Ellen and "Signman" conquer Sonny's Famous Hogie's, Hollywood, FL 3-11-09

On Wed, March 11th, I had the pleasure of "meating up" with fellow Roadfooder & friend, "Signman", (aka Howard from Baltimore!)
Coincidently, he was also on vacation in south Florida, as he's been doing for the last bunch of years to catch baseball spring training games with his buddies...
 
We met at SONNY'S Famous Hogie's (yes , that's how they spell "hogie")...first time for both of us
It's right off of TAFT St., on NW 66th ave,  across the street from the Bealle's/Wynn Dixie/Rainbow store shopping center..........it's a bit off the beaten path, though, and a real local's joint! 
Here's Howard in front of the wonderful dish of hot peppers
  the hogie bread is made fresh right there!!!!
 
The HAMBURGER HOGIE was to die for!! Best hamburger hogie I ever had! Love the crusty fresh beef!

Great review.  How ya doin', Howard?
 
Ellen: Is that the $4.45 Hamburger Hogie?  It looks like a good deal.

MiamiDon


Great review.  How ya doin', Howard?

more pics to post....keep checking back!
Meanwhile, check out the latest inquiry I asked you on Facebook!!

More captions with the pics, please

TJ Jackson


More captions with the pics, please

I usually DO put up many more captions (in my tons of previous reports)
Maybe cause I've been slightly out of practice posting reports here on Roadfood, but I was having trouble enough putting up what I did manage to post
 
I did not find the posting system was user friendly, as least not for ME...
that is why my report came out so "mumbled/jumbled"........just ended up putting it up anyway I could...
 
even what I DID manage to post took me at least an hour or so....
 

Great to have another Ellen Trip Report.

I WAS IN CENTRAL FL THAT WEEK !!!

We ought to have a way to communicate our plans to each other.

Me, for example: Bend/Sisters, Oregon today and tomorrow ... then driving the I-90 corridor from Seattle to Western, Mass, starting this weekend.

For what it is worth, I will be driving a half empty truck and would gladly divert a few miles to pick up a payload to help with the ever increasing gas prices.  If you know anyone, email me thru the site.

Great pics as usual!  At $4.45, that thing is a steal....bring back 10!

You just gotta remember the keyboard shortcuts "ctrl-x" for cut and "ctrl-v" for paste. Once you have that figured, everything else follows as normal.

Always used to go to Sonny's when my grandparents lived in Hollywood...I LOVE that place!  Believe it or not, still consider their chesesteaks as some of the best I've ever had!!!  I would always get the #90 w/provolone....they're small sandwiches but are GREAT! 

sorry Ellen - a pic without a caption is simply hard to interpret sometimes.

for example, the final pic

1) Whose sandwich is it?  My money would be on it being Howard's. but no caption = I dunno for sure.  Could be an extra you bought to take with you, or some random customer let you photograph their sandwich.  It happens

2) was it any good? dunno

3) Is it a steak w/ peppers added, or is it some other sandwich?

4) how much did it cost?

5) is there cheese or other ingredients hidden underneath all that meat?  If so, what other ingredients are there?

etc etc

This is not a complaint on my part, tho it may seem to be.  Having a pic w/no caption is netter than no pic at all, frankly.  Rather, it helps to know what one is looking at.

ellen4641


Maybe cause I've been slightly out of practice posting reports here on Roadfood, but I was having trouble enough putting up what I did manage to post

But didn't you just do a few  trip reports like a week or two ago???
 

What is there to complain about? The report was complete enough for me to tell me Sonny's would be a very worthwhile stop. Pictures say it all. Excellent report!

Ellen. does  the bowl of peppers come with the food or is it a seperate order item?

MiamiDon


Great review.  How ya doin', Howard?
 
Ellen: Is that the $4.45 Hamburger Hogie?  It looks like a good deal.

Yes, it IS, Don!
We were going to get a hamburger hogie, anyway, then noticed the deal on the wall, which was icing on the cake...
 
the hamburger hogie was EXCELLENT, much better than I ever expected!
The place was packed, it was 1230 pm.... but we had very efficient service...
they've got their act together!
 
A few more PICS coming later!  check out some of the "grill action" later!

Mosca


You just gotta remember the keyboard shortcuts "ctrl-x" for cut and "ctrl-v" for paste. Once you have that figured, everything else follows as normal.

you see , I never knew that until NOW;  I'll have to practice and learn that...
(trial by error, I guess)

wanderingjew

ellen4641


Maybe cause I've been slightly out of practice posting reports here on Roadfood, but I was having trouble enough putting up what I did manage to post

But didn't you just do a few  trip reports like a week or two ago???
 

Hi WJ,
I did a mini trip report about  Reading Terminal Market in Philly, but that was about a month and a half ago....  I'm out of practice already!!
 
TJ: Howard and I got one cheesesteak, and one hamburger hogie, and had half of each! So we got to try both of them..
I think that was that #90, with provolone cheese, sweet peppers and onions..
 
BRITNEAL: The pepper bowl is no extra charge.... but you may have to ask for them, like we did....  (she was probably about to bring them out anyway)
 
thanks for all the responses!!!
 
 

Ellen, I've been wondering why I hadn't seen any trip reports from you lately. Well, your in good company with Howard.
Hi to you too, Howard! Post more pictures!

The sandwiches looked great, and the idea of having them on bread baked right there sounds even better. Whos sandwich was the second pic-and what was it? Inquiring minds want to know...

ellen4641

Mosca


You just gotta remember the keyboard shortcuts "ctrl-x" for cut and "ctrl-v" for paste. Once you have that figured, everything else follows as normal.

you see , I never knew that until NOW;  I'll have to practice and learn that...
(trial by error, I guess)

I use [CTRL-INSERT] for COPY; [SHIFT-INSERT] for PASTE; [SHIFT-DELETE] for CUT.
 
Then there is a whole set of marking commands for when you don't have a mouse.

MD - Have you ever been to Sonny's? 

annpeeples


The sandwiches looked great, and the idea of having them on bread baked right there sounds even better. Whos sandwich was the second pic-and what was it? Inquiring minds want to know...

Howard and I BOTH claimed rights to that 2nd sandwich.... as we decided to get one hamburger hogie, and one cheesesteak hogie, and we split them up!
 
That 2nd sandwich is a provolone CHEESESTEAK HOGIE with fried green peppers and onions, (and with those delectable  hot peppers on the side in the metal dish)
 Here's a pic of the GRILL MAN , who was in action the whole time we were there.... a very busy guy.. 
 
There is a BREAD  MAN, whose sole job seems to be to keep BAKING these real good ROLLS.
We saw him bring out a fresh tray of new rolls to the grill, twice during the time we were there...
Anybody for some MUSHROOMS or a side of RED SAUCE?!?

 
And NOW, for ELLEN'S CHEESESTEAK and HAMBURGER HOGIE VERDICTS:
 
#1 The CHEESESTEAK Hogie: It was very tasty, but I just did'nt find it extra special, meatwise...
it had a slightly tough taste to me, just slightly, though...
it was no match to the BEST cheesesteak I've had, just the other week at CHICK'S DELI in Cherry Hill, NJ
 
#2 The HAMBURGER hogie : Now THIS hogie I DID put in the "BEST Hamburger hogie I ever had" category!
It was THAT good!!!!!   The only other hamburger hogie's I've had were in my AC area, and the meat preparation was flat grilled, but no crusty taste...  
I was expecting about the same; a tasty sandwich, but not overwhelming delicious... but I got WAY more than I bargained for at Sonny's.... DELICIOUS!
somehow , at Sonny's , they manage to get the meat so crusty, even though it's a flat top grill...
 
Howard and I watched the grill action , even through the glass window after we left...
we noticed that the top sellers were the cheesesteaks, and the FRESH GROUND burgers...
 
Hopefully, we'll see you Roadfooder's at Sonny's!!

Twinwillow

 Well, your in good company with Howard

Yes, Howard is an amazing guy! .......a loyal, sincere friend, with great Roadfood spirit!
We have great conversation , heavy on good Roadfood talk!

Davydd


What is there to complain about?  Pictures say it all.

"every picture tells a story, don't it?!?",........(as the song goes!!)
now you've got me singing it!

We all love ya, Ellen.

It's good to see you posting trip reports again Ellen. Please keep it up, they are always entertaining and fun to read.

The food looks great, but what really got to me was to see you and Howard sitting around in T Shirts and shorts. It was 27 degrees when I left for work this morning and I'm still wearing wool sweaters under my coat (I have a lot of walking from car to train and train to office in NY so I always dress for the walk).

Thanks again!

Thanks for the report, Ellen. Always a pleasure to read of your adventures.

Hello all ,

Two veterans of the Annual Jersey hot Dog Tours meet up in Florida !!!
Fantastic!!!!!!
Glad you both had a great time .

Benzee

elln, what did you think of Chick's? make it there twice last month. the owners are great guys. did you get the chicken steak? rusty

rpalmer1


elln, what did you think of Chick's? make it there twice last month. the owners are great guys. did you get the chicken steak? rusty

I LOVED Chick's cheesesteak!! I got the beef cheesestak, but it sounds like I should try the chicken steak, as well, huh?!?
 
I met one of  the owners, who served me... a very down to earth guy...
I told him I would be posting a glowing report of his cheesesteaks on YELP.com later on ....
(I do have some succulent looking cheesesteak pics of Chick's on there now...)
the place won the "best of Philly, 2003", which is ironic!!
(Since it's not even in Philly!!)
I'm real impressed that you not only heard about Chick's, but that you actually went there twice!
Let's here it for the CONNECTICUT Roadfooders !! Go, Rusty, go..!

ellen4641

rpalmer1


elln, what did you think of Chick's? make it there twice last month. the owners are great guys. did you get the chicken steak? rusty

I LOVED Chick's cheesesteak!! I got the beef cheesestak, but it sounds like I should try the chicken steak, as well, huh?!?
 
I met one of  the owners, who served me... a very down to earth guy...
I told him I would be posting a glowing report of his cheesesteaks on YELP.com later on ....
(I do have some succulent looking cheesesteak pics of Chick's on there now...)
the place won the "best of Philly, 2003", which is ironic!!
(Since it's not even in Philly!!)
I'm real impressed that you not only heard about Chick's, but that you actually went there twice!
Let's here it for the CONNECTICUT Roadfooders !! Go, Rusty, go..!

Not to go too far off topic, but is that Chick's the Chick's Deli in Hartford? (I was having trouble finding a report on the RF site, no doubt due to me, not the site).  I was curious to add another place to check out on my upcoming Hartford trips.  (Two good ones so far this year.)

You are right about the CT RF-ers.  I have met only two RF-ers in person so far: Chris (ayersian) (OK, he lives in Massachusetts now) and Mark (doggydaddy).  Both were very kind, very gracious, and a lot of fun to spend time with.  They, like so many on this site who have shown kindness and help to me and others, are great ambassadors for RF.  I count your reports in that category as well and always enjoy them and am inspired by them.    Thanks for the time that you take to show us what's out there.