Fall River, MA: Hot Dog Heaven

My beautiful hometown,Fall River, MA,is lousy with hotdog joints. I've grown up with "3 with the works, 2 with mustard and sauce". My personal favorite is Faneeks on Plymouth Ave., which apparently used to be a pretty upscale place, because my grandmother had her wedding reception there. When I was a kid, I used to go there with my dad and the place was full of old "junk". Hotdog signs, Buddha statues, one of those Kit Kat clocks. It was my favorite place on Earth. When the original owners handed the business down to their kids, they redid the place, changing it forever. They still make a damn fine hotdog.

Fall River hotdogs are of the weiner variety, always served on steamed rolls. The best way to eat them are with "the works", applied thusly: mustard, sauce, onions. The sauce is beef/pork based, like a very thin chili. I like to believe that it comes from the hand of God. Traditionalists will tell you that it needs a dash of celery salt, but pass...that's New York System style, not Fall River style.

Honorable mentions goes to: Roger's Hot Dogs on North Main St, but they have such a huge menu now you'd probably want to try their buffalo calamari or their Yankee Pot Roast first. Also JJ's Hot Dogs on South Main St, the ultimate late night joint. JJ's is open 'til 2am, maybe later depending on the crowd. I find the best way to avoid a hangover is two of JJ's dogs with mustard and chili beans and one with the works. It pushes the hangover right out of your system. Thirdly, Nick's, which is right across the street from JJ's. Nick's is not for the faint of heart, because the staff usually lines their arms with the dogs and then applies the toppings. It has unfairly earned the moniker "Dirty Nick's".