Hot Dogs

[rkacruiser]

On 10/28/2021 at 12:45 AM, BklynBoy8 said:

the tastiest Orangeade in a Paper Cone on a Plastic Stand.

 

I do remember soft drinks were served like that at soda fountains in some retail establishments such as drug stores and Kresge's in my home town.  Some of those venues made excellent sandwiches at a price that my teen-age allowance could afford.  

 

On 10/28/2021 at 10:27 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

fresh cut French fries

 

It's interesting what we fondly recall from our younger days.  In Ohio, maybe in your State/area as well, we have County Fairs.  Always lots of food vendors where I spent much of the money I have given by Grandparents and Parents to "have a good time".  There was an annual vendor that made the best French Fries I have ever had, served in a paper cone.  There was a vendor that served the best Root Beer that I have ever drunk .  Other annual vendors that I patronized were a truck from which Footlong Hot Dogs with all the fixings were served, one who had the best fresh battered fried Fish Sandwiches (you could watch the fish being cooked!), an Italian Sausage Sandwich with the appropriate saucy fixings (some of which I always ended up "wearing" on my shirt), and, of course Caramel Corn.  

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I do remember soft drinks were served like that at soda fountains in some retail establishments such as drug stores and Kresge's in my home town.  Some of those venues made excellent sandwiches at a price that my teen-age allowance could afford.  

 

It's interesting what we fondly recall from our younger days.  In Ohio, maybe in your State/area as well, we have County Fairs.  Always lots of food vendors where I spent much of the money I have given by Grandparents and Parents to "have a good time".  There was an annual vendor that made the best French Fries I have ever had, served in a paper cone.  There was a vendor that served the best Root Beer that I have ever drunk .  Other annual vendors that I patronized were a truck from which Footlong Hot Dogs with all the fixings were served, one who had the best fresh battered fried Fish Sandwiches (you could watch the fish being cooked!), an Italian Sausage Sandwich with the appropriate saucy fixings (some of which I always ended up "wearing" on my shirt), and, of course Caramel Corn.  

Rka,

(You Are Making Me Cry......)

When we visit Cape May NJ, there is on the Washington Mall a old fashion 5&10 + General Store.

Runs a counter with Soda Jerks with the Paper Hats, Tables with Checkered Table Cloths. Old Soda Counter w fixings for Ice Cream Sundaes or Malts. 

 

Your following recall was great! Not at fairs but at local stores around here.

 

Nathan Frankfurter Stand in Coney Island use to sell a Large Paper Cup of French Fries for 25 cents - we always got 2 in one bag.

 

Best Root Beer in the area is at A&W Burger Stand with the Frosted Mug w Foam Head.

 

Foot Long Hot Dogs some NYC Hot Dog Street stands have from Sabrett's w Sauerkraut, Mustard, Red Street Stand Onions or Green Emerald Relish.

 

Best Fresh Fried Fish Sandwich at a Whole Foods restaurant called The Roof. It's called Hake. Light to eat on a brioche roll w Dill Tartar Mayo.

 

And the greatest Italian Sausage & Pepper Hero is by the outside gate of the local cemetery. Local truckers like the food truck that makes them called Lucy's. Comes with Sweet or Spicy w onions. They grab out the bread for a better well of goodies. When ordering you only say Sweet or Hot. More sausage you say Extra. More Peppers & Onions you say Add On... Don't use any other words. Sandwiches are constantly being made and flying out to you.

 

Those Good Olde Days...... O by the way......Don't forget the Three Ring Salted Pretzels w mustard.

 

 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

15 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Rka,

(You Are Making Me Cry......)

When we visit Cape May NJ, there is on the Washington Mall a old fashion 5&10 + General Store.

Runs a counter with Soda Jerks with the Paper Hats, Tables with Checkered Table Cloths. Old Soda Counter w fixings for Ice Cream Sundaes or Malts. 

 

Your following recall was great! Not at fairs but at local stores around here.

 

Nathan Frankfurter Stand in Coney Island use to sell a Large Paper Cup of French Fries for 25 cents - we always got 2 in one bag.

 

Best Root Beer in the area is at A&W Burger Stand with the Frosted Mug w Foam Head.

 

Foot Long Hot Dogs some NYC Hot Dog Street stands have from Sabrett's w Sauerkraut, Mustard, Red Street Stand Onions or Green Emerald Relish.

 

Best Fresh Fried Fish Sandwich at a Whole Foods restaurant called The Roof. It's called Hake. Light to eat on a brioche roll w Dill Tartar Mayo.

 

And the greatest Italian Sausage & Pepper Hero is by the outside gate of the local cemetery. Local truckers like the food truck that makes them called Lucy's. Comes with Sweet or Spicy w onions. They grab out the bread for a better well of goodies. When ordering you only say Sweet or Hot. More sausage you say Extra. More Peppers & Onions you say Add On... Don't use any other words. Sandwiches are constantly being made and flying out to you.

 

Those Good Olde Days...... O by the way......Don't forget the Three Ring Salted Pretzels w mustard.

 

 

Carnival CL has Guy’s Burgers why doesn’t RCI have BB’s Hot Dogs??  I would love a hot dog venue that gave you a dozen hot dog specialties…with fresh cut French fries!  

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

When we visit Cape May NJ, there is on the Washington Mall a old fashion 5&10 + General Store.

Runs a counter with Soda Jerks with the Paper Hats, Tables with Checkered Table Cloths. Old Soda Counter w fixings for Ice Cream Sundaes or Malts

 

It's good to know that such venues still exist!  You are fortunate to be able to patronize them.

 

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Don't forget the Three Ring Salted Pretzels w mustard.

 

Yes, I did forget.  Dayton has a company that makes excellent large soft pretzels like those.  

 

1 hour ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Carnival CL has Guy’s Burgers why doesn’t RCI have BB’s Hot Dogs??  I would love a hot dog venue that gave you a dozen hot dog specialties…with fresh cut French fries!  

 

"Why?"  The executives and "food experts" of the current cruise lines are of a different generation than we.  

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Carnival CL has Guy’s Burgers why doesn’t RCI have BB’s Hot Dogs??  I would love a hot dog venue that gave you a dozen hot dog specialties…with fresh cut French fries!  

CGT,

RCCL don't know if they still have Johnny Rocket's on board. I know we enjoy them in our local Malls. It is really fun especially staff dancing on the counters...Yes on the counters respectfully. And birthdays are great. So I would go to a Johnny Rocket's often if sailing. Not just for Dogs. Especially their Shakes and Fries w Ranch Dressing. Unfortunately not a dozen as you would like varieties.

[BklynBoy8]

52 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

"Why?"  The executives and "food experts" of the current cruise lines are of a different generation than we.  

Rka,

I don't know how select vendors on board.

 

Off subject, I know when My Parents once went on the Dreamward some time ago, they had a Ice Cream Bar you could have walked up to have Ice Cream anytime.

 

Also they had a Pizza Bar you could walk up to and have a slice separate from the Lido or Food Court style. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

10 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Rka,

I don't know how select vendors on board.

 

Off subject, I know when My Parents once went on the Dreamward some time ago, they had a Ice Cream Bar you could have walked up to have Ice Cream anytime.

 

Also they had a Pizza Bar you could walk up to and have a slice separate from the Lido or Food Court style. 

That’s what I’m talking about…a simple hot dog stand food court style.  Years ago they had that type of stand onboard Regent Sea.  They would set it up for lunch every day near the pool.  They had grilled dogs and buns with every condiment you could imagine.  It was the ideal solution on those days when you just didn’t want a big lunch.  

[Hlitner]

Recently we were on a Seabourn cruise and I had ordered a double portion of caviar (with all the fixens) while sitting in a deck chair.  A few minutes later when one of the waiters asked me if I wanted anything I ordered a hot dog.  I had finished about half the caviar when the hot dog arrived at my chair and I decided to put the remainder of the caviar (on Seabourn it is very good) on the hot dog.  My thinking was that this was likely the only time in my life when I could do something this decadent without feeling guilty about wasting a good dog or good caviar.  The combination was interesting but not something I would recommend.

 

Another passenger, from the New York area, saw me eat that combination and had a good laugh.  His comment was "you would not be able to get that at Nathan's" which was funny enough that I almost spit out my mouthful of dog/caviar.

 

Hank

[rkacruiser]

On 11/20/2021 at 11:20 PM, Hlitner said:

The combination was interesting but not something I would recommend.

 

A humorous post!  Did you add any of the caviar accompaniments along with the caviar?  

 

 

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A humorous post!  Did you add any of the caviar accompaniments along with the caviar?  

 

 

Just some of the finely diced red onion.

 

Hank

[shipgeeks]

Now I've added Hot Dog to the "change up the routine" for our next cruise.  I usually have my annual one at a local church rummage sale, but we've missed a couple of those.  The kitchen ladies would put mine on the grill when I arrived so it would be well-browned by the time I was ready for it.  Open-air grill and eating is sounding better every day.

 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Now I've added Hot Dog to the "change up the routine" for our next cruise

 

If you sail on a HAL ship, try the Hot Dogs at their Dive-In venues.  Burgers are the features, but their "dogs" are also very good!  (And, don't omit their Fries!)  

 

 

[shipgeeks]

16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

If you sail on a HAL ship, try the Hot Dogs at their Dive-In venues.  Burgers are the features, but their "dogs" are also very good!  (And, don't omit their Fries!)  

 

 

I seem to recall having a vegie burger at Dive-in; it was quite nice.  And yes, the fries are wonderful!

[rkacruiser]

11 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

I seem to recall having a vegie burger at Dive-in; it was quite nice.  And yes, the fries are wonderful!

 

Yes.  A veggie burger is available.  Have not tried that.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

On 4/12/2021 at 3:42 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

And what are the proper condiments for the hot dog?  Oh, and don't forget the bun:  toasted? warmed? straight out of the bun package?  

 

Mustard, tomato slices, chopped onion, dill pickle spear, neon relish, celery salt, and sport peppers.  And absolutely NO ketchup; that's a Chicago city ordinance violation.   You get a free pass for ketchup if you're under 14, but that's it.  Bun rules are less strict.  Poppy seed buns are traditional, but if you got a drug test coming up or just don't like poppy seeds, a plain bun is fine.

 

I remember talking to a couple I shared a table with at brunch on my Inspiration cruise.  We had a fun conversation about Chicago hot dogs.  They were from Phoenix, which has many Chicago transplants.  So they were familiar with the "no ketchup on a hot dog" thing.

Edited November 25, 2021 by LandlockedCruiser01

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Mustard, tomato slices, chopped onion, dill pickle spear, neon relish, celery salt, and sport peppers.  And absolutely NO ketchup; that's a Chicago city ordinance violation.   You get a free pass for ketchup if you're under 14, but that's it.

 

How does one eat such a piled high dog with all of those condiments?  It sounds like the commercials I see on TV with burgers and other sandwiches piled so high with "stuff", there is no way I could eat the thing as a sandwich.  

[LandlockedCruiser01]

44 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

How does one eat such a piled high dog with all of those condiments?  It sounds like the commercials I see on TV with burgers and other sandwiches piled so high with "stuff", there is no way I could eat the thing as a sandwich.  

Simple: you open wide and take a bite.  The most common way is to eat it from the end, so you get a taste of all components at once.  The amount of each vegetable in the hot dog isn't large, so it's nothing like those mega-burgers you describe.  But together, they create an interesting mix of flavors that still allows the hot dog flavor to shine.  I myself usually pull out the pickle spear and eat it on the side with the fries or chips, like when eating a deli sandwich.  (The remaining neon relish still provides the pickle flavor in the hot dog.)

 

The "dragged through the garden" hot dog has its root in the Great Depression.  Chicago hot dog vendors knew people couldn't afford much food.  So they wanted to give an impression of a good value: by piling on lots of low-cost vegetables onto the hot dogs they sold, thus making their product look bigger than it actually was, since the hot dogs themselves (the meat part) are quite small.  That wasn't a bad idea.  "Padding" the hot dog with vegetables made it more filling and nutritious, and provided a cheap way to get vitamins.

Edited November 26, 2021 by LandlockedCruiser01

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Simple: you open wide and take a bite.

 

Thank you for your interesting post.  Your comment about "open wide" reminds me that my orthodontist kept telling me as a teen-ager to "open wider"!  (Even my current dentist asks me to open as wide as I can at times.)  I must have a "small mouth".  

[Seamus6]

lucky for me, I have never been to Chicago since, at home, I usually put catsup and a seeded mustard on my dogs...often without a bun...

 

if I get one out, I might add onions and/or pickles to the party.  that's if I don't get a chili cheese dog.

[rkacruiser]

On 11/25/2021 at 9:35 AM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

We had a fun conversation about Chicago hot dogs.

 

Just learned today about a Chicago "institution":  the Original Maxwell Street Polish Sausage Sandwich, a Jim's Original.  Technically, I suppose, not a "hot dog", but it certainly sounded (and looks) good enough to eat!  

[LandlockedCruiser01]

On 2/8/2022 at 3:47 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Just learned today about a Chicago "institution":  the Original Maxwell Street Polish Sausage Sandwich, a Jim's Original.  Technically, I suppose, not a "hot dog", but it certainly sounded (and looks) good enough to eat!  

 

Those are an inherent Chicago institution too.  Standard toppings are grilled onions and yellow mustard, which is less of a "dragged through the garden" treatment than the Chicago hot dog.  However, many original Maxwell Street Polish sausage stands are in iffy neighborhoods.  (The actual Maxwell Street was rough for a number of decades, but gentrified significantly in the last 10 years.) 

 

Your best bet for a Maxwell Street Polish sausage in Chicago would be Portillo's.  They know how to make it well.  It's a shame this food isn't widely known outside of Chicago, not even in cities popular with Chicago transplants, like Phoenix.

Edited February 12, 2022 by LandlockedCruiser01

[BklynBoy8]

9 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

 

Those are an inherent Chicago institution too.  Standard toppings are grilled onions and yellow mustard, which is less of a "dragged through the garden" treatment than the Chicago hot dog.  However, many original Maxwell Street Polish sausage stands are in iffy neighborhoods.  (The actual Maxwell Street was rough for a number of decades, but gentrified significantly in the last 10 years.) 

 

Your best bet for a Maxwell Street Polish sausage in Chicago would be Portillo's.  They know how to make it well.  It's a shame this food isn't widely known outside of Chicago, not even in cities popular with Chicago transplants, like Phoenix.

Give me the Original Nathan's in Coney Island anytime. Not the Franchise version but the Street Stand in lower Brooklyn. There is something about the Sea Air and maybe the added essence from Surf Avenue in front of it everyone kids about that makes the favor Superior.

[Seamus6]

11 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Give me the Original Nathan's in Coney Island anytime. Not the Franchise version but the Street Stand in lower Brooklyn. There is something about the Sea Air and maybe the added essence from Surf Avenue in front of it everyone kids about that makes the favor Superior.

 

I usually agree with your tastes on many things but I wasn't crazy over the skinny coney island Nathan's dog I got.  I was surprised at how skinny they were and I think as a result, it seemed less meaty or filling than a standard grocery store Dog (Nathan's or other brand) or Polish Dog.  Of course, at home I always pan fry my dogs for better flavor development.  Boiling or steaming dogs, or any kind of meat, is generally a recipe to LOSE flavor.  I have always marveled at people who talk about getting steamed dogs at the ball park.  I think it is just the experience of being at a live game and going through the traditions of eating a dog fixed a certain way with friend and family out in the fresh air.  A great experience to be sure but bore of a romantic notion than actual flavorful food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, seamus69 said:

 

  I was surprised at how skinny they were and I think as a result, it seemed less meaty or filling than a standard grocery store Dog (Nathan's or other brand) or Polish Dog.  Of course, at home I always pan fry my dogs for better flavor development.  

Well that is why Cruise Critic is here to mix opinions.

 

Unfortunately the Franks on Surf Avenue is not the same as those in the market or QVC. I do not like Ballpark Franks in the market. I would rather have a Pig In the Blanket than a Ballpark which is too fat. And Ball field franks are for those watching a game and pushing something in their mouth. NO GOOD!

 

I have to remind you that those on Surf Avenue are different than store brought. Also that are done on a grill like a pan fry on the surface. Also done that way in the Franchises.

 

I actually oven bake my franks of either Nathan's, Sabrett or Boar Head Skinless come out crispy and even get a concentrated favor. 

[Seamus6]

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

I actually oven bake my franks of either Nathan's, Sabrett or Boar Head Skinless come out crispy and even get a concentrated favor. 

now THAT sounds good.  I think I remember you posting about baking dogs earlier.  I forgot to try it out!