Hotdogman

The Dog House of Framingham

I have been to The Dog House before, it was one of my stops on last year’s National Hot Dog Month Tour. Owner Ross Scanlon used to be set up in Medfield, but even last summer, he was looking for a better spot.

While driving out to Snappy Dogs last week, I spied a familiar looking trailer. I made a note to swing by and check it out on the way home. Sure enough, when I pulled into the parking lot of Republic Plumbing Supply on route 135 in Framingham, I confirmed my suspicions. Ross had found his new location!

Many people in the hot dog business have to find a good location. It doesn’t always work out the first time around, but changing locations can be difficult. Here in New England, where many vendors shut down for the winter, there is a lot of time to scout out a new spot. That’s just what Ross did this past off-season and, even though it was his first day at the new spot, he was happy with the location.

It’s a great spot. There is plenty of parking, a fair amount of foot traffic, tons of vehicle traffic, and the spot is right across from a busy commuter rail stop in Framingham Center. It has all the criteria for a good location for a hot dog business. While it may be too early to judge, I am willing to bet Ross and The Dog House will be very successful in this spot.

I didn’t eat because I had just chowed down at Snappy Dogs, but I promised Ross I’d be back to sample some of his yummy Old Neighborhood Franks. The Dog House serves up piping hot franks with a great snap. He has lots of home made toppings too.

Check out the quickie video I shot.

Filed Under: Framingham, Hotdogman, Massachusetts, The Dog House

Bobby’s Beach Bistro in Venice, FLA

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Bobby’s Beach Bistro was the last place we had hot dogs on our recent Florida vacation. The fully functioning commercial kitchen in a trailer is steps from the beach at the Venice Fishing Pier and is owned by Sharky’s, a popular beach-side bar and restaurant. Proprietor Bobby Fiorini is a snowbird who summers on Cape Cod. He works with Sharky’s at his beach front trailer to help ease the wait at the popular eatery and to provide simple fare for hungry beach-goers and pier fishermen.

Bobby was quite a character and wasn’t intimidated by the camera at all. He actually appeared in the movie The Perfect Storm with George Clooney. Bobby was an extra and filmed on the set for about three weeks.

While his film credits were impressive, we were more impressed by the quarter pound, Nathan’s Franks grilled up fresh to order. Condiments are your basics: kraut, onions, relish, mustard, and that red stuff- put out strictly for the kids. Bobby doesn’t put ketchup on HIS hot dogs. In addition to hot dogs, Bobby’s offers burgers, sausages, chicken sandwiches, lobster rolls, chowder, and a host of fried goodies.

We chatted Bobby up for a bit and ordered up three dogs, one for me, one for Mrs. HDM (looking very good in her bikini), and one for Little Miss. Little Miss went back for seconds; she can really put the food away. Our pediatrician says she has a high metabolism, so we need to keep feeding her in order for her to put on some weight. Little Miss doesn’t mind that one bit.

Mrs. HDM and I dressed our dogs all around- that’s mustard, relish, and onion. Little Miss dressed hers half mustard, half plain. We did a group chow down.

Having hot dogs in Paradise is a wonderful thing. Check out the video:

Filed Under: 2012, Bobby's Beach Bistro, Florida, Hotdogman, Little Miss, Mrs. Hotdogman, Nathan's Franks, trailer, Venice

Mad Dogs Hot Dogs in Venice, FLA 2012

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I made my first visit to Mad Dogs Hot Dogs in Venice, FLA last year with Mrs. HDM and Little Miss. Mitch and Maria have been “grooming the Mad Dog” and they are just about ready to open their second location.

They are currently set up out on the Tamiami Trail in an old coffee kiosk they remodeled. It’s very reminiscent of a hot dog truck due to its small size. The new location wasn’t open yet, but it’s right on 41, across from the Venice Avenue bridge, smack in the middle of downtown Venice. The new joint wasn’t open yet- they are waiting on some paperwork from the state to go through before they can cut the ribbon. Mitch gave me the keys and I took a peek around. Looks like it will be a funky little place- with a bit more room to sit and socialize.

Mad Dogs has a unique concept. They emulate regional hot dogs from around the country. You can get a Chicago Dog, a Jersey Ripper, a Pink’s style chili dog, and the list goes on. They use the authentic, regionally produced franks for each of their creations, to make it more authentic. The couple came up with the concept because so many people in Florida are from somewhere else. Mad Dogs brings those folks a taste of home.

They have only been in business for two years, so they are having success in the hot dog business. Maybe some day, they’ll be a chain and I can say “I knew them when.” I shot some video of my visit and Maria told me about their newest creation- the European Dog. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say it has a special bun.

Pretty soon, if you want a hot dog in Venice that tastes like home, you’ll have two Mad Dogs to choose from!

Filed Under: 2012, Chicago Dog, Florida, Hotdogman, Mad Dogs Hot Dogs, onion crunch, stand, Vienna Beef

Dream Maker Hot Dog Carts

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A hot dog cart is a good point of entry for many people who want to get into the hot dog business. There are lots of good choices when purchasing a new hot dog cart, you can also find a lot of good used carts or even Build Your Own Hot Dog Cart.

It just so happens I was vacationing in Florida, not too far from Dream Maker Hot Dog Carts in St. Petersburg, so I decided to drop by and check the place out. Reed Coffman, all around manager, salesman, shipping coordinator and (on this day) tour guide showed me the entire operation.

Dream Maker is a one stop shop for Florida hot dog men and women. They will sell you a cart, get all your state permits for you, and act as a commissary too. All their carts are built right in St. Pete, so they’re keeping everything Made in the USA!

Dream Maker ships their hot dog carts all over the world. On the day I visited, they were shipping a cart to North Carolina and a custom trailer to Massachusetts. They were also building a bunch of carts to ship to Jamaica. They’ll custom build carts with pretty much any feature you’d need, they can even make an indoor, electric model.

I saw the whole operation from the office, to the warehouse to the manufacturing facility. Reed even steered me to a local vendor so I could see one of their hot dog carts in action. It was a fun and educational morning, I was sorry to miss the “big boss,” Joel, who was out of town, but everyone else was very nice and accommodating. I even managed to have a little fun with Reed and some of the other employees.

I shot a video while I was there. Check it out.

Filed Under: cart, Dream Maker Hot Dog Carts, Florida, Hotdogman, St. Petersburg

Trina’s Starlite Lounge

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Most of the time, my wife, the lovely and talented Mrs. Hotdogman is content to leave me to my hot dog eating silliness. Every once in a while, she busts out and has some fun with it. In her 2012 Hot Dog Stories debut, she gives her usual opinions on processed cheese while munching on chili dogs.

We recently combined a date night in the city at Trina’s Starlite lounge with a hot dog story. Trina’s serves up a specialty dog of the day, and I was itching to try it out. Like most bars, Trina’s was dark. This video is largely shot in night vision stealth mode, so excuse the quality of the video.

See my write up on The Hot Dog Truck

Filed Under: bar, Cambridge, cheese, Hotdogman, Massachusetts, Mrs. Hotdogman, Somerville, Trina's Starlite Lounge

Fei Fan Eatery

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Going to Chinatown for Japanese hot dogs! Boston’s newest Hot Dog Joint is Fei Fan Eatery. Located at 42 Beach Street in Boston’s Chinatown, Fei Fan is a flavor filled treat. Leave all your preconceived notions about hot dogs behind, because these puppies are unlike anything you have ever had.

There are hot dogs with pork sausage and kimchee, teriyaki and seaweed and all sorts of other goodies. If you want a far east twist on an American classic, check out Fei Fan- you will not be sorry!

Filed Under: Benpark, Boston, Chinatown, Fei Fan Eatery, Hotdogman, Kayem, Massachusetts, stand, Windy City Eats