My mom is originally from Easton, PA where they have a hot dog that is hands down everyone's favorite and has been for many decades. Actually, it's been a favorite even after moving locations multiple times. As a kid, I used to go to Jimmy's when it was at its Delaware River location(I'd like a table for 2 please at James on the Delaware) and get her 'taste of home' every time we visited the area. Jimmy's has since moved to a shopping mall just off of Route 22 and it's only now that I'm older that I have a full appreciation for what they do. You see, they only do hot dogs. You walk in and the guy behind the counter simply asks 'how many?' and 'with everything?'. That's it. You can get a bag of chips or a soda if you want, but their business is hot dogs and business is good. A Jimmy dog consists of the following. A steamed/roasted hot dog, mustard, onions, a full sized pickle spear and bun. The bun is steamed and I would bet a large chunk of $$$ that the hot dogs and bun have met up with beer somewhere along the way. Just a guess, but I've eaten quite a few of these dogs. I actually used to alter my route home from the CIA simply to have a few hot dogs from Jimmy's. There is something very special about the steamed goodness that lives inside those cellophane wrappers. By the way, there is a very specific way they wrap up the hot dogs for you and it hasn't changed for as long as I can remember. This is just a great hot dog.
OK, so let's remember that I'm Hanover born and bred.....so is my dad. As you can imagine, Hanover has its own claim to hot dog fame. There are not many things that make me as happy as two hot dogs with everything and a fry with chili. Don't know how to explain it, it just makes me smile. That smell. Those onions. I could go on and try to describe the taste sensation, but I have to just back away from the computer and say that if you've never had one, you should come to Hanover and try it. AND, if you have had a hot dog with everything and don't like it, then you have the palate of a donkey's backside. Plain and simple. Oh, for the true Hanoverians who are going to ask me if I'm a Famous or Texas guy, well let's put it simply. There is only one true hot dog with everything in Hanover and it lives at the FAMOUS.
Oh yeah and in the Hatfield and McCoy battle that is Easton vs. Hanover family hot dog wars. Hanover wins.....
8 comments:
Really like the fries at Texas, though.
You are just so parochial. Neither of your dogs can hold a candle to a Sahlen's Red hot from Ted's in Buffalo, or a Zwiegel's White Hot from Don's or Bill Grey's in Rochester.
Actually, I agonize over my choice (and have a blog post in the works) about which I prefer. My home town vs. my new home town. The problem: they are different animals and I like both!!!!
Hot Dogs and Pizza. Two things that the East Coast just cannot do properly. Im a Chicago boy. I am partial to all things Hot Dogs and Pizza. I capitalize them to show my respect.
Vienna Beef hot dogs. The only hot dog. Best Kosher is pretty good, Hebrew National isnt bad, but a tad too garlicky for my taste.
Steamed poppyseed bun, mustard, onions, perhaps some green relish and a couple of wedges of tomato if you are into that sort of thing, topped off with some celery salt or just plain Morton's salt. The salt is the key.
Pizza on the East Coast is truly awful. In Westminster there is a place called Classico Pizza, next to the Safeway by McDaniel college. They have a decent pizza, not spectacular but decent. And there was one place in Glen Rock, PA that isnt too bad. Anthony's maybe?
That floppy, greasy, no sauce pizza that you fold over isnt pizza. I have no idea what it is other than heartburn on a paper plate. I have had to create my own stuffed pizza recipe in order to satiate my craving for real Chicago Pizza. Stuffed pizza. Spinach and Sausage. Nothing like it. A bit of Scamorza, some Fontina and mozzarella blended with fresh chopped spinach, sausage hunks spread over the top of the cheese, then covered with a second layer of crust made with corn meal flour, baked half way, then topped with fresh sauce made with hand squeezed San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, parmesean, oregano, olive oil, salt, perhaps some rosemary and thyme...finished in the oven for another 20 minutes...
I think Im going to have to hit the store.
Oh, and if you have not heard of this guy, he is doing amazing things with hot dogs and sausages. Totally worth a trip to Chicago for his food. Gourmet hot dogs and sausages, or "encased meats" as he prefers to call them...good stuff!
http://www.hotdougs.com/
I agree there is nothing like a good dog. My mouth is watering after your comments about Jimmy's so I fell a road trip coming on. I have 2 places that I am fond of for a good dog. If you're ever in Buffalo Ted's rocks. To many styles of dogs to describe but all of them great. The other is in Washington D.C. Ben's Chili bowl may not have the best chili or the best hot dogs on their own but when put together they're hard to beat. Thanks again for your inspirational discourse about the hot dog.
The ween is the best dog in the universe. But if you want something out of the ordinary then a Hoffman's at Heid's in Liverpool, NY is your best bet. It is a veal-dog with very good spices. You can also uy the Hoffman dogs in Wegman's if you are lucky enough to be near one.
There was a fantastic PBS documentary on hot dogs a while back. They replay it every once in a while. I think they also did a series on ice cream too.
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