Summertime is a time to get on outside and have some fun! Portland, Maine offers that unique experience of a rustic, outdoorsy atmosphere combined with the amenities of a city. This charming port city was the first stop for Mrs. HDM and I on our “Hot Doggin’ in Maine” mini tour.
We strolled around for a while, soaking up the sun and the sights. When hunger hit, we spied this little hot dog cart at the corner of Dana and Commercial Street and its bubbly owner, Jess Cady. The name of the joint: WIENERS. Jess was very friendly and chatted about the hot dog business, local mobile food regulations, and the origins of the Maine Red Snapper.
We brought along some Onion Crunch and Slawsa for Jess to try and share with her customers.
Red Snappers are the frank of choice by many Mainers. I always make it a point to have a few when we head to Vacationland. The reason the franks are red is they are injected with red dye #2. Jess guessed that they’re popular with Maine folks because they’re the same color as lobsters. It seemed like a reasonable explanation, but their had to be more to it, so I vowed to myself that I’d learn the answer before our journey was over.
Mrs. HDM and Jess hit it off- I guess blonds DO have more fun! My lovely wife was very happy about the cheese choices at WIENERS: American cheese slices or shredded cheddar cheese. No processed goop here!
After chatting with Jess and some of her patrons, she made Mrs. HDM a Red Snapper chili dog. Jess makes her own chili and I tried a taste- it was DELISH.
I opted for a Red Snapper with Slawsa, mustard and Onion Crunch.
Mrs. HDM and I CHOWED DOWN!
It’s not the best picture, but you can see the interior of the Red Snapper looks like a regular hot dog.
We bid Jess farewell and headed back to the car to drive to Wintah Hahbah for our next stop while Hot Doggin’ in Maine!
Check out the rest of the story on the video:
That’s my daughter Jess Cady
Loved it
Thanks!