John

Scott, Not sure about a wagon in Linden. There was (and still is) a truck on St . Georges Ave. in Rahway close to the Linden border. It's called Munce's. It was sold recently but they always had a big selection of toppings. I'll let you know about our next get together.

Rich, I'm glad that you enjoyed the Tour and I hope to see you every year. In fact, we are planning some smaller get togethers. I'll keep you updated. We're looking to make a trip to Charlies Pool Room, a unique and fun place, as well as a trip including Amazing Hot Dog in Bound Brook, Middlesex Texas Weiners in Middlesex, and possibly Lutz's Pork Store in Union. Last year we got Charlies to open for us exclusively. You're right in stating that every place was unique in it's own way. I love reading the opinions of people who have attended because they are so varied as far as what type of chili they liked, what kind of dog (all beef or beef and pork), and the other toppings as well as methods of preparation. Although everyone had their own opinions, all agreed that each place served a good dog. You can read more about it on Roadfood; both the Hot Dog Forum (NJ Hot Dog Tour) and also on the Miscellaneous and Food Related Forum. There are plenty of pictures too. I enjoyed all of the dogs and went into detail on Roadfood. What sets Dees apart from the many hot dog trucks, carts, and restaurants serving "dirty water Sabretts" are a few things. She uses a 10 to a lb frank which is bigger than many places that use miniscule 11 and 12 to a lb dogs. JJ's in Newark switched to a skinless 12 to a lb dog 2 yeas ago. Dee's also uses a natural casing frank which is much better than the skinless dogs used by many. Perhaps the biggest difference in Dees dogs are that they are served hot and fresh. Too many establishments serve their dogs lukewarm. Dee never leaves her dogs in the water too long. When I sampled 87 hot dog joints 2 years ago, I had plenty of dirty water dogs. Many were in the water too long. They lose flavor and snap. Dee will throw out dogs rather than serve them if they're in the water longer than a few minutes. And although I get my dogs there with mustard only, she is known for her homemade chili and onion sauce. I'll post here about our future trips in case some want to attend.

I'll be there Sunday.

My wife and I went to Attilio's Tavern for the first time since they reopened a couple of weeks ago to celebrate our Anniversary. We couldn't have picked a better restaurant. Lovely place with a great atmosphere. We went first to the cozy bar and had a few drinks. My wife had a couple of Martinis and I had a few draft beers The drink menus and regular menus can be found here: http://www.attiliostavern.com. We were in time for Happy Hour which is from 4 to 6PM. We sampled a couple of the appetizers. The Mozzarella & Roasted Peppers, which were excellent, and picked (the mozzarella) as one of the three best in the state by the Star Ledger's Munchmobile Team out of a few hundred sampled. Shrimp Attilio with a spicy sauce and cream, Mozzarella Carroczza (breaded fried mozzarella), and Fried Calamari were all outstanding as well. I had the Chicken Scarpariello, which is Chicken breast, sweet Italian sausage, vinegar peppers, potatoes and herbs, sauteed in a white balsamic vinegar sauce. It is so good that the few times I've been to dinner at the former Attilio's Kitchen, I couldn't get myself to try something else. I might next time, as everything I've had here has been exceptional. My wife loved her Eggplant Rollatini. We both enjoyed a second meal with the leftovers the following day. Service and waitstaff are exemplary. Everyone we met were so pleasant and friendly. You can tell that they really enjoy being here. I highly recommend Attilio's Tavern. My favorite restaurant and the best dining experience I've had. I'm looking forward to going back when they have entertainment. We went on Tuesday. Entertainment is Wed. thru Saturday.

Thanks for the clarification, rlibkind. I checked the site and saw that Lutz's did finish second. There were four place winners in each category. I spoke with someone from the AAMP and asked how you enter this competition. It turns out that you have to be a registered member of this organization. Judiu, There are websites for these meat producers that you can visit. Lutz's site is http://www.germanvalleyfoods.com. DeWig's also has a website. I will be having someone ship me some of the DeWig franks so that I can make my own comparison. I was at Lutz's today, and as you can imagine, they are very happy about their performance. They sell their franks loose behind the counter and also sealed in packages. The sealed franks are sold at Kings, Delicious Orchards, and other retail outlets. Although they are made from the same ingredients and spices as those sold loose, they are not made on premise because to be sold in stores they need to be a USDA plant. The only difference is that the ones packaged are slightly thicker than those made in house. One of the guys at Lutz's told me that they were knocked down a few points for the thickness of their dogs. He told me that had they used the slightly thinner dogs made at the plant, they would have been Grand Champion. Lutz's franks are delicious. Well made in the German style containing beef and pork. No fillers and instead of using meat trimmings like most hot dog makers do, they use whole cuts of beef and pork. I picked up some today. Last time I had these was last summer at a graduation party. They were a big hit. Lutz's also sells their franks and bratwurst at the Union Street Fairs where I've enjoyed them many times.

I was excited to find out that a frankfurter from a Pork Store in my town of Union, N.J. was awarded 2008 Reserve Grand Champion by the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) at the annual American Cured Meat Championship held in Cincinnati July 26th. This distinction went to the German style frank produced by Lutz Pork Store on Stuyvesant Ave. in Union. The Grand Champion award or first place was decided by only 3 points out of a total of 1,000 possible points. The contest is held annually by AAMP and judges cured meat products from around the country for external appearance, internal appearance, and edibility (aroma, taste, and texture) There were over 50 entries judged blindly by Master Butchers, staff from the Iowa State Food Laboratory and AAMP officials. Union is home to 3 European style Pork Stores, Lutz's, Gaiser's, and the Union Pork Store. Fritz's Pork Store closed about 2 years ago. All produce excellent frankfurters, sausages, and other meats. I spoke with someone from the AAMP to find out if some other N.J. meat producers (many that I'm familiar with) were included. Lutz's was the only one from Jersey, which again shows the high quality of Jersey hot dogs.

I love hot dogs and I love mayonnaise, but not together. I put mayo on sandwiches and burgers. I grew up with Hellman's and can tell the difference when I'm eating something with another brand of mayo. To me, Hellman's was to mayonnaise what Heinz is to ketchup. The best. Until recently. I had a hamburger off a truck that had lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, and mayo. The mayo was so good and different, that I knew it wasn't Hellman's. Turned out it was Admiration brand. Admiration is a small company in New Jersey that is known for salad dressings. It's a food service brand that you can't find in supermarkets or stores. I knew of Admiration because many hot dog joints use this mustard. Their deli mustard is my favorite mustard to put on a hot dog. Best Provisions in Newark, N.J. makes my favorite beef frankfurter. They have a small store across the street from their plant where they sell Admiration products. I get their mayo there. Haven't tried their salad dressings yet, but the mustard and mayo are great. Five Guys uses Admiration mayonnaise.

New Jersey Monthly just came out with their Restaurant Issue. I was able to get a quick look at work. Restaurants in all different categories are voted on according to regions. North, Central, South, and Editor's or Nj Monthly's Choice. Amazing Hot Dog was named best hot dog by NJ Monthly. Congratulations, Matt!

This morning CW 11 News did a few live segments on Jimmy Buff's to recognize July as National Hot Dog Month. A crew was dispatched to their East Hanover location. At various times during their half hour broadcasts between 5:30 and 9:00 AM, Jimmy Buff's Italian Hot Dogs were featured. First they showed the ingredients being cooked in the hot oil and the sandwiches prepared. I was present, but did not hear much of what was being said. I was told that the Italian Hot Dog itself was described as well as the history of Jimmy Buff's, the Originator of the Newark Style Italian Hot Dog. The live segments continued at the Madison, N.J. Train Station. Commuters were encouraged to sample single Italian Hot Dog sandwiches. Since it was before a lot of people even eat breakfast, many declined. But some accepted the sandwich. It was pretty funny watching Larry Hoff trying to run down people who were trying to catch a train. The last segment can be seen here: http://cw11.trb.com/news/local/morningnews...42462.htmlstory

Thanks for your reply. Sahlen's is a great choice. Perhaps you want to look into Thumann's grillers. In my opinion the very best German style or beef and pork dog. This is not their deep fryer that is common in many north Jersey places. It's also much easier to come by than Sahlen's. Boars Head is an excellent beef dog. Great on a grill (not roller grill) or in water. My absolute favorite is the 5 to a lb natural casing Best Provision dog out of Newark. Commonly known by hot dog aficionados as the Syd's dog after the place that served it for years; first in Newark, then in Union. Until Syd's lease wasn't renewed and they closed up, it was the most popular dog every year on the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour. Two questions: do you still serve the Maple Leaf dog? What dogs were included in your tasting to determine the best natural casing dog?

Will do! Although 50 people is a lot to be descending upon a hot dog joint, we are seriously considering getting another bus. I'd hate to have anyone miss out who really wants to go. I'm sorry that I did not post on Egullet sooner as this Tour sold out quicker than any other. I have been contacted by people from this site who do want to go but weren't aware of it until I mentioned it here. I will start a new thread and post more info soon. If we do add another bus I will make sure that the places we visit will be able to accomodate more than 50 people within a reasonable amount of time. This year's Tour will be Saturday, Sept. 20.

Had lunch at Irving's yesterday. First time in a long time. I was in the mood for a reuben and for the first time I had something other than a corned beef reuben. I had it with pastrami. Quite possibly the best sandwich I've ever eaten. The pastrami was perfect. Sliced just right with the right amount of fat. I also had a side order of cole slaw and enjoyed the pickles that were brought over in a bowl. To me the pastrami tasted even better than I remember it the few times I went previously. Mark said it was better. He went into a big explanation that went right over my head regarding a few changes made. Granted I only tasted the pastrami at Katz's once and don't remember anything other than I liked it. But it's hard for me to imagine anything being better than what I had yesterday. I'd be interested in getting the opinion of someone who is familiar with Katz's that's eaten at Irving's recently.

I spoke with Matt who told me that he will be closed for the weekend in case some of you were planning on making the trip to Amazing. He reiterated that he will be there at least during lunch hours everyday. Amazing is now using a new dog. It's the same size and shape of what's always been served there. Again it is a tasty, well seasoned beef dog. The brand is Sabrett. This particular dog, probably because of it's size, seems less spicy and garlicky than the smaller Sabretts that you get at Papaya King or dirty water trucks and carts. It goes well with either mustard only or the topping combinations offered. Customers at Bound Brook prefer this dog to the New England dog that Amazing was using. I've tasted the 2 side by side just before the switch, and I prefer the Sabrett frank. A better flavor, and I liked the texture better also. The dogs are made nearby and Matt can get them fresh in smaller quantities. The previous company required a large minimum purchase. As some of you might know, I run the Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour. We try to add some new places while rotating old favorites. Everything is planned out well in advance and the stops are picked so that they are fairly close to one another. Two years ago we visited the Verona location of Amazing Hot Dog. Closeby was Tony's Truck and Dickie Dees which also were included. I wanted to add the Bound Brook store this year, but can't because of logistics. We are looking to either add it next year or later in the fall as part of a separate trip feturing a few places in that particular area. The bus is already filled for this year's Tour. I'm sorry that I didn't post here earlier. Most people that attend the Tour are members of Roadfood where details are posted. Rather than add additional buses, we decidied to limit the Tour to just one. It would take too long at some of these places to serve more than 50 people. There is a waiting list however for people who are interested in attending. Some cancel and some are removed from the list if payment isn't received by a certain date. If you are interested in being put on the waiting list, please contact me. Also contact me if you are interested in being included on a smaller tour in either late Fall or Early Winter. Amazing Hot Dog would be the featured stop along with Middlesex Texas Weiners and perhaps one or two more places.

I hope that you wll prepare the Boars Head natural casing dog on a real grill; it makes a big difference. The roller grill, which I am not fond of, is made for skinless dogs anyway. Do you still serve the natural casing Sabrett? One of the few beef dogs, along with Best (Newark not Chicago), Usinger's, and one or two others that is in the same league as Boars Head. I have been meaning to to get to Freehold as I have not yet sampled a Maple Leaf brand frank. For a beef and pork dog, none is better than a natural casing Thumann's on the grill. Sahlen's from Buffalo and the franks from Kocher's in Ridgefield Park are also exceptional. It would be nice to see one of them offered as they are hard to come by. Many places in North Jersey use the milder Thumann's made for deep frying, but only 2 places I know of use the griller and they don't spend enough time on the grill at either place. Do you have a listing of the dogs (brand) offered?

I've heard about this place and spoke with one of the owners months ago, but haven't gone yet. I posted about the brands offered on another site when everything was still fresh in my mind. Of course I'll reserve judgement until I actually go, but it seems that New England Hot Dog Co. is trying to be all things to all people. It's been my experience that when a place tries to do too many things, rarely does it do all of them sufficiently. But again, I'll wait and see. I know that they offer 2 different size Boars Head beef dogs, a Boars Head beef and pork, a Sabrett, a Best Kosher (from Chicago, not Newark), a poultry dog, a Maple Leaf brand beef and pork dog, and possibly others. Plus a variety of things that you can put on the dog. To me, the brand of dog, whether it has a casing, and how it is prepared is more important than all the crap you put on it. Much of the toppings I wouldn't even consider putting on a hot dog. Why ruin a quality dog? What I don't like about this place is that most of the dogs that are grilled are put on one of those roller grills. I much prefer a griddle or a gas/charcoal grill. Roller grills are for movie theatres. You can, however, request that your dog be prepared on a real griddle. I would suggest doing this as well as asking which of the dogs have a casing. In my opinion, if you are going out for a dog, you might as well get one with the snap that you can only get from a dog with a skin. Boars Head all beef with a tight casing is one of the finest dogs you can sample, but here they offer the skinless variety prepared on a roller grill. Unless that's changed in the few months or so that I spoke with the owner and a couple of customers.

It seems that there is such a wide variety of opinions regarding Five Guys. Sort of reminds me of the unique hot dogs at Rutt's Hut in N.J. People either love them or hate them. Personally I love Five Guys. Maybe I'm lucky to have a franchise near me that is exceptional. From what I've heard, they are only allowed to press down on the burger once to keep it from being fried out. I love the fries. They are among the best I've had. The burgers, while well done, are juicy and flavorful. I think the bun is good as well. I get mine with ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and pickles. The hot dogs are well prepared. Skinless Hebrew Nationals that are split and griddled. Although I love hot dogs, I've only had them twice. I come to Five Guys for the burgers and fries. It's something I crave about once every couple of weeks.

Jeffreys 1, I spoke with Matt today. He read your post and wishes to apologize for what happened yesterday. It was his intention to post here, but he is not a registered member of Egullet. Apparently it takes one to three days to register and prospective new members have to compose an essay explaining why they want to join Egullet. When Matt is registered, he will address what happened. He was not in the restaurant yesterday because of family obligations. Amazing Hot Dog is in a transitional period and Matt said that things will be getting back to normal. He also told me to relay to you that he will not be missing any time during the lunch hours. He will be there every day to make sure things run smoothly. He asks that you be patient and wait for him to be able to come on here and speak for himself. A good friend of mine was at Bound Brook this past week and according to him, everything was exceptional as usual. I was also there 2 or 3 weeks ago and the dogs and service were great. Yesterday was an aberration; one that Matt assures will not happen again.

Your experience was unfortunate. I'm sure the fact that Matt wasn't there is the reason for the subpar service. Every time I've ever gone to either location, Matt, Eric, or both were there. Both times I went to Bound Brook, my hot dogs were prepared well and service was quick. Last time I spoke with Matt and while he didn't comment on the Verona closing or what is going on there, he did say that he was working 15 hours a day at Bound Brook and had only one day off in the last few months. It seems that it is rare for Matt to be away from the store. I would call and make sure he is there next time you get a craving for a hot dog.

The Jimmy Buff's segment is on YouTube:

My response was to Johnny H's post.

I don't know. I was told that it was closed and it wasn't clear if it would open or not. That's the extent of it. Until someone posts any new info, it would be best to call before you make the trip, or else go to Bound Brook.

I don't know why the Verona location closed. It could be for a number of reasons. While I'm not a regular at Amazing or any other hot dog joint, I know of people who went once a week. When it was mentioned to me that the Verona restaurant was closed, I just thought maybe one or both of the guys were on vacation. When I was in Bound Brook last Saturday I asked about Verona. All I was told was that it was closed and it wasn't clear if or when it would open. As far as what's going on, it might not be anyone's business, but I would think that at least Eric would put up a sign saying that they were closed until further notice. Someone I know made the trip twice only to be disappointed. Matt, the other owner was at Bound Brook and assured me that they would remain open. I wish both guys luck and hope everything gets sorted out.

Maybe. But that hasn't prevented him from posting when Amazing's Verona location burned down. I think he owes it to his customers to let them know what's going on.

I think Verona closed down about 2 weeks ago. I'm surprised Eric hasn't posted about it.

Amazing Hot Dog's Verona location has closed down. However their Bound Brook location remains open and is going strong. I happenned to be in the area yesterday and stopped in. I enjoyed 2 Classic's with mustard. Delicious.