10th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 21th , 2013 - past trip reports

John, you have my sympathy. I will miss you and Gail. Guess it'll be up to Bill to hold down the fort.

Hello all ,

The buses will depart at 1000am Sat Sept 20th from the Harriman Train MTA Commuter Lot for those meeting in Harriman , County of Orange in Upstate NY .
Arrival at about 1115 - 1130 am at Galloping Hill Inn
Depart GHI at Noon for the other stops on the tour .

I think John should be commened for the addition of Lutzs . He had mentioned it to me a few weeks ago and swore secrecy on me until he could get all the logistics done to see if it was possible to add . As a connoseur of fine German foods I can say I will be looking forward to seeing one of the oldest and last German Butchers in the Tri State area . They have an excellent website .

Sorry you can not make it this year Seafarer , you will be missed and Gail will be missed ,but perhaps we can meet up in the near future in our neck of the woods .

We have added two more for the tour so we are up to 60 .
Approx 10 seats are available for any last minute interested parties .
Email me if interested

Benzee

Adding the Lutz Pork store to the itinerary is an inspired choice John. Great idea! A few years ago my department at work in NY City had an ethnic food day to celebrate our diversity as co-workers. Out of 38 people I think we had about 15 different nationalities represented. Since we already had about 6 Italians I decided to represent my German side and I brought in a spread of goodies prepared by Lutz. It was a big hit, almost as popular as the Filipino Potato Chips and the Sweet Potato Pie.

from the Lehigh Valley Express Times:

• Man cited for throwing hot dogs in Lower Nazareth Township 10:40 a.m. ET


An Easton man was cited Sunday after he allegedly threw hot dogs at Wal-Mart customers in Lower Nazareth Township. Police did not know what brand of hot dog the man allegedly used.An Easton man was cited on Sunday afternoon after he allegedly threw pieces of hot dogs at Wal-Mart customers, Colonial Regional police Officer Michael Kovach said.

Kovach was called to the Wal-Mart on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township about 4:15 p.m. for a report of a man who was intoxicated and throwing hot dogs, Kovach said.

When Kovach arrived he said he found Harvey Clymer, 35, of the first block of North Third Street, highly intoxicated inside the lobby of the store.

Clymer's blood-alcohol content was .39 percent when he took a preliminary breath test, Kovach said.

He said there was a fundraiser selling hot dogs outside the store and Clymer went inside to eat them.

Clymer was cited for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He was taken to an area hospital for alcohol poisoning, Kovach said.

quote:

Originally posted by Fontaine

from the Lehigh Valley Express Times:

• Man cited for throwing hot dogs in Lower Nazareth Township 10:40 a.m. ET


An Easton man was cited Sunday after he allegedly threw hot dogs at Wal-Mart customers in Lower Nazareth Township. Police did not know what brand of hot dog the man allegedly used.An Easton man was cited on Sunday afternoon after he allegedly threw pieces of hot dogs at Wal-Mart customers, Colonial Regional police Officer Michael Kovach said.

Kovach was called to the Wal-Mart on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township about 4:15 p.m. for a report of a man who was intoxicated and throwing hot dogs, Kovach said.

When Kovach arrived he said he found Harvey Clymer, 35, of the first block of North Third Street, highly intoxicated inside the lobby of the store.

Clymer's blood-alcohol content was .39 percent when he took a preliminary breath test, Kovach said.

He said there was a fundraiser selling hot dogs outside the store and Clymer went inside to eat them.

Clymer was cited for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He was taken to an area hospital for alcohol poisoning, Kovach said.

I just want everybody to know I'm ok and will be sober for the bus ride.

Hello all ,

Well I do not have Harvey down on the list unless Fontaine or Bad Dog is bringing him . Hahahhaha
.39 is about as high with the alcohol content you can go without totally going out of the picture .

Benzee

I was looking for the address of The galloping Hill Inn. Is this the place? http://www.gallopinghillcaterers.com/dinner.htm

Joe,

That's right next to the place. There are two buildings separated by a large parking lot....the catering hall and the Galloping Hill Inn, a large roadhouse. You'll see the Hot Dog crowd convening at the picnic tables outside the roadhouse.

The Bear

Hello all ,

Screenbear as usual is correct .
The GHI is about a mile or two off of Exit 138 of the GSP if that helps you .

Benzee

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

Joe,

That's right next to the place. There are two buildings separated by a large parking lot....the catering hall and the Galloping Hill Inn, a large roadhouse. You'll see the Hot Dog crowd convening at the picnic tables outside the roadhouse.

The Bear

Thank You ScreenBear.

quote:

Originally posted by Benzee

Hello all ,

The buses will depart at 1000am Sat Sept 20th from the Harriman Train MTA Commuter Lot for those meeting in Harriman , County of Orange in Upstate NY .
Arrival at about 1115 - 1130 am at Galloping Hill Inn
Depart GHI at Noon for the other stops on the tour .

I think John should be commened for the addition of Lutzs . He had mentioned it to me a few weeks ago and swore secrecy on me until he could get all the logistics done to see if it was possible to add . As a connoseur of fine German foods I can say I will be looking forward to seeing one of the oldest and last German Butchers in the Tri State area . They have an excellent website .

Sorry you can not make it this year Seafarer , you will be missed and Gail will be missed ,but perhaps we can meet up in the near future in our neck of the woods .

We have added two more for the tour so we are up to 60 .
Approx 10 seats are available for any last minute interested parties .
Email me if interested

Benzee

Again, I cannt get up there, but my birthday is the 21st, so please have a couple in my honor!.....Mustard, onion, relish please!
Have fun everybody!!!

I'm sorry to say that we will be scrapping Lutz Pork Store from the itinerary. I spoke with the owner today who reminded me that the town of Union has a street fair Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The street Lutz is on will be closed to traffic. There will be hundreds of people attending and traffic will be a nightmare. We are still welcome to visit Lutz, but we would have to park a considerable distance away and fight crowds to get there. It just wouldn't be worth it especially when you consider that we have other places to go to and time is precious.

I called the Police Dept. to inquire about parking and was told that there is a lot big enough to fit 2 buses, but it would be full. And it is a bit of a walk besides. I even tried contacting a nearby Stop & Shop but could not get permission to park there.

Sorry that we will not be able to go to Lutz Pork Store. Maybe next year. I'll make sure that there will be no conflict with the street fair. Or we could go on a smaller trip some other time. Perhaps in the Fall. I was thinking of a small trip to Amazing Hot Dog and Middlesex Texas Weiner. Maybe we could include Lutz.

Hello all ,

Tommorrow is the big day everyone !!!!

5th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour

We will be departing from Galloping Hill Inn at Noon to embark on the tour .

Weather for tommorrow is about 75 and sunny , should be a great day .

We have about 60 reserved for the trip . Any last minute attendees will be welcomed with open arms as we can put another 10 on the buses.

Too bad we could not add Lutz but John did some good research and it was just not possible , perhaps as he said another time . A side note to that is I sent them an email myself and the reply came from an old school buddy who I grew up with . Pat Stasolla , . Hadn't seen him since the 10 year reunion in 92 . What a small world !!. So if you stop in there tell them John and Benzee sent ya and ask for Pat .

Benzee

I have an extra ticket due to a last minute cancellation. I wil give it away or take a few dollars for it.

Please E-mail me at daveeaston@yahoo.com if interested.

HI everyone,
Tomorrow's the big day! The 2008 NJ Hot Dog Tour! Sept 20th!

BTW, that UNION street fair is real good........lots of good food, even some excellent Italian hot dogs! Signman and I went to it a few years back after we pigged out on the hot dog tour...

I can't wait until tomorrow! It will be fun just like the previous Tours. Let me remind everyone once again to pace yourselves. We will be going to 6 places. Jimmy Buff's and Bubba's serve more than one type of dog, so there will be a lot of choices. I will fill you in on the details regarding each place before we enter. I encourage sharing as not everyone can eat 6 hot dogs. Some people skip certain places where they know that they don't like the particular dog or method of preparation.

I suggest that you skip things like fries that you can enjoy anytime. Non carbonated drinks are less filling, so you might want to stick with water. Some of us have no problem downing 6 dogs with sides and carbonated beverages.

We should have a nice day to enjoy meeting and eating together.

Rats right!

Hello all ,

John is correct , remember to pace yourselves , I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting all the new ones on the tour this year for the first time .
Coney Island Lou has designed a great shirt and he will be distributing for those that ordered one at GHI .
See you all in about 11 hours Hooooraaah!!!!!!!

Benzee

A GREAT time was had by all (it sure seemed that way)
2008 NJ HOT DOG TOUR

Here's John Fox and Benzee (our great tour organizers)
as the buses are getting ready to leave
(John's fellow mailman, Jimmy is on left)

Special "shout out" to Coney Island Lou, as I LOVED the nametag you made for me! ("poker dealing Trip Reporting dog")

Please stay tuned for my full report and lots more pics....
it will be under the HOT DOG thread ASAP

Nice pics Ellen! Glad to see you again as well as everyone else. I'll post more later (minus any pics).

Dave

Looking forward to the pictures...I wish work hadn't prevented me from joining you guys....You all look like a GREAT group....hotdogs and good company...what else could one want????

The Fifth Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour was another successful and enjoyable trip. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a special day. For me it is the day I look forward to more than any other in the year.

Special thanks to Benzee who did a great job organizing the Tour, making travel arrangements, (we had 2 buses this year) and handling all the details that go along with keeping a roster of attendees and collecting and keeping track of who paid and how many seats to reserve, and doing a 50-50. The winner got $100.00. There were a bunch of good door prizes as well. Thanks to Coney Island Lou for helping with the 50-50, designing the Tour tee shirts and making the name tags. It's nice to be able to have the names of everyone and who they came with. John Hughes came with 9 people! Thank you to ScreenBear who helped with the directions. I plan a route for the trip, but he was able to come up with a few shortcuts that saved us time. He also helped out in a big way. I contact all the places right before the Tour to remind them that we will be coming and to make sure that they have enough people on hand to accomodate our large group. A few days before, I couldn't locate the phone number for Dee's Truck. I drove to her house, but she wasn't home. ScreenBear went to her truck Friday to remind her. Good thing, because she thought we were coming the following week.

Thanks to our bus drivers who once again did a fantastic job driving through some narrow streets and parking in places that were difficult to park in.

A very special thank you to the people who own and run the places that we visited. I speak with them to give them an idea of how many are coming and when we will be arriving so that they can better prepare for us. When we leave one stop I call ahead to the next. Each place did an excellent job serving us. They made sure they had enough people on hand, had the dogs prepared fresh and quickly, and in some cases, had space reserved for us. Thanks to them, everything ran smoothly. We have been fortunate in that almost every place we've gone to in five years has done very well serving us. The one or 2 who didn't were made aware of it by me and some of you via this forum. Thanks also to the people who worked at the 6 establishments we visited. Everyone was cheerful and worked very hard to provide excellent service. All without exception deserve our business.

Not only was service great, but the hot dogs we sampled were as well. I always ask for a show of hands on the ride back for a favorite place. In the past, one or two places seemed to get the majority of votes. This year, at least on my bus, you couldn't determine which was a clear favorite. The same amount of hands went up for each place. The majority of people I spoke with said they were all good in their own way. Some did have clear cut favorites. Much of the fun for me is hearing attendees voice their opinions. Especially when they've eaten at a place for the first time. Every year there are new faces. I love hearing someone describe eating an Italian Hot Dog for the first time. And I love seeing the weird (at least to me) combinations that they put together. For example, one guy ordered an Italian Hot Dog but requested that a beef and pork dog be put in it rather than the common beef dog. Another person ordered a hot dog at the Windmill California style (lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise).

We started at the Galloping Hill Inn in Union. This has been the starting point for each Tour and the only place that has been included every trip. Not just because of their location and large parking lot, but because they have excellent dogs as well. A grilled beef and pork dog specially made by Grote & Weigel. They were the favorite dog of some, especially many in the New York contingent. A true German style dog with a special, sturdy bun. I spoke with Jimmy Thomas who, along with his father George own the Galloping Hill Inn. Jimmy is usually there during the week but not on weekends. I asked him to consider stopping by to say hello and to meet us. He's never been there while we were having a Tour. He didn't come by yesterday but he did call and tell his employees to not charge us for anything. Our group ate for free! Thank you, Jimmy Thomas! In this economy there are not too many businesses that can afford to do this. A very generous thing to do. Any establishment appreciates exposure generated from a newspaper article, review, television appearance, or a Tour like ours. It's good publicity and helps bring in customers which is why these places are in business. Yet the Galloping Hill Inn made no extra money from us since everything was compted. Next time you visit the Galloping Hill Inn, make sure to show your appreciation.

Next was Dees Hut. First time on the Tour. Dee serves natural casing dirty water Sabrett's. There are many roadside trucks and carts that sell the same type of dog, but what sets Dees apart is the freshness of her dogs. That, and the fact that they are served at the perfect temperature. Nice and hot. Dees is my favorite place serving dirty water Sabretts and my favorite hot dog truck along with Tony's in Newark. Tony serves a Golden D dog. Dees dogs are a decent size (bigger than the tiny 11 and 12 to a lb dogs at many other trucks) and she has a good selection of homemade toppings. I don't eat onions, but her homemade spicy onions were a favorite. The dogs were hot, delicious, with a good snap. Many people mentioned to me that they loved her dogs. For some, they were the favorite of the day. Dee usually works alone, but yesterday she had her daughter-in-law help. They both did a fantastic job pumping out dogs quickly. A good stop in a nice area.

Our next stop was the Windmill in Westfield. The Windmill is a small chain with 8 locations; this one being the farthest north. They are planning to open in Hoboken and Toms River and eventually to expand to Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York. Most of their restaurants are located in Monmouth County. They always win "best of" awards, and for good reason. Darn fine hot dogs! Quarter pound beef and pork dog made by Sabrett. Prepared on a griddle. I went occasionally to the Windmill in the past, but have found myself going more often. These dogs are growing on me. They are cooked perfectly on the griddle. The dogs have the right amount of char, perfect temperatue, great snap, and nice texture. Not to mention delicious. It was one of my 2 favorite dogs of the day. A few people told me it was their favorite of the Tour with one guy proclaiming it the best dog he's ever eaten. Thank you to Aaron Levine for coming by to help organize things, making sure that there were enough dogs on the griddle, and helping to insure that we were served quickly. Aaron's family owns most of the Windmill restaurants The chili here is very good. It's more like a Mexican style chili than a common Texas Weiner type chili. Good luck to Aaron in his plans to expand the Windmill.

From the Windmill, it was on to Manny's Texas Weiners in Union. Manny's has been on the Tour at least 3 of the 5 years. Last year we went to their Linden location. Manny is a fun guy and a good host as were all of the owners who were present today. He made sure that there were enough waitresses (who looked as good as the hot dogs) and that we were well taken care of. Manny serves a traditional New Jersey Texas Weiner. A grilled Grote & Weigel Griddle frank topped with mustard, chili, and onions. A consistent, quality dog. The chili is dark, thick, tangy, and hot, although it was a little too hot for my taste. A few thought it was the best chili of the day.

Jimmy Buff's East Hanover restaurant was next. Perhaps the most popular stop last year, it was an easy decision to return again this year. In fact, many people demanded it. Once again, Jimmy was a great host. In addition to the Italian Hot Dogs, there is the Syd's dog, the pushcart dog, and the Frankenstein (quarter pound beef and pork Schickhaus). Everything is made to order, which usually means it takes longer. But Jimmy and his staff worked quickly, coordinating the ordering, cooking, and serving. Great teamwork! Jimmy Buff's invented the Italian Hot Dog in 1932. It's what made them famous. For many, yesterday was the first time they've eaten one. Not everyone likes Italian style, but everyone I spoke with who had one yesterday for the first time loved it. As did those who have them frequently. Jimmy's chili was very popular. It was the favorite of many, if not most of the attendees. It was my favorite along with Bubba's, which was our next stop. It is best described as bolognese, which is an Italian style of meat sauce. Beefy, tasty, and mildly spicy. I had the footlong, or Syd's dog. Looking to pace myself, I chose this over the Italian dog in order to save room for the next stop. All the dogs today were exceptional, but I especially enjoyed the footlong here as well as the Windmill's dog. Jimmy charbroils the footlong, but with a twist. It is heated in the oil first. This gives it a unique taste and texture. I love this dog with just mustard. But the chili is so good here that I put it on half my dog. Instead of putting it on the dog, Jimmy Buff's gives you a small cup so that you can apply it yourself. Once again, Jimmy Buff's got rave reviews for their hot dogs. Uncle Buck from New York had an Italian Hot Dog for the first time and couldn't stop talking about how good it was. Jimmy also provided free soda, beer, and water. Thank you!

Last, but not least was Bubba's. Located in Lyndhurst, they have only been in business since early 2007. They were reviewed in the New Jersey Hot Dog Thread. A small cozy place with a nice atmosphere. Bubba's also serves a few different types of dogs. They make an Italian Hot Dog that is authentic and very good. Potatoes are in chunks rather than sliced thin. They serve the Syd's dog. It is prepared on a charcoal grill and is every bit as good as Syd's was. I would have had it here, as it is my favorite out of their offerings, but I had already had one at Jimmy Buff's. In addition to the 2 dogs mentioned, Bubbas's offers a dirty water Sabrett and a ripper. The ripper is the Thumann's dog for deep frying that is used at Rutt's Hut, Hiram's, Libby's, and others in North Jersey. At Bubba's it is fried in peanut oil. Bubba's also serves a dog with cheese and jalapeno peppers that they get from a butcher shop. I had it in the past. Different, but too spicy for me. I remembered how good Bubba's chili was, so I ordered a ripper (milder pork/beef dog) which is a good base for a chili dog. Bubba's was the only place today serving the ripper (Thumann's deep fryer. They do a good job cooking it right. I enjoyed my chili dog. They put a lot on and it was delicious. This chili contains ground beef, pork, bacon, and beer. It's nice and thick with just the right amount of spice for a spicy chili. A lot of people loved the chili here. And the dogs. I believe Signman liked the charbroiled (Syd's) dog the best on the Tour. I don't usually eat fries on these Tours in order to save room for hot dogs. But since I had room left over, I had some fries. They were delicious. Hand cut and similar to Five Guys. They were easily the favorite fries of those who ordered them on the Tour. A number of people raised their hands for Bubba's when I asked for favorite place. As I said earlier, the votes for favorite place were more evenly distributed this year than any other. A lot of people I spoke with said they couldn't determine a favorite dog since they were all so good. I would have to agree. On any given day I could enjoy one of these dogs more than another because I might be in the mood for a particular dog or style. Sometimes I crave a German style beef and pork dog. Other times a snappy, spicy, dirty water dog. Or an Italian Hot Dog. Or a Texas Weiner. Or.......

Sharon is the owner of Bubba's, which is named after her son Bubba. Bubba works there as well as Sharon's daughter. They all did a very good job serving us. Sharon had extra people on hand to help us. She was a great hostess and her staff was pleasant and hard working. We really made out well today. Everyone provided great service and food.

Thanks again to everyone for making this a fun day. Let's do it again. And let's see some pictures and get some opinions.

It was another beautiful early autumn day.

Galloping Hill Inn gets my vote for #1 this year. Their dog was cooked perfectly and the roll was up to their fantastic standards. The atmosphere was traditional hot dog joint. It was good to see them back in the winner’s circle.

The Windmill, Jimmy Buff’s, Manny’s and Bubba’s were all a close second.
I really liked the dog at the Windmill.
Jimmy Buff’s was again programmed gracious hospitality. I shared the best Italian dog ever there.
Manny’s was also gracious with a good dog and the very best sauce of the day. It was even better than I remembered.
Bubba’s was challenged by our large and loud group. Their staff could not have been more accommodating. They did their best and worked together to provide a quality product.

Dee’s Truck gave us a classic on the street dirty water dog and a very nice atmosphere.


My thanks again go to John Fox, Benzee and C. I. Lou, (as well as our patient drivers) for giving us another dog good autumn day
.
Bill

PS
Here I’d like to include my last year’s summation b/c I think it is quite apropos. ---

Special thanks to:
Benzee for coordination, articulation, and CROWD CONTROL.
Lou for more memorable shirts and great name tags.
Ellen for quick and brilliant pictures.
Our drivers for being expert and PATIENT.
And a very special thanks to John Fox for being John Fox -- a hot dog giant.
b.

Sorry I was only able to make two of the stops, but it was great to see everyone again. Thanks to John and Benzee for thier efforts, it sounds like it was a great day all day.

As for me, the Windmill dog was much better than I had remembered in the past. Perhaps the fact that the Manager/Owner was on site helped, the few times I'd been to that particular branch things did not go so well.

--Ken

Hello all ,

Another great time this year . The 5th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour is in the books .
Thanks to John Fox for the excellent intinerary . Lou for a fantastic tour shirt and everyone for the friendships old and new .
Coordinating this event with two busses became a rather daunting task this year so we will go back to one bus next year , a 55 passenger Motorcoach that will be reserved tommorrow for Sat. Sept 26th , 2009 . This date is good with John and Lou . The 12th is in my opinion too close to 9 11 with rememberance services held that weekend , and the 19th is a Jewish Holiday for our friends of that religion .

Also after talking to Dennis our Driver today about another trip I'm running for the K of C , In 2009 their will be a no alcohol policy on the busses for any trips , so no adult beverages next year on the bus for those that care to partake in such sudsy livations .

As for the tour , as most know I had lapband bariatric surgery done on March 6th and am no longer able to enjoy the food that has become such a great part of this trip . Down 90 pounds so far , thanks to all for the kind words on my weight loss . I therefore concentrated on making new friends and enjoying the company of old friends and new alike . I amazed myself how much I enjoyed the trip and did not feel left out at all . The few stops I was able to enjoy some spoonfuls of Chili made it extra special .

Thanks to GHI and owner Jimmy and George Thomas we had a nice surprise when folks started ordering their dogs at the first stop . On the house was heard throughout . Fantastic !!!! Although the counter man seemed shocked I only had a soda , I was not about to explain my dilemma and I enjoyed everyone else with pleasant smiles on their faces . Next time I'm in the area or heading to AC I will stop in and say thanks , order a dog for the wife and a lunch for my son . I urge everyone else to do so also because their are not many places left like Galloping Hill Inn that would or could do that for us in this economic climate .

Next up was Dees and she was wonderful to meet , her daughter in law was helping out for the day and the line went fast , great job . And thanks for the fine cup of chili , had a great taste .

The Windmill also did a fine job with owner Aaron overseeing the operation that day . Another cup of fine chili , the dogs looked great and their were more than a few who had previously been there , along with Ken , who were pleasantly surprised.

Manny himself is a one of a kind person . He greeted each one outside and thanked us for coming and played the part of part celeb/ host very nicely . I think he sold out of all his shirts at $5.00 each , a big discount for our group . Wonder who enjoyed this more Manny , our group , the other customers , or his employees who loved the photos they were asked to get in .Thank you again Manny !!!!

Next up was the one and only Jimmy Buffs . One word Fanrtastic!!! As was last year rave reviews on the food and atmosphere . Jimmy himself took orders and manned the cash register . We were ushered into the back party room where complimentary drinks flowed and we held a raffle with Jimmy pulling out the winning ticket . Thanks to Mike Refinski who won and donated a portion back for the drivers tips . Many great compliments were heard on the Italian Dogs . You can see Jimmy and John Fox on the Travel Channel show " Hot Dog Paradise " . As a matter of fact some of the scenes were filmed in the same room we were in . Great Job and thanks again Jimmy !!! Remember to thank him and his staff on your return trip .

Last was Bubbas and talking to Sharon the owner who was on sight was great . They handled our large crowd and had sufficient staff on hand like all the stops did . The small cup of chili I had was great , really different . Thanks again another great stop .

Back to GHI and the group picture and a few raffles .

It was great talking to folks like John Sagi who had nice containers for the chili and who offered his homemade samples to a few of us to enjoy and critique .
Signman who once again came all the way from Baltimore MD , and original Tour veteran who even showed Coney Island Lou his name tag from the first tour in 2004 . Next year I'm sure Lou will have his name tag premade like some others that were done . Hope he can make it six in a row !!
Screenbear , who is always a pleasure to talk to and discuss the dogs eaten at each place .
Brooklyn Bill , Ginny and the O'Connors ,The Puros , Harriet and friend , MrPhil and friends , Ken , Bad Dog and friends , Fontaine , Joe Rogo , Mike and Todd , The Hughes gang , and of course Ellen , Natalie and friend and everyone else that joined us for this trip .

Dennis and Joanie did a great job driving through the streets of Jersey .
And to Uncle Buck my cohost on WTBQ am 1110 , 99.1 FM and www.wtbq.com . Our show is on Fridays from 1230-2pm EST and we will be talking about the tour and having some surprise call in guests on our show in two weeks .

Benzee

Hi everyone,
It was another great tour, I too would like to thank John "Hot Dog Encyclopedia" Fox, Benzee, CI Lou, Screenbear, the bus drivers (and anyone else I forgot), for all their hard work in making the 2008 tour the success that it was. It was nice sharing hot dogs with all of you and may we all live forever because of all the preservatives we've eaten.
Ok now onto my thoughts of the individual stops...

Galloping Hill Inn: I haven't liked their dogs in past tours and was going to skop it but it was free, and they have birch beer out of a keg, and I was hungry so I gave in. And I liked it. At least it was as good as a beef and pork dog can be. I'm an all beef guy all the way. The dog was good, the roll was better than I had remembered, and the onions in sauce were really good. Definitely a good way to start the tour.

Dee's Truck: Oh how I do love a dirty water Sabrett on the side of the road. Dee's was reasonably priced, perfectly cooked, good snap, nice size dog, fresh roll, and the chili and homemade onions worked well together.

The Windmill: I've eaten at several of their other stores in Monmouth County and I don't love beef and pork dogs done on a griddle so I was planning on skipping it all together, but John Fox mentioned that their chili rated well on a Munchmobile trip so I opted for a bowl of chili and it was excellent. Very meaty, nice combination of spices and tomatoey flavor. It had a good heat level, not too tame, but not killer either. Definitely a good chili.

Manny's Texas Weiners: I'm not a huge fan of Texas Weiners or their spiced chili so I opted to skip it.

Jimmy Buff's: Always a great dog whichever one you get, and it was nice to be in my old stomping ground. I had the footlong with the unique chili. I thought I tasted Italian sausage in it along with beef, maybe? The dog was delicious and the owners hospitality was first rate.

Bubba's: I had been looking forward to going to Bubbza's since reading about it here. I always love trying a new Dog joint. I was disappointed though. I had their char dog with chili and the dirty water dog with hot onions. The dogs were good, but the toppings were eh. I thought they were kinda boring, the chili was unremarkable and the hot onions really weren't. The fries however were outstanding, nice and crisp and just wonderful. The atmosphere was cool and I want to go back to try other menu items. Besides any place that can get my wife to cheat on Weight Watchers and get a dog and fries is ok in my book.

Well that's my $.02, It was great seeing everyone, thanks again to everyone for their hard work and to the owners and employees who took care of us.

Dave

2008 NJ HOT DOG TOUR, Sept. 20th
We visited the following hot dog joints (see back of T-shirt!)


We were given the royal treatment at Jimmy Buff's; here's Jimmy Buff, JR manning the cash register (In NY Yankees attire)
He is the grandson of the original Jimmy Buff himself, who started these Italian Hot Dogs in 1932 !!!
JIMMY BUFF'S, Hanover, NJ (l-r, Benzee, Jimmy Buff, Jr., Uncle Buck, and John Fox)


These pics are only HIGHLIGHTS of our wonderful day!!!
Please go over to the HOT DOG forum later today, as I am going to start posting some more great pics right now!!
It was a tough call, but my favorite hot dog was the BEST'S Charbroiled (Syd's style) from BUBBA'S

BUBBA'S Dog House, Lyndhurst, NJ (near Meadowlands)...all beef Best's
My favorite hot dog of the day!

Their homemade fries were great, too!

Much more to come on HOT DOG thread!!!

Hello all ,

Ellen and Joe Rogo have a few more pictures from the tour in the Hot Dog Forum .

Benzee

Hi! I have had such a busy week; we spent the day at my brother's in Bucks County, PA Sunday, leading into another workweek. So I haven't had time for much of anything. Plus Shayna is now living back at home after a summer living up in Trenton. So things are hectic.

Brian has emailed me 22 of the pictures he took, and they're just amazing. They really are. He told me he took over 100 still photos, and plenty of videos. This is why those of you on the tour saw him with a camera up to his face for most of the Tour! I'm going to work on getting my pictures, as well as his, into my Flickr page, and provide a link to you guys to the set(s) on there. It really is better than hogging up these threads with all those pictures. It's time consuming, and I spend lots of time on Flickr, so this way will work out best. I will try to put narrative on everything. My videos will not transfer to Flickr, so I've got to put them on Youtube, believe it or not. They'll probably be a little blurry, though, but at least you guys'll be able to see them. They're only 30 seconds long, and I took like 3 or 4, I think.

I just wanted to thank everybody who was so nice to us, and made Brian feel not overwhelmed, and very welcomed. He has the opposite personality of me (obviously), but had an absolute blast. He told me his overall favorite was Manny's. I'll give my opinions in another post probably on Saturday when I can sit and relax.

Benzee, I totally and completely agree with you about a future No Alcohol policy for next time. Please. I was hearing the chanting of my name in my head while I was delivering the paper at 4:00 the next morning. I'm sorry that some people don't know how to handle their drink, and it was alright by me that there was no beer on what we call "The Laid-Back Bus". I would not have had it any other way!

G-d bless all the people who worked their butts off at the restaurants we visited. This was smooth sailing, once again.

And G-d bless John Fox, Benzee, CI Lou, Uncle Buck (!!), Manny, Sharon of Bubba's, Jimmy Buff, Aaron Levine of the Windmill, Dee from Dee's, Dennis, and the darling female bus driver of Bus #2.

Just wanted to drop a note and say what a terrific time we all had on this, my 2nd, tour. My friends, Brian and Doug told me they had the "most fun we've had in a long time." (Considering they almost didn't make it- many thanks for pulling over and waiting for these two knuckleheads)

Last year I had an easy time picking out my favorite dog. This year-not so easy. GHI redeemed itself from my last year's last place pick. Very respectable showing roll, dog, BBQ onions. Very nice touch comping us on our orders. Kudos to GHI.

Loved everywhere we went and had something different at each one. Many thanks to all who performed the thankless job of getting this on the road!

One last comment- I'd rather have the option of alcohol on the bus but it's no big deal for me either way...I was on the "un-laid-back" bus and in my opinion alcohol had very little, if anything, to do with the party atmosphere. It was a group of folks that were having a great time. I don't believe for a second that anybody on the bus meant any harm when they chanted Harriet's name any more than when they chanted Benzee's, Uncle Buck's or Natalie's...

I personally don't get upset when the crowd chants my name--it's the darn paparazzi following me everywhere that grates on my nerves.

Can't wait 'til 2009 to do it all again!

Woof!