New Jersey Hot Dogs

<<I believe you are referring to Jimmy's on the Delaware in Phillipsburg, and I second Benzee to add Charlie's Pool Room.>>

Thanks, yes, Jimmy's.

How could I have forgot Charlie's. Thanks guys for reminding me. OK, 12 stops.

PS: It's not a real tour at this point, just a post, but maybe in the spring.

I may have found a place. Since my job changed to Princeton, I have longed for a good Dog in the area. It seems there is nothing within walking distance of a major University. I have been given two recommendations, WAWA and Zorba's for a 4:50 tasteless dog wrapped in foil to the pioint that the bun was a soggy mess. Until yesterday! I went to a place called Chucks for wings. It is a locally famous little wing joint once owned my the notorious killers the Kyle and Lyle Menedez brothers. Well I found Chucks serves an all beef Kosher hotdog for $2.50. It was good and served in a really nice Italian style roll, really more suited for and Italian Hot Dog. I have no more details, I don't know what kind of dog, but it was rather large but no snap so I'm guessing no natural casing. The Dog was served plain in the roll and I saw no options for toppings, but it's a start, thank goodness it's a start!

If it's a large dog, and it's kosher, and it's served in New Jersey, the odds are good that it's a skinless, 1/4 lb. Hebrew National....a fine dog.

It's the same frankfurter Costco serves with a refillable soda as its loss leader in this market. 5 Guys splits it lengthwise and griddles it. If it's not a Hebrew National, then that's interesting.
The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by JakerDog

I may have found a place. Since my job changed to Princeton, I have longed for a good Dog in the area. It seems there is nothing within walking distance of a major University. I have been given two recommendations, WAWA and Zorba's for a 4:50 tasteless dog wrapped in foil to the pioint that the bun was a soggy mess. Until yesterday! I went to a place called Chucks for wings. It is a locally famous little wing joint once owned my the notorious killers the Kyle and Lyle Menedez brothers. Well I found Chucks serves an all beef Kosher hotdog for $2.50. It was good and served in a really nice Italian style roll, really more suited for and Italian Hot Dog. I have no more details, I don't know what kind of dog, but it was rather large but no snap so I'm guessing no natural casing. The Dog was served plain in the roll and I saw no options for toppings, but it's a start, thank goodness it's a start!

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

If it's a large dog, and it's kosher, and it's served in New Jersey, the odds are good that it's a skinless, 1/4 lb. Hebrew National....a fine dog.

It's the same frankfurter Costco serves with a refillable soda as its loss leader in this market. 5 Guys splits it lengthwise and griddles it. If it's not a Hebrew National, then that's interesting.
The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by JakerDog

I may have found a place. Since my job changed to Princeton, I have longed for a good Dog in the area. It seems there is nothing within walking distance of a major University. I have been given two recommendations, WAWA and Zorba's for a 4:50 tasteless dog wrapped in foil to the pioint that the bun was a soggy mess. Until yesterday! I went to a place called Chucks for wings. It is a locally famous little wing joint once owned my the notorious killers the Kyle and Lyle Menedez brothers. Well I found Chucks serves an all beef Kosher hotdog for $2.50. It was good and served in a really nice Italian style roll, really more suited for and Italian Hot Dog. I have no more details, I don't know what kind of dog, but it was rather large but no snap so I'm guessing no natural casing. The Dog was served plain in the roll and I saw no options for toppings, but it's a start, thank goodness it's a start!

Screenbear,

I would agree with you. However, another 1/4 pound kosher beef frank has recently made it's way into New Jersey. This frank is Best Kosher, which is owned by corporate giant Sara Lee. It is now the hot dog that is served at Amazing Hot Dog. They switched brands from Best Provisions (Newark, N.J.) to Best Kosher, which I believe is still made in Chicago. This frank, in my opinion, is not nearly as good as the frank from Best Provisions. I've had it a few times. It was sold for awhile at Wegmans in Woodbridge. I also sampled it in a blind tasting this past July when we had it shipped in from Chicago. Among the panel it didn't score nearly as well as the New Jersey Best frank. I believe they have an Eastern distributor now.

I haven't been to Amazing Hot Dog since they switched brands, so I don't know the reason for the switch. Maybe one of the owners can say. I'm surprised that no one who went to the Bound Brook location noticed. I guess if you load up your dog with their many toppings, it might be hard to notice.

I went to Amazing Hot Dog in Bound Brook today for the first time. I can positively confirm that while they switched brands, the brand they are now using is NOT Best Kosher. I'm sorry for posting wrong information. I'm glad that I went to Bound Brook to find out from the source. And I'm glad the dog they are now using is not Best Kosher. This one is much better.

The owners (Matt and Eric) did not advertise or publicize the fact that they switched brands, nor did they hide the fact. I don't know why they chose to change brands, but I can tell you that the brand they are now using is a top quality frankfurter. It is made by a small company in New England and Amazing Hot Dog is the only place in New Jersey that serves it. You cannot get it in New York either. I have heard about this particular hot dog and have been unsuccesful trying to get it from the company. I would have had to order a large quantity.

Well, I finally got to sample it today. The best way I can describe it is that it is in the Eastern Jewish/Kosher style. All beef, 4 to a lb with natural casing. The casing is thin, but tough. Similar to Best. A little less tough than Boars Head or Grote & Weigel beef dogs. I liked it. The flavor, in contrast to Best was a little less spicy, a little less garlic/paprika flavor, but a little more smoke flavor, though less than Hatfield, which has a lot of smokiness. This frank had a pleasing, balanced flavor. Quality wise this frank is as good an all beef dog as there is. But it definitely has a different flavor profile. Had I not known previously that Amazing had switched brands, I would have been able to tell after the first bite. This dog is one of my favorite all beef dogs along with Best, Usinger's, Boars Head, and Sabrett. All with their own unique flavor, all great. Depends on your personal taste and what kind of spice blend you like.

Although I love Best and have often stated that it is my favorite beef dog, I'm glad that we have access to a top quality dog that is rare and only available here. The Grote & Weigel beef dog served at Father & Son was good and only served there. They later switched to Best. Although I preferred the Best dog, I was glad when they switched back to Grote & Weigel because it was not sold anywhere else.

I had one dog half plain and half with mustard. My second dog was half mustard and half chili. The chili at Amazing is very good. Rich, flavorful, and with a hint of chocolate. Both dogs were prepared perfectly and were definitely served hot.

You can also buy these dogs cold to cook at home. Four of them (one pound) goes for $6.00. I'm going to grill one this weekend.

I wish Matt and Eric good luck with their new location. I'll be back soon to Amazing, although it will probably be their Verona location which is an easier ride for me.

Amazing.
The Bear

John,

Great report .
Good luck to Matt and Eric on the new shop .!!
A lot of positive buzz and its ... Amazin !!

Benzee

Thanks John for your usual fine investigative work. I'll definately be getting over to Bound Brook to try their new dog soon. ---Ken

There is a restaurant that recently began serving the Syd's dog. That makes 2 places that I know of. One is Jimmy Buff's East Hanover location, which has been serving this dog for a few years now. There is no better beef dog. At Syd's, you had the choice of getting your dog boiled or grilled. Grilled was boiled fisrt, then finished off on a gas grill similar to a backyard grill. Not a griddle. At Buff's, the dogs are sauteed in oil first, then finished off on a real charcoal grill.

Seymour's Luncheonette is a small establishment located at 567 S. Livingston Avenue in Livingston. I didn't ask when they opened, but it looks like they have been around for a long time. Long counter with old style stools that come up from the ground. They serve breakfast and lunch. Lunch items include hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, salads, fish, chicken or shrimp platters, club sandwiches, and hot sandwiches from the grill including reubens and cheesesteaks. I came for the hot dog.

They just started using the 5 to a lb Best's natural casing dog that was famous at Syd's. In fact, on the chalkboard menu, it's listed as the Syd's dog and goes for $3.25, same as Syd's prior to moving out of their old location. Here you have a choice of your dog being either deep fried or grilled. I chose grilled. They split the dog lengthwise and put it on a griddle. For those of you that have had a hot dog at 5 Guys, this is the way that they are prepared there, only they use a Hebrew National skinless frank.

My dog was served with a pickle slice. They asked what I wanted on it, and I chose mustard, which is Guldens brown out of a plastic jar. They also offer sauerkraut. I didn't ask about other choices. The dog was excellent as I expected. The griddle imparts a different texture and slightly different flavor to the dog. It had a nice little crusty char due to being sliced open and grilled on both sides. A little bit of grease from the griddle. Some may prefer this method of preparation to boiling, deep frying, or char grilling. Depends on your taste. I would have had one deep fried as well, but I had other places to go. Best's makes my favorite beef dog and I especially like the size of the long 5 to a lb (Syd's) dog. I loved it at Syd's, I love it at Jimmy Buff''s, and I love it at Seymours. I think most of the time I prefer this dog on a grill rather than griddle. But the griddle is a great option and change of pace. Best dogs taste great any way they're prepared. Although they don't use the 5 to a lb dog, Jerry's Famous Frankfurters in Elizabeth uses the Best 8 to a lb natural casing frank and prepares it a unique way. Boiled then left in a steel compartment (like a griddle) for a few minutes to add a little crunch.

All of these places serve my favorite beef dog, but in a slightly different way. All are worth trying. I'm glad I found Seymour's.

Another place to get a Best's 5. Hope springs eternal. If they make a good slaw as a side dish, life will again be worth living.
The Bear

They do have cole slaw on the menu. I should have tried it.

Thanks for yet another tip John. It's only January 3rd and already I have 3 Hot Dog Places on my 2008 To Do List:

The new Amazing in Bound Brook
The Hot Dog Caboose in Midland Park (reviewed a few weeks ago in the Star Ledger)

And now Seymours. Never heard of that one, Thanks. There aren't many old interesting places in Livingston. The only other one I can think of is The Landmark Tavern, 259 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. An old bar with good pizza and burgers (I don't recall if they have Hot Dogs but probably so) which looks like it belongs in the backwoods of Pennsylvania rather than in upscale suburban Livingston. ---Ken

Hello all ,

Great report John !!
I recently tried the slaw dog at Johnny and Hanges .
Fantastic !!

Is Seymours within reach of our other locations on the Jersey Tour .?
Looks like we have some exciting new ideas for stops in Sept. !!

Benzee

I went to Amazing Hot Dogs in Bound Brook again yesterday and had the dog with bacon and baked beans. That is a definite favorite and i had a plain dog w/ half mustard. I had to copy John Fox and see what it tasted like plain. It was very good by itself.

Today for lunch 5 of my co workers including my 2 direct bosses went to Boulevard drinks in Jersey City for some hot dogs. I had 5 w/ mustard and relish and could have probably fit another 2-3 dogs. They were good and the buns were fresh. I think our bill was over 60.00. I think it took us longer to park than it did to wolf them down! I had never been there so it was a good experience.

I went to Amazing Hot Dog in Bound Brook again yesterday as well and had the Hotburger/Ham Dog with chili and cheese whiz in the middle. It was interesting but quite tasty, although the chili seemed to have been on the heat for a little too long and was thicker than i remembered. Not a big deal because it was still good.

Dave

Wow !!!!
Simply Amazing !!
Gonna have to get over to the new location in Bound Brook one of these days .
Whats the best directions coming from the north ,say GSP or Rt. 287 ??
Thanks guys

Benzee

Benzee,
287 South to exit 13, Route 28 (I believe going south there's only one exit, no A and B). Make a left at the light onto Route 28 East and Amazing Hot Dog is up ahead on the right. The parking lot comes first and you'll see a 7-Eleven in the same parking lot. There's also a Burger King across the street as another landmark. If I'm wrong about any of this someone correct me.

Dave

Today I went to Sal's Dog House in Clark. It's in the same town I work in, so I've been there quite a few times. The dogs are dirty water Sabrett's with a natural casing. Easily one of the better Sabrett dirty water dogs. They are always fresh and delicious, with a great snap. And they are always served at the perfect temperature. I should have asked if he has some kind of thermostat or device that keeps the water at a constant temperature. The only thing I wish was different about Sal's dogs are their size. I prefer a dog bigger than 12 to a lb. But they are tasty, so I just get more of them. Their chili is very spicy. I had 3 dogs; 2 with just mustard and one with mustard and chili. The chili tasted so much like Father & Son's that I had to ask Sal if he got it from there.

Turns out that he did. I had mentioned in my review of the summer of 2006 (Munchmobile) that the first time I went and got a chili dog, it was awful. I vowed never to have another dog from Sal's with chili. One day someone gave me a dog from there that had chili on it. I was happy to discover that the chili was different and better. It was Father & Son's. Sal says he believes it is the best chili around and it is so much easier for him to buy it rather than making his own. He was given a recipe from somewhere and told me that most chilis made at hot dog restaurants have a long list of ingredients that have to be added at the precise time. It's too much of a hassle according to him.

Steve's Hot Dog Wagon on Elizabeth Ave. in Linden also uses chili from Father & Son.

where is this Sal's which you speak of John Fox, as Clark is right near my home!!!

60 dollars for 5 hotdogs? hope you had a lot of brewskis with that

quote:

Originally posted by foobuc

I went to Amazing Hot Dogs in Bound Brook again yesterday and had the dog with bacon and baked beans. That is a definite favorite and i had a plain dog w/ half mustard. I had to copy John Fox and see what it tasted like plain. It was very good by itself.

Today for lunch 5 of my co workers including my 2 direct bosses went to Boulevard drinks in Jersey City for some hot dogs. I had 5 w/ mustard and relish and could have probably fit another 2-3 dogs. They were good and the buns were fresh. I think our bill was over 60.00. I think it took us longer to park than it did to wolf them down! I had never been there so it was a good experience.

quote:

Originally posted by foobuc

where is this Sal's which you speak of John Fox, as Clark is right near my home!!!

Sal's is located on Broadway in the VFW parking lot. Sal had a lot of trouble from the town getting licences and everything he needed to get started including a location. Since he is a veteran, the VFW let him use their lot. Plenty of parking and Broadway runs parallel to Westfield Ave. He is open before 11 and stays till about 3:30 or so. He is not always there, but you should catch him most of the time.

<<Today I went to Sal's Dog House in Clark>>.

Yet another hot dog place I have now added to my 2008 to do list, that makes 4 already. John, please slow down...I can't keep up.

I like the fact that Sal seems to be willing to admit that he can buy Chili better than he can make it. A common thread with a lot of these New Jersey Hot Dog Cart guys is that they are always telling the customer that they have the best Chili, the best dogs, etc etc. The guy on South Ave in Scotch Plains is particlarly annoying, to the point that I don't go there anymore. His dogs and Chili aren't that great anyway. ---Ken

Ken,

I was at that place recently on South Ave. I was on my way to John's Meat Market to get some of the Kocher's franks they carry, when I passed by a guy wearing a chef's hat selling hot dogs. I stopped for one and agree that it was mediocre. I just had one with mustard. Warm, not hot, and skinless. Big difference between his dogs and Sal's.

John and Ken,
I agree about the mediocre dogs from the guy in the chefs hat. I posted a page or 2 back about the experience there, I wasn't impressed.

Dave

all these places that are open during the day right by my house i can never get to because i leave the house at 730-745am and don't get home until after 6Pm sometimes later. I may not ever get to try Sal's unless i go during one of my vacation weeks.

To thedining room: that was the bill for all of our dogs not just my 5.

Rut's hut was on the travel channel's hot dog show last night.It's a repeat...but you get to enjoy all those dog places again!! Anyone know what's in their secret sauce?
leethebard

Mustard, carrots, cabbage, onions, at least.

Hiram's in Ft. Lee-good chili cheese dogs/good cheese fries-wash it down with cold birch beer from a tap.

Big Mama's Dog Pond, Milford, NJ

I was coming back from getting my fix at the Caramel Corn Shop http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=3038 in Easton, PA on Saturday and I stopped in Milford for a hot dog.

I had the boiled dog with onion sauce. This was a Hatfield kosher dog that was probably an 8 to 1. It had a nice snap and was served in a soft commercial roll. I enjoyed the spices that are used for this dog.

What made this a great dog was the home made onion sauce. This is made by softening onions and slowly cooking them in a BBQ type of sauce. It was an excellent condiment for this dog. The onions are neither firm nor falling apart. They have just enough structure to give a hint of a crunch that compliments the snap of the dog as you bite into it.

I found this to be an excellent dog and would recommend this place to anyone traveling in the area. It is just about 15 minutes south of Charlie's Pool Room and the drive takes you right along the bank of the Delaware River.

Mama's has an extensive menu that I anticipate sampling on future visits. As I was talking to the owner she said she was doing some research that day. She was trying to create a spring roll dog. She described it as a hot dog wrapped and prepared like a spring roll with Chinese style vegetables and flavorings. Sounds interesting to me.

The wife was out at a work function which left me on my own for dinner so I stopped at Amazing Hot Dog in Bound Brook on my way home. I tried the "My Shimeero" dog, the one that has their 1/4 pound bacon wrapped dog with cream cheese and scallions. It was an interesting combination. I like all of those items separately, but I'm not a fan of them together. I also had an order of their fries which were really good, nice and crispy.

Dave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87T10UOYtoI&feature=related

The above is a 3 minute segment that was aired on the Travel Channel's Hot Dog Heavens. A pretty good piece on Rutt's Hut. Despite what the narrator says, the dogs are fried in beef tallow, not vegetable oil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuymRx8PyVQ

A short video someone made of Syd's. Wish it was still here.

Fried hotdogs are so good! I never could see why the idea didn't spread. Any other places fry?
leethebard

leethebard,

There are a ton of places in Jersey (mostly in the north) that deep fry their hot dogs. Most are pork/beef and use the Thumann's dog for deep frying. Examples are Rutt's Hut, Hiram's, Goffle Grill, Libby's, Johnny & Hanges, Hot Dog Heaven, Falls View, and others. Callahan's (one location left) and Hot Grill use the Sabrett beef and pork dog. All of the Italian Hot Dog joints deep fry or sautee all beef dogs. One place that deep fries a regular beef dog is Amazing Hot Dog.

Thanks,John,
I'm on my way..first I come across,I'm in!

I made the journey to Amazing dogs in Verona. I took my wife/and kid. I love this place. It is different than any other hotdog out there. I had the dog wrapped in bacon with wiz.-big/juicy and on a potatoe roll-nice treat. My wife had dog with grilled onions/and cheese (american)-the onions were so sweet and good. My son had kids meal-cut up pieces of hot dog deep fried so it was krispy. He was getting mad because I kept eating his. I will definatly go back again. There are many other dogs to try. I have already starting spreading the news at work.

John,
Any word when the Travel Channel show featuring you and Jimmy Buff's will air?

Dave

The last time I talked to the producer she said it would be mid February. I have not seen it yet on the Travel Channel website.

I was looking at the listings for the Travel Channel. Sometime towards the end of the month they will be running Pizza Paradises. So the Hot Dog Paradise show may be run even later.

Hey John, thanks for the tip on Sal's Truck in Clark. Got there today, the dogs were just as you described, small but properly cooked, with Father & Son Chili. I had 3 (one with Chili Cheese & onions and 2 with just Chili), and brought the same combo home for my son. Very tasty. Thanks again.

PS: In case anyone else needs to know, Sal says he's there Saturdays as well as weekdays.

i just bought my Mom an 8 or 10pk(i forget which) of Schickhaus natural casing griddle franks in the Shop Rite in Garwood. These suckers were as long as the ones served at Max's in Long Branch. They were located down the first aisle towards the back of the store near the area where the cheeses are located. In case anyone was interested...

Also, i was in a discussion last night with my friends wife who is from Hanover Pa and she says the big thing there is a chili dog w/ lines out the door. Since they live near me now, i told them to try a Plainfield Texas weiner and sent them to Texas Weiner I as i think that is the best of them imo. Anyone think i should have sent them to a different one in Plainfield area??? We'll see what they say after they go. I also told them to try Tommy's in Elizabeth for an italian hot dog as they have heard of that also.

I think this is the place in Hanover Pa that she was talking about:

http://www.famoushotweiner.com/

I was there maybe 10 years ago and don't really remember much about it except that was a typical Pa. downtown local hot dog place. The one thing I remember was that they had a local brand of soda in glass bottles. Probably no longer.

Of the Middlesex County Texas Weiner places, I agree the Texas Weiner 1 is the best.

Johnny and Hanges in Atlantic City ?

Did it ever open? I've looked and not found.

Any news? Going there on Thursday...thanks.

No doughboy , the Johnny and Hanges in Fairlawn near Rt. 4 and the GSP

Benzee

Johnny and Hanges opened a second location in Atlantic City a few years ago. I don't know how they are doing or if they are even still open.

yes ken8038 you are correct! My buddy confirmed this in an email tonight ater i sent him the same link that i got off hotdogginthe us.com.

i was just in AC and if that Johnny & hanges is down there i wish someone would confirm as i will be at the wine show in April and i would like to try it! wine & dogs-perfect together!

i just did a google search and it led me back to roadfood.com and this post. i assume J & H in AC is no more:

quote:

vocal
Junior Burger



23 Posts
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 19:28:47
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Its closed. I drove by today to see if it was still open. No surprise there. A sub chain has taken its place and I give them about 4 months tops. I could have told the family to save their money and never open one in AC. They claimed they were a block away from the Tropicana. Try 4 blocks in not a great area way off the boardwalk. The same thing happened to Pats steaks. The only things that work in AC are salt water taffy , the White House Sub Shop, the Irish Pub and buffets. However Rutts Hut would be a welcome sight on the boardwalk. And the Planet Hollywood has been closed in Ceasars as well. No surprise there either. Maybe I should start a AC food thread anyone interested?

quote:

Today for lunch I went to Seymour's Luncheonette, a discovery that Hot Dog John posted about a few pages back. It's at 567 S. Livingston Ave. in Livingston, for those who don't want to look for the orignal post.

Nice homey old school luncheonette. I was pleased to find out they have a parking lot. I got 6 "Syds" dogs to go. Ate two of them in my car. Just as John said, they are terrific, 5 to a lb. and cooked on a griddle and split lengthwise. I had one with Sauerkraut and one with just mustard. (they don't serve Chile dogs, which was no dissapointment, I think Chili would be a waste on a dog as good as this one).

I brought home two for my son, who also said they were great.

The other two I will take to work for lunch tomorrow.

6 dogs came to $20.87 with tax, a little steep, but hey, it's a Syd's Dog and there's none better.

John, thanks again for the tip, keep us posted on any new finds, I'm almost caught up. ---Ken

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Does anyone know how the 5 Guys in Brick is? Never have been to that chain???Do they have hot dogs??How good???

There hotdogs are very good-split down the middle a griddle grilled-with cheese and bacon-its nice to get a hot dog that is not deep fried sometimes-nice alternative-good tasting dog

I took the day off yesterday to drive my daughter back to school, which gave my daughter an extra day home this weekend. My son was home too so the three of us took the ride. On the way we stopped at the Hot Dog Caboose in Midland Park which got a favorable write up in the Star Ledger a while back.

Be warned this is a "stand outisde and wait for your food" type place, not recommended on a 13 degree day like yesterday. Fortunately we were the only customers at about 12 noon, so the wait was short. There are a few picnic tables around, but yesterday was definitely a day to eat in the car. Oh, and no bathroom of any type. So much for having made 2 other food stops on the way there (Corrado's and Basse Nuts) without using any facilities.

My son and I each had 2 chili dogs and pronounced them excellent. I added a cup of terrific Cheddar Cheese soup, which just seemed right on a day like yesterday. The dogs were dirty water Sabretts, with very good Chili. The Chili was thier own, and very flavorful without being too sweet or spicy. My daughter, who is a vegetarian this week, (and I think last week too and also for about a month in 1994) had the vegetarian Chili and said it was pretty good, which is about a complimentary as she gets when it's not her own cooking.

Here's a link to the website. Highly recommended, especially when it gets a little warmer:

http://www.hotdogcaboose.com/index.htm

Hi all,
I've noticed that a place called New England Hot Dog Co. has finally opened on Route 9 North in Freehold. I have yet to check it out myself, has anyone else gone? It's in a large strip mall South of the Raceway Mall, but on the Northbound side. The website is www.nehotdog.com . I've been waiting for months for it to open and I think I'll try to get there in the next week or so and will post when I do.

Dave

does anyone rememeber haydus hot dogs?they used tobe a jersey staple,but I think they are gone now. I used to know some of the haydu family in livingston

also enjoyed the note about seymours in livingston...used to go there as a kid on the way home from school for a soda- I remember well it cost 10 cents...seymour himself was quite a guy- all the kids loved him

quote:

Originally posted by DPuro329

Hi all,
I've noticed that a place called New England Hot Dog Co. has finally opened on Route 9 North in Freehold. I have yet to check it out myself, has anyone else gone? It's in a large strip mall South of the Raceway Mall, but on the Northbound side. The website is www.nehotdog.com . I've been waiting for months for it to open and I think I'll try to get there in the next week or so and will post when I do.

Dave

I saw the paper finally off the windows a few weeks back. Have not been able to get there yet but i may be in the area on Wed. I may be in that area too early so i may have to wait until i wind up there at a later date. Let us know how they are if you wind up getting there!

OK, you guys are KILLING me! Where's the guy from waaaaaaaaaaay up thread who wanted to start up an Italian hot dog gig in South Florida? I have been craving my favorite childhood hot dog--from Jackie's (now closed I think) in Belleville, NJ. I would gladly patronize and "evangelize" on behalf of some enterprising Jersey boys/girls who could produce such a dog somewhere between Delray Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. (Sorry, I'm not braving traffic through Miami--not even for a fix!)

The trouble down here seems to be the bread as much as anything else. Ask any (sane) South Floridian. You CAN'T (well, you can, but you really shouldn't) drink the water down here, so how the heck can you possible make decent pizza dough (or even a bagel for that matter)with such swill? Water here is either full of sulfur or full of chlorine, or both and it's N A S T Y!!! I don't know how they purify whatever came through Essex County, NJ, but it must be the secret to the bread.

Why do I wax on not-so-poetically about the bread? That's easy. I can order Sabretts, Viennas, Schickhaus, Thuman's, Best's etc. I can even find a well-seasoned grill to cook 'em on! But what am I supposed to do with a lovely hot dog and a pile of potatoes, peppers, and onions when all they give me down here is "dead" bread????

Italian hot dog and pizza lovers (and Italians in general, for that matter)have lost hope here in South Florida. Oh sure, occassionally there will be some new place that supposedly has great pizza or Italian style (fill in the blank). Dutifully, like lemmings, we wander into these places like zombies, bereft of all hope. Once in a while we find something that is sufficient, which then becomes our place, but most of the time we take one bite and grudgingly finish something inferior. Or worse, we get some glimmer of hot dogs, pizzas, and breads past (<--I guess that's what would have happened if Dickens had written about life in Newark instead of London). We leave confused-but-hopeful only to return more alert a week or so later and find that it was nothing but an illusion.

If you build it, (and I mean the "real" it complete with appropriate supplies of purified Passaic River water to make the bread) we will come.

I feel your pain, Ann..

I like a nice, fresh tasty roll... not a dead , crumbly one, etc..

No more homemade pastrami and corned beef at the delis in south Florida these days, either... (it's all just store brands like Hebrew National and National)

Italian hot dogs are such a north Jersey delicacy that it's really hard for even SOUTH jersey to get it right, much less another STATE!

welcome to roadfood.com, Ann... I think you'll enjoy it here a lot..

ellen in AC area

thanks for the welcome ellen. my only problem is now i've made myself too hungry to sleep...and i'm too tired too get up for something. [|)]

Anne1963,

Too bad the water isn't sufficient where you are to make a good Italian Hot Dog. From taliking to various people, I've heard that water is very important; not just for pizza bread, but for cheesesteak rolls (another type of bread), beer, and even hot dogs. People in Philly claim that their cheesesteaks are so good partly because of the water. Newark, N.J. is known for their water. There are many fine bakeries in and around Newark. I've heard from at least a few of the owners that the water makes the bread good. Anheuser Busch built their second brewery in Newark because of the quality of the water. The plant manager at Best's in Newark also told me that the water is one reason why the hot dogs are so good. In fact, I even heard that one of the reasons that Hebrew National switched production of their hot dogs to a different location was because of the water.

I would suggest getting pizza bread from Jersey frozen and shipped down, but I don't think that would work. There is at least one Italian Hot Dog joint in my area that freezes unused bread and it is not good the next day. Charlies in Kenilworth did this the last few years that the previous owner was there. I stopped going. Recently the place was sold. I went twice; once the dog was good like it used to be in Charlies heyday. The other time the sandwich wasn't so good. The potatoes were bad and the bread wasn't fresh. I decided to give them another chance since they are about 2 miles from my house and when they make a good sandwich it is definitely one of the 3 best in the state along with Jimmy Buff's and Tommy's. I had a few that were very good. About a week ago I picked up one for my wife with the intention of going back later for one for myself. My wife's was so bad that she didn't eat more than a few bites. I wouldn't even eat it. I wound up getting Chinese food later because I was too lazy to travel to Buff's or Tommy's. The bread was stale and fell apart. More than likely frozen. And the potatoes were inedible. Too bad that even under new ownership, Charlies is inconsistent. I don't think I'll be going back.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

Anne1963,

From taliking to various people, I've heard that water is very important; not just for pizza bread, but for cheesesteak rolls (another type of bread), beer, and even hot dogs.

Bummer about Charlie's John. What a disappointment for you and your locals. I'm glad to hear your comment about the water; it makes my emotional response to the grub down here seem to have some scientific support.

Signman,
All signs are go, though the mode of transport apparently still resides in limbo.
There aren't any steamship routes from Galloping Hill Inn in N.J. to Katz's, to Nathan's, back to Gotham and then back to N.J., are there?
The Bear

Anne,
There has been more information posted about Schickhaus franks in this thread than in any other place on earth. I see that Porkroll Express.com (877-979-9499) is currently selling an approx. 8 pound pack of Schickhaus griddle franks mail order in their "Boardwalk Style Frankfurters" category. They freeze really well, making a bulk purchase possible. Armour-Eckrich is the direct corporate descendent of Schickhaus after the Van Wagenen & Schickhaus > Swift > Armour-Swift-Eckrich etc. consolidations. While they are marketed by Armour-Eckrich, the ones I saw up in Connecticut (in a Shop Rite supermarket in Norwalk) the other day had the same USDA plant number as the Grote and Weigel products for sale.

Certainly try the freshly-made franks of any mom-and pop butcher shop or sausage shop near you for cost effective quality frankfurters. Hopefully you will find one you like.