Hot Dogs!

[Dapper Dan]

As this was getting off topic from the "Where are you from" thread, I decided to move these posts to their own. How do you like hot dogs? How do they traditionally make them where you are? Do they even have them where you are? Feel free to join in!

Hey MikeTbob,

I had a guy in my restaurant today from Fort Worth! He says you can't get good hot dogs like ours anywhere in Texas!

[MikeTbob]

Heya Dan,
That's probably true, I don't think anyone appreciates a good hot dog here in Texas unless you just want a splash of mustard and a clump of relish on it.

[questio verum]

Heya Dan,
That's probably true, I don't think anyone appreciates a good hot dog here in Texas unless you just want a splash of mustard and a clump of relish on it.

What's wrong with that?

Actually, you can hold the relish. A dab of 'sturd will do just fine by itself, thank you.

I haven't tasted the dawgs at Dan's (At least I dont think so), but I can say theres some fairly good hot dogs in Texas if you know where to look. With all the German and Czech immigrants who settled in central Texas, how could there not be? Go to one of the family owned butcher shops near San Antonio or the hill country. New Braunfels for instance. Great dogs. Perhaps not as good as some you might find on the east coast, but definitely nothing to be ashamed of.


qv

[MikeTbob]

What's wrong with that?

Actually, you can hold the relish. A dab of 'sturd will do just fine by itself, thank you.

I haven't tasted the dawgs at Dan's (At least I dont think so), but I can say theres some fairly good hot dogs in Texas if you know where to look. With all the German and Czech immigrants who settled in central Texas, how could there not be? Go to one of the family owned butcher shops near San Antonio or the hill country. New Braunfels for instance. Great dogs. Perhaps not as good as some you might find on the east coast, but definitely nothing to be ashamed of.


qv

You're absolutely correct too, for some reason I had forgot about the German and Czech folks of Central Texas, and we was just in the hill Country 3 weeks ago on Vacation but we never did venture into the cities. Familiar with the Texas area are we qv?

[Dapper Dan]

Here in Upsate South Carolina, when you order a hotdog, it is understood that it will be made with mustard, chili and onions. You have to say what you DON'T want. So, "two without" means two no onions, but with mustard and chili. If you say, "give me two chili dogs," you'll get two buns with chili and NO wienier!

For some reason, upstate South Carolina, and my area in particular, has been known as a haven for some of the best hot dogs anywhere. My establishment has been in business for 76 years and is considered one of the finest. The reason we've been in business that long is because of our hot dogs which, (apart from a few lesser items) is the only thing on our menu!

We get a lot of folks from different areas that come here and order hot dogs with no chili. This is considered a mortal insult to the restaurant around these parts! We tell them "ordering hot dogs here without chili is like traveling to Venice, Italy and staying in a Motel 6...

[questio verum]

You're absolutely correct too, for some reason I had forgot about the German and Czech folks of Central Texas, and we was just in the hill Country 3 weeks ago on Vacation but we never did venture into the cities. Familiar with the Texas area are we qv?

Yeah, they're there. On your next trip to the hill country, you really should stop off in Boerne, Fredericksburg, or Kerrville. Or all three. They really are three of the most beautiful places in Texas. And if you ride a motorcycle, well.. it's a sweet little hunk 'a heaven for bikers. That area is where the bike magazines go to repeatedly, to shoot their test rides.

I'm an expatriot, living on the coast of Georgia. The scenery here is nice, and the folks are some of the finest you'll ever meet, but it's just not home. I miss the simple things. Like bluebonnets in the spring, and the smell of smoked brisket on the grill, twin fiddles cutting through the night at an open air dance hall, or the sight of a sunrise over South Padre. Why, I'd give a weeks pay for the chance to walk my old neighborhood, just to see what's changed.

Yeah, it gets pretty bad sometimes. But for the common good, I'm staying away until my ex dies or moves away. Someday.

[questio verum]

Here in Upsate South Carolina, when you order a hotdog, it is understood that it will be made with mustard, chili and onions. You have to say what you DON'T want. So, "two without" means two no onions, but with mustard and chili. If you say, "give me two chili dogs," you'll get two buns with chili and NO wienier!

One of the coolest aspects of travel is experiencing the way 'other people' do things, and seeing what they value and excel at. I was really close-minded about BBQ when I left Texas. To me, BBQ meant smoked brisket or sausage served on butcher paper with a slab of bread, and maybe a pickle spear or two. Finally, seven years later, I'm learning to appreciate the other branches of the BBQ tree. I've developed a fondness for Carolina style, and I'm working on Memphis. Someday I'll get to KC. Regional hot dog recipes are similar in their distinctions. NYC has it's red hot's, Detroit has it's coney's, Texas has the corn dog, S. Carolina has its chili dog and a hundred other permutations exist in other parts of the country. Pretty cool, really. Oh, and don't let me forget the slaw dawg. Don't know who invented it, but whew! They were sparkin' on all eight.

[oz]

How do you like hot dogs? How do they traditionally make them where you are? Do they even have them where you are? Feel free to join in!

Yummy! I love them with mustard, relish, and onions (and sometimes maybe a little chili), but they tear up my stomach so I rarely have them.

[jayd512]

I'll take two with chili, cheese, jalapeños and onions!

[Dapper Dan]

I've developed a fondness for Carolina style, and I'm working on Memphis. Someday I'll get to KC.

Hi qv! The neat thing about South Carolina Barbecue is that you can get it with three varieties of sauce! Tomato based, mustard based or vinegar based depending on where in the state you are. I understand that in Texas (I've never been there) "barbecue" pretty much means beef. Here, it almost always means pork.

Don't know who invented it, but whew! They were sparkin' on all eight.

Tell you something interesting, and this happens quite often. Someone will come in my restaurant and ask if we have slaw for our hot dogs. I always respond with... "What part of North Carolina are you from?" ...to which they almost always reply... "How did you know I was from North Carolina??!" Even though "slaw dogs" originated in North Carolina (I think), this variation has crept into the upstate of South Carolina. Since we've been in the hot dog business longer than anyone else around here, we maintain tradition. We don't have slaw, saurkraut, relish, mayonnaise or even ketchup! Just mustard, chili and onions. As they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"