Out of this World

[John]

Out of this World is the name of a new hot dog restaurant that will be opening on Galloping Hill Rd. and Westfield Ave. in Elizabeth. This is the site of the former Philadelphia Grille. I spoke with the owner and got some information about the hot dogs that will be offered. They will be serving two types. A Thumann's deep fryer and a Vienna Beef hot dog. The place will specialize in a variety of toppings including a Texas Weiner chili. The Vienna beef dog will be served separately or in a Chicago style hot dog. From talking with the owner who will be running the restaurant with her son, I can tell they know what they are doing. I havehave high hopes for Out of this World. The ingredients will be shipped in from Chicago including the special neon green relish. The dogs will be heated (not boiled) in water. If you just order a beef dog (Vienna) and not a Chicago style, you can have it prepared the way you want. The dogs will be natural casing and 6 to a lb.

There will also be Polish Sausage sandwiches and a special dog of the month which will be made of an exotic sausage such as alligator. Similar to Hot Doug's out of Chicago.

I'm looking forward to their opening which will be February 1st. The only other place in New Jersey that I know of where you can get a Vienna Beef frank is a place in Matawan called the Cheesesteak Factory. I was there and the dogs weren't prepared well at all. They were a sickening greenish gray. The owners of Out of this World have done a lot of research regarding New Jersey and Chicago Hot Dogs and are looking forward to opening and serving the first authentic Chicago style hot dog since J's Beef in Linden closed 4 years ago.

[John]

The opening will be delayed due to ongoing construction. The new date is March 1st.

[John]

I called today to find out when they would be opening. Today is their first day, and I was told they would be open until 7, so I stopped in. Their hours will be 10:30 to 4 Mon. thru Thurs., 10:30 to 9 Fri. and Sat. Closed Sunday.

I sampled 2 of their dogs. The Texas Weiner (minus onions) and their Vienna Beef dog. The place is tiny and there is no indoor seating. They will have outdoor seating when the weather gets warmer. I had my dogs there at the counter so that I could enjoy them fresh and while they were still hot.

The Texas Weiner is a 6 to a lb Thumann's deep fryer. Same recipe dog as Rutt's and others, but substantially bigger. I like this size better than Rutt's 8/lb. If you just order a plain hot dog (Humanoid $2.00) you will get this dog. You can request the Vienna beef dog instead. In fact all dogs on the menu get the Thumann's except the Chicago dog unless you otherwise request the Vienna.

The Thumann's dog was cooked long enough so that it resembled a ripper at Rutt's. It was nice and hot and the chili was in the same style as Libby's, The Hot Grill, and other Passaic County Texas Weiner joints. You can now get a top notch Passaic/Clifton style Texas Weiner in Union County. The dog plain is a good value at $2.00; a little expensive at $3.60 for a Texas Weiner. But an excellent example of the style.

I was going to order a Chicago style dog until I found out that they fry not only the Thumann's frank, but the Vienna as well. Everything about their Chicago style dog is authentic except the way they prepare the frank. In Chicago it's either heated in water or steamed. A sizable minority of places (Gold Coast for one) offers char dogs. But not fried or griddled. This was a disappointment. I spoke with the owner who told me she is working on getting the dogs to the right temperature. She may offer the dogs boiled or simmered in water in the near future. I sure hope so.

My fried Vienna frank (natural casing 8/1) was good, but not exceptional. If you want a deep fried beef dog, Best's is much better. So is Sabrett. Maybe Hebrew National and Nathan's too. The dog was hot and tasted fine, but it did not have the unique taste a Vienna Beef frank has that's been heated in water. The dogs at J's Beef were better. Even the Vienna dog I had at the Cheesesteak place in Matawan that was boiled too long in overly hot water tasted more like a Vienna. Hopefully the owner can be persuaded to prepare them the way they were meant to be.

I'll be back again definitely for the Thumann's dog with mustard as well as the chili dog. I think I'll wait until they offer the Vienna beef dog in water or chargrilled. One other thing. They use a standard hot dog bun for regular dogs and the Rosen Poppy seed buns for the Chicago dogs. You can request the poppy seed buns for the regular dogs. I got one for the Vienna frank.