Now how I have missed this place? In the parking lot of Whole Foods on SE Burnside, Franks A Lot has been dishing up specialty dogs for years – long before the whole Portland food cart craze. We were in the neighborhood, biding our time waiting on Portland’s extraordinary garden consultant, Sara Pool, to plan… Continue reading Portland, OR – Franks A Lot
Category: Hot Dogs
New Orleans, LA – Dat Dog
(by Kat Stromquist, New Orleans-based correspondent) As a Chicago ex-pat, I had long looked forward to sampling the wares of Dat Dog, an upscale hot dog stand in the revamped Freret Street corridor of New Orleans. I’m serious about the “stand” part: just six or seven tables are crammed in and around the storefront, and… Continue reading New Orleans, LA – Dat Dog
Thumann’s Natural Casing Beef Hot Dogs
I had my cap set on some natural casing hot dogs the other day; after all, I had just received a new shipment of Skyline Chili in the post, and I needed something to slather it on! Natural casing hot dogs are my favorite, but not America’s – less than 5% of the hot dogs… Continue reading Thumann’s Natural Casing Beef Hot Dogs
Regional Brands, Hoffy, Part 3 – Bacon Dogs
Once upon a time, in the not too distance past, someone, somewhere, decided the city of Los Angeles needed to give its blessing to “an official hot dog for L.A.” Time passed, the public was lobbied, people voted, and the powers that be proclaimed “the official hot dog of Los Angeles is a bacon-wrapped hot… Continue reading Regional Brands, Hoffy, Part 3 – Bacon Dogs
How to Cook a Hot Dog (Sidebar)
There are as many ways to cook a hot dog as there are recipes and formulations to manufacture them. Most hot dogs come to grocers pre-cooked, and virtually every “skinless” hot dog falls into this category. All-natural, uncured, and other varieties have not been cooked or smoked at the factory, and thus require heating at… Continue reading How to Cook a Hot Dog (Sidebar)
Regional Brands – Hoffy, Part 2 – Hollywood Original Dogs
This week we begin a spotlight series on regional brands. Hoffy is a brand name known to Los Angelenos for over 75 years. Chances are, if you’ve eaten a natural casing hot dog at a restaurant in L.A., it came from Hoffy. The world-famous Pink’s uses a specially formulated dog from Hoffy, for example, and… Continue reading Regional Brands – Hoffy, Part 2 – Hollywood Original Dogs
Regional Brands, Hoffy, Part 1
The Hoffman Brothers Packing Company was founded in Southern California in the 1930s by three siblings and thrived for decades. Hoffman produced sausages and other processed meats from their factory in Vernon, CA, and were well-regarded suppliers to grocers and restaurants around SoCal. By the late 1970s, the industry had changed significantly, and larger concerns were dominating… Continue reading Regional Brands, Hoffy, Part 1
Fairview, OR – Stagecoach Saloon
Yippee kay yay, pardner! Belly up to the bar, straddle the saddle, and be welcomed to one of the friendliest “dive bars” in the Portland area, with food all day long, and nightly specials. What constitutes a “dive bar?” Well, according to the all knowing, all seeing, magic 8 ball Wikipedia, these days, it’s really… Continue reading Fairview, OR – Stagecoach Saloon
Attention Food Company Executives – “Clean up in Aisle Everywhere”
Food companies: Americans need your help right now. We’ll make it up to you later, we promise. Seems like every time I go into a grocery store, which is 3-4x weekly, everything is up another dollar. Seriously? Yes, we know your costs are up, but aren’t you taking advantage just a wee little bit? I… Continue reading Attention Food Company Executives – “Clean up in Aisle Everywhere”
Hillsboro, OR – Rachel’s Classic Burgers
As we used to say in the news business, it’s time to rewrite the lead. Or maybe I buried the lead in this story. In any case, after a long talk this afternoon with Mrs. Burgerdogboy, she pointed out some things to me I should have written about. And of course, she’s right. She’s always… Continue reading Hillsboro, OR – Rachel’s Classic Burgers