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!