdogman has reverted to her camera shy ways...

I 

CHOWED DOWN

(I won't lie- I had two!!!)

Gary's Best is a great little hot dog stand- the kind you'd want to have in your home town. The have good people, good hot dogs and the Linguica Sauce is out of this world. I see eight thumbs up in this picture- there should be more!

The next time you're in New Bedford (or even close by), stop in at Gary's Best and try a hot dog with the linguica sauce. Make sure you tell who ever is working, "the Hotdogman sent me."

HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

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