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

Hi Billyboy,
nice hot dog tour pics !! gr8 meating you yet again!
I got a fairly decent pic of that pot of chili from the Rahway Grill... (the one shot you said you missed getting..

And, BTW,  I noticed that the ACME supermarkets in south Jersey sell that PA Dutch Brand Birch Beer ...I like it, too (don't know about N. Jersey locations, though)
 

Don't you just love going on a Roadfood meet and greet excursion?
 You'll always feel good about your body when you go for no matter what your body size is there's always someone there who weighs 350 pounds more than you'll ever weigh.

sizz


Don't you just love going on a Roadfood meet and greet excursion?
 You'll always feel good about your body when you go for no matter what your body size is there's always someone there who weighs 350 pounds more than you'll ever weigh.

You're saying it's like one giving themselves  a "back handed compliment" , huh , Sizz ?!???

Sizz ,
Its the camraderie of being with like minded hot dog lovers , regardless of ones size and I have experienced both sides of the weight spectrum buddy
Benzee

So  tell us  all about  the last tour that you attended.......................by  the way............we  would love to see you  post  a  picture of yourself.  You  must look  like  a  Greek God  sitting  in  judgement.      
 
 
Sorry    did not do this  right  but  this is  for  Sizz                                                                                             

Greymo


So  tell us  all about  the last tour that you attended.......................by  the way............we  would love to see you  post  a  picture of yourself.  You  must look  like  a  Greek God  sitting  in  judgement.      


Sorry    did not do this  right  but  this is  for  Sizz                                                                                             

 
I thought he was a Nigerian king?

Benzee


Sizz ,
Its the camraderie of being with like minded hot dog lovers , regardless of ones size and I have experienced both sides of the weight spectrum buddy
Benzee

You always have such a nice, DIPLOMATIC way with words, Benzee... !
(like when my long time buddy "grate guy" posted on Facebook regarding my wishes for the Star Ledger to put our Hot  Dog Group Pic in the article !  (like it SHOULD have been !!).... he started ribbing about all the other news going on in the world, and yet, I wanted more press for our Hot Dog Tour !! ... 
 
and you said "thanks for the news updates, as  I sit here having a ripper...."
and gently posted that we were not on the very front page of the paper, but on the front page of  the entertainment section....
 
With your diplomacy, no wonder you make such a gr8  Hot Dog Tour organizer !!!

joerogo

Greymo


So  tell us  all about  the last tour that you attended.......................by  the way............we  would love to see you  post  a  picture of yourself.  You  must look  like  a  Greek God  sitting  in  judgement.      


Sorry    did not do this  right  but  this is  for  Sizz                                                                                             

I thought he was a Nigerian king?

Apparently, he's some kind of King or God , lol !!
and I understood you just RIGHT,  GREYMO.... good way with words...
 

Hey GREYMO and Ellen ,
I got you guys dont worry here .
The diplomacy comes from handling twenty yrs of family disputes , vehicle accidents and  dealing with overall lowlifes as a police officer , and surviving without being a) fired b) on the front page of the NY Post and C) stressed out for life .
But I did think for a second I was a greek god , dont tell my wife hahhahahahahhaaa
Benzee

Holy crap peoples lighten up will-ya  I was just trying to be funny .... it's me Sizz being Sizz...
I to am a plumper and love hot dogs.... and I love all you guys here on Roadfood .... excuse me folks I have to run my house just got hit by lightning ........

Alright, the NJ Hot Dog Tour Trip Report is back on the rails!!
Our third stop was at The Garage in Millburn, NJ.  

We definitely packed the place and I loved the feel of it.  Open and airy and the staff were great.  Definitely hustling, I know there was some confusion over the discount the tour was supposed to get, but I believe Chris and I did get a 20% discount on our dog.  

When I saw this t-shirt I just HAD to ask for a photo!

Chris and I decided on a Syd's dog (all-beef) that is boiled, then char-grilled.  And topped it with chili and hot relish.  We both really loved the presentation here as the dog is longer than the bun, enabling us to sample the dog unadorned and it was a beaut!  It had a nice snap and bold flavor to it which we enjoyed.  I did love the texture of the chili and both the texture and tangy spiciness of the relish (which lingered on the lips!) but in hindsight I would have gotten them on separate halves of the dog as the relish seemed to dominate.  I look forward to coming back here as I'd like to try the Don's dog next time for comparison and I heard good things about the burgers too.

 
 

Oh, it's no joke. Just became a little thing to do when we were road tripping for other reasons. Never said it was quality food. Amazed at the differences from one to the other though. My preferences tend to run towards Maxs snappy shickhaus franks down in Long Branch or an occasional splitter from Rutts. And for further clarification, I do not live in Princeton. Just my mailing address. You'll find me residing in the southern end of Franklin Twp, and we DO have a 7-11 there. One of the worst.

Sizz ,
You are welcome anytime you come East buddy to meet for a dog or two , no  worries .
Barless , you are a brave soul , would love to hear which one though was your favorite
Billyboy , Keep the reports coming they are fantastic along with the pics
Benzee
 

Benzee


Sizz ,
You are welcome anytime you come East buddy to meet for a dog or two , no  worries .
Benzee

So nice, Benzee...
SIZZ : I'll even treat you to your  first ever (?) Italian Hot Dog ...(peppers, onions, potatoes)

sizz
 
  I was just trying to be funny .... it's me Sizz being Sizz...
I to am a plumper and love hogs ....and I love all you guys here on Roadfood ....

"SIZZ being SIZZ" !  I like that, lol !!
Wow, I first thought it said you were a PLUMBER ! Guess my minds' on my toilet , (overflowing issue last night, lol !)
 
hugs at ya, Sizz !
 

ellen4641

ellen4641
 


SIZZ : I'll even treat you to your  first ever (?) Italian Hot Dog ...(peppers, onions, potatoes) 

 


"SIZZ being SIZZ" !  I like that, lol !! 
Wow, I first thought it said you were a PLUMBER ! Guess my minds' on my toilet , (overflowing issue last night, lol !) 

hugs at ya, Sizz ! 

 
Ellen:.......thanks for the hug,... now, as for your "overflowing issue" well I aint a plumber but maybe it's all those freekin hot dogs you've been eating .... my recommendation to keep your toilet running free is a table spoon of Metamucil before bed time ,,,, try that
your offer to treat me to my first ever, sounds intriguing ....... but,unless your able to transmit Elephantiasis I would say I had it all, 

including the dreaded Italian "hot-dog"...picked that one up one night while on liberty in Naples 

 

Alright, the 2010 NJ Hot Dog Tour Trip Report is back on the rails.  All aboard!!
Stop No. 4 was at Jimmy Buff's in East Hanover, NJ famous for having invented the Italian Hot Dog.  We came here last year and I was eagerly awaiting this stop.

My hunger got the better of me and in the bright sunlight I thought they had increased the size of their dogs to true Roadfooder proportions.  My apologies for the teeth marks on the van, Mr. Racioppi.  Just get me an estimate and I'll get it "buffed" out for you.  I know a guy...  Trust me!  

So nice I posted it twice!  Chris, Foodosaurus, his friend Dave and I split an Italian Hot Dog four ways.  It was nice to finally meet up with Foodosaurus and have and chance to hang and chow with him.  I look forward to more food adventures with him.  I didn't exactly use my surgeon's hands to dissect it, but we enjoyed the dog nonetheless.  I'm not sure Chris was sold on the idea of the fried potatoes in the mix.  I am even more deeply in love with this mad creation than I was at first sight on last year's tour!  The mix of a deep fried dog, onions, peppers and potatoes (all fried) in that soft, pillowy, yet sturdy bread just gets me!  I almost slipped on my vow to only split dogs at each place and went to order another whole dog but the bus was leaving.  James Racioppi, the owner and grandson of the original Jimmy Buff had the back room set up for us with free drinks and he took our orders personally.  Who has two thumbs and loves Jimmy Buff's?  This guy!


 
Stop No. 5 was in Clifton, NJ at the The Getty Ave. Grill.  Mssrs. Fox and Benzee did an excellent job on the bus of laying out what type of dog, presentation, chilis, other menu items of note were available before we arrived at each stop and I can't thank them enough for it.  Chris, Foodosaurus, Dave and I split two hot dogs.  

From left to right:  Benzee's friend, Dave Gannon, Foodosaurus, Dave and Chris (of ayersian)

The shot of RFers taking their food shots!

And our dogs.  I believe these were deep-fried Thumann's franks made for frying.  We had them topped with mustard, onions and their special chili.  I could smell it when they brought the dogs over and it had a cinnamon/clove/nutmeg/allspice aroma to it.  I think everyone enjoyed these and I know I did.  I liked the snap of the dog, crunch of the onions, mustardy tang and silkiness of the chili. A soft, pillowy bun and the combination of flavors and textures made it a winner to me.  


 
Two more stops to go and then the recap...!

gr8 job, Billyboy !! Keep going !!!

I had an Italian Hot Dog last night but these pictures are so good I'll probably have some hot dogs for lunch today. Maybe the Getty Grill.

John Fox


I had an Italian Hot Dog last night but these pictures are so good I'll probably have some hot dogs for lunch today. Maybe the Getty Grill.

Now, there's a guy who has his priorities straight !!
till we meat again, John !

Hello all ,
Billyboy , the fourth person in the photo of you guys sitting in Getty Grill is Dave Gannon a friend of mine and recently retired Lt. from the Tuxedo PD .  This was his first trip with us roadfooding and he had a great time !!
Great pics as  always
I like the name of the next get together to be a MEAT and Greet hahhahahaha
Benzee

Our No. 6 stop brought us to Papaya King in Clifton, NJ just a short walk from The Getty Ave. Grill.  

Chris is ready for his hot dog close-up, Mr. DeMille!

We ordered the all-beef Sabrett with sauerkraut and onion sauce just like they have in NYC.  I know Chris really liked this but I was not a fan at all.  The onion sauce tasted somewhat acrid to me and after two bites I was done and threw the rest out.  

I wasn't crazy about the papaya drink either, partly because it wasn't ice cold which I really feel is how there drinks should be served.  In the interest of full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Gray's Papaya in NYC and not of Papaya King.  They do essentially the same thing but it's just personal preference I guess.  

 

And finally, stop No. 7 at Rutt's Hut in Clifton, NJ for their very well renowned deep fried hot dog and relish!  

 

We skipped the sit down dining area to chow down in true Hot Dog Tour/Roadfood fashion standing up at the counters.

Chris and I had discussed this ahead of time and decided to split a "ripper" and a "cremator".  He offered to pay as he said he had been here before and thought I might not like it being my first visit and all.  I was totally up for trying anything new!  We first split the ripper in half and I tried it first without the relish to get a sense of what the unadorned dog was like.  Loved the deep fried greasiness and gnarly texture of it, however I did not love the flavor that the oil had imparted to the dog.  It had an old, oily flavor for a lack of better terms and it just didn't sit right with me.  I slathered on some relish and it was a marked improvement.  That relish really was awesome and I could see it going on just about anything!  Sweet, with a nice mustard tang.  As much as I loved it, to me, a condiment shouldn't be used to "cover up" flavors I don't like but rather to work in partnership with them and bring out the flavors I do like.  

Ohhh, cremator!  Chris was right on when he mentioned over-cooked bacon and Chic-O-Sticks in terms of the texture.  No puny plastic knife was going to pierce this baby!  By itself I did enjoy the crunch (sort of reminded me of cracklins sans the smoky flavor) and with relish on top was god too but the oily flavor still got in the way. 

Foodosaurus and Dave shared their plate of onion rings with us and as you might guess from the picture below this one I really loved them.. I only wish I had thought to try them with some of that fabulous relish!  I totally get why this place has such appeal and why people love the dogs but the definitely weren't for me but I am sure glad that I tried them.

 

Our group shot at the end of the day.  A gaggle of very happy, well-fed hot dog heads!

From left to right:  Chris (ayersian), Benzee, John Fox, Coney Island Lou and ellen4641

 
I can't thank John Fox and Benzee enough for putting this together for the past 7 years!  You guys are amazing!  Ellen, it was so good to meet up with you again!  Chris, it it always a pleasure to break bread with you and the donuts were lip-smackingly good, as always!  Please give my best to Amy and I'll be working on that NYC Tour ASAP.  Foodosaurus and Dave, A real pleasure and well be chowing together soon enough, I'm sure. Natalie, you are a stitch!  Keep that great vibe!  Lou, thanks so much for putting all of the effort into the t-shirts.  Our drivers did a great job of getting us all around for some tasty dogs and I also really wanted to thank all of the restaurant owners for welcoming us into your establishments and filling our bellies with some most tasty tube steaks!
"Eating is an adventure, enjoy the ride!"-billyboy, 2010

nice grand finale , Billyboy !!
Hey, I love your last pic .....me & 4 of my doggone favorite Roadfood guys !

Wonderful job Billyboy. And thanks to everyone who provided pictures.

Billyboy, another super job as usual!  I can't wait to revisit a few of these places with Amy, as she has yet to experience most of the NJ hot dog styles.  Thanks again and I'll see you on the road!    Chris

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/new-jersey-hot-dog-tour-rahway-grill.html
 
Link to Hawk Krall's Hot Dog of the Week article.

Excellent article
Benzee

Hi kids,
The 7th NJ Hot Dog Tour is over and an amazing time was had by my little group. This year was my 5th tour; my co-worker who came along also attended last year’s tour but this year he brought his wife. They both had an awesome time and want to come again next year. We planned on giving ourselves plenty of time to travel up from the Shore but I think we were unrealistic with how long it would take us because we pulled into a completely empty GHI parking lot at 10:30am. Even though we got a great parking spot, we had to wait 30 long, agonizing minutes until they opened. Watching the employees prepping food and preparing to open and knowing we couldn’t have any is a form of torture no mortal eater should have to endure. We ended up wasting time by crossing the treacherous 5 points intersection to go to 7-11 (nobody dared have a hot dog there though, we’re serious eaters not suicidal) in search of caffeine and small snacks. We made it back to GHI after recrossing said treacherous intersection a second time and a lovely first hot dog was had by all.
 
Big thanks go to John “Mr. Television” Fox for his usual amazing itinerary and vast hot dog knowledge. (I just saw the Italian Hot Dog Food War episode, it’s always nice to see someone you know and like on TV). Also, thank you Benzee for the organizing and advertising of the tour. It gets bigger and better every year. Special thanks to Screenbear (aka John Fox’s protégé) for narrating the second bus and being an all around good guy. A special hello goes out to Nathan’s champion Steve Keiner. He was a cool guy to talk to and was among his minions on the tour. Special thanks also go out to the owners, managers and staff of the stops we visited. Their hard work and gracious hospitality even made standing on line or sitting outside in the sun waiting for dogs tolerable.
 
Now, on to the reviews. (I know you’re getting antsy) I’d like to preface this by saying that my preference is for all beef dogs and I think my thoughts and opinions represent this, but maybe it’s just the nitrates talking. On that note, I’ve eaten so many hot dog preservatives over the years I think I’m going to live forever. Ok, must focus, back to the reviews.
 
Galloping Hill Inn:
The usual starting point and a stand where beforehand I always say I’ll skip it this year, but that never happens. Someone needs to remind me next year to eat breakfast the morning of the tour so I won’t be starving when I get here. The roll was soft and bakery fresh but is too big for the dog. I did like their beef and pork dog more this year, but still prefer an all beef dog. You also have to love a stand that offers birch beer out of a keg. Any beverage that has the word beer in it pairs perfectly with hot dogs. I had mine with mustard and relish and it wasn’t a bad start to the tour. My compatriots each had a dog and we all shared an order of gravy cheese fries which were excellent.
 
Rahway Grill
 
I love this place! How can you not love a hot dog stand that’s unintentionally retro? A stand where even the dust has a history (authors note: I am not stating, implying or making any statements regarding unclean conditions at Rahway Grill. The above dust comment was said in jest. Thank you, Management) so yes the place is cool and the chili was awesome. The dogs were ok. My dog did have a nice snap but I think it’s the spice profile that I didn’t love. I love my all beef dogs but prefer Sabrett, Nathan’s, and Hebrew National to the brand served here. The chili was incredible and I had mine with coleslaw as well. The cool creaminess of the coleslaw mixed with the heat of the dog and the chili work very well together. My friend Lee loved his chili dog, but his wife learned that she doesn’t like natural casing dogs.
 
The Garage
 
Ok, so not only did my group not get the discount, but we ended up having to sit outside at an umbrellaless table in the sun, we were one of the last tables to get our order taken, and the waitress screwed up my order! Maybe I’m wrong here (It happened once in 1994), but for some reason I thought an official Syd’s dog was boiled THEN finished on a grill. And that’s what I asked for, but instead I was brought two dogs. One boiled and one grilled. I hate wasting food, the poor cow sacrificed his miscellaneous parts to make this hot dog, but there was no way I could eat 2 foot long dogs and still eat at the other stops so…”gasp” I only ate half of each dog. I did prefer the boiled dog to the grilled one though. I ordered my dog naked and was planning on putting mustard on it but there wasn’t any on the table and it was hot and I didn’t feel like going to another table to get some so I ate my two half dogs plain like an eight year old. I ordered a vanilla milkshake as well and I opted for the “cheaper” regular one. Cheaper is in quotations because technically it was, but anyone who was there understands what I’m trying to say. Also, just like some others have said I too thought it was a bit thin and milky as opposed to thick and shakey. (Is shakey a word? Yes I believe it is because I said so). As the food arrived to our table, the group of tour goers who had already finished eating was growing larger than my gut, so we quickly ate and we paid the waitress. Obviously that was our financial mistake as we paid full price.
 
Jimmy Buff’s
 
A usual tour favorite because of the food, the hospitality, his personality, and oh yeah free beer! This year I opted for a pushcart dog with the wonderful chili. I wasn’t in the mood for an Italian hot dog and I’d just had 2 halves of 2 foot long dogs at the Garage so that’s why I did what I did. The chili is unique and extremely flavorful. I may just order a bowl of it, if Jimmy buff’s is a stop on next year’s tour. The dog was quite good, it was perfectly cooked and wonderfully topped with the chili. The lovely couple that came with me shared an Italian hot dog, I don’t remember if it was a single or a double but regardless they loved it.
 
Getty Grill
 
As much as I love adding new stands, carts, trucks, trailers, stadiums, etc to my hot dogs eaten list, I’m not a fan of the Greek spiced chili served at Texas Weiner joints , and my friends were getting full and really wanted to save room for Rutt’s Hutt so we skipped Getty Grill and that made all the difference as you’ll read below.
 
Papaya King
 
We ditched all ya’ll and walked over to Papaya King. Unfortunately no free shirts this time, but also no line!! For the first time all day I was the first, last, and only person in line. It was like I had my very own hot dog stand all to myself. It was mind boggling. I had to very quickly decide what I wanted because there was no line!! Ok I’ll shut up now. I ordered a dog with mustard and relish and thoroughly enjoyed it. The snap was crisp and it was a usual wonderful Sabrett dog. The wimps I was with also skipped Papaya King as well. I do apologize for their lack of gastro fortitude. We walked over to Corrado’s and had some fun wandering around the beer and wine making store as well as the wholesale food market.
 
Rutt’s Hutt
 
What else can be said about New Jersey’s second most overrated hot dog stand behind Hot Dog Johnny’s? If you couldn’t tell I’m not a fan so I skipped Rutt’s and stayed in the parking lot talking to people. I think I had a better time and my arteries thanked me. My friends being from Ocean County, dove head first into the hype and got 2 dogs each. They liked them so they were happy. My friend got pulled over on the ride home so I was happy. I really am a nice guy, I swear, I just have an awful sense of humor.  If you didn’t find my write up amusing  A) I don’t care, I liked it and that’s wha’ts important and B) Go click that little “X” in the corner of your screen. For everyone who does it, Microsoft will send you $100. Seriously they will, go check out Snopes.
 
We all had a great time, it was cool seeing everyone again and I’ll see you all next year.
 
Dave

Dave, thanks for the breakdown of the stops.  I like your style, sir!

Enjoyed your analysis...and be nice to we Ocean County guys!