John

David, Deep fried hot dogs are not unique to N.J. but I believe N.J. may have been the first to cook dogs this way with the invention of the Italian Hot dog and Paterson area Hot Texas Weiner in the 1920's. Other places that deep fry their dogs include Missouri and Texas (corn dogs) and baltimore, Md. (regular dogs). But for the most part, deep fried hot dogs are a north Jersey thing. As for Jimmy Buff's; they are all pretty much the same. I go to the Irvington location because it is closer to my home; but I have been to the other 3. There is no difference that I can discern. Jimmy Buff's invented this kind of sandwich, and a lot of people think that they are the only ones that make them. The other well known places, including Charlies grew out of Jimmy Buff's. As I said in my previous post, many people consider Jimmy Buff's the standard. It's what they grew up on. If you ever get one to take home, you know that you have to put the bag on the floor because of all the grease that seeps through. Many other people hate Jimmy Buff's because of all the grease. As I said, I prefer Charlies, but I go to JB's because they are open on Sundays. Both places use similar bread. Both use Best brand franks. Charlies uses bigger dogs (8 to a lb rather than 10) Charlies gives you more peppers (and they are much tastier) including red ones that Buff's doesn't have. The mustard is superior at Charlies. For me, the dog and peppers make the sandwich; that's why I like Charlies. As for potatoes, Charlies is sliced thinner, and they put on more; both places are good. Jimmy Buff's has everything laying in the oil for a long time; and the peppers and onions are mixed together. I get my sandwich without onions, so they have to pick some peppers out of the mix. And they are chintzy with the peppers. At Charlies, the ingredients are put in a deep fryer when the sandwich is ordered. Everything is fresh, and not laying in the oil for who knows how long. The sandwich is fresher and tastier at Charlies in my opinion. Why don't you try one at Charlies and let us know how you like it compared to Jimmy Buff's? Located at 49 Michigan Ave in Kenilworth. Exit 138 off the Parkway, make a left, go 2 or 3 lights and make a left onto Michigan Ave. The people I work with went to both places and are unanimous in preferring Charlies.

Holly, you are probably in the majority when it comes to Jimmy Buff's. I know a lot of people who won't eat an Italian Hot Dog anywhere else; for them, the grease makes the dog. And I must admit, for some reason, I prefer Jimmy Buff's if I have been drinking a few beers. But for a lunchtime treat, I prefer Charlies because of the bigger dogs and more vegetables. You need grease on this sandwich; I just think Buff's overdoes it.

I've never had a Nedick's dog, so I can't compare them to Nathan's. What I meant was, similar in that they were a fast food hot dog joint located in Manhatten like Nathans, Papaya King, and Gray's Papaya. I've also never had a Nathan's dog at Coney Island. There are a million Nathan's around and 2 close to me. They serve a decent all beef dog, but I've found that they are undercooked usually. The franks are produced in Chicago by a company called SMG (Specialty Meat Group) under contract for Nathan's. Sometimes the A&P near me has the natural casing dogs which are the exact same that are served at all Nathan's locations. I've bought them to cook at home on my griddle, and they are good, especially when they are cooked right. But, when buying an all beef dog to cook at home, I prefer Sabrett's natural casing, or Best's 5 to a lb natural casing that I purchase directly from the factory. Or Usinger's from Milwaukee. I've heard from many people that the original Nathan's is so much better than the others; most of which are in Home Depots or connected to TCBY Yogurt. They all use the same natural casing dog. The only differences are perhaps the original Nathan's cooks the dogs longer, plus a lot of people enjoy something more because of the atmosphere. While in New York, I would prefer Papaya King or Grays. Tastier, and cooked better.

Unless, of course, the New Jersey Ripper mentioned in the article is the same dog served at Rutt's Hut.

There is an article in today's Daily News reporting that Nedick's, after a more than 20 year abscence, is back. A hot dog joint similar to Nathan's that was known for its hot dog served on a butter-toasted split-top roll and orange drink. The giant Riese Organization which owns Nathan's, opens its first Nedick's in Penn Station. According to the article, "the basic dog is a Shofar frank. Patrons can also order a corn dog from Texas, a brat from Wisconsin, a Cincinnati Coney with chili, a Georgia fire dog, or a New Jersey ripper, which is deep-fried."

Jimmy Buff's is way too greasy; everything is cooked in a steel pit and lays there until needed. But they are the only place open on Sunday night which is when I often crave an Italian Hot Dog. After football and around the time when the Sopranos and Six Feet under were on. Tommy's in Elizabeth makes a good Italian Hot Dog (their potatoes are fantastic) but they use small, pencil thin 10 or 11 to a lb dogs and are skimpy on the peppers. Charlies uses bigger dogs and has the best peppers. Syd's is open till about 7:30 Mon thru Sat. Maybe one night next week?

Let me know when you want to go to Syd's; I'll be happy to meet you there. The hot dogs sold to Rutt's and the Hot Grill, although made by different companies, come 7 or 8 to a lb. Size varies a little when you are dealing with natural casing hot dogs; which these are. The dog at Syd's is 5 to a lb and expensive. $2.85 and they charge tax; it comes to around $3.00. But it is delicious and they cook it perfectly. Hot dog producers charge by the pound. So the bigger the dogs (4 to a lb at the Windmill and Max's) the more the restaurant will charge you. I live close to Best Provisions who supply Syd's, Jerry's, most of the Italian Hot Dog places, and others. They charge around $3.00 per lb if you go there yourself. I think the hot dog places may get them cheaper. But they charge $3.40 per lb for the Syd's 5 count dog because of the different size. I used to be able to buy as little as one pound; but since 3 people died from lysteria after eating Sabrett hot dogs a few years ago, the government imposed stricter regulations including that franks have to be sold in sealed crovac packages. As a result, you have to buy a minimum of 2 lbs. Which ain't bad. I figured it out. $6.80 for 10 big dogs plus a dollar for a dozen Baker's Touch hot dog rolls (used by Syd's and many other places; a superior hot dog bun) sold across the street at Karis, a store owned by Best. This comes out to about $.78 for a delicious footlong dog that I cook the same way at home as Syd's does rather than $3.00. This is why I don't go to Syd's too often. But they have the best reubens I've had, along with excellent hamburgers and milkshakes. Everything there is great. My friends say that their onion rings are the best; even better than Rutt's Hut. I don't eat onions myself. The dogs at Texas Weiner ll are about 80% pork and made to be cooked on the griddle. Similar to Schickhaus. Ok, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some people swear by them. I would avoid this place as they charge $3.50 for a 6 to a lb dog with mustard, chili, and onions (The Texas Weiner). Other places, namely Manny's Texas Weiners in Union, Texas Weiner l in Plainfield, Middlesex Texas Weiner, and others in south Plainfield and Dunellen use the same exact dog (size and all) with a similar chili and charge between $2.00 and $2.25. I go to the one in Union when I'm in the mood for a chili dog and too lazy to either cook one and use the Hot Grill's chili (which I keep at home) or drive the 17 miles to Clifton. The same producer (Grote & Weigle) makes a different, and in my opinion, better dog which is served at the Galloping Hill Inn in Union. This place is right down the street from me, so I go there a lot. Beef and pork; but a higher percentage of beef than the Texas Weiner dog. But the chili there is lousy so I never get a chili dog. Also, you must try an Italian Hot Dog from Charlies in Kenilworth. The best. I even got my daughter a job there.

I hear you regarding Papaya King. A lot more flavor than the deep fried dogs. All depends on the mood I'm in. I love the combination of the deep fried dog at Rutt's Hut along with their delicious relish. For me, at least, deep fried dogs were an acquired taste. And I love the Chili sauce at the Hot Grill. But for a grilled dog, with just mustard (in order to fully appreciate the flavor and texture of the dog) it's hard to beat a well done grilled dog from Papaya King. Katz's uses the same brand dog (Sabrett) but it is bigger and not cooked as long. The only dog place that I would rate higher than Papaya King for an all beef dog is Syd's in Union, N.J. Rated the best dog in N.J. by the Newark Star Ledger. Although taste is subjective; many people love the flavor of the Syd's dog. It is a long 5 to a lb Best brand dog that is simmered, than charbroiled. A little less spicy than the Papaya King dog, it has a wider range of flavors without being overly spicy or salty. It's hard to pick a best hot dog, but Syd's would be right at the top.

The hot dogs used by Rutt's Hut, Hiram's, The Goffle Grill, Libby's, and others (Thumann's specially made for deep frying) go for $2.99 per lb wholesale. These dogs are not available in supermarkets or to the general public. Rutt's will sell you some, but they charge $5.00 per lb. I happen to frequent a pizzeria on my mail route that uses Thumann's cold cuts. The Thumann's distributor will sell the deep fry franks wholesale to the pizzeria (5 lb minimum) who then sells them to me for the same price. Five pounds is a lot, even for me. Especially for me since I like to try different kinds, so I've only taken advantage of this 2 or 3 times. Once in awhile I'll by a lb at Rutt's. Grote & Weigle of Conn. is another hot dog (and meat) producer from Conn. that supplies many of the Jersey hot dog joints. Many Texas Weiner places use their dogs. They make a special beef/pork dog for the Galloping Hill Inn and their all beef dog (one of the best) is served at Father & Son. I found out that their N.J. distributor is located in Newark. I've been there a few times, and they too will sell you any of the franks made by Grote & Weigle. You must by a minimum of 5 lbs. Their price is also $2.99 per lb. I happenned to meet one of their sales reps who was at the distributorship in Newark. He told me that the $2.99 price is charged to all restaurants that buy their products. He told me that other companies sometimes charge different customers different prices depending on volume purchased. Then he told me an interesting story about the Hot Grill. This man goes to a lot of hot dog restaurants trying to sell his products. Most of the places have long standing relationships with their hot dog supplier and are reluctant to switch. He happenned to be at the Hot Grill one day when they had a problem getting dogs supplied from their distributor (Sabrett). The owners of the Hot Grill were so fed up that they placed a huge order for a similar dog from Grote & Weigle. They now order from both places. This was confirmed to me by someone from the Hot Grill and someone I know from Sabrett. When this happenned (2 or 3 years ago) the Hot Grill took the Sabrett name off their website. Three places that I frequent the most (out of many) that use Grote & Weigle products are the Hot Grill, Galloping Hill Inn and Father & Son. The first 2 are heavy volume places that sell a lot of dogs. I asked about which place buys the most dogs from them and I was surprised that the Hot Grill buys 3 times as many dogs as the Galloping Hill Inn. And, as I said, The Hot Grill also buys from Sabrett; and probably a bigger quantity. Here I go again rambling on; but from what I've been told, the places in Jersey that sell the most hot dogs are The Hot Grill, Texas Weiner ll in Greenbrook (rt 22) and Rutt's Hut. And probably in that order.

I've never been to the Callahan's on rt 46. I think this is the only location (other than the original in Fort Lee) that is left. They had a few others that are now closed. I, too prefer Rutt's Hut and the Hot Grill. In fact, I just ate at the Hot Grill a few hours ago. My guess is that the onion mix is supplied by Sabrett since they supply the hot dogs. I spoke with someone from Marathon (Sabrett) who told me that Callahan's, The Hot Grill, and the Windmill all use their beef/pork frank. The Windmill grills theirs; the other 2 are deep fried. And they are different sizes. But The Hot Grill's dog tastes exactly like Callahan's since they are the same dog cooked the same way. I prefer this dog with the chili sauce. I think the Hot Grill uses this particular dog because it is fairly neutral tasting, and lacking the spicing of a kosher style all beef dog. It doesn't overpower the chili sacue. Actually, it is more like a holder for the chili sauce. I buy the chili and bring it home to serve on the dogs I cook myself. I've found that the chili goes well on all beef dogs also. What's interesting to me is that Rutt's Hut and Hiram's use the same dog (Thumann's for deep frying) while Callahan's and The Hot Grill use the same (Sabrett beef/pork). Yet most hot dog lovers prefer Callahan's to Hiram's; but Rutt's Hut to Callahan's. Maybe the relish at Rutt's is a factor here; but I personally like the Thumann's dog better.

Black Bear Franks. After touting this particular brand as the best available supermarket frank, my taste for it has changed completely. Either that, or I've had it so much lately that I am now sick of it. The last 2 times I've had it, I found it to be a little too sweet and just didn't like the flavor compared to the others I tasted with it. I loved it when I first tried it and many times after that. Today I grilled one along with a Best, Sabrett, and Grote and Weigle. The other 3 are very similar to each other and great all beef dogs in the New York Kosher style. The Black Bear is more distinct in flavor; but whereas I preferred it previously, now I don't. Go figure. Taste, at least for me, is very fickle.

Thanks for the info!

The Woodbridge Shop Rite is located on rt 1 and rt 35 in the old strip mall that used to have Caldor's and the movie theatre. I believe their grand opening was last week.

I was in Woodbridge the other day and stopped in the new Shop Rite. This one is even bigger and better than the one in Clark. I found out that each Shop Rite is individually owned and operated. This one, along with 21 others are owned by Foodarama Supermarkets. These Shop Rites feature a gourmet product line called World Class. I was pressed for time, but was given samples of some of their sausages and they were quite tasty. They also sold franks loose behind the counter. This was the first time I've seen this in N.J. I bought a few to take home and they are as good as any all beef frank I've tried. And I've tried many. I tried to get some info on this product line. I was told that World Class products are made in Linden, N.J. at a food comissary owned by Shop Rite. Produced by trained chefs, they also sell pre packaged meals. I will try some of their other products next time I'm in there. Is anyone familiar with this product line?

Yeah, Clifton is a great place for hot dogs with Rutt's Hut and the Hot Grill; 2 of my top 5 places. The Hot Grill definitely has the best Texas Weiner chili sauce. Easily my favorite Texas Weiner. And Rutt's has those great rippers with the unique relish. Syd's is my favorite all beef kosher style dog; Galloping Hill Inn makes a great German style grilled beef and pork dog. Good, harder football shaped buns. And Charlies Famous makes the best Italian Hot Dog.

Hope you didn't have to travel far. The first time I went was also on a Sunday. Very disappointed to find them closed. And I live in the same town. Their hours are Mon thru Sat 10 or 11 o'clock to 7:45 PM

I haven't heard from them yet, so I e-mailed the owner's wife about 2 or 3 days ago. If I don't hear from them soon, I'll try again. If they still don't reply, I'll let it drop. The people I spoke with on the phone were very friendly, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they may have made this up, and probably use Best or Sabrett from Jersey.

My wife and I had lunch at Syd's in the Millburn Mall in Union today. It's been awhile since we've gone and we almost forgot how good the food really is. A little expensive, but I can't think of a better place to go for a reuben, club sandwich, hamburger, or hot dog. Not to mention excellent fries, milkshakes, club sandwiches, and onion rings. Everything we've ever had there is terrific. Originally in Newark, Syd's has changed owners a few times and moved to Union in 1967. I'm a hot dog lover and many people believe Syd's makes the best hot dog in N.J.; therefore the world. They were picked as the best dog in Jersey by the Star Ledger's Munchmobile panel in 1998. They spent 2 weeks going to the top hot dog joints in the state; and Syd's was picked unanimously by the panel. This is a long 5 to a lb natural casing Best's product that is simmered in water till plump, and then char grilled. It has a good, unique spicing without overdoing it. A nice counterpoint to a porky, deep fried Rutt's Hut dog. This dog is the best all beef dog around. At the least, one of the 3 best along with Father & Son, and Boulevard Drinks (same dog as Papaya King). But Syd's is bigger, with a softer casing, and has a great charbroiled flavor. Their burgers are made with fresh meat from a local butcher. Their reubens are the best I've tasted. And I've been to Katz's. If you are in the area, do not pass up this place.

I've had both many times, and comparing them is a little like comparing apples and oranges. I prefer Sierra Nevada; but I like this style, which is American Pale Ale (American hops like Cascade as opposed to Fuggles or Kent Goldings for an English pale Ale). Anchor steam is sort of an Amber Lager; actually a hybrid. They use a lager yeast, but ferment at warmer ale temperatures. A better comparison would be between Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Anchor's Liberty Ale. The Liberty Ale is considered stylistically between an American Pale Ale and an IPA. The Liberty Ale is better, in my opinion, than Sierra Nevada. In fact, out of the hundreds of beers I've tried, Liberty Ale is in my top three, along with Great Lakes Dortmunder (Cleveland) and Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout (England).

Rail Paul, Ive never had a Yocco's dog, but the brand they use is Medford's. Steven, Boar's Head is a decent all beef dog; especially in Florida and other parts of the country that do not have good dogs. It is a little less flavorfull than Sabrett or even Best; but is spicy enough for a beef dog. I find the casing a little to tough. The King's Supermarket near me replaced Boar's Head with Thumann's. I am familiar with the pork based dog (at least 80% pork) but they now stock an all beef natural casing dog, 8 to a lb. The only other time I saw Thumann's all beef, it was a little 10 to a lb dog that was skinless. The natural casing 8 to a lb was very good. Again not as spicy as Sabrett, Grote & Weigel, or Black Bear; but very tasty with a slight tanginess reminiscent of the Hummel brand from Conn.

I was in the Shop Rite in Clark today. This one is right off exit 135 of the Parkway and is one of the biggest and best Shop Rites. Excellent selection of hot dogs. The usual brands plus, across from the deli, they had Black Bear all beef, Sabrett, Thumann's, and Schickhaus; all natural casing. Black Bear and Sabrett are 2 of the three finest all beef dogs, along with Usinger's. Thumann's and Schickhaus are 2 of the best German style pork and beef dogs.

Liquid Bread, I enjoyed your rankings of "All the way" places. I will be going to Johhny and Hanges soon. I haven't tried them or #'s 4,5 and 6 on your list. I know you said that you haven't tried any places not listed, but did you miss Libby's? Located in Paterson and one of the oldest and most popular places for a Texas Weiner all the way. The dogs listed are examples of the Paterson Area or Hot Texas Weiner. These are deep fried and topped with chili or "all the way sauce". The other style is the Plainfield Area Texas Weiner. These dogs are cooked on a griddle rather than deep fried and topped with a thicker, drier, chili sauce. The oldest of these places is Texas Weiner l in Plainfield. Opened in 1924. Texas Weiner ll in Greenbrook opened in 1928. Many other places in this style opened when employees of these places opened their own restaurants. Manny's Texas Weiner in Union is an example. There are also Texas Weiners in Dunellen, South Plainfield, Morristown, Middlesex, Irvington and elsewhere. Red Tower is on rt22 close to Texas Weiner ll. These places almost all use the Grote & Weigle Texas Weiner Brand dog. The original and the one in Middlesex used Schickhaus. But as of last year, Grote and Weigle started making Schickhaus again (they did prior to 1990 and then stopped till last year) and I don't know if it's used anymore. I know the original Texas Weiner in Plainfield uses the G&W Texas Weiner brand and not Schickhaus anymore. Both are very similar. A pork/beef dog 6 to a lb with a tough casing. They cook well on a griddle. All of these places are similar; even the chili. I would stay away from Texas Weiner ll because they are about $3.50 while the others are $2.03 (Manny's in Union) to $2.20 (the original in Plainfield and most of the others). I go to Manny's because it is close to me. The chili is a little darker and sweeter (molasses maybe?). But all are good. Again, comparing these dogs to the Paterson Area or "Hot" Texas Weiners is apples and oranges. One is griddled with thicker chili sauce; the other is deep fried with thinner, spicier sauce. My favorite Texas Weiner of this style is the Hot Grill. By far, the best chili sauce I ever had. The dog is made by Sabrett and is 50% beef and 50% pork. Second is Libby's and third is Goffle Grill. These 2 use the special Thumann's dog for deep frying that is used at Rutt's Hut and Hiram's in Fort Lee. I actually like this dog a little better than the Hot Grill's dog; but the Hot Grill's chili is so good that I like their Texas Weiner better. By the way, the dog served at the Hot Grill is the same Sabrett dog (beef and pork) served at Callahan's in Ft. Lee. Except the Callahan's dog is bigger. This big dog is the same one served at the Windmill; only it is griddled instead of deep fried. When not in the mood for chili, I like Rutt's because of the relish; and also because you can get one well done without having to wait longer; they are already cooking in the oil when you walk in. Frank's Newark Style dogs on rt 1 are good; but Tommy's in Elizabeth and Charlies in Kenilworth are better.

Yes, and I heard that Shop Rite will be having a sale in December. The sale price will be $1.99 per one lb package. These dogs come 8 to a lb and have a natural sheep casing. Made by Dietz and Watson exclusively for Shop Rite as is the entire Black Bear Line. All their coldcuts and salads are top of the line. I found out from someone at Dietz and Watson that the Black Bear Franks are the exact same franks as the D&W New York style frank. My favorites along with Usinger Angus Franks. Grote & Weigel, Sabrett, and Best are great beef franks also. Thumann's, Schmalz's, and Grote and Weigel make the finest beef and pork franks.

After spending a considerable amount of time trying to track down the maker of these Andrako's franks, I finally found something. I took 201's advice and called the restaurant back and spoke to the owner. Late Saturday night, doing a Google search, I was able to find a post on a message board made by the wife of the owner of this restaurant. Her e-mail address was included, so I sent her a long e-mail detailing my love of hot dogs and my desire to try some of these dogs without having to travel to Texas. Four days later and no answer. What started out as just a mild curiosity turned into a damn frustrating mission to find these lousy dogs. The last guy I spoke with told me that they had tried between 40 and 50 hot dogs from all over the country. From N.J. they tried Schickhaus (they liked them, but were looking for an all beef dog) also Sabrett and Best (which they loved). They also tried the dog served at Pink's in Hollywood (a little too bland) and the famous Vienna beef dog ( they didn't like it). The one that came in 2nd to this Andrako dog was the Black Bear beef frank. They also didn't sample Usinger's or Klement's from Wisconsin. I finally called Texas again and was able to get the owner. I went through the whole story about my search for this brand. He told me that the wife of someone who works with him was from N.J. and knew the people who make this frank. They are a little mom and pop deli that makes sausage. They haven't been making franks recently, and when they did, they only made a small quantity for themselves mostly. She had them send her some, and they decided on this dog. They had to practically beg these people to make them for their restaurant and were told that they didn't want to be bothered by people(like me) to make any more. So they are not available anywhere else. And the people who make them are old and looking to retire soon, so the Duke of Dogs may not even be getting them much longer. The owner said that he and his wife are going away for 10 days and that his wife will e-mail me when they get back to get my address and make arrangements to send me some. I'll let you know what I think of them. It's a bummer that you can't get any from the people who make them. In a way, I hope they don't turn out to be the best I ever tasted. I was told that they are made from only a few ingredients including beef brisket, pepper (black pepper, I think) and garlic. I'm glad I called back.

Thanks for the tips. I called Texas again to get more info, and all I was able to find out is that the brand name of the franks is Andrako's; it might not be the name of the company. The franks are produced by an Italian sausage company and shipped weekly to Texas. He said the package said Florence, Hamilton Twp, but the product may be produced in Trenton or Camden. Anyone know of a company in that area that specializes in Italian sausage?