Warmest Wishes for the Coldest Season

Though I have been unofficially breaking from this blog I figured it would be a good time to wish you all, my fans and friends, Happy Holidays.

So without further ado:

 HAPPIEST HOLIDAYS

to You and Yours. 

Ha.

From Me and Mines.

I've been craving Bangers and Mash.

Retrospective: The Summer of Love

Here's a look at some of my "better" pictures.

I'm thinking about making some prints.

Comment: Which one is your favorite?

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Grote & Weigel Revisited

So this time around with Grote & Weigel wasn't so bad. I cooked them in a frying pan and burned them to hell. I bit one of the plain ends off and wasn't turned on from these wieners as I have been in the past; however, I definitely wasn't as turned OFF as I was last week.

Maybe they've changed the recipe slightly. Maybe I haven't been having good luck with expiration/sell by dates. The uncooked wieners did feel a little greasy after sitting in the refrigerator for a week, but they cooked up fine.

Not to discredit Grote & Weigel, because I didn't notice anything particularly funky about the dogs this time, I must say that the true star of this "Sunday Communion" was my choice to top them off with Uncle Maynard's Hot Pepper Relish (and Gulden's Spicy Brown). I couldn't really taste much hot dog under all that relish.

I wasn't chewing on rubbery sheep intestines, so that's good.

Uncle Maynard's Pepper Relish cannot be beat. End of story.

I plan to do a special post for Uncle Maynard's Pepper relish soon.

This wiener tag team gets a 3/5!

Caswell's Seafood

 I thrust the wiener into my mouth and closed my teeth upon it; it's sweet juices flowed out over my tongue.

I went to Caswell's Seafood, in Weymouth, with my pal. We got wieners.

I have driven by Caswell's several times and have always been intrigued by the advertisement of "LONG HOT DOGS" on the sign.

My wiener was pretty good.

It came standard on a buttered-toasted roll. I got it with mustard, onions, and relish. I was pleased with the portion of toppings. I sprinkled a little bit of black pepper on as well.

I found the wiener to be VERY juicy. I enjoyed this. Other than that, it was pretty standard.

An upgrade from the wieners at Sullivan's Castle Island.

I give Caswell's a 3/5!

Grote & Weigel Pork & Beef Frankfurters

Disclaimer: Today I have experienced disappointment unlike anything hitherto.

I have always loved Grote & Weigel Frankfurters in the past but today something just wasn't right. Actually, nothing was right.

My dear fans; fellow wiener lovers, prepare for a true tragedy. Brace yourselves for...

Slum Dog Take II

or How To Succeed At Complete Failure

I really looked forward to commenting on the special "breakfast-sausage-like" seasoning present in these franks, but all I could taste was a strong OTHER FACTOR. However, the blame for this atrocity may totally fall upon the chef. I am that chef.

So, what went wrong?

1. I cooked these hot dogs on a panini press with butter. Although the skin burst open and there were light grill marks, there was absolutely no char. The issue here is that the casing was rubbery. I also believe that the rubbery case was the source of the unfavorable OTHER flavor. Maybe this could have been fixed by cooking them longer.

2. Once I assumed the hot dogs were ready, I placed them into the rolls and pressed them. The rolls were compromised structurally and very soggy.

3. After the rolls were marked with grill lines I peeled them open, and topped them with the "Slum Dog" toppings (hot onion, tamarind chutneys). It was a soggy mess.

I think the major failing with this entire preparation is that it was a bit too grandiose. Also, my expectations were a little too high.

I was so grossed out that I only ate 1.5/2 wieners. I don't think I'll be using the panini press in any aspect of hot dog cooking ever again.

Next time I have Grote & Weigel's, I'll be sure to grill them.

We regret to inform you that you are not eligible for enrollment this year. 1/5!

Mid-Atlantic Wiener Extravaganza!

Last weekend, I went to New York and Pennsylvania (with my lady friend) to partake in some Kaiju action, and of course there were hot dogs to be had.

- Manhattan -

Part 1: Dog-cupy Wall Street

I picked up these dogs from a street vendor near the World Trade Center. I found the cart occupying Zuccotti (Liberty) Park with a Sabrett umbrella. I asked the man for a hot dog and he proceeded to place 3 sausages of varying sizes on the grill. He quickly told me the difference between the three and I ruled out the Italian sausage (that was the only one I caught) and had "one of each" of the remaining. I had him put "whatever-you've-got" on it which turned out to be: ketchup, mustard, shredded-cabbage-stuff, caramelized onions and raw onions.

The highlight was the bigger of the two wieners. This wieners was slightly lighter in color and sliced open down the middle. It had a strange texture-- almost like a veggie dog but a little more firm. Was it a veggie dog? It didn't have a typical meat feeling to it. It was almost lighter and fluffier. Either way I liked it. It was also much spicier than the other dog which was topped the same way. One might even call it a HOT! dog.

The bigger pinker wiener gets a 4/5. Its average buddy gets a 3/5.

- Philly -

Part 2: Philly Cheese WHAT!?

I had always wanted to go to Bubby's Brisket and Bugsy's Weiners (yes, they spelled wiener wrong) when in Philadelphia, and this time around I "made it happen." Seeing Philly Dog on the menu was an instant choice. I also got the Special Dog (or I think that's what it was called) with mustard and onions. The Special was a BIG BEEFY BEHEMOTH and nothing more. The Philly Dog on the other hand was truly special.

They used a regular sized wiener for this combo. Split down the middle with Cheez Whiz and grilled onions. The creamy tang of the whiz went over nicely on a hot dog. Onions are almost always good. Only negative was the dog was a little lost in the cheese. Maybe a Special dog Philly style is the answer. There's always next time!

Special dog get's a 3/5. Philly Dog get's a 4/5.

Maple Leaf Skinless Franks

Maple Leaf skinless franks always seem to be on standby in my household refrigerator, and tonight I was lucky enough to come home from work and find some freshly cooked on standby. These hot dogs were sitting there waiting and I had to make them mine-- so I did.

My father had cooked these with slits up the side in a frying pan and also buttered and toasted the rolls. I added some black pepper and Trader Joe's Pickle Slices which were provided by my friends mom. I couldn't find any desirable mustard in my fridge so I regretfully skipped that step.

Appearance: Skinless franks fried with side slits. A little well done. Pink on inside.

Smell: BUTTA! Mmm buttered roll.

Taste: These are neutral wieners. There is a little bit of spice. No odd/unwanted flavors.

Texture: Not a firm wiener, not a soft wiener. An in betWIENER. Crunchy and buttery saturated roll with pickle slices are a nice addition.

Overall: Not the best wieners I've ever had but, I have had them a million times. Budget priced and certainly NOT bad.

Thanks again to my pappy and also my friends mom.

These wieners get a 3/5!

Windy City Eats: Bruin Dog & Spicy Corn Dog

I'll keep this brief.

It poured tonight.

I went to Windy City Eats with my bro. HIS TREAT! I got a Bruin Dog and a Spicy Corn Dog. He got a regular Corn Dog and a Cheese Dog.

Bruin Dog: On a poppy seed bun with Boston Baked Beans. There was one random slice of a hot pepper. Franks n' beans all in one.

Spicy Corn Dog: Corn dogs are good. I'm not really convinced that this one was spicy though. Maybe it wasn't?

I had a grand scheme about taking pictures of these wieners but it didn't quite pan out.

As with most trips to Windy City, I was too busy stuffing my face to pay much attention to anything.

Another solid Windy City experience. 4/5!

Applegate Farms Natural Big Apple Hot Dogs

The Big Apple Natural Casing Hot Dogs from Applegate Farms have NEVER failed me. I first found these at Whole Foods about a year ago and have been loving them ever since. These were grilled and put in Joseph's Hot Dog Pitas (provided by my kind mother) with lettuce and Boar's Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise (provided by my excellent sister).

Appearance: Grilled to my usual liking. These wieners kind of shriveled up after being off the grill for a few minutes.

Smell: I don't know exactly what I'm smelling but it's GOOD. Definitely a little bit of spice going on.

Taste: I really hit the jackpot this time. These wieners have a perfect hot dog taste which went really well with the Pepperhouse Gourmaise. Lettuce: WHY NOT?

Texture: You wouldn't be able to say that these dogs are all bark and no bite. They have a nice and firm snap with smooth meat that is just moist enough. Lettuce was a great addition to the mix. I will say the pita was a little weak in construction but I dare you to show me a sturdy pita.

Overall: This was almost too good to be true. Wiener bliss. I'll be sure to have this combo or variations of.

Applegate Farms Big Apple Hot Dogs get a 5/5!

Applegate Farms Organic Beef Hot Dogs

My cousin hooked me up with some grass-fed beef hot dogs made by Applegate Farms. What a good cousin. These puppies were grilled and I had mine with Uncle Maynard's Hot Pepper Relish which I would say is a better product than the Howard's. It has a bit of a cinnamon flavor to it. I found mine at Stop and Shop.

Appearance: These wieners are short and stumpy. No natural skin. They darkened up nicely on the grill but were a little resistant to blistering and splitting. Darker pink on the inside.

Smell: Cooking these on the grill gave off a hamburger smell. Either due to the exceptional beefiness of the wieners or maybe just some left over hamburger smell from previous grill use.

Taste: These wieners taste like meat and nothing else.

Texture: Biting into the wieners, they are a little on the tough side regardless of their skinless state. Firm and juicy.

Overall: These wieners are "aight." Not as exciting in the flavor category as the Apple Gate all-natural Big Apple franks. Organic vs. all natural. I will note that there is a bit of an other-factor going on: putting these wieners down my throat made my burps taste fishy. Just putting that out there.

I give these wieners a 3/5!

Sullivan's

Went to Sullivan's at Castle Island the other day with my lady friend.

If you are looking for a decent wiener at a low cost Sullivan's will do the trick.

Nothing special though. Not a hot dog place but a cheap food place at a tourist spot.

Wieners from Sullivan's come standard with a buttered toasted roll. Mine were grilled into the dark side. Choice of mustard, relish, onions, and ketchup. I got mine sans ketchup.

After ordering, the wieners come fast.

I think they're Kayem Frankfurters. They seem skinnier though than the ones in the supermarket.

I wouldn't make a special trip for these dogs but would pick some up if near Castle Island.

Not bad overall. 3/5!

Southern Florida Wiener Adventures

The lady and I recently drove down to Florida to stay at her pappy's house. He treated us to many things including Hot Dogs.

At Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour in Dania Beach, FL, ice cream isn't the only ridiculously portioned item on the menu. They have GIANT WIENERS that are pretty good.

I got the 1/2 pound "New York Style" which came with pepper relish, cucumber relish, chopped onions, and cole slaw. This wiener was massive but came out to be a nice sized meal/snack on its own. Very filling. And yummy.

The 1 pound "Artillery Dog" comes with the same toppings. It is served with an air raid siren going off. Hand thrown in for gauge. This was ordered by one of my cohorts. Maybe next time I'll try to conquer this wiener.

AND...

I was given a pleasurable experience by the wieners at Dogma Grill in Miami. They serve Sabrett frankfurters here.

I ordered a "Pitchfork" which had barbecue sauce, cheese, bacon, and carmelized onions. It did the trick. Could have used a little more heat and non-orange cheese.

...and a Chicago style.

Looking forward to going down and checking out some other SoFlo wiener joints next year. I would definitely go to Jaxson's again and order something a little more interesting. Special thanks to the girlfriend's father for making it all possible.

Maybe I can get back on track with a regular posting schedule now that my vacations are out of the way.

Wiener Rendezvous

Usually when a man shows me his wiener I try to keep it between the two of us, but I felt that this particular occasion had to be shared!

My friend had me over for wieners and he chose to cook Hebrew National, which I'm not really a fan of, but I'll try anything twice. Cooked on a charcoal grill these wieners were nice and tan. However this experience was more about the A+ condiments.

Top-secret-heavily-guarded-ages-old-recipes for pickled onions and spicy mayo were used. Hot Damn! This was definitely a spicy combo. Some lime juice squeezed over the top was a nice balancing touch.

I enjoyed these wieners but I don't think it had anything to do with the wieners themselves.

This sh'meal gets a 4/5!

Thumann's Premium Natural Casing Franks

My girlfriend picked these Thumann's wieners up for me at Roche Bros deli a few days ago. The night she gave them to me we had ordered takeout from Punjab Cafe and so I waited to try these weenies out. After finishing the meal we realized that we had neglected to use the delicious chutneys that came with our food. And the rest is history...

I ate one plain and two SLUM DOG style.

Slum Dog: A hot dog dressed with Indian Chutneys. In this case spicy onion and tamarind (I think?) chutneys were used.

I think I may have invented this killer condiment combo!

Appearance: I cooked these wieners to my typical grilling specs: uncut wiener skin grilled until sides are thoroughly split open with generous amounts of grill coloring. The hot dogs before and after cooking are orange-ish.

Smell: BUTTER. Opening the deli bag I was nearly knocked on the floor by an odd butter smell. Weird but not totally unsettling.

Taste: The wieners themselves have a strange buttery taste with a mild spiciness. The condiments are what blew me away here. The hotness of the spicy onion with the sweetness of the tamarind is a winning combo (that's why they always come on the side with Indian food). However, the butter taste didn't jive well with these condiments.

Texture: The natural skin on these wieners bites easily and is chewy in the mouth. The actual meat is nice and consistent and juicy.

Overall: The wieners weren't bad but the butter taste was a little odd. A buttered roll would probably push them over the edge. The Slum Dog dressing however was without rival. I will try it again with a more appropriate hot dog: something that doesn't taste like butter.

Thumann's Premium Natural Casing Franks get a 2/5!

Slum Dog gets a 5/5! Booyah!

Montreal Hot Dog Fest

Yeah I'm six days late on this one.

So I really wanted to have an all out hot dog fest while vacationing in Montreal, but it didn't really work out that way due to lack of motivation. Montreal isn't really known for wieners anyway.

I'll keep this short.

To the left are two hot dogs from Mont Royal. I got one Roti (toastie) and one Vapeur (steamie), both dogs were "all dressed" (mustard/onions/coleslaw) which is the Montreal way. They were skinless, "steamed" hot dogs, apparently Lester's brand. The steamie had a sort of Frenchish roll and the toastie had buttered/toasted New England Style roll. Coleslaw on a hot dog is a good idea to me!

They were pretty good but nothing special. 3/5.

This is supposed to be the hot dog place in Montreal but it didn't seem to be too special. From what I gathered a lot of places serve the Lester's brand franks. I was kind of hoping for something natural casing. I'd think about getting them again next time I go to Montreal for a CHEAP bite. Also, I got poutine here.

AND...

My girlfriend got these all-dressed veggie dogs (tofu dogs?) at Lafleur, a Montreal fast food chain. Hehehehe! I don't think these were anything special for her either.

They were out of veggie poutine.

* for future reference *

I did find a place that I wanted to try after I had stuffed a crepe into to my stomach. Unfortunately, I was too full to stop. But I did notice all kinds of steaming meats and sausages in the window of Slovenia Boucherie-Charcuterie. I'm 99% sure that they had wieners, or just some long skinny hot dog colored sausages. It will have to wait until I get up there again.

Fin.

--

Make sure to tune in next time for the world premier of the...

SLUM DOG!

Windy City Eats: Chicago Dog & Corn Dog

I almost forgot to get wieners tonight so I ended up getting these, to-go, from Windy City Eats in Weymouth, MA.

Appearance: The wieners themselves are standard pink natural casing. Chicago Dog: On a poppy seed roll with mustard, green relish, onion, tomato, pickle, hot peppers, and celery salt. Classic Chicago style I suppose. Corn Dog: Nice brown on the outside, golden inside. The stick that they come on is huge.

Smell: I was too busy shoving wieners down my throat to smell anything. On the ride home I could smell the sweet corniness of the corn dog.

Taste: More about preparation and condiments with these dogs. Chicago: Nice mix of flavors with the million different toppings. The hot peppers are dominant. Corn: Nice sweet cross between corn bread and Chinese chicken finger. I had some mustard with it too which was good. This is my first time ever having a corn dog. Yummahz!

Texture: These wieners are firm with a nice snap to the skin. Chicago: Nice crunch from the onions/pickle/peppers. The bun got a touch soggy during transit. Corn: Crunchy on the outside soft on the inside. Eliminates to-go sog.

Overall: I love Windy City Eats. I've gone a few times before and intend to go back for more reviews. Hopefully with better planning next time. They really push the Vienna Beef brand but it's good stuff.

This trip to Windy City gets a 5/5!

Old Neighborhood Frankfurts

Today, I picked up a 3lb box (approximately 21 wieners) of Old Neighborhood Natural Casing Frankfurts at Hannaford for $10.99 (on 07/07/11). The use-by date "AUG-09-11" printed on the bottom of the box. Exciting fact about these wieners: made in Lynn, Massachusetts. WOWIE! I grilled these wieners and garnished them with black pepper, Claussen Pickle Slices, Howard's Sweet Pepper Relish, and a good squiggle of Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard.

Appearance: These wieners are a peachy-pinkish color with some tanning/sunburning/light-charring brought out by grilling. Light skin-bursting up the sides of the frankfurts. Closer up after biting in, the wiener is light pink on the inside with little orange specks. The condiments only enhance the already appealing range of grilled wiener coloring.

Smell: Smells like a wiener that was cooked on the grill with a hint of sausage-spiciness (maybe paprika?).

Taste: Biting into this smooth and subtly spiced wiener is a treat for the taste buds. The grill char is an excellent touch as well. However, there is an odd OTHER kind of taste going on. I can't quite put my finger on it but maybe a chemical/preservative taste. I only notice the OTHER taste when eating the wiener plain without a roll. With my choice of condiments the OTHER taste is completely un-noticeable to me. Which leads me to wonder: Do condiments and preparation give any wiener the potential to be perceived as a really good wiener?

Texture: The natural casing on the babies bites easily and offers a nice crisp pop. They are juicy with nice smooth meat and just a little on the greasy side.

Overall: I really like these wieners but, the OTHER FACTOR takes them down a notch for me. I will probably only buy them again if I am in need for 3 pounds of wieners. On a side note the condiment selection worked really well for me.

These wieners get a 3/5!

Crown Royal Bakery Hot Dog Bun

After work today I decided to stop at the Crown Royal Bakery in Wollaston, MA to pick up some hot-dog-buns. I was introduced to these delicious treats a while back by my co-worker and have had them a million times since. Today was my first time actually going to the bakery and buying them myself. The bakery, I hear, is absolutely mobbed in the morning but when I went at 5PM I was the only one there. I must note because of the time of purchase the bread wasn't as fresh but just a tiny bit more firm than usual.

Appearance: A shiny, tan, and round egg-washed bun with the red head of the hot dog poking out of the ends. The heads must become red from the egg-wash or baking. After biting in, the wiener is revealed as a typical pink-type and the roll yellowy.

Smell: Nothing special to note smelling the hot dog. The roll smells sweet and egg-washy.

Taste: The roll is a little on the sweet side and the mild hot dog is a little on the salty side. Perfect combo of sweet and salty. However, the bread:wiener ratio is a little high with the little oblong hot dog residing within the large round roll.

Texture: The wieners used in these are skinless and on the soft n' chewy side. The roll is soft but not as soft as I have had before. The bread immediately surrounding the wiener is a little soggy: I don't know if this is because of the juices coming out during baking or if they slather the wiener in something; definitely a plus though.

Overall: These dogs are very good and very fulfilling. I'm pretty sure they can be found at almost any Chinese bakery for a good change-up from the traditional wiener. I haven't really tried much else from the bakery but it's supposed to be a pretty good example of Chinese baked goods. At 85 cents a piece (as of 6/30/11), I will definitely buy these again and again and again.

Check out the bakery. It's right across Newport Ave. from the Wollaston Red Line T-Stop.

These wieners get a 4/5!

Pineland Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

I bought these natural Hot Dogs at Whole Foods about a week ago, ate three, put them in the fridge, and revisited them tonight. I swear they were still fine and match up to my memories of my previous eating experience. I cooked these in a frying pan since it was raining. I put these wieners in rolls with a little bit of black pepper for fun and Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard. Now for the review part.

Appearance: These are natural casing style Hot Dogs. Dark red in color with some nice browning from cooking. The dark pink meat inside is chunky but homogeneous, with most moisture residing in between chunks.

Smell: They smell like hot dogs. I don't have the most refined olfactory system. I couldn't get anyone to sniff my wiener for me.

Taste: Nothing too wild. Tastes like beef. Not totally bland but nothing distinct to take notice of.

Texture: Biting into these hot dogs is like a rubber band snap. A little on the chewy side but not gross.

Overall: These dogs were pretty good. Nothing special, but better than numerous alternatives. I wouldn't necessarily buy these again unless I had a hankering for a natural wiener and Applegate Farms were out of stock.

I give Pineland Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dogs a 3/5 rating!

Coming Soon

I will post an actual review SOON. But until then, here are some basic definitions.

Innie: A wiener purchased for in-home consumption.
Outie: A wiener experienced while "dining out."

Wieners will be graded on Appearance, Smell, Taste, Texture and Overall Impression.