John

Union, N.J., where I live, is a mecca for hot dogs. We have a Texas Weiner joint, an Italian Hot Dog restaurant, Syd's, which has one of the best dogs anywhere (I prefer it to any all beef dog sold at a hot dog restaurant) the Galloping Hill Inn (which makes a Conn. style beef and pork dog) 2 Nathan's, and a few more less well known places that sell hot dogs. The 2 Nathan's in town serve the same natural casing all beef frank that is made for all the Nathan's restaurants by a company called SMG in Chicago. It is also available with the casing in at least one local supermarket. A quality, kosher style all beef dog. But both Nathan's in town do not cook it enough. This has been my experience at other Nathan's. It tastes much better when I buy the natural casing ones at the store and cook them on my own griddle. I prefer Sabrett's (a little more spice and flavor) and Best's (a great blend of spices) so I usually buy these along with Usinger's for when I want an all beef dog. Nathan's would be better off cooking the dogs longer like Gray's and Papaya King. The one closest to me just throws a dog on and rolls it around a few times. Once I bought a dog from Syd's (Best's charbroiled) Father & Son (Grote & Weigel all beef ) and Nathan's. The other 2 were so much better mainly because they were cooked better. I've never been to the Nathan's in Coney Island, but I've heard that they at least grill the dogs for a sufficient time. That said, I think the places that use the sabrett dog have slightly more flavor and spice.

Interesting article in the Daily News on hot dog restaurants. The link is http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/876...88p-79833c.html. I think the dogs at Gray's Papaya and Katz's are better than Nathan's. Provided of course that they are cooked enough. Which isn't always the case at Katz's.

I went to this place once about a 2 years ago shortly after it opened. It's down the street from Cubby's. I had the Sabrett, the Thumann's griller with chili, and the ripper. The Sabrett dog was either old, or laying in the water too long, or both. It was gray in color and flavorless. The griller was ok; not cooked enough. Chili was very good. The ripper was my favorite. Unremarkable overall. The Thumann's griller is a great hot dog; I'm surprised that it isn't available in more places. The only 2 places near me that I can get it is the Caddyshack (which recently closed down) and the Little League snack bar in town. The same dog served at The Dog House Grill, but cooked longer and only $1.50. This is a great dog to cook at home.

I find it interesting, although not too surprising that only one deli actually makes their own pastrami. Especially since a lot of these places claim they make their own everything. Reminds me of Katz's claim awhile back that they made their own hot dogs. This is also not true. See the past posts about this subject. Places that do a lot of business simply do not have the time or money to make everything themselves. The article states that it is labor intensive and expensive. But that doesn't stop people from lying about it. Very funny that the two owners of Katz's contradict each other. I see this a lot with hot dog places, which I have been known to frequent. They lie about who makes their franks, where they are from, that they are made exclusively for them (although in some cases this is true) that their condiments are homemade, etc. Just yesterday I found out that the wonderful Dusseldorf style mustard at Rutt's Hut is not homemade. I was told by an owner that it is homemade, as well as reading it in various articles. A conterman was telling me that it is a commercial brand from Long Island. When one of the owners appeared, he stopped talking immediately; then refused to tell me the brand name when the owner was out of ear shot. The relish, however, is homemade.

I, too, like French's on hot dogs; but only those that aren't all beef. It's great on a grilled Thumann's. For all beef dogs Admiration, or a good spicy brown deli mustard. Katie, I think the Polish mustard you are referring too is Pulaski's. It has horseradish in it. Excellent tasting. Very spicy. I use it on bratwurst or ham.

Two others that are exceptional. Block and Guggenheim spicy brown mustard. This brand is used at Super Duper Weenie in Conn. and is the only place I've seen it. Does anyone know where it is from or where I can get it? Walter's mustard made for Walter's hot dog stand in Mamaronek, N.Y. is tasty; a good contrast of sweet and sour with little bits of pickle. Available only at Walter's. You can also order it from them.

I like Admiration Deli Mustard. Perfect for beef hot dogs. A great spicy mustard that I use for ham and bratwurst is Pulaski stone ground Polish mustard. My wife's favorite. We went to the Union Pork Store yesterday to pick up some of their phenomenol brats and a jar of this mustard. They were sold out of Pulaski, so we tried a German brand called Hengstenberg. It was different than anything I've tried, but excellent. Tangy, less spicy than Pulaski, but thicker in texture and very smooth. The Union Pork Store has an excellent selection of German and Polish mustards. Many kinds including Dusseldorf style served in a jar shaped like a beer stein.

Hot dogs

I, too, hate the smell of cigarette smoke and especially the smell of it on my clothes on the rare occasion that I go to a bar. But the decision to allow smoking should be the establishment's and not the government. Little by little the government is getting away with taking away our freedoms. I have a choice, at least. I can endure the smoky bar, go to one that is smoke free, or not go at all. Years ago, no one complained about it. I even miss the smell of cigars at Shea Stadium. Most restaurants have a non smoking section. I hate intrusive government. What's next, a fine if you are not wearing a jacket on a cold day? so that you don't get sick and possiibly pass on your second hand germs?

I love Pilsner Urquell; it's one of my favorite beers out of hundreds sampled. But I'm surprised no one mentioned Harp Lager. Formerly brewed in Ireland; now the Harp that you get here is brewed in Canada. Still good, though. Considered more of an International Lager in style than a pilsner. Harp, along with Grolsch from Holland, are the best examples of this style. Better than Heineken, Becks, Molson, and other mass produced imports.

I've been to Church's Chicken. This is not the same as the Church's chain that you can find in some White Castles (Rahway). The owner's name is Judy Church. It is the best fried chicked I've tasted. Even though I live in Union, I did not hear of them until the original Munchmobile article 2 years ago. A little place (takeout only) on Springfield Ave. near Maplewood. Be prepared to wait. I would call ahead and wait awhile depending on where you're coming from. Side dishes are good also. As for Charlies Pool Room, the hot dogs are Kunzler brand beef and pork and are fried in a skillet. Ok; nothing special. What draws people here is the Hungarian sauce made from a special recipe handed down by the owner's mother or grandmother. I will not try it as it contains onions.

Steven, I enjoyed your reviews of F&B and Crif Dogs. I've been to F&B about 2 years ago. Haven't been to Crif's. I know that Crif's basic dog (as opposed to their all beef) is the same dog used at Rutt's Hut. I don't imagine that it is cooked as much as Rutt's, and it may be smaller in size. But it is the Thumann's for deep frying. And yes, many people consider it bland. I think they taste best well done with the special relish made exclusively at Rutt's. I notice from your review and from their website that F&B claims that their Top Dog and Bare Bones are beef hot dogs. Either they are mistaken, or this is a recent development. After sampling these dogs, I contacted Usinger's which confirmed to me that F&B uses their 2270 dog which is a beef and pork 8 to a lb weiner that is quickly flash fried. I found the dogs to be good, but not extraordinary. I liked the grilled beef dogs at Papaya King, Gray's, and Katz's better. I tried them all on that particular trip. But it is possible that F&B switched to an all beef dog since I've last been there. They don't get any better than Usinger's; but for maximum enjoyment, I would suggest that they use a natural casing beef dog (certifed angus) and slowly cook them on a griddle. This, in my opinion, would be the best dog in the city. I am eagerly awaiting your review of some New Jersey hot dog places. If you like chili, The Hot Grill in Clifton and Libby's in Paterson are very good. I'm betting that you would enjoy them more than Crif's or Super Duper Weenie. Syd's charbroiled dog is the best all beef dog I've had at any hot dog joint. Big, tasty, and cooked perfectly. This dog needs just a little mustard. I've never had one with anything else. And of course, you haven't eaten Jersey till you've had an Italian Hot Dog.

Beachcove, I haven't tried any products from Kocher's Specialty Meats. But if I'm ever up your way, I'll look for them. It seems that there's a lot of small butcher shops that make their own sausage. Most of it is quite good too. Although I like bratwurst, I don't travel all over seeking it out like I do hot dogs. I love Best's hot dogs; especially those with the natural casing. A great beef dog with just the right amount of spices; flavorfull without being too salty or spicy. They also contain soy protein which aids in frying. Almost all the Italian Hot Dog joints use this brand. I asked some of the owners why they prefer it to Sabrett or Nathan's. I thought they might use it because the dog is from Newark where this type of sandwich originated. The guy at Jimmy Buff's near me said that Best's fries up better. This dog is so good that it's even ok boiled. I prefer grilled or fried usually. But Jerry's makes a good dog; a boiled Best dog finished off on a steel griddle for a minute or 2. I like the dog at Father & Son in Linden a little better. It is slow cooked for a long time on a griddle. From Grote & Weigle (all beef). An interesting experiment; I took 2 Best dogs and 2 from Grote & Weigle. One of each was boiled, then one of each was grilled (on the griddle). Both times I liked the Best dog a little more; but the Grote & Weigle dog that was grilled was better than the Best dog that was boiled. I believe that the cooking method is as important as the brand that you use. The finest all beef dogs in my opinion are Best, Grote & Weigle, Usinger's, and Sabrett (not necessarily in that order). I used to love Dietz and Watson (Black Bear) but now I don't enjoy them as much. Hummels from Conn. are excellent too.

I love hot dogs. I've tried the many brands available in stores and delis as well as many (most?) of the hot dogs sold in hot dog restaurants. One of the places I order from via mail is Usinger's. With a reputation as one of the best sausage makers in America, they also make a great all beef frank (which is also a sausage). When ordering from them, you have to purchase a minimum of 6 lbs of sausage. Some time back, I asked the woman taking my order to reccomend something good for me to try other than hot dogs. She suggested that I try their bratwurst. It is also considered one of the best, if not the best. I tried it and liked it. I simmer them in water and then either pan fry or grill them. Great with spicy mustard and sauerkraut. I prefer the coarse grind pork and veal. I am fortunate to live near a number of German/Polish butchers who make bratwurst. I tried a number of them and they're all very good. One, Fritz's, in Union, is on a par with Usinger's. And another, the Union Pork Store is even better. In fact, my favorite bratwurst. I've tried quite a few delis and butchers along with store brands like Schaller & Weber and Dietz and Watson. But the Union Pork Store's brats are extraordinary. I heard of a guy who has lived in Germany and is somewhat of an expert on Bratwurst that drives a couple of hundred miles round trip from his home in Pennsylvania to Union to buy these brats for his parties. I e-mailed him, and he told me that he has tried brats from all over the country and in Germany and the ones from the Union Pork Store are the best. If you are ever in Union, I suggest you try some. I think I've discovered a real gem here.

A real fun night out! It was great to finally see the faces behind the names. I don't eat out (with the exception of hot dogs) much at all; but I think it's pretty damned cool that people who know about and appreciate great food, including people who are in the restaurant business and some who write about food can get together to enjoy the humble hot dog. A lot of the enjoyment for me is hearing the different opinions about the same product. Especially one that I haven't tried. I've taken people to Rutt's before. Some hated it. Others now go more than me; they enjoy it so much. I think the main reason that the dogs weren't as good as usual (the general consensus of those that have had them before) is that they weren't as hot or fresh as those that are served right out of the oil at the counter, or handed to the bartender at the bar. Sometimes a pile of dogs sit there waiting for the waitress who may be occupied. I've seen this a few times. I love the rippers and wellers. But sometimes a weller may be too well done and a ripper may not be done enough. It must be hard to judge them exactly when you are trying to keep up when it's busy. For those trying them for the first time, I would say that they are not as spicy as the all beef. But they are just as flavorfull, even more so, than other dogs of this type. And some people just like their dogs grilled rather than deep fried. Whatever. To each his own. To Rail Paul, I would also suggest a trip to 3 places in and around Union that are within minutes of each other. 1) Syd's. A long charbroiled beef dog that is one of the best dogs you will ever taste. If you like a grilled beef dog. If I had 2 only have 2 hot dog places I could eat at, it would be this place and Rutt's. 2) The Galloping Hill Inn. A great beef/pork dog cooked on a griddle. Similar to the Windmill, but with much more flavor. Don't get their chili on it. I think that this may account for the low ranking on Holly's site. This dog is considered one of the best in the tri state area. Unique football shaped buns. I prefer this dog to Max's and the Windmill. 3) Charlies Famous. This is an Italian Hot Dog restaurant about a mile down the road from the Galloping Hill Inn. One of the 2 or 3 best in Jersey; hence the world. Sheri-FB, Have you tried Boulevard Drinks or Father & Son yet?

Antone's Pub and Grill in Cranford, N.J. has over 40 taps; easily the most in Jersey. The vast majority are micros and quality imports.

March 5th at 7 is perfect for me. I think I'll have to learn how to change my name. Maybe to Hot Dog John.

March 5th or 11th would be great for a trip to Rutt's. We could meet either in the parking lot or at the back section (not the restaurant). Count me in.

The different dogs at Rutt's: In and outer: cooked just enough to eat. The skin isn't burst open. Ripper: cooked till the skin bursts open. Ask for just a hot dog, and this is what you'll get. Weller: Well done. Cooked a little longer than the ripper. My favorite. Cremator: Almost black. Too well done. But some prefer it this way. Rutt's dog is unique and it fascinates me to listen to opinions on their hot dogs because they vary so much. Many consider them the best hot dogs on the planet. Others hate them (my family). Still others think they're just average. Even if you don't like hot dogs, the tap room is a great place to have a beer and a meal. I haven't tried it yet, but a friend of mine says that they have a great delmonico steak for about $!0.00. Their entrees and specials are supposed to better than what you would expect from a hot dog joint. I don't know, but I would believe it. Everything I've had there is good. But I always have hot dogs with side dishes. Great cole slaw and gravy fries. I hate onions, but have heard that their onion rings are on a par with Syd's. This is a place that you have to experience at least once.

201, Enjoyed reading about your experience at Rutt's. I do believe that you will prefer the weller to the others. I went a couple of weeks ago and took my father and brother. It was their first time. They had rippers, then wellers. Both preferred the wellers. I agree with you about the cremators. Definitely overdone. As for the Hot Grill, their dogs are 50% beef, 50% pork. Made by Sabrett. This is the same dog used by Callahan's. Same recipe, same cooking method (deep fried) but different sizes. Callahan's are bigger. The Rutt's dog is a Thumann's made specifically for deep frying. I was told by the plant manager that the standard Thumann's frank sold in the store is 75% pork 25% beef. The Rutt's dog (also used at Libby's, Hiram's and the Goffle Grill) is even higher in pork content. 80 or 85%. I prefer the dog at Rutt's to the Hot Grill's dog. Just tastier. And I do love the thin chili sauce at the Hot Grill. The all beef dog at Syd's and the one at Father & Son are spicier than the dogs with pork. Rutt's and Syd's have a lot of flavor; while one is a spicy kosher style dog, the other is a tasty pork based dog. I think the spices and meat used accounts for the boldness in taste rather than % of beef. As you said, the Hot Grill's dog has more beef, but is definitely blander than the Rutt's dog. I think this is intentional. The dog is a holder for the chili sauce. Sort of like the dog at Super Duper Weenie is a canvas for their toppings. What did you think of the Super Duper Weenie? I thought it was ok; but the pork and beef dogs here are better. Thumann's, Schickhaus, and Grote & Weigel are tastier than the Miller dog used by SDW. Their relish tastes more like salsa than relish. Toppings and condiments are good; but you have to have a tasty dog first and foremost. A Polish deli in Linden (Pulaski) makes beef and pork franks that are very spicy. They use a lot of paprika and garlic which is more typical of an all beef dog. Rutt's also has great creamy cole slaw.

Taboni, Union is home to a few great German/Polish butcher shops. Gaiser's, which changed owners a few years back, Lutz's, and Fritz's. But the best, in my opinion, is the Union Pork Store on Morris Ave about 4 miles down from Kean College. All kinds of meat and sausages. They were mentioned in N.J. Monthly about 2 years ago for their fresh and tasty German style franks made on premises. They also have the best bratwurst I have tasted, and I have tried quite a few including Lutz's, Fritz's, Gaiser's, the famous Usinger's from Wisconsin, Dietz and Watson, and Schaller & Weber. Their bratwurst is so good, that someone I know who is German and a bratwurst expert, travels a couple of hours from Pennsylvania to Union to pick up these brats for parties. Ask for the coarse ground pork and veal bratwurst.

Amen to that! If you make a quick trip to N.J. and are pressed for time, let me suggest that you at least try Rutt's Hut and Syd's. Rutt's uses the same dog as Crif's, but cooks them to different degrees of doneness. I like the "weller" or well done. Plus their relish is unique and the best hot dog condiment to go with this type of dog. Syd's has a great all beef charbroiled dog. I prefer this dog to Papaya King and Katz's. And if you want to add 2 more; Charlies Famous for Italian Hot Dogs, and the Hot Grill for Texas Weiners.

Zorro, Grote and Weigel has a webpage (groteandweigel.com) that has their address and phone #. I would call them if Iwere you. It took them awhile to get back to me via e-mail. Their distributor in N.J. is Three Star Beef Co. Located at 128 Orange St in Newark. (973)624-3331. You can buy any of the dogs that they make as long as you buy 5 lbs. They make dogs for Galloping Hill Inn, the many Texas Weiner places, Father & Son, and they have a 4 or 5 to a lb dog called Boardwalk Griddle Franks that are sold down the shore; most notably Jenkinson's at Point Pleasant.

Suzanne, I found the article online. It seems that Nedicks uses Vienna Beef franks. This means that they are not the same as 20 years ago. The Daily News article claims that the brand was Shofar. Anyway, I found the menu for nedick's on the Riese restaurant website. They confirmed that the Vienna Frank is used for most of the dogs listed (except the bratwurst and maybe the New York dog). The Jersey Ripper is also a Vienna Frank which would bear no resemblance to the Rutt's Hut ripper.

I bought the Times today and searched the whole paper top and bottom trying to find the article. By city section, do you mean metro? If so, it wasn't in there. Maybe N.J. gets a different paper than N.Y.?