‘Hot Dogs’

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Letting it Rip at Fab Hot Dogs

April 19th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Fablurry

Over in New Jersey, they like to deep fry their hot dogs. When I found out about this I first thanked the heavens that the state has contributed something to the world besides Jersey Shore. Then I bided my time until I could make the journey out to Reseda to try one of these deep fried “rippers.” You see, Reseda is home to Fab Hot Dogs, where they ship their rippers straight from New Jersey. These rippers are specially made for deep frying and no normal dog will suffice. Of course, Fab Hot Dogs serves tube steaks from other regions of the country (conspicuously missing Detroit Coney Dogs), but on my first time I needed a ripper. Continue Reading»

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Kid Stuff at Hostaria del Piccolo

April 3rd, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

You take a hot dog, put it on a pizza...

Being a kid was pretty cool. No responsibilities. No money. No rent/mortgage/car payment. And you got kids menus. You know that awesome set of options that were simply meant as a cheaper alternative to the regular menu, but turned out to have the best stuff on it anyway. Things like grilled cheese, chicken fingers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were mainstays always a hit. Yet growing up can be tough, and not just because of those silly responsibilities, but also because you can’t quite get away with order PB and J at age 27. Fortunately, all is not lost. Burgers have taken a gourmet turn. Hot dogs are still popular for people of all ages. And then there is a little restaurant in Santa Monica called Hostaria del Piccolo. Continue Reading»

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Pickled by The Greasy Wiener

April 2nd, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Hot dogs lurk in this Brisk truck.

On the way to basketball one night, I stumbled upon what appeared to be a food truck festival in a high school parking lot. I am nothing if not a man who takes advantage of such opportunities, so I pulled up and saw what they had to offer. A few of the trucks I had seen and eaten before, but some were new to me. One of these, freakishly painted as a Brisk iced tea ad, had just what I was looking for. Called The Greasy Wiener, this trucked dished out…well…hot dogs, with a side of sexual innuendo. Continue Reading»

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Not Addicted to Chili Addiction

March 12th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

I'd like some chips with my salt.

My quest for challengers to the Chili John’s and Coney Dog empire of LA chili led me to Chili Addiction in West Hollywood. Their menu of insane chili concoctions really pulled me in the first time I saw their menu online and I really thought I had found myself a contender. I convinced my buddy to give it a try with me, both for company and so we could get multiple things to test out. Continue Reading»

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Overloading on Larry’s Chili Dog

January 30th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Classic dog-in-bun.

Up in Burbank is a classic-looking hot dog shack called Larry’s Chili Dog.  They have an awesome neon sign that looks like it was built in the 1970s at the earliest, but likely goes back even further.  The true age of the joint is bit difficult to ascertain, for while another, smaller sign says “SERVING BURBANK FOR OVER ’50 YEARS,’” I’m not really sure what 50 years amounts to when you put them in quotes. Whatever the case, this place was definitely old and old school. Continue Reading»

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Whining About The Wien

October 31st, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Wien me a river.

Hot dogs: the edible version of man’s best friend.  Genius in conception and pretty easy to do well.  But to do a hot dog great takes some skill and some food trucks have taken this easily portable meal to the streets to some success.  Up in North Hollywood, The Wien brought its truck over to my office one day and I thought I should give it a try and see if it could compete. Continue Reading»

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Grand Slamming at Papaya King

September 29th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Welcome to New York...err..LA!

Right around the time that Coney Dog was hitting LA straight out of Detroit, Papaya King was also making its way to the West Coast by way of some other city called New York.  Never heard of it.  Billboards glowed with the words “Papaya King,” yet this native Detroiter largely ignored the hot dogs of New York in favor of those from his native land.  But when a Blackboard Eats discount for 30% off came around, Papaya King could no longer be ignored.  I gathered a couple hot dog-loving friends and hit the road for Hollywood.

The first thing that should be made clear about Papaya King is that there are absolutely no papayas in the hot dogs.  Yes, this is a little disappointing, but there is still very good reason for the name of the place.  It is actually named for the papaya juice served there, which predated the hot dogs at the original New York location.  That papaya juice is still important, but not nearly as much as the hot dogs. Continue Reading»

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Classic Hollywood at Papoo’s Hot Dog Show

August 30th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Look, mom, I made a picture look cool without instagram!

In secret corners of Los Angeles, there are places that just scream, “Old Hollywood.” You know, the Hollywood before organic Whole Foods soy milk took over, when hot dogs were chock-full of nitrates and the only conceivable burger was of the “ham” variety. Vestiges of this near-forgotten time still exist, as proven by Irv’s Burgers, which I visited a few months ago. But Irv’s is not alone, as I recently discovered a similarly classic-looking place called Papoo’s Hot Dog Show in Toluca Lake.
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A True Detroit Experience at Coney Dog

June 20th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

At home on the Sunset Strip.

We Detroiters (or metro-Detroiters in my case) are adamantly defensive and passionate about our Detroit roots.  Ask one of the thousands of Detroit expats what they miss most about their homeland and they will give you answers ranging from the lakes to the sports to awesome summers.  But there is one thing just about all of us can agree upon: we miss coney.  In LA, we are about as far from Detroit as possible in the lower 48 and absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.  Just about every conversation I’ve had with a former Detroiter in the 3-plus years I’ve lived in LA has led to a “wouldn’t it be awesome if we opened a coney restaurant out here?” moment.  Yet, while all these conversations were taking place, a few people were making it happen. Continue Reading»

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Beefing Up at Soul Dog

June 17th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

And who is Otis Jackson?

A few months ago, a sign appeared in North Hollywood for a soon-to-open restaurant called Otis Jackson’s Soul Dog.  The sign claimed “premium hot dogs & soul fixins” and while I wondered who the hell Otis Jackson was, I figured that this place wasn’t just serving the hot dog meat, but also the souls of the animals in the hot dogs.  But, with Vicious Dogs just a 3 minute walk down the street, this was going to have to be a damn good hot dog to compete. Continue Reading»

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Going Global at Plan Check

Fries of the world.

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Although I arrived alone, I was not the only lone eater. Just next to where I was seated, I met e*star LA and we decided to share a meal called loneliness, because it’s better than eating alone. We made quick friends over our respective blogs and Midwestern roots, then got to work at dissecting the special menu, which Plan Check will be featuring for the next month if anything tickles your fancy.

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