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Franks and beans quest11/30/2022 Formulas for sauces and toppings are as closely guarded as any other family secret. "You won't find this kind of hot dog anywhere else," was a statement we heard repeatedly as one was handed over the counter. One of the last existing dog carts in New England, built in 1940 by the Worcester Diner Co., is Gilley's on Fleet Street in Portsmouth, N.H.Īs hot dogs proliferated, vendors vied to stand out from the pack, taking pride in their brands, condiments, and special recipes. Later, they just parked in choice locations near shops and factories. Vendors sold the first dogs in "dog carts" hauled by horses, then by tractors, and finally by trucks. Originally called "red hots," wienies, or frankfurters, hot dogs were reputedly given their present name by a sports cartoonist in 1901. German immigrants brought the hot dog to the United States, probably in the 1860s, and by 1867, Charles Feltman, a German butcher, had rolled out one of the first hot dog stands, on Coney Island, N.Y. (All this is courtesy of Linda Stradley's .) Then we have the Germans of Frankfurt claiming they invented the true frankfurter in 1852. Austrians counter that the wiener was born in Vienna (a.k.a. Popular legend credits a German butcher for creating the first "dachsund" (little dog) sausage in 1690. A few tidbits of fact and legend: The first reference to sausage, the granddaddy of the hot dog, appeared in "The Odyssey," written by Homer about 800 BC. In short, sometimes a hot dog is not just a hot dog, it's a bit of Americana, a bite of nostalgia that binds us to a happier past, if only in the imagination.Īll this ruminating, not to mention the mind-boggling variety of hot dog types and presentations, prompted us to Google up some hot dog history. This passion told us how emotionally charged a good frankfurter can be, sizzling itself into memory and conjuring associations with good times. Bob and Helen Baker, who own Bakers Country Store in Conway, Mass., and serve a mean dog themselves, urged us to visit Flo's in Cape Neddick, Maine. Ormonde Brown of Wilmington, for instance, says he stops at Hot Dog Annie's in Worcester whenever he can. Many folks who don't often eat hot dogs volunteered to accompany us to their favorite wienerie, where they munched like true veterans.Īlso interesting is how far fans are willing to travel for their favorite wieners. The depth of passionate opinion on this subject took us by surprise. So we started asking around for people's favorite hot dog stands, and before we knew it, we had launched a full-fledged quest, juggling maps on the dashboard as we zigzagged through four states. #FRANKS AND BEANS QUEST HOW TO#We began to wonder where the best of these places were, and how to find them. Like other 20th-century children raised on summer cookouts and Saturday-night franks and beans, we still succumb to the allure of a good dog in irresistible circumstances: a Sox game at Fenway, a roadside trailer in a country town, a cart at the beach. The ditty may have faded away, but the hot dog still holds its place in our hearts - and arteries - despite what we have learned about the dangers of fat, mad cows, and nitrates. Two or three generations ago, fathers chanted this ditty as they turned hot dogs on the backyard grill. Pickle in the middle, mustard on the top.That's the way we like 'em, and they're all red hot!
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