8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:01:52 GMT

Hello all

The 9th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour is scheduled for Sat Sept 22nd , 2012 .
We already have the attendee list up and reservations coming in .
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:25:15 GMT

Dog Boss ,
Feel free to share any possible stops for next yrs 9th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour with John Fox . Some great ideas from attendees . Always looking at possible get togethers , especially in the Spring

Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Dog Boss)

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:06:33 GMT

i'm looking at hot dog locations , i think theres a fair share to share with the tour, i'll comply a list. i think theres a interest for a mid year mini tour.
suggestion's from other hot doggers will be great, we have a fairly large group of solo fliers. so i'm sure there plenty of ideas and locations.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:46:16 GMT

Hello all ,
The buzz was to get together after the tour to visit Charlies Pool Room in Alpha NJ , many tour attendees had not been there yet and it is Hot Dog Nirvana and a one of a kind experience .
Therefore on Tues Oct 18th we will have a meet up at Charlies Pool Room in Alpha NJ High Noon
John Fox and Benzee will be in attendance ( John pending he does not get called into work )
I have posted another thread under meets and greets so respond there if you are coming so we have a head count .
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:52:33 GMT

A write up in the Suburban News.

http://www.nj.com/suburbannews/index.ssf/2011/09/hot_dog_tour_stops_at_soup_and.html

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (harriet1954)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:04:16 GMT

No no, you just click on the link I send you and it takes you right there, I promise. I can't post 70-some photos on here, I'm sorry. Ellen might be able to post some of hers, I'm sure.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (ScreenBear)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:18:50 GMT

Sounds good, but I fear even that may be beyond my skill level.

The Bear

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (harriet1954)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:14:56 GMT

ScreenBear

Does anyone know how I can see the tour pics without joining Facebook? I'd sooner shop at Walmart.

The Bear

When I post mine on flickr, which may take a few days, I can send you the link to my set. You can send me your email address in a message if you want. I took 70-something pictures and some videos.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (ScreenBear)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:04:32 GMT

Does anyone know how I can see the tour pics without joining Facebook? I'd sooner shop at Walmart.

The Bear

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:13:30 GMT

Hello all ,
Believe thats Samuel Applebaum a friend of Scotts and a nice guy as well
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:04:35 GMT

Really? Not that that's saying much. Friend of yours?

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Dog Boss)

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:15:00 GMT

John Fox

http://southorange.patch.com/articles/meet-the-man-who-made-hot-dogs-his-hobby

Part 2 in the Patch Series about the Tour. I'm not the guy pictured.

your right John.. he's lot more famous then you !!!!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (karilyn)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:20:50 GMT

Just joining in on shouting out an enormous THANK YOU to Benzee and all of his partners in crime. Heather, Matt and I were first timers who drove 3 1/2 hours from MA and we had a fantastic time. We're not sure what was better - the food or the free comedy on the bus. Don't think we'll be eating for days!!!!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (ken8038)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:52:53 GMT

Thanks once again John and Benzee for a great tour! My group (none of whom had been on a tour before) really enjoyed themselves too. My personal favorite yesterday was the Texas Weiner at Manny's. I had been there before, but they seem to have kicked it up a notch with both the sauce and the dog itself, cooked perfectly. And the service was amazing, they were really on the ball.

It didn't bother me that the soup samples at soup or dogs were $1. I'm guessing the $1 portions were bigger than what they would have given out for free. And I can't wait for that first 20 degree day in November, when I plan to drive down there and get myself a full order of that Hungarian Goulash!

Hopefully someone can post a group picture here, or I may finally have to join Facebook just for that.

Thanks again guys!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:00:01 GMT

Hello all ,
Great tour once again , photos are posted on FB Hot Dog Nation and Erwin Benz pages . I never have been able to post pics here myself.

2012 Tour is scheduled for Sat Sept 22nd , of next yr , an easy date to remember as its Johns birthday (:
Great Job by John anoouncing the stops and the intinerary
Great job by our drivers Dennis and Gary .
Screenbear for handling the announcing duties on second motorcoach , great job as well .
Everyone liked the shirts designed by Coney Island Lou , he has to be contacted to see if he can order more .
Jimmy and his staff at Jimmy Buffs were fantastic once again , refreshments were gratis
James Jr is opening another Jimmy Buffs soon and John will get all the info on here soon
Mannys Texas Weiners served us smoothly and swiftly , Mannys wife handled our group as Manny is in Greece with his ailing Mom and we wish him well he was missed , but the rest of his family odviously share his enthuisiasm for Texas Weiners for sure
Soup or Dogs for a truck were swift too , great shrimp bisque soup . One note is we were told the samples of soups would be gratis and for larger bowls you would purchase , but when we arrived they were charging $1 a sample , not a biggie but not what we were told either ,
Frank and Fries were great as well , owner very accomodating to our group , more so than the Sprint store next store who s manager complained about our busses blocking his biz , well I'm sure they were all heading in to get their phones repaired because mine has not been able to recharge and I have to get it looked at , yes Sprint . Interacting with him and his unprofessional behavior just might tip me into leaving them finally after all these yrs. Great stop though !!
Galloping Hill Inn is a mainstay , great big parking lot , great food and friendly employees and they embrace our group every yr .
Out of This World failed our group , they were not prepared despite telling John otherwise , the Alien guy out front was nice in costume m but after a half hour of orders being taken and no food coming out I kinda wish he would have hopped behind the grill to help
Never done before we actually aborted the stop and left before all had been served , apologies to those that were really looking forward to one their , but had we stayed we would have been there all day for sure , I myslef would never return there .
All in all another great day.
Norwood from Alabama , Johnny McClanahan from Oklahoma , Burt Flreischer from Chicago Ill , Screenbears friend from California , The Kramers from Maryland , NY , NJ , PA and CT and Owen Pollock from MA . Ten States , Two Motorcoaches , Six Stops , Hot Dog Nirvana , Always a pleasure (:

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:10:30 GMT

Some of our stops have web sites and Facebook pages. You might want to let them know what you think. And of course feel free to share your comments, suggestions, and criticisms here as well.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 04:52:47 GMT

Another Tour completed. I'd like to thank my partner Benzee, who does a great job every year organizing this Tour. And also our drivers, those who worked hard preparing our food; and last, but not least, all who attended who helped make this a special day for me.

I'd like to apologize for including Out of This World. A new place that serves good hot dogs but wasn't ready for our large group. We had to leave before most were served or we would have been there all day. I always am in contact with the people who run all the places we stop at, and I was assured by the owner that they would be ready for us. I should have known better.

The other stops made up for it. We had excellent German style dogs at the Galloping Hill Inn, as it is our meeting point and the only place that has been on every Tour. After Out of This World, we went to Soup or Dogs, a first time inclusion on the Tour. We enjoyed excellent dirty water Sabretts. Very good tomatoey chili as well as a variety of soups.

Next was Jack's Frank & Fries, another first time stop. They also offered natural casing beef franks, but you had a choice of steamed or grilled (griddled). Most got griddled. Another excellent dog, reminiscent of Papaya King and Katz's in NYC. I loved their thick chocolatey chili.

Manny's was next. A Tour veteran, it's been a few years since we went to Manny's. Despite a crowded restaurant and our large group, we were seated quickly and served in an amazingly short amount of time. Excellent service at Manny's. Known for their famous Texas Weiners, Manny's was a favorite.

Our last stop was Jimmy Buff's. Another Tour veteran, Jimmy the owner was taking orders and making sure everything ran smoothly. We enjoyed their signature Italian Hot Dogs along with their delicious natural casing beef franks.

Votes on the bus I was on for favorite stop was pretty evenly spread out this year. Jimmy Buff's received the most votes, followed by Manny's. Soup or Dogs and Jack's also got a lot of votes. Galloping Hill Inn had a few while Out of This World didn't receive any. Too bad that most didn't get a chance to sample their dogs which are quite good.

Thanks again everyone for making this day special and enjoyable. We had people from 10 different states this year including Burt Fleischer from Chicago, Norwood Fleming from Alabama, Johnny McLanahan from Oklahoma, ScreenBear's friend from California, and others that perhaps Benzee can name. And of course Ellen Fried from New Jersey!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (MikeS.)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:23:32 GMT

Well darn it, last minute problems at home kept me from coming. I was sure looking forward to this. I hope y'all had a great time.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (johnlockedema)

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:34:38 GMT

I haven't been able to figure out how to post pics here, but I put up plenty on the Hot Dog Nation facebook site.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (CajunKing)

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:05:04 GMT

WELL?????
Where's the photographic evidence of the gastronomic experience? We Want details...

or

Are you all still in a hot dog induced coma?

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (johnlockedema)

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:51:19 GMT

Let me be the first to thank Benzee and John for their efforts on the tour-everything was great, and let's all forget about the owners of Out of This World who underperformed. I had been there a month ago and asked them about their ability to move 100 people through-and they said they'd have it covered. Again, Benzee, John, Bear (our tour guide on bus 2) kudos to all.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (ken8038)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:34:55 GMT

Thanks John for the info on the fries, looks like Jack's will be the fry stop for me (I have not been there yet, been saving my first visit for the tour).

See y'all tomorrow!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:15:56 GMT

Hello all ,
Looking forward to seeing everyone tommorrow on the 8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour
Remember to bring your cameras and your appetite
Pace yourself and remember , no one on the bus is a stranger , just a friend you have not met yet (:
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:56:51 GMT

http://southorange.patch.com/articles/meet-the-man-who-made-hot-dogs-his-hobby

Part 2 in the Patch Series about the Tour. I'm not the guy pictured.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:54:20 GMT

Ken,
I don't eat onions so I wouldn't know about the onion rings. As for fries I've heard Out of This World has good ones. I haven't had them. I have had the fries at Jack's and they are very good. Fresh, not the cheap frozen fries that most serve. Manny's, GHI, are ok, but not worth spending the calories on. I'd go with Jack's or Out of This World.

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (ken8038)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:49:02 GMT

Hi John. In spite of your advice, I usually like to splurge and have an order of french fries or onion rings at some point during the day if one place has really good ones. Do you have a recommendation as to which place may have the best fries or rings? I know Galloping Hill has great onion rings, but I don't want to start off by overdoing it at the first stop.

Thanks, see you all tomorrow!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (John Fox)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:00:19 GMT

Just a reminder to everyone to pace yourself. Not everyone is a glutton like myself and some others that can easily finish off 6 hot dogs. Sharing is encouraged as well as cutting down on the extras (fries and such) or perhaps skipping a place where you may not like the dog or the way it's prepared.

A summary of each place and what they offer is located here:http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/8th-Annual-Jersey-Hot-Dog-Tour-Sept-24th-2011-past-trip-reports-m168027-p39.aspx post 1154.

I'd also suggest ordering your dog grilled at Jack's because Soup or Dogs offers it dirty water style. Jack's grills or steams theirs. This way you can have the same dog 2 different ways.

Looking forward to seeing everyone. Bring your appetite!

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:33:02 GMT

Hello all

NOTE : For those that ordered the tour shirts from Lou , he will have them , I'm not aware if he has any extras or if he can take orders on them but we will know then
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:27:10 GMT

Hello all ,

We have a few seats open for the 8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour tommorow Sat Sept 24th , due to cancelation.
Anyone else that is interested please let me know either PM here , email to benzee95@hotmail.com or FB message to Erwin Benz or Hot Dog Nation .
I had the opportunity to meet Norwood Fleming who flew in from Alabama last night on my TV show , he was a guest along with Coney Island Lou who had his tour shirt on and it looks fabulous , he will be handing them out at Galloping Hill Inn.
We have guests from Chicago , Tulsa , Alabama , Florida , Maryland and across the pond in Ireland joining us this year , a truly International tour .
Dennis and Gary are our motorcoach drivers this year and both are veteran drivers of our tour . Gary still talks about the Syds dog he had on our last visit there before they closed and we still cannot figure out how Dennis navigated the streets to get us to Libbys and back on another tour . Two veterans who will be escorting us to Hot Dog Nirvana tommorrow .
See everyone real soon
Benzee

Re:8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour - Sept 24th , 2011 - past trip reports (Benzee)

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:48:09 GMT

Hello all ,
8th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour Info
For those from points north .
The motorcoaches will start at Coney Island Restaurant at 10 am . I suggest parking in the Middletown Lanes (Quinzz Pins) Lot across the street or the public lot behind CI as their is a major repaving project taking place in the restuarant parking lot .
1030 am we will pick up at the Harriman NY MTA Commuter lot as in past yrs .
We will then make our way to Galloping Hill Inn ( est 1130 am arriival)
We will depart there at Noon for the rest of the tour .

Two motorcoaches are full , if you have not sent in payment , you are not on the busses . A FB message in August saying you are attending the trip does not cut it if I have no other communication from you ( yes this happened )
We have a few on waiting list that we hope to get onboard for sat .
Any questions PM me and I will get back to you as soon as I can .

NOTE : John is working on the order of stops and most are fairly close to each other except for Buffs , he wil let everyone know on Sat the order.
Benzee