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

I'm partial to craft but...if I can swallow it, I'll drink it!

anything but "light".

Cheers, John

Benzee,

Sure glad there is someone who remembers Falkirk Hospital. Living at West Point was a special time for my hubby (deceased) and my two girls, then. Such a pretty place. So was Falkirk.

Ellen< know you live not far from my mom"s in Howell< (near Freehold, NJ). Just love all your posts.

You and Benzee, John, and all, make my day when I can read about places near where I grew up.

Just an old Jersey girl,
MG

Thanks for the memories.....

I'd prefer craft, but, as seafarer john said, "anything but "light". We already have bottled water.

Why not one of each? And I don't even drink.

Hello all ,

Finally heard from Danny Botz who cannot make it and Hot Dog King who will be joining us .
Your choices of adult refreshments is shall we say refreshing .

Benzee

quote:

Originally posted by Benzee

Hi Morningglory ,

I live about three miles from the old Fallkirk hospital in Highland Mills.
We will make sure many pictures are taken .

Harriet 1954,
I will put you down for a second ticket and you can pay at the bus .

Jason Blatt contacted me and he is back down for one .

Looks like we are at 37 , three more seats left folks

Benzee

Hey there Benzee Guy,

Hope your wounds are healing, but from what I read here, you had surgery at the best place.

You are young, and a lucky guy.

I hope all of you have a great day in Jersey/NY...absent me! on your hotdog tour. I wish I could be there. Still, lost out here in CA.

Just got back from a trip to NC, where my 84 y.o. dad had surgery,.

Even at my age, these trips are not easy.

I look forward to your reports from the trip to NJ/NY

If only I could tell you how much I miss NJ/NY....I was so lucky to grow up near Flemington, NJ, go on to nursing school at Lenox Hill in NYC, and later, work at NY Hospitatl, West Chester Division, in White Plains.

Married hubby at West Point '71 and back with two beautiful girls '82-'86.

So, I just wish my spirit, and it will be, with you, and all for your hot dog tour. Enjoy..

MG

Hello all

Harriets second can not make it so we are at 36 .
We can put 4 more on the bus .
Let me know if anyone is interested

Benzee

Less than 2 days until the tour! There may be rain early in the day, but by noon it should clear up and be sunny. I've given a short description of the places that we will be visiting on a previous page. Let me just remind everyone to pace yourself. We will be visiting 6 establishments. Many of us have no trouble putting away 6 dogs. Those who can't are encouraged to share.

I sometimes get toppings on just half of the dog in order to get the actual taste of the frank unencumbered. You might want to stay away from carbonated beverages (with the exception of beer) that tend to fill you up.

I will be giving a description of the dogs of each place on the bus. Some styles of hot dogs (deep fried for example) you may not like. Feel free to skip or just have a small bite in order to save room for something you may like. Jimmy Buff's has at least 4 different types of dogs.

Try to be at Galloping Hill Inn between 11:00 and 11:30. We will try to leave for the next stop no later than 12 noon. Let's try to not spend too much time on any one stop in order to get them all in. The last 2 stops close at 6. Hopefully we will be finished before then. I will call ahead to let each place know that we are on the way and to be prepared.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new people. As in the past, it will be a fun day.

quote:

Originally posted by morningglory

Benzee,

Sure glad there is someone who remembers Falkirk Hospital. Living at West Point was a special time for my hubby (deceased) and my two girls, then. Such a pretty place. So was Falkirk.

Ellen< know you live not far from my mom"s in Howell< (near Freehold, NJ). Just love all your posts.

You and Benzee, John, and all, make my day when I can read about places near where I grew up.

Just an old Jersey girl,
MG

Thanks for the memories.....

sure wish you could make it , morning glory! (I know it's quite a plane ride from Sacremento , though) ...maybe we'll all chip in for your ticket next time and give you a round trip "hot dog adventure"..

just for the record, I live about 90 miles from Howell/Freehold area.
(my sis lives up by there)........I'm a little further south in AC area.

As I remember , your mom likes going to AC, "as long as the Mets aren't on TV"...(well she's going to have a field day this weekend when they play the Phillies)

Hello all ,

We will be discussing the Hot Dog Tour on my radio show today .

Prime Time with Benzee

1230- 3 pm EST

www.wtbq.com streamline it live from website

845 651 1110

Coney Island Lou will be a guest in the studio .

Feel free to call in and ask any questions or to talk about the tour.

Thanks everyone

" keep on smiling"

Benzee

30 hours until tour starts !!!!

<<We can put 4 more on the bus .
Let me know if anyone is interested>>

Hi Again Benzee: It turns out my off site testing scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled late today (I'm heartbroken...). Are there any seats still left?? If so I will check back early tomorrow and bring my money to the bus, I'm only 20 minutes away. Sorry for the last minute notice but I thought I wouldn't be able to make it. If you've already promised the 4 seats to other people I'll understand, since I'm only signing on at the last minute.

Hope to see you all tomorrow! ---Ken

Ken8038,
We now have room for four more on the bus
Is it one or more seats you need ??
Let me know by 8 am tommorrow if you can make it or not .
I'm putting you down for one for now.

Benzee

Hello all ,

Here is an updated list of attendees for tommorrow

4th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour

Benzee
John Fox (3)
Coney Island Lou
Screenbear
Signman (2)
DPuro (2)
Harriet 1954
Seafarer John (2)
Brooklyn Bill (2)
John Hughes (2)
Brookquarry (2)
Leo Fontanella
Todd Bovino
Mike Refinski
Ellen 4641
Tom DeHaven (2)
William Meixner (2)
Doug " Bad Dog" Chuka
Natalie Pisarcik (2)
Dave Howell
Kenneth McCrory
M Specian (2)
Jason Blatt

All are paid above total of 35

Also
Hot Dog King
Mike S
Ken 5058

With these three we are at 38 .

We have the airconditioned school bus with Dennis our driver from last year.
We also have a few surprises that John Fox swore me to secrecy .

Looking forward to a great day tommorrow .
I will check in the morning for any last minute possibles .
My cell is 845 234 5323

Benzee

<<Is it one or more seats you need ??
Let me know by 8 am tommorrow if you can make it or not .
I'm putting you down for one for now.>>

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm glad I checked back tonight.
It will be just me. See you tomorrow, and thanks! --Ken

Hello all ,

Looking forward to a great day today.
Any last minute attendees can meet us at Galloping Hill Inn by Noon .

Benzee

Hi everyone,
Hope everyone had fun today, I know we did. I'd like to give a big thanks to John Fox and Benzee for organizing another spectacular Hot Dog Tour. It was nice seeing everyone from last year and also meeting everyone new.

Ok... On to the dogs

Galloping Hill Inn
It was unfortunate for me, but since I skipped breakfast I was starving when we got to the Galloping Hill Inn so I ate a dog with mustard from there. The dog was ok but the bread was disappointing. I remember not liking the dog from there on last years tour either. But the one positive thing is they have birch beer out of a keg which I really like.

Jimmy Buff's
I hadn't been there in several years, but it was still as good as I remembered. The footlong all beef dog was very good and I agree that the chili was like a bolognese sauce. I could taste the tomatoey flavor and definately Italian sausage and beef along with peppers. The single Italian dog was really good. We both liked the potatoes and the bread was really fresh. A quick question for whoever knows. What exactly is pizza bread? Is it unsauced uncheesed pizza dough? or is it totally different? It was obvious that the owner (I forget his name) appreciated our business.

Papaya King
I haven't eaten at Papaya King since I worked in NYC several years ago, and this was my first trip to their NJ outpost. I really liked it. I tried the "slaw dog" with cole slaw and sweet pickles. I think the flavors work well together, and it's a Sabrett dog which is always good. It was very good, and my favorite dog of the day. The owner and staff were incredibly friendly and gracious, they truly appreciated our business It was also nice to get the shirts, I'll be wearing mine very soon.

Libby's Lunch
This was my first time here so It was nice to add another place visited to my hot dog stand/cart/truck/trailer/etc list. I went into the tour thinking I wouldn't like Texas Weiners fan because of what I thought the chili would be like, but I was pleasantly surprised. I got the chili on the side, but ended up eating it all. The onions were my favorite part of the dog, they were so finely chopped. They almost reminded me of snow. The owner and staff were also incredibly gracious hosts and went out of their way for us. It was also nice to take in the falls which I haven't seen since I was very young.

Father and Son
This is another place I've never been to before. John spoke about the chili which in my opinion had the perfect level of heat, but I wasn't crazy about the flavor, which tasted like generic hot sauce.

Manny's Texas Weiner
I'd skipped getting a dog from their other location on last years tour, so I figured I'd try it this year. I got the all beef dog which was good, but I didn't love the chili. I especially liked the welcome sign in the front window.

Ok so it's 10:45 PM on Saturday night and I'm still full. I still have to upload my photos to my computer and figure out how to post them here, but I'll try to get them up soon.
Good night, sleep tight, don't let the texas weiners bite...

DPuro329

Another successful hot dog tour! Thanks to everyone who came as well as the people who own and run the hot dog establishments that we went to. They knew that we were coming and made preparations such as having extra help to accomodate us. Jimmy Buff's reserved a room for us and had a streaming sign welcoming us. He also provided beer and soda.

Papaya King had a guy from the corporate office there to greet us and give us free tee shirts! Manny's Texas Weiners also had a sign to welcome us and made sure that we were well taken care of.

Special thanks to Benzee who took care of organizing the trip, getting the bus, and running the 50/50. Thanks also to Coney Island Lou who once again did a great job of designing the official Hot Dog Tour tee shirts.

I look forward to this day more than any other. Not just for sampling hot dogs, but to socialize and have fun with a great group of people. Many of you come every year, but there are always new faces and people to meet. It was nice to have my wife come along and share this day with me. I enjoyed having 2 of my co workers attend. It was a pleasant surprise to see a guy (Ken McCrory) who I went to high school with. I enjoyed talking and meeting with each and every one of you and am already looking forward to the next tour.

We also had Diane Doctor from njmyway.com meet us at the Galloping Hill Inn to take pictures and interview some of us. Go to the site and give your e-mail address and the video will be sent to you.

As for the dogs: The beef and pork dog at Galloping Hill Inn is one of my favorites, but as DPuro329 stated, the bread was disappointing. It seems like the roll is even bigger. Mine fell apart and the dog got lost in there.

At Jimmy Buff's I usually have an Italian Hot Dog or their delicious footlong, but today I had a smaller pushcart dog in order to save room in my stomach for all the stops. This dog (Best's natural casing)is fried perfectly and went great with their excellent chili.

Papaya King served a tasty natural casing dog that was prepared on a griddle. Great dog, and I liked the toasted bun. Had mine with just mustard. One of the best all beef dogs you can get.

Libby's Lunch is a Texas Weiner joint. One of the oldest in the state, they deep fry their dogs (North Jersey style) and top them with a chili sauce that contains cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices typical of the Texas Weiners in this area. Good dog that is the same every time I have it.

Father & Son, in it's new location, serves the same dogs and spicy chili that they did when we visited them in their old location 2 years ago. I enjoyed the quality all beef dog (Grote & Weigel) but the chili was too spicy for my taste today. I usually have to be in the mood for this chili. I'm in the minority however, as this chili proved to be very popular.

Last stop was Manny's Texas Weiners in Linden. Manny opened a second location where Father & Son used to be. I paced myself today and I'm glad I did. I had enough room left to enjoy 2 Texas Weiners from Manny's. They use the beef and pork griddle frank from Grote & Weigel. Mine were grilled perfectly. The chili is thicker than Libby's and other north Jersey Texas Weiner joints like the Hot Grill and Goffle Grill. It's spicy, but not as spicy as Father & Son.

I enjoyed every dog I had. Jimmy Buff's, Papaya King, and Manny's were especially good this day.

Thanks again for making this a special day for me. I hope to see you all again soon.

It was another great one! This could have been the best.
First of all: the dogs were excellent. All joints were great.

Galloping Hill Inn is the best meeting place and jumping off spot because of its parking and ambiance. It makes one think back to roadside places in the 1930’s. The dog is excellent. The role is better than that.

Jimmy Buff’s gets a hospitality award -- expedited service and free beverages. He even provided beer. His cart dog was my personal #1. The hot onions were memorable.

Speaking of hospitality – Papaya King was outstanding. They gave us their Friday/Monday dog special, a wild complementary T-shirt, and a great photo backdrop. They also gave us (in my opinion) the best drink of the day – their blueberry/banana papaya. They also gave us the worst drink – their original papaya.

Libby’s Lunch was a joy – great dog with an excellent chili/mustard/onion topping. Its location, nears the falls, and its upscale atmosphere and extensive menu made it a place that I would like to go back to.

Father & Son delivered. Their fabulous hot chili sauce did not disappoint. I found it as good as I did two years ago and bought a quart.

Manny’s was as good, if not better than some. Their hospitality – friendly greeting, welcome sigh and balloon arch made me sorry that they were the last stop and that most of us were hot dogged out by the time we got there. I did manage part of one chili/mustard/onion dog that was, as expected, very good.

Special thanks to:
Benzee for coordination, articulation, and crowd control.
Lou for more memorable shirts.
Ellen for quick and brilliant pictures.
Our driver for being expert and patient.
And a very special thanks to John Fox for being John Fox -- a hot dog giant.

As it has been, it was a great group and another grand day.

Bill

Great post Bill! Yes, thanks to our driver for doing an exceptional job. And Ellen, great pictures! The group one would make a wonderful postcard.

Well, the 2007 NJ Hot Dog tour is history and a great time was had by all. I'm so glad I was able to make it at the last minute, and to see the friends I've already made and to make some new friends.

Special thanks of course to John for organizing the stops and alerting each place that we were coming, I'm sure that helped a great deal in keeping things moving. To Benzee for coordinating the bus and seat reservations, to Ellen for those instant pictures of the tour, and to Coney Island Lou for working up the T shirts, and last but not least the Bus driver for a great job all around and especially for manuevering the bus down those side streets in Paterson.

I can truthfully say there was not even an average Hot Dog all day, every one was so good I really had trouble picking out my favorite. I voted for Father and Son, and it was the only place I dared to have 2 dogs (hey, there was only one stop to go, I was in the home stretch).

And almost even more impressive was the fact that every place welcomed us, gave us service with a smile (not that common in NJ), and got us in and out in a reasonble amount of time. Special thanks to Jimmy Buffs for the free soda and beer and to Papaya King for the free T shirt i am wearing right now.

Thanks again everyone, sign me up for the next tour, whenever and wherever! ---Ken

Love to see pics of the tour...

I'll post more when I have time, but let me just say that yesterday was unbelievable. I regret now that I didn't go to past Tours, I really do. But with that said, my special shout outs go to John Fox, who really is "all that"; Benzee, who I respect as being a thoroughly organized individual, nice guy, and patient picture poser/grinner. Seafarer John, for remaining one of my favorite eating/shmoozing companions, Ellen for being my new sister, Ginny and Gail for being the sweeties they are, and the "rowdy ones" in the back of the bus (John Fox knows who they are), especially the one who gave me his Papaya King t-shirt (the laughing guy). Oh, I almost forgot Dennis the bus driver, who navigated some tricky turns and seemed so laid back about the whole thing. Also everyone who welcomed us at each place.

I'll never forget it. I'll write more about the food itself later.

Harriet1954,

It was great to finally meet you. I was looking forward to seeing you after enjoying your posts for the past couple of years.

Hello everyone ,

You are all too kind . Thank you very much for the nice words . It is my pleasure to be part of this group.
I have to agree with Brooklyn Bill that this may have been the best tour yet!!!
John did a wonderful job picking the places this year . He had done a dry run earlier in the week and that seemed to help with the directions .
As I said yesterday on the bus John is " New Jerseys foremost authority on Hot Dogs ".
Dennis was our driver and handles all of our trips I coordinate for different organizations. He is actually the trainer for new drivers at West Point Tours and has the seniority to pick his routes . He is already looking forward to next year .
Coney Isalnd Lous tour shirts were another big hit as he does a great job designing them every year . I believe he was taking some orders from the restaurant workers we met .
It was a pleasure to see Seafarer John and Gail and Brooklyn Bill and Ginny again . They are great company on the mini meets at Coney Island Restaurant in Middletown and the tours .
Ellen , it was fantastic of you to make up the pictures on the spot . That was very cool . Thank you . Cannot wait to see you again in AC.
Harriet , it was a pleasure to enjoy a dog with you at Libbys . Did you ever get that water ? Thank you for the kind words . And my wife says I may be a good picture poser ,but patient? She thinks you were with an imposter . Hahahaha.
D Puro I love the report , honest and to the point .
To John Foxs coworkers , two great guys , hope they decide to join roadfood.
and to his wife who was able to join us , always with a smile , thanks for joining the group .
Screenbear ,Bad Dog , M specian , Brookquarry , Natalie and dad and William Meixner . It was a pleasure talking with you all.
To Leo , thanks for listening to our radio show and for giving us a thumbs up!!
Signman who came the longest distance , all the way from Baltimore ,MD . Truly a traveler for fine foods , and roadfood establishments .
John Hughes Dave Howell, Mike Refinski , and Kenneth McCrory . Truly a pleasure and excellent camraderie .
To the Hot Dog King , a joy talking to you and for the great pictures on your website . Truly you are the king buddy. Can our own website be far behind?
To Doug " Bad Dog" Chuka who I would love to change his name to "Good Dog" because he was a great guy to meet and talk to . As Lou put it " not a bad guy at all"
and to Todd Bovino thanks for the offers for next year . You and Hot Dog King have some great ideas , a pleasure to talk to .
And to Jason Blatt who could not make it last minute . We hope to see you next year.
We are looking at some mini meets and some smaller tours throughout the year .
Rest assured the 5th Annual tour will be around this time next Sept . We will be locking into a date as soon as possible and I will let everyone know as soon as we confirm.
I will post in the near future my thoughts on the dogs , as I only had three , plain and with either mustard or onions . The reports so far are very accurate and fair .
All of the places were expecting us and truly enjoyed our visit .
Thanks to Jimmy Buff for the back room , refreshments and smooth prdering system . Truly a gentleman , My pick for the best allround place.
To Papaya King for their generosity also , the free tshirts were great and the ordering system went very smooth also . Our group picture is taken in front of Papaya King . Hope someone can post it for us and all to see.
To Father and Son , a new place , same great service . Seems to be turning more into a hot dog place than a luncheonette , fine by me.
To Mannys , the owner had a sign up , balloons , was taking pictures and shaking everyones hands . What a nice guy .
To Libbys , we all had table or counter service and it was quick and efficient .
To Galloping Hill Inn , the ideal place to start the tour , plenty of parking , 1950s ambience , tables outside to meet everyone before the tour , pure hot Dog Nirvana .
Well I could go on forever .
Another tour is in the books , thank you all for making it a truly great day .

Benzee

wish i could have gone but i had another event that i could not get out of on the same day. stinks for me...

This was my first tour and have to say that I had a great time!!! It was great meeting everyone and I look forward to mini meets and all the conversation in between!

All of the establishments were great. I added some of my own comments and some pictures.
Thanks to Benzee, CI Lou and John Fox for organizing the trip.

Galloping Hill Inn
Galloping Hill Inn was our starting point so I started off with two dogs, one with mustard and the other with chili. When the owner of the establishment handed me my order, I was amazed to see that the hot dog buns were huge, almost, if not a club roll. Although the bun was fresh and tasty, unfortunately I was not able to taste the hot dog and toppings so to be fair I had to remove some of the bun. The hot dog with mustard was very good and the chili sauce had a very unique taste, a bit sweeter than I am used to. The over sized bun and sweet chili is why I vote this place as the most unique. Below you see Benzee chatting with Ellen4641 and Harriet1954. Second picture is showing John Fox being interviewed.



Jimmy Buff’s
When I walked inside and met Jimmy I knew right away that he had good food in his blood and that great food wasn’t far away! I really wanted to try one of his Italian Dogs BUT I knew I had four additional hot dog stops so I tried one of his fried pushcart dogs with chili. The dog was great and the chili was very rich in flavor! The chili is served on the side and is more like a bolognese sauce made of chopped sausage, peppers, onions and spices. The chili sauce by itself is a meal and would probably make a great pizza pocket hero! Jimmy Buff’s is definitely on my list for another visit! Thanks for the great hospitality! Below is Jimmy



Papaya King
I had the two dog special with a papaya drink. The dogs were great and the drink was definitely different. A while later someone was walking around with samples of a berry smoothie; I bought one for the road, Very Good!! Thank you to the owner for the great welcome, service and t-shirt.


Libby’s Lunch
Libby’s in known for their Texas Weiners so I had one well done, all-the-way. The hot dog was very good and the Weiner sauce was typical of other establishments I have visited outside of this tour. Although the sauce was typical, I have to rate this one of the better Texas Weiners that I have had because of the super finely chopped onions and the way they were layered on the dog! On the list for another visit!



Father and Son
Father and Son are known for their Chili Dogs and Burgers so of course I had to have a grilled chili dog. I happen to be one of those people that like a spicy hot dog chili. Father and Son is all of that plus the grilled dog was great so I have to vote this establishment as having the best Chili Dog! Father and Son is another place that is on my list for another visit!



Manny’s Texas Weiners
Manny’s is also known for their Texas Weiners so of course I had one grilled all-the-way. When I received my order I noticed that the topping was not typical of other Texas Weiner shops, the topping was darker and more like a Coney or Michigan sauce. That being said, the hot dog and sauce was very good! I would have to rate this best Texas Weiner of the tour. Another must visit again! Thanks for the warm welcome!

here's Ellen's official "hot dog tour" pics ..

It was such a joyful day being around you all!
And Benzee, I loved how you wrote such a kind post, giving recognition and good choice words to so many people...

I finally got to meet you in person, Harriet, my new "sister" !
We're now fast friends, thanks to roadfood.com...

John Fox, you're so personable, and a great "hot dog tour" guy...

now, on to the PICS !
first one is the pre-tour meet-up in front of the Galloping Hill Inn in Union. Some had a dog there to "warm up"; I just grabbed some onion rings to go, cause they looked so good, and they were.
Mike Goldberger, (our resident film critic) is on left, Brooklyn Bill is 2nd , Seafarer John (correct?) is 3rd,, and of course, our dear Benzee is on the right


next is a pic that I owe credit to Coney Island Lou for taking, (and e-mailing it to me so quick)
yours truly is on left, and Howard is on right (aka Signman)
We are inside the Galloping Hill Inn.
Signman, it's been almost 2 years since I've seen you, and it was a delight to converse with you. you could not have been sweeter.

next is another group shot "pre-tour" at the Galloping Inn, a nice candid shot...

there's my new gal pal Harriet inside the Galloping Hill Inn

It looks like you really know how to be a friend, Harriet...
We had been emailing for over a month, and it was a great sign that you kept sending me nice replies back. (no sudden disappearing act)
As busy as you are, you find time for me.

our first stop is Jimmy Buffs in Hanover. I had just been to the locations in Scotch Plains and Irvington in the past

here's the dog I got, the double Italian hot dog. (yum)

I ate this one in your honor, MORNING GLORY, as I know how much you wanted to be with us!(but it was tough flying in from Sacramento)
It was a good and juicy ! (and with perfectly cooked potatoes, etc)
Jimmy really rolled out the red carpet for us, offering "help yourself" free sodas and beer. Way to go, Jimmy Buff's!
Here's "Jimmy" himself, Jim Racaipo. (the current Jimmy) The legacy began with the original location in Newark, started by his grandfather Jimmy "Buff" , back in 1932

there was also a flashing "tickertape" welcoming us to Jimmy Buffs, like the kind you would see in a Las Vegas sports book, flashing scores of baseball games.
our next stop was the Papaya King in Clifton. It is the only NJ location of Papaya King. I have been to other Papaya Kings in NYC,
(as well as been to the similar Grays Papaya). Could not beat the special price of 2 dogs for $3.00

here's a small group of us in front of the Papaya King. The owner (in the red Papaya t-shirt) is scmoozing with our John Fox.
The owner could not have been more welcoming, and we all received special Papaya King T-shirts.

now the coveted pic you've been waiting for , the infamous GROUP photo in front of Papaya King...

While we were at our final stop of the day, (Manny's) I ran across to CVS to get the "prints done in seconds" from the camera kiosk machine. I love their machine, as I have one by my condo I walk to all the time. I tried to give out as many hard copies as I could of this pic. My apologies if I could not give some of you a pic, but I did'nt want to hold the bus up from leaving.... however, if you send me your "snail mail" address, I would be more than happy to go print up some more copies , and mail one out to you.


this should be on the cover of a USA Today "destinations" section or in the Wall St. Journal weekend section.

My thanks go out to one of the Papaya King workers for taking this memorable pic. (I'm in the middle , holding our yellow Papaya King cup)

our next stop was in Paterson, at Libby's Lunch
here's Harriet & I in front of Libby's

here's their hot dog with chili

and here's Coney Island Lou tackling that hot dog...

Benzee is on the left, and the "hot dog king" Matt is on the right

then John Fox came up with a great idea, that we should all take a walk to the Great Falls, which was practically across the street...
we all needed to start burning up some calories
Ken8038 from Scotch Plains is on left and Mike (our film critic) is on right.......... and ? is in the middle

next pic is Coney Island Lou on left, adjusting his camera lens, and one of John Fox's postal worker comrades on the right.

on the left is Dpuro, our resident beer distributor employee, who was kind enough to supply all of our beer for the bus... (thanks again for that Magic Hat brew, etc).... on the right is his gal; they live by the jersey shore.

there's a close-up of 2 of my favorite guys on the bus, it's Ken and Mike again..


next stop was Father & Son in Linden

their all beef Grote and Wiegel dog (from Connecticut) was my favorite of the day;I got mine with some dark sweet onions ... one cannot buy the dog at any supermarkets in Jersey.... only in CT

I even went back for a 2nd dog, but this time I had it just with mustard , so I could taste the full beefy flavor. Yum!

and here's Ken8038 with his hot dog, along with the container of chili sauce that he took home...


then it was time for "hugs goodbye" back at the Galloping Hill Inn

Benzee is on the left, Coney Island Lou in the middle, and John Fox on the right... what a crew!


next day I took my little nephew to Keansburg, a carnival like amusement park on the Raritan Bay, (north of Long Branch, NJ)
lots of open air stool restaurant shacks, and a nice, tacky vibe..

and what did I end up having for lunch?
A HOT DOG....... even the "day after" eating about 6 of them, I still found a desire for a "famous" hot dog from the Old Heidelburg Inn in Keansburg

I asked what brand they used, and was told "It's a Sabrett, but you can't buy it in the store"... I liked hearing that..
and it was real tasty dog..



Keansburg Amusement Park recently celebrated its' 100th anniversary, (just like Kutshers Hotel in the Catskills)
It's a nice mix of the old and the new.... it's got character..


here I am in front of some neat signage


till we meet again...

-- the end --

ellen










ellen

What more can one say? Great people....great dogs....even the owners of these places were indescribably generous and welcoming!

Many, many thanks to:

Benzee : organizing the 'business' end of these kinds of things is unbelievably hard! Benzee should always get full credit for making sure things run smoothly on that end!

John Fox: Again, his knowledge, his selection of locations, and knowledge of every back road in northern NJ is unsurpassed! This tour simply would not exist without his expertise!

Dennis : Our brave driver who manages to squeeze our bus through every back alley. A true driving professional!

Ellen : Generous to a fault - her quick printing up of her pics at the end helped cement the experience of a LOT of people!

Its always good to see people like Seafarer John...Brooklyn Bill..and all the other 'regulars'...and its always great to meet all the newbies!

Instead of trying post a lot of pics here, I put a Flikr album up here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7931401@N02/sets/72157602058564113/

enjoy all - and see you all next year!

also - watch for an announcement about a tour website!

PLUG: and if you want a shirt:

www.zazzle.com/exapno

Lou: I've already checked out the set and added a few comments, as well as adding you as a contact. Now I wish we could all do this twice a year, or another location(s) in the Spring.