Gourmet Hot Dogs

In the late summer of 2012 a rather interesting mural took shape on the side of a building just outside Toronto’s downtown. It would portend a new hot dog emporium. Dedicated to one of the latest food trends sweeping across the United States. Gourmet hot dogs or Haute Dogs as their known. Better quality dogs topped with a wide array of toppings from the simple to the extravagant.

Local restaurateur, Angelos Economopoulos knew the hot dog craze would thrive in TO. Our hot dog carts are are rather ubiquitous and considered among the best. Simply put, we love ‘em. His plan, take them indoors and dress them up. Angelos would venture south on some scouting missions and craft his own Haute Dog strategy. In October of 2012 he threw open the doors of Fancy Franks and was an overnight sensation. The hype created by the mural had done its job. The city was instantly hooked.

Outside of the mural mentioned above, Fancy Franks is just another in a series of storefronts.
Inside the mix of exposed brick, wood and a collage featuring vintage photos of people eating hot dogs, including a cameo of JFK, dress the place up.
There’s a long communal table in the middle and a ledge around the front windows. Stools numbering about 20 provide seating.
Following another trend these days there are two kitchens. One in the back where the prep work is done and another in front of that where some cooking and final assembly takes place.

I should point out that these types of dogs, weighed down with toppings aren’t really my thing. A chili cheese dog is about the high end for me. That said, I still love this concept and am glad to see this type of place in the city. It’s also great that I can build my own dog from the bun up. So there’s a little something for everyone here.
Let’s have a look shall we?? 

I got a sample of the dog just plain and lemmie tell ya, it's great. Not as garlicky or spicy as I like, (like Nathan's) but terrific otherwise. They're made by a local butcher to the recipe supplied by FF. I'd like to see it cooked just a bit longer. Maybe get some charring on that baby for added flavour. I think, and this is just me personally, that a more robust dog may stand up to some of the more assertive toppings a bit better. What is likely to have doggie fans excited in the city is these franks have natural casings. For that added snap.You can substitute a a sausage for an extra dollar as well. I have yet to try one so I can not attest to it’s taste.

The Chi-town Fancy (tomato, pickle, mustard, relish, peppers, celery salt) was my first Chicago Dog and it was pretty much what I expected. (Keep in mind it’s not a "True" Chicago dog. The sport peppers and neon green relish are replaced by pepperoncini and Heinz relish). It's good but for my tastes, too much with the vegetation. “Drag it through the garden” as they say. The dog is almost lost in there. If you like Chicago dogs I'm guessing you'll be happy with this incarnation but in future, unless I'm in Chi-town, I’ll pass. It's also quite messy, which I'm sure you know doesn't bother me in the least, which is surprising considering this is basically a street dog in the Windy City.

The Franko Fancy-aano (wrapped prosciutto, arugula, reggiano, balsamic Dijon mayonnaise) is not really a favourite nor was it of my friends Vicky, Nancy or Peter. Not that there was anything wrong with it per se. It just didn’t work for us. Others may love it. As they say in the Twitterverse, YMMV.

A definite favourite is the Franks Got Seoul (beef rib, kimchee, sesame seed, green onion). The kimchee isn’t as assertive as you’d think and the beef rib somewhat steals the show. That said, the dog can still be tasted and all in all, it’s quite good. I think next time I’ll add some hot sauce to kick it up a notch or two.

Frankie Goes to Buffalo (deep fried in panko, carrot, blue cheese, Buffalo wing sauce) is a terrific contrast of tastes and textures. The deep fried, panko crusted crunch is nice though I think a little more of the wing sauce would be good. It smelt a lot more vinegary that it was.

The Frankaphone (smoked gruyere, horseradish cheddar, squeaky curds, honey dijon mayo) was certainly the favourite among the group of us. It was closer to a hot dog in general and as such, was destined to be my favourite. It really let the wiener shine. The toppings nicely added creaminess and tang.

I opted to create my own fries. I thought for sure they'd have Coney Fries on the menu and they didn't. They do have Chili Poutine but the thought of both chili and gravy didn't appeal to me. So I opted to swap smoked gruyere (yes I know it should be cheddar but they don't have plain cheddar) and hold the gravy. I ended up with a pretty reasonable facsimile of Coney Fries and they were great. The fries themselves are fresh cut. Not the best I've had but solid none the less. The chili is really good and a bit unique. It tasted like there was a hint of curry powder in it. (Now, before you go getting upset that there's curry powder in it, should it actually be there) just keep in mind that curry and chili powders are basically cousins. They work very well together. In hindsight I think the addition of chopped onions would have made it even better.Another new trend that is popping up is a donut robot. A machine dedicated to cranking out tiny donuts. Their is right there in the kitchen and spits out warm, soft, delicious dough rings. They come with a variety of toppings. Some of which are as follows.
Chocolate Sauce & Caramel: These babies are just about everything I could’ve hoped for. The sauces, while inherently sweet aren’t too much. I thought, though my dining partners disagreed, that it was missing a little something to put them over the top. Upon reflection, I think whipped cream would’ve done it. That said, the others were happy there wasn’t any more sweetness added.
Lemon Curd or Strawberry and Powdered Sugar: These are a really nice combination. Pretty much like a lemon filled donut. This sampler of the two flavours, in my mind could’ve used a tich more sugar.

So there you have it. A great place to get your hands on some dogs in the city.

You can find Fancy Franks at 326 College St in Toronto, On.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

"Character and Characters"

Perhaps it would be impossible to phrase it any better than the young man sitting at the counter of Corner Grill in Bowling Green, Ohio. The little diner that began life in 1951 and has become a staple in the small north west Ohio college town. It's the type of place where pretense is checked at the door. Where people from all walks of life meet, greet and eat. It’s a place where the unemployed drink Maxwell House Coffee with community leaders. Where a farmer, muddied from a days work in the field will talk Falcons football with a hair dresser. Where people come for a quiet breakfast or some greasy food and raucous atmosphere at 3am. After a hard night of partying of course. It's where, back in the day, you came in to check the pulse of the town. Heck, even the mayor is a regular. Probably couldn’t get elected otherwise. Yep, it's the kind of place that is "Full of character and characters." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Some would say, it has seen better days. Granted a stay of execution in 2010 when city officials cited fire, building and health code deficiencies. Others, such as myself, say you can’t recreate the feeling a place like this has. The stories are legen-wait-for-it-dary. One such anecdote sees judges and attorneys excusing themselves from the local courthouse, huddling in a booth and spelling out terms for a plea bargain. Another has a former owner keeping regulars in line with a fly swatter.
In a delicious microcosm of society, the Health food store/Vegan restaurant directly across the street had gone out of business.

The interior is exactly what you’d think. Counter service, open kitchen, worn out décor, (usually) cluttered with regulars. There’s a row of booths along the outside wall. All in all, seating for a couple dozen or so.

There’s also a kitchen in back where a lot of the baking and prep work is done. So let’s get a look at the goodies being served up at “The diner.”

We started with Cheese Cubes. These are your typical cheese sticks you'd find at a TGI McScratchy's. The only differences are the size,shape and, (perhaps because of the environment) they were much better. They come out of a bag from the local food distributor but I don't discount something simply because of it's pedigree. Taste trumps all right?? They were cheesy, crunchy and had a little kick. The big star here is the Ranch Dip. Made in house it's a little less "Ranchy" tasting than the stuff in a bottle and somewhat more "Mayonnaisy" but ultimately incredibly good. A perfect match these two and a very popular item.

The Chili Dog (with cheese) is a fine specimen. A nice soft bun (toasted) and a great, natural casing dog (a little less spicy/garlicky than I usually like but big snap) and a basic chili. Simple and delicious. A couple of these and you're in business.

Another favourite on the menu is the Cajun Burger. It wasn't one of mine. It wasn't bad or anything like that, it just really didn't do it for me. The patty is spiced with Cajun seasoning and comes plain. I added Swiss cheese (as was recommended) sautéed onion and tomato. There's really nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't a favourite. Clearly, I'm in the minority on that. Along with Mrs. Sippi.

On the other hand, the Bacon Double Cheeseburger was "All that." A fine example of what the Classic American Cheeseburger can and should be. Done on a flat top (ding, ding, ding) it's just perfect. The balance of meat to cheese to bacon to toppings (I had to remove the lettuce on my half because I hate that cooked lettuce taste) was spot on. There's just nothing more I can say about this other than, it's perfect.
 
To wash it all down I had a piece of pie. Their pie du jour was Pecan, Apple, Custard. A terrific piece although, loving cinnamon, I'd like to have seen some apple pie spicing in it. It came from the fridge and I think it would probably taste better at room temperature. I'm not sure warmed would work that well as the custard might be too loose. This pie is also made in house.

For what it's worth, the Soup du Jour was Chicken Noodle. Another diner had a bowl and it smelled fantastic. The young man of which I spoke before said it's made by "The man in the back." Nice.

So there you have it folks, a local legend, a meeting place, a party place, a community "water cooler." Call it what you will.

You can find Corner Grill in the heart of downtown at 200 N. Main St. (The old Dixie Highway) Bowling Green, Oh.

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You can also find them on facebook or follow the night shift on Twitter.



Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

The Original KFC

I guess you think the Colonel invented Kentucky Fried Chicken. Well, guess again. Kentucky Fried Chicken was actually invented by Joe Smiley of West Virginia and sold at his Lexington, Kentucky drive in during the 50’s. I know. I just blew your mind.

Okay, now lets sort all this stuff out. KFC as we know it with it’s 11 herbs and spices was indeed invented by the good Colonel. However, marketing genius that he was, he knew when he went to mass market his now famous chicken he needed a name. That’s where Joe comes in. The Colonel thought Joe’s "Kentucky Fried Chicken" name was perfect. The two men struck a deal (Rumoured to be $30K) and the name “Kentucky Fried Chicken” was sold. And as the iconic Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story.”

“Good food at a good price” was Joe Smiley’s motto. Having moved from West Virginia to Lexington he saw an opportunity. His vision was for a drive in on a dirt road outside town. He made that dream a reality on November 11, 1951. Joe sold only fresh made food from fresh ingredients and now 60 + years later, that tradition continues. The Parkette has become part of the civic fabric.
The now iconic sign shown above was installed in 1957 and is as much a symbol (#10) of Lexington as is a horse farm.

Sadly, Joe closed the Parkette in 2003. A group of local investors bought it and tired to keep it afloat. They failed, it closed. In 2009 Jeff and Randy Kaplan bought it, dusted off the cobwebs and reopened it. The brothers were immediately snowed under with business. It was too much. They closed for the winter, regrouped, renovated and otherwise retooled. They reopened in the spring of 2010 returning The Parkette to the “Good ol’ days.”

It was later in 2010 that Guy Fieri and his Triple D gang showed up for a visit and put The Parkette on the national map. It’s of course where I first learned of it. They say you can always tell when they’ve re run the episode by the upswing in business.

It’s always great when you’re really looking forward to eating somewhere and it still exceeds expectations. So let’s have a look at this culinary time capsule.

Where best to start but with the chicken. Very nicely breaded although not overly herbaceous it’s possibly the best of the non 11 H&S types I’ve had. The breading had good flavour and the chicken was tasty, tender and juicy. All in all, fantastic. You can get sawmill gravy with it but honestly, I really don’t think it needed it. That said, the gravy was awesome. I thought Mrs. Sippi was gonna get a “To go” cup of it with a straw for the car ride. It was that good.
The accompanying slaw was nice. Nothing special just straight forward slaw. Nothing wrong with that. I also love the crinkle cut fries. The ridges helped hang on to that gravy.

As I perused the menu I heard a gasp from the other side of the table. Seconds later I saw why. Gizzards. Mrs. Sippi loves her some gizzards. These babies come with a nice crisp breading and have a very pronounced chicken taste. My whole problem with gizzards is texture. It’s much like eating cartilage. These particular examples, while still “Cartilagy” were certainly more tender. Think al dente. They were fabulous dipped in the chicken gravy.

There were so many good things on the menu I didn’t know where to start and where to stop. One thing I couldn’t over look though was the Chili Dog. Using Vienna Beef weiners, steamed on a steamed bun. This incarnation has it loaded up with mustard, onions, chili and cheese. It was a work of art. No one thing dominated yet it didn’t all turn into one big flavour. You bit in and you though, onion, no, chili. Oh, nice dog, oh and cheesy. What I’m trying to say is, all the components complemented each other and tended to take turns tickling your palate.

As I’ve pointed out before, back in the day, these types of places had a burger that included all or most of the following components. Two all beef patties, special (or house, or secret, etc) sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun. I’m sure you’re more than familiar with the formula. Anyway, for Joe, life in coal mining West Virginia was mostly poor. With that in mind, he named his sandwich, the Poor Boy.
Very reminiscent of a Big Mac (obviously) but just better. One word of warning though, a pretty hefty slice of onion garnishes it. I love onion but found the whole disc too much. I pulled it apart, leaving a few rings and it worked much better. I thought the whole piece was a little too dominant.

There you have it folks. Call it a slice of Americana, a trip back in time or just plain great food. Whatever it is, you should check this place out. Well worth the 10 or so minutes off I – 75.

You can find The Parkette Drive In at 1230 E. New Circle Rd. Lexington, Ky.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Where Friends Meet-n-Eat

As I had written before, the Interstate system that now networks the United States wasn’t always the way people moved about the country. People in the Great Lakes region for instance travelled the Dixie Highway between the north and Florida. The eastern Midwest equivalent of the Great River Road or US 101/El Camino Real.
The DH was not a linear thoroughfare per se, but a network of interconnected roads stretching from Canada to Florida. Two main arteries, DH East from Sault St. Marie, Michigan to Miami and DH West from Chicago to Miami had loops and connectors funneling cars to the main lines. The introduction of the interstate meant the dismantling and renaming of portions of the Highway. The Dix was, roughly speaking, replaced largely by I-75 and in part by I – 65 and I – 95. In a north/south direction anyway. You can still see signage for the DH in states like Kentucky and Ohio but more than often you wouldn’t even know you’re on the historical road.

Many of the businesses that thrived along this highway died when the interstate pushed through. Some did manage to survive and you can read about two of them here. One lives on, one does not.

In north Cincinnati the suburb of Sharonville, once on the DH, is a mecca for chain restaurants and hotels. However at least one hold out still exists. Hanging on to it’s pre interstate days. The Rootbeer Stand has been delighting south central Ohioans and visitors for over half a century.
Originally opened under the A & W banner by Mick and Nancy Rideour along with (Nancy’s parents) Jim and Catherine Clark. Mick found a seasonal (summer) business was the perfect counter to his seasonal (fall to spring) job as a teacher. Right on the outskirts it was the first place to grab a bite as you hit town. (Or last depending on which way you were going of course.) In 1982 they’d discontinued their affiliation with A & W and were independent.
By the late 80’s Mick and Nancy were winding down their careers and Nancy’s parents had both passed. It was time to move on. That's where Scott and Jackie Donley stepped in. A deal was struck and the Donley’s opened the 1990 season as the new owners. They immediately changed….nothing. Why would they?? They had a good thing going. The chili and most importantly the root beer recipes developed by Catherine back in the 50’s are still the same today.The root beer is even made with the same equipment they’ve been using since they opened in 1957.

On the outside very little has changed. There’s been some cosmetic alterations and of course all the A & W signage was replaced with The Rootbeer Stand but the place is still in the same spot it was when it opened. Car hops have been gone since the early 70’s as well.

Inside the kitchen and a few other areas have been moved around but the signature feature has remained. The hat hall of fame that adorns the ceiling. In by gone days, truckers were the predominate customer as they travelled up and down the Dixie Highway. They’d leave their ball caps as a form of advertising. The tradition has continued ever since. They get thinned out once in a while and when they took over, the Donley’s had a great number of them cleaned. Another tradition still observed is the hiring of young, high school aged kids for the season. Most often, this is the first job these young boys and girls ever have. A nice way to kick off their working life. Even better for a couple of young girls in the 60’s. Both working as car hops met their husbands at the stand. Today they can be found working in the kitchen.

Well all this tradition is wonderful the food is really what matters. So lets have a look.

The double cheeseburger was good but not great. Mrs. Sippi was far more enthusiastic about it than I. It was very reminiscent of the one at Texas Tavern in Roanoke. Both of those burgers to me just screamed nostalgia.

The foot long chili cheese dog was very good. An ordinary wiener and bun with chili, cheese, mustard and onion. The surprise, being that we’re in Cinci was that the chili was more of a traditional chili. It, on its own was also very good. It had a nice cumin hit and good chili flavour. No real heat which would’ve made it even nicer but you just don’t get that in hot dog chili.

The Big E sandwich is the normal Cheeseburger with warmed Deli Ham and Swiss Cheese. It came dressed with pickle, onion, mustard and mayo. In future I think I’d skip the pickle and add tomato. All in all this is a delicious sandwich. The ham and swiss take this to another level. As I said above, the Cheeseburger was good. This is very good.

The star of the show as you can imagine is the root beer. Made with water from their own well which they claim gives it it’s personality. It has a nice smooth flavour and little carbonation. It’s also not overly sweet. Just enough to take the edge off. They even serve it up in a mug which is a nice touch. Notice the pop corn. They don't serve fries so chips or pop corn are your options.

The root beer float was even better. The vanilla ice cream complimented the root beer perfectly. This is where the less sweetness of the root beer really mattered.
My Grandmother would often make us Ginger Ale and Butter Pecan floats when we were kids. (It's a great combo, give it a try). I never really thought much about them until the last few years when I rediscovered the float. Great memories.

So if you’re in the Cincinnati area and are feeling nostalgic, head on over to The Rootbeer Stand.

You can find The Rootbeer Stand at 11566 Reading Road in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Burgers and Taters and Dogs Oh My!!

Owning a hot dog stand was the dream. It wasn’t however, the dream of Markin Dornan but that of his father. For about 35 years Mr. Dornan had wanted to have his own hot dog stand in his native Montreal.

On business in Birmingham, Alabama, Montrealer, Markin met a young UAB student named Kim. As fate would have it they fell in love, married and set up life in Hazel Green, Alabama where they started a family. They also decided to go into business together. They’d realize Mr. Dornan’s dream but add their own spin. In 2010 after a year and a half of tasting and testing, testing and tasting in their home kitchen they had it down. It was time of take the “Leap of faith” and open Taters n’ Dawgs in neighbouring Meridianville. Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, all fresh, never frozen in a family friendly atmosphere.Kim and Markin almost literally poured their hearts into the business. Aside from food development they also tried their hands at (among other jobs) architecture, painting and carpentry. Kim says the local contractors were very patient with their “Crazy ideas.”   The interior they designed is basic. Tables with benches line the wall in a white almost operating room like setting. The kitchen is open and reveals one of my favourite things. The flat top. This is where ground beef (and many other foods) turn into culinary gold. Outside they also have picnic tables for those who want to enjoy the weather.

As we know though, the weather sometimes turns vicious in that area. Fortunately there’s people like Kim and Markin. Following the April 2011 tornado outbreak that devastated parts of northern Alabama TnD held a fund raiser in support tornado relief. It was of course a huge success and shows the commitment they have to the community. As does their nightly support of a different local charity.

So on with the food they crafted. Taters, dogs, burgers and drinks (they serve coke products.)

For those who’ve never heard of it, poutine is a staple dish in the Montreal area. Fresh cut fries are served up with cheese curd and brown gravy. Described by Tony Bourdain as a “Gastronomical train wreck” it’s high cholesterol at it’s artery clogging best. TnD’s take on it swaps mozzarella cheese for the curd flawlessly. The other two components are perfectly executed as well. The gravy is spot on and the fries are fresh cut and great. The “Tater melt” as they call it is excellent.

The chili dog is terrific. The wiener itself is all beef and very tasty. The home made hot dog chili isn’t spicy and very tomatoey. They messed with the notion of having beans but a good dog chili doesn’t have beans. I added some cheese as well. The whole mess comes on a steamed bun. I think next time I’ll add some diced onion.

The cheese burger was simply fantastic. When I say simply, I actually mean it. It’s the classic American burger. A simply seasoned 1/4 lb patty with sliced cheese and a simple bun. Standard toppings as well. Keep it simple. This is my favourite type of burger and this one ranks right up there with the best.

The “Slawdog” had a nice, fresh cabbage slaw with very little in the way of vinegar or creaminess. It had a good crunch and worked well. Again the dog itself was very good and would be great plain.

A very enjoyable lunch was had by all.

You can find Taters n Dawgs at 12835 Hwy 231/431, Meridianville, Al.


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You can also like them on facebook
 

Well that’s it for this time in the foodcourt. Y’all come back now ya hear.

Davwud