tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31347814775868999952024-02-07T04:51:25.285-05:00Carolina Hot DogCarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-71634918912762472812022-12-20T13:34:00.001-05:002022-12-20T13:34:22.143-05:00Ma's Hot Dog House<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDGKqvudL3TGIOuRtujFiBUpcZLVEu4oF2U_3vOsScqSmDpExsQNaBEZ3Wp2-sXFKUKEE8mpWZrHoALYQnRNBBIkY7vtsYWspV-GRvzTGR12QLO81CwqCwWBAZeAVVHF5ZW54UpQeIR9yWP8RLvfVHKH77f5cgNvQA7QqjuUTa4iqnkiOL3h354i-Cw/s4032/IMG_9847.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDGKqvudL3TGIOuRtujFiBUpcZLVEu4oF2U_3vOsScqSmDpExsQNaBEZ3Wp2-sXFKUKEE8mpWZrHoALYQnRNBBIkY7vtsYWspV-GRvzTGR12QLO81CwqCwWBAZeAVVHF5ZW54UpQeIR9yWP8RLvfVHKH77f5cgNvQA7QqjuUTa4iqnkiOL3h354i-Cw/w640-h480/IMG_9847.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div> Hankering for new Carolina hot dog experience and headed to Emerald Isle, I decided to see what might be along the way. Kinston seemed to be a good place for lunch, and Ma's Hot Dog House caught my attention.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjBo1Mr7L9KdfWRIX3y-7RYSeeagunO0lLGUJ4hapDpNIaK74Mf-gFdxfTR0-c6jSjB6kGKl33Czy_VxNDpSYJb4QKGN9u4HVlavyHFOkj8S6O3aUXX0qUbomIqO-oH-4W5hYB1GUdtM0lA2M2vLPwDsantnsd7WTO23wnjxDCRH5hbiooUvzB0PHuQ/s4032/IMG_9848.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjBo1Mr7L9KdfWRIX3y-7RYSeeagunO0lLGUJ4hapDpNIaK74Mf-gFdxfTR0-c6jSjB6kGKl33Czy_VxNDpSYJb4QKGN9u4HVlavyHFOkj8S6O3aUXX0qUbomIqO-oH-4W5hYB1GUdtM0lA2M2vLPwDsantnsd7WTO23wnjxDCRH5hbiooUvzB0PHuQ/w640-h480/IMG_9848.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>The eatery is an old store, the kind where you might picture older men playing checkers and smoking cigars. It still has the ambiance of an old country store, including the dirt/gravel parking lot--so you may want to visit before you clean your car's interior.</p><p>While it looks like an old country store, and they do sell soft drinks and other items, the main feature is the grill. Along with hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries, they also serve home-style meals with vegetables you don't often see at most "home-cooking" establishments.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aWYS6TjUh5g4zHccPhd06QIsUdvaXyOuyzB1NmyRreKDtj7AUhLtO0XCCNe9zWGo-mf-6cjunWd77iK25VLdJlRu-8eZ4oMD9V5U30Ioe3nbCryT5fjfUAXGbdfiJ_S-xbk-5ZrUMXiY71awbbzCAwdxNhQeHKNTMZSf72abAW2lAhrTEDgsWLXjkw/s4032/IMG_9841.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aWYS6TjUh5g4zHccPhd06QIsUdvaXyOuyzB1NmyRreKDtj7AUhLtO0XCCNe9zWGo-mf-6cjunWd77iK25VLdJlRu-8eZ4oMD9V5U30Ioe3nbCryT5fjfUAXGbdfiJ_S-xbk-5ZrUMXiY71awbbzCAwdxNhQeHKNTMZSf72abAW2lAhrTEDgsWLXjkw/w480-h640/IMG_9841.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>We placed our order: two hot dogs for me, and a cheese burger for my husband. We also snuck in a taste of their squash and onions and a couple of diet Mountain Dews. No Coke products, despite some remaining hardware mentioning the brand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxQrq-eG5yjlfwk2x0JXF_2bhkGx25vuvPoFOaxKWkHbmHfdGLmN5TF4Sya_uVJCGOSu3eoVfW75dDkBSz_mAbP8zVbZULHlCfsU0kTGdqkhP2gy5r6SxhxoPZ9BG6ybEotikANhxKZZW50BP4K4sxbXv-lzINlWvtS61s-zhVi0VPf4w97gydmQBLg/s3103/IMG_9846.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3103" data-original-width="2436" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxQrq-eG5yjlfwk2x0JXF_2bhkGx25vuvPoFOaxKWkHbmHfdGLmN5TF4Sya_uVJCGOSu3eoVfW75dDkBSz_mAbP8zVbZULHlCfsU0kTGdqkhP2gy5r6SxhxoPZ9BG6ybEotikANhxKZZW50BP4K4sxbXv-lzINlWvtS61s-zhVi0VPf4w97gydmQBLg/w502-h640/IMG_9846.png" width="502" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The dining area feature several tables and chairs and a small lunch counter, but considering the times, we opted to eat outside. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tYEwvuwpz7sJcc_CqD2164yszOV-dn94zSuZd2IVKVUGq4CZ9ME_WLRNx8pl_4zLea5Is_MflRKGas1b6Jm47HpU0w9sts4WKt2-1HuCgPhcOb4YmNZUy5gy7o0bj8RU-TyXNcAdg3vxTKzeAmhncFedOGGrzgkbkW8PDJGPOWZLg3C8_T7D8G7mCQ/s4032/IMG_9849.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tYEwvuwpz7sJcc_CqD2164yszOV-dn94zSuZd2IVKVUGq4CZ9ME_WLRNx8pl_4zLea5Is_MflRKGas1b6Jm47HpU0w9sts4WKt2-1HuCgPhcOb4YmNZUy5gy7o0bj8RU-TyXNcAdg3vxTKzeAmhncFedOGGrzgkbkW8PDJGPOWZLg3C8_T7D8G7mCQ/w640-h480/IMG_9849.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The hot dogs were good, if not astounding. Quite messy. The slaw was rather coarse, wet, and a bit sweeter than I'd prefer. It overwhelmed the chili. A little more kick would have been nice to balance the slaw. Not a bad dog, but not my favorite. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu4oPHNi09Ku9W7yKGVxwnW0_6LIpiy8HxAAER3ExnTY1D7QrIUJfJxVNAFXAtq3zv9Ykr-9X4D9g1g8sKKD81PFCFydO_Soud99S3BSV_dGXC-0LqVWVoOCctTpUglzHxGZd9N8tUZ7nfgSVbdXb06vxG7ZDvEfEyjt7DToBc9oGYIJ4IoWaUcVv4Q/s2016/IMG_9850.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu4oPHNi09Ku9W7yKGVxwnW0_6LIpiy8HxAAER3ExnTY1D7QrIUJfJxVNAFXAtq3zv9Ykr-9X4D9g1g8sKKD81PFCFydO_Soud99S3BSV_dGXC-0LqVWVoOCctTpUglzHxGZd9N8tUZ7nfgSVbdXb06vxG7ZDvEfEyjt7DToBc9oGYIJ4IoWaUcVv4Q/w640-h480/IMG_9850.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The squash, similarly was fine, a bit over seasoned and under cooked for my taste. My husband did love his burger--and it was huge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KrzgBzGEFGfMTGZWho88QkyCfhEZF4RH6AcB7LHcLJNBxY7z5-nImOFGCUwnyMlnTJ2KthxVKavik5F7I1chk6dS2vsocbGUpCen8fbISaqpGYPnqVZ9FGyLuJmrPGdQ4SHeicYjHyGOVm17rXbpieNcIM-5hcFW7c6JdLkhXbISorD4d3tei9aS7A/s1199/squashburger3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1199" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KrzgBzGEFGfMTGZWho88QkyCfhEZF4RH6AcB7LHcLJNBxY7z5-nImOFGCUwnyMlnTJ2KthxVKavik5F7I1chk6dS2vsocbGUpCen8fbISaqpGYPnqVZ9FGyLuJmrPGdQ4SHeicYjHyGOVm17rXbpieNcIM-5hcFW7c6JdLkhXbISorD4d3tei9aS7A/w640-h324/squashburger3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My verdict: three weenies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPFV85qccUlDIyCy50Xgo4Fg6aOjbrlhcGA4r561V5UTp-QrUghtwacOUv5kfGTGAIiiLTfCiR-EUCsgaX3NL9RUzYJ57sq29SFfemXHMcshkW18OxE4b_iuwsP0CjEryAVALskgpqpdpMYiJ9C_E_j3thBp99NptqN_I3EA7rofYYcBrUx0A-j4EXQ/s298/threeinvisible.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPFV85qccUlDIyCy50Xgo4Fg6aOjbrlhcGA4r561V5UTp-QrUghtwacOUv5kfGTGAIiiLTfCiR-EUCsgaX3NL9RUzYJ57sq29SFfemXHMcshkW18OxE4b_iuwsP0CjEryAVALskgpqpdpMYiJ9C_E_j3thBp99NptqN_I3EA7rofYYcBrUx0A-j4EXQ/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com02515 U.S. Hwy 258 South, Kinston, NC 28504, USA35.2235867 -77.6143010999999927.1567666976320972 -112.77055109999999 63.2904067023679 -42.458051099999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-1833860480925495772022-07-20T18:08:00.002-04:002022-07-20T18:08:47.500-04:00Hope Valley Diner<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi9rL8foy7wrmeamiCfHcrY9UNm56hRa0se3nScEEkCQRpxLKyje6iAeyURZ4a8aMORqKJnwDpoc90DthiG9UlOJwMdYdyFXR5lfYhsQ62XZPLlHnG1m4F7FV-cZUB3MQJpqED-1v7gkaN6kS7edrvEBLN4-xmmKLesFlUEulB1j2QZ3XV0gyGWlvUA/s1193/HVD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1193" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi9rL8foy7wrmeamiCfHcrY9UNm56hRa0se3nScEEkCQRpxLKyje6iAeyURZ4a8aMORqKJnwDpoc90DthiG9UlOJwMdYdyFXR5lfYhsQ62XZPLlHnG1m4F7FV-cZUB3MQJpqED-1v7gkaN6kS7edrvEBLN4-xmmKLesFlUEulB1j2QZ3XV0gyGWlvUA/w640-h480/HVD.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>First off, happy National Hot Dog Day. What better way to celebrate the day than to add a new Carolina Hot Dog review?</p><p>Most of the places I review are hot dog stands, burger joints, or other fast food establishments. </p><p>Not this time. Hope Valley Diner is a respectable, full-service restaurant in southwest Durham. Rarely a week goes by that we don't pick up food or dine here on the sidewalk.</p><p>For years, I'd noticed that they had a Carolina hot dog on the menu. Footlong, no less. And their slaw is among the best I've ever had. Really awesome slaw. I've always been curious. So, I figured, "Why not?"</p><p>I ordered it... with sweet potato fries...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbHttE0DNcUqP4fZ26HgTPPOD6tz6dn2cJIxfD5ylSD-6HWSPsjCLp6HXC6Od9gIjBwNFNo4F8tLpwzZHKBupi9aQGRYEUHO7l1ZolXZe1jarT9VHtrMNM1GRu_39gZFbPdWRUF4TsuNa_5w7wVpOme2nrhF7tQAGxvvbRx-Wr4XGj30s88ahvF2Trg/s4032/HVDfootlong.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbHttE0DNcUqP4fZ26HgTPPOD6tz6dn2cJIxfD5ylSD-6HWSPsjCLp6HXC6Od9gIjBwNFNo4F8tLpwzZHKBupi9aQGRYEUHO7l1ZolXZe1jarT9VHtrMNM1GRu_39gZFbPdWRUF4TsuNa_5w7wVpOme2nrhF7tQAGxvvbRx-Wr4XGj30s88ahvF2Trg/w640-h480/HVDfootlong.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It looked so good. I topped it with the slaw, and took a bite. The slaw was perfect, as always. The weiner was a quality all-beef dog. the onions were spot on. Just the right amount of mustard. The chili, though, it really was the weakest element. Well, the chili or the fries. The chili looked delicious, but it really wasn't. It was quite disappointing.</p><p>Hope Valley Diner isn't a hot dog place, so it's not surprising that their hot dog isn't amazing. But with some improvements to the chili, it could be.</p><p>My verdict: 3 weeinies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPFV85qccUlDIyCy50Xgo4Fg6aOjbrlhcGA4r561V5UTp-QrUghtwacOUv5kfGTGAIiiLTfCiR-EUCsgaX3NL9RUzYJ57sq29SFfemXHMcshkW18OxE4b_iuwsP0CjEryAVALskgpqpdpMYiJ9C_E_j3thBp99NptqN_I3EA7rofYYcBrUx0A-j4EXQ/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPFV85qccUlDIyCy50Xgo4Fg6aOjbrlhcGA4r561V5UTp-QrUghtwacOUv5kfGTGAIiiLTfCiR-EUCsgaX3NL9RUzYJ57sq29SFfemXHMcshkW18OxE4b_iuwsP0CjEryAVALskgpqpdpMYiJ9C_E_j3thBp99NptqN_I3EA7rofYYcBrUx0A-j4EXQ/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com03710 Shannon Rd, Durham, NC 27707, USA35.9560572 -78.95622257.645823363821151 -114.1124725 64.266291036178842 -43.799972499999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-67867912155027553462022-05-05T11:54:00.001-04:002022-05-05T11:55:32.371-04:00El's Drive-In<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTAjL8vUCwe57YIQzKEONkF90mma8TqcQPW76jUCs1tvphtB4wIKAar81itSiQwIN9rGGzDhF7dbXb5tRo7FPu6cutKR71BFSqM4rl2O01xtYAjRhVR61FgzNPIMPimiu672V0EWXGQklkL9gTvD72oa2yRaTB0oza88SbjQCmUi4JiF5eLwq583jfQ/s1995/elssign.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1995" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTAjL8vUCwe57YIQzKEONkF90mma8TqcQPW76jUCs1tvphtB4wIKAar81itSiQwIN9rGGzDhF7dbXb5tRo7FPu6cutKR71BFSqM4rl2O01xtYAjRhVR61FgzNPIMPimiu672V0EWXGQklkL9gTvD72oa2yRaTB0oza88SbjQCmUi4JiF5eLwq583jfQ/w640-h360/elssign.png" width="640" /></a></div> On our recent trip to Pine Knoll Shores, we experimented with two hot dog eateries. The second was El's Drive-In. This is not a stand, though not much bigger, but an honest to god drive-in. <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm5PLOsGXfQD0LLg5NJbuDx8YF5pUnmnl1qy0u1hD3OC3PIAnGkgsCcakGXGY3kw2kRyvar6gSybbo28IyZy1WyoAzrvqw2796bovbuY6SltnzxL7NMvIrCk3umGze6tAuwtuDVtq0fT0EvOwT_Pq8HEMNOOwcMUsJp0BDReFIq4QL8N5SHExvc4tEg/s1616/elsfront.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1616" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm5PLOsGXfQD0LLg5NJbuDx8YF5pUnmnl1qy0u1hD3OC3PIAnGkgsCcakGXGY3kw2kRyvar6gSybbo28IyZy1WyoAzrvqw2796bovbuY6SltnzxL7NMvIrCk3umGze6tAuwtuDVtq0fT0EvOwT_Pq8HEMNOOwcMUsJp0BDReFIq4QL8N5SHExvc4tEg/w640-h480/elsfront.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Servers come to you car, take your order, and bring you your food. I'm still about astounded at the number of steps these servers must get in a day. The parking lot is paved with no lines, and these servers make it look effortless to flit from car to car and back to the kitchen.</p><p>We arrived mid morning on a Saturday, and my husband ordered a bacon egg, and cheese, sandwich--with mayo, but I went straight for the dogs. Service was quick, and the food was very good.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2ADQF6u2RbA7zNxauAQgkE6EnVwkFBcTR_BKSFpol2Td58-jTkwqFipzZwoCxAwDW--kmWGAVZ2lBnR6vcpkAfSmSyg2Rr5MXY0sW9HnkxS8QGAmZ3zYOVqpktwsH6Pwa95Z7wO4ixZiI5sCxP75k8ZN_y-kZLg9003ZFTdGvM7SigGbMKuI_pP9SQ/s3701/elsdog.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="3701" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2ADQF6u2RbA7zNxauAQgkE6EnVwkFBcTR_BKSFpol2Td58-jTkwqFipzZwoCxAwDW--kmWGAVZ2lBnR6vcpkAfSmSyg2Rr5MXY0sW9HnkxS8QGAmZ3zYOVqpktwsH6Pwa95Z7wO4ixZiI5sCxP75k8ZN_y-kZLg9003ZFTdGvM7SigGbMKuI_pP9SQ/w640-h360/elsdog.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious Carolina Hot Dog</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My hot dog had a pleasantly smoky flavor. At first, I thought it might be the chili, but as I thought about it over a few more bites, I believe the wiener itself was smoked. What a great idea. The chili was meaty, and the slaw, though a bit too sweet, was clearly homemade--chili and slaw both being crucial to a better Carolina dog.</p><p>The breakfast sandwich was also great. </p><p>El's Drive-in is a definite do again next time we're in the area.</p><p>My verdict: 4 weenies.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PWWKBzvFENHtLDlKlnRyZsVts3UsTwOiv3LGuXtmeWlLdGuLxc20qe-rKvLEQtKEuOSvdXowxZ2PziOg5oKj_xCOwqo-1NxQxxX_8aUYqSvoEMRR6hK9Kare-2Y2CMgq2bi15Qe2Y5uboH8u7mDeUVBwxK0lrzZzoJN4T-GgTw9kJ_bCWKb6bZR_BQ/s401/fourinvisible.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PWWKBzvFENHtLDlKlnRyZsVts3UsTwOiv3LGuXtmeWlLdGuLxc20qe-rKvLEQtKEuOSvdXowxZ2PziOg5oKj_xCOwqo-1NxQxxX_8aUYqSvoEMRR6hK9Kare-2Y2CMgq2bi15Qe2Y5uboH8u7mDeUVBwxK0lrzZzoJN4T-GgTw9kJ_bCWKb6bZR_BQ/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com03706 Arendell St, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA34.7254042 -76.75724856.4151703638211544 -111.9134985 63.035638036178845 -41.6009985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-61396058186160878082022-04-08T15:40:00.004-04:002022-04-11T15:03:55.747-04:00Big Oak Drive-in & Bar-B-Q<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X03diqNz646GN67EyZYyCwusZNlXtbgJL96H19R3kFNSCj7_lf2laXHb9SYIrZM7Qcecl7EJz0eGSWXk5SKo7isnsj7dzrSQtvLnP-y_qRGjZZTwSUSizryqYIzkImqpVlV1zWvwGfUyy0Ns0t4qTx_5eKFfaarKaQ2SVmhuo6jjzs3ObplcrObVrA/s4032/IMG_7770.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X03diqNz646GN67EyZYyCwusZNlXtbgJL96H19R3kFNSCj7_lf2laXHb9SYIrZM7Qcecl7EJz0eGSWXk5SKo7isnsj7dzrSQtvLnP-y_qRGjZZTwSUSizryqYIzkImqpVlV1zWvwGfUyy0Ns0t4qTx_5eKFfaarKaQ2SVmhuo6jjzs3ObplcrObVrA/w640-h480/IMG_7770.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bigoakdrivein.com/" target="_blank">Big Oak Drive-in</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> My husband and I got the chance to break away for the weekend and decided to go to Pine Knoll Shores, a beach we do not normally haunt. The trip offered us the opportunity to try a new hot dog or two.<p></p><p>First up: Big Oak Drive-in & Bar-B-Q.</p><p>After searching for hot dogs near Emerald Isle, I read about this little barbecue and seafood joint. It's really an old fashioned fast food stand. Irresistible, right?</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAyrVDVaSjIf1UBbsTrJLijaz-JFt0vIEdAVM6vyIIhqnE9sxuau7HUWhB6WtH0nhvUDFHw8k8x2vJFk7d2ADgV6Mr8XhLKZCOxwUl3tH_iLMHOMjKyFhRJHK3M6Ral4pQOQOhtw4U5VSmitTmjp9eCWWv69wVdhCH6mBtiTOWWFI9N1MbJTYUK2eDQ/s4032/F244F84B-5D93-4EDA-AA48-52033C97CAD7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAyrVDVaSjIf1UBbsTrJLijaz-JFt0vIEdAVM6vyIIhqnE9sxuau7HUWhB6WtH0nhvUDFHw8k8x2vJFk7d2ADgV6Mr8XhLKZCOxwUl3tH_iLMHOMjKyFhRJHK3M6Ral4pQOQOhtw4U5VSmitTmjp9eCWWv69wVdhCH6mBtiTOWWFI9N1MbJTYUK2eDQ/w640-h480/F244F84B-5D93-4EDA-AA48-52033C97CAD7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Featured in Our State magazine</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Purely for research, ya know, I ordered a couple of dogs all-the-way. </p><p>I love how these days all-the-way means mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. When I was a kid, all-the-way meant mustard, chili, and onions. But I digress.</p><p>So, I got my dog--and an oyster burger. Didn't care much for the oyster burger. In fact, I didn't finish it. I had hoped it would be like an oyster po boy in New Orleans. Not. But this is about the dogs!</p><p>Quite a contrast to the oyster burger, the dogs were delightful: a nice combination of meaty chili, homemade slaw, onions and mustard. The chili had a hint of spice, and the slaw was clearly fresh and homemade. All worked pretty well to make a nice Carolina hot dog.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I2SWkMCsOyxWg5Jt0ij2mld31LcSRpD1HBpHfG3YJuiWzCuoCTmyp8Cmb8AS5kcqFAryyVM8VRq8bSQmuOjkkvDr2iy77v-0AhW6Th-r9SjLb7JtU8I30-5k7BH_0MwXlyvimp9yGbKA9elFK7iWas2Z8sTGBdiYF2_grz_J1mHWB4wUjQylF7RBdQ/s4032/CEE7EE8F-12F7-4D48-BBC1-26FD8B31E0FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I2SWkMCsOyxWg5Jt0ij2mld31LcSRpD1HBpHfG3YJuiWzCuoCTmyp8Cmb8AS5kcqFAryyVM8VRq8bSQmuOjkkvDr2iy77v-0AhW6Th-r9SjLb7JtU8I30-5k7BH_0MwXlyvimp9yGbKA9elFK7iWas2Z8sTGBdiYF2_grz_J1mHWB4wUjQylF7RBdQ/w640-h480/CEE7EE8F-12F7-4D48-BBC1-26FD8B31E0FC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Carolina Hot Dog</td></tr></tbody></table><p>If you go, just know that there's no place to sit, cash only, and they don't post any closing time. If you're in the area, definitely a good place to grab a tasty dog. My hubby said the burger was great! And the fries were, too!<br /></p><p>My verdict: 4 weenies</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PWWKBzvFENHtLDlKlnRyZsVts3UsTwOiv3LGuXtmeWlLdGuLxc20qe-rKvLEQtKEuOSvdXowxZ2PziOg5oKj_xCOwqo-1NxQxxX_8aUYqSvoEMRR6hK9Kare-2Y2CMgq2bi15Qe2Y5uboH8u7mDeUVBwxK0lrzZzoJN4T-GgTw9kJ_bCWKb6bZR_BQ/s401/fourinvisible.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PWWKBzvFENHtLDlKlnRyZsVts3UsTwOiv3LGuXtmeWlLdGuLxc20qe-rKvLEQtKEuOSvdXowxZ2PziOg5oKj_xCOwqo-1NxQxxX_8aUYqSvoEMRR6hK9Kare-2Y2CMgq2bi15Qe2Y5uboH8u7mDeUVBwxK0lrzZzoJN4T-GgTw9kJ_bCWKb6bZR_BQ/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com01167 Salter Path Rd, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512, USA34.6881278 -76.88521196.3778939638211511 -112.0414619 62.998361636178842 -41.7289619tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-26005143132135869622021-10-05T11:28:00.002-04:002022-04-11T15:03:33.569-04:00Yum Yum Better Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzDQFKq4UUaJh0qmkmuwBSkqKpKrZ9vWLDl0oGFVHjme56Jj-dDjxWVbe2xaV2P7gvIYar-HvTkyC7sHuZ232qIHIYwT8zUdlqqg4Kd7HvavLv9P5c-I50CqUYGh7r7sV7SINswg8D0q3/s1709/yumyumfrontcompsmaller.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1709" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzDQFKq4UUaJh0qmkmuwBSkqKpKrZ9vWLDl0oGFVHjme56Jj-dDjxWVbe2xaV2P7gvIYar-HvTkyC7sHuZ232qIHIYwT8zUdlqqg4Kd7HvavLv9P5c-I50CqUYGh7r7sV7SINswg8D0q3/w640-h300/yumyumfrontcompsmaller.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Despite the name, any discussion of hot dogs in North Carolina, and more specifically, Greensboro, Yum Yum's name is sure to come up. </p><p>I'd heard about the establishment for many years. Last Saturday, bored with the pandammit, my husband and I decided to try a couple of NC Scenic Byways around Durham. We took the <a href="https://scenicbyways.info/byway/12820.html" target="_blank">Football Road </a>from Chapel Hill to Greensboro; and for a meandering ride home, the <a href="https://scenicbyways.info/byway/11642.html" target="_blank">Colonial Heritage Byway</a>.</p><p>We got to Greensboro a bit past lunchtime and hungry. Not wanting to rely on a quick drive-through chain, we decided to give Yum Yum a try. We plugged the address in the GPS and were there in minutes.</p><p>Curbside pickup and online ordering would have been better, or an exterior ordering window... But at least outdoor seating was plentiful, and the weather was perfect for dining al fresco. It wasn't too crowded, and folks were generally social-distancing.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJexhvi50AiAJ7TeJcWRo5ahvHSbU0UIKNZ_QoZ0bOEusuCQRUQ0g61L8mIf5mmlvWID75iBhFY2W6sc3Kgn9fAG-3O6c1EljSNx6zzzk_-eMbpaRCwuVErZx9XfgIc8j8J1tL_-S72wpG/s2159/interior+composite.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="2159" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJexhvi50AiAJ7TeJcWRo5ahvHSbU0UIKNZ_QoZ0bOEusuCQRUQ0g61L8mIf5mmlvWID75iBhFY2W6sc3Kgn9fAG-3O6c1EljSNx6zzzk_-eMbpaRCwuVErZx9XfgIc8j8J1tL_-S72wpG/w640-h229/interior+composite.png" title="Yum Yum interior" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum Yum interior</td></tr></tbody></table>Even inside, the staff were all masked, as were all but one of the customers. People seemed to consciously avoid violating one another's space.<p></p><p>We ordered a couple of dogs each and a can of diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt. Dew. Yum Yum serves Pepsi products in cans--and Cheerwine in bottles.</p><p>Service was quick and efficient.</p><p>My husband, not being from around here, still prefers his hot dogs with mustard and relish. Of course, mine were real Carolina Hot Dogs. If you want relish, they give you condiment packets for you to add your own.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvm0q2UCCDqd1XBJVqg2TqduyxRziyFeoTmixRqVs_Qoi9pe31qc6-7QnHt-Um9godkCIEXkz_ucxW27M1TXbBlBXRuPZsxUxmXO5efSJpN7J4U3XK5r7SCvva_laxiQDTk-xlQXHVaDb/s2048/1AFA9697-7067-4906-A3D1-15AF0D1E4A8B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvm0q2UCCDqd1XBJVqg2TqduyxRziyFeoTmixRqVs_Qoi9pe31qc6-7QnHt-Um9godkCIEXkz_ucxW27M1TXbBlBXRuPZsxUxmXO5efSJpN7J4U3XK5r7SCvva_laxiQDTk-xlQXHVaDb/w640-h480/1AFA9697-7067-4906-A3D1-15AF0D1E4A8B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina dog</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Anticipation made me begin to drool a bit as I unrolled my first dog to see the familiar mix of mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. The slaw was tangy and sweet, and the onions a bit sharp. The chili was there, but it seemed overshadowed somewhat by the slaw and onions. Respectable if not remarkable.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJvnBVc_UPBhBacMBK_rmLxQ0vzIpEwZEhkkcgT9sKAviazRCXKks-KEmy8-1hKxz7dzhF46B_5RzMG4aeJnDAvElhHHmleHX5va2j0QJlDfHA0WqkcaQUqUM27ee1neT7-BiWgPa6yF/s2048/38188FF3-8FD3-4E61-A7AF-C5962D83BCC4.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJvnBVc_UPBhBacMBK_rmLxQ0vzIpEwZEhkkcgT9sKAviazRCXKks-KEmy8-1hKxz7dzhF46B_5RzMG4aeJnDAvElhHHmleHX5va2j0QJlDfHA0WqkcaQUqUM27ee1neT7-BiWgPa6yF/w300-h400/38188FF3-8FD3-4E61-A7AF-C5962D83BCC4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>We also decided to try the "better" ice cream. I had coffee and peach, and my husband had chocolate. To be honest, neither of us were impressed. The flavors were muted--mostly just cold and sweet, not that cold and sweet is bad... but <i>better</i> than what?<p></p><p>While not my favorite hot dog, it was fairly satisfying and might just hit the spot when you're craving a Carolina dog. </p><p>My verdict: 3 weenies</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7bJ8QeU6k9LWBK9CcvfBNLvSWlyzLQt34kXd3N35uiy7Z_yDIsfR50hLN93_a6V9n8yc_YZvHMwdgRfZw2hFtf_e8ouVgSu3jUscZkfcefkwFDQHbV93X0Kaeh1TYY3fCmZd3yerHqRc/s298/threeinvisible.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7bJ8QeU6k9LWBK9CcvfBNLvSWlyzLQt34kXd3N35uiy7Z_yDIsfR50hLN93_a6V9n8yc_YZvHMwdgRfZw2hFtf_e8ouVgSu3jUscZkfcefkwFDQHbV93X0Kaeh1TYY3fCmZd3yerHqRc/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com01219 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC 27403, USA36.0654782 -79.81117947.7552443638211557 -114.9674294 64.37571203617884 -44.6549294tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-33236146015533918172021-06-10T17:28:00.001-04:002021-10-05T11:11:10.105-04:00The Dog House<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNyKQDf9txMPPdfICid9xP-Ms1VpvHvgTD8wVBJjO1oxBmqyd0n9z1aTblmEQKvINVH9ycgSrFC2v68xRDnhJoq7hk_BJ7ZhlrGoi4PKIjrV2A3mvPLaWsbRxfYvfX1c6PNYOp-VuBMy-/s2048/IMG_4525DH.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Dog House on Miami Boulevard, Durham, NC" border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2048" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNyKQDf9txMPPdfICid9xP-Ms1VpvHvgTD8wVBJjO1oxBmqyd0n9z1aTblmEQKvINVH9ycgSrFC2v68xRDnhJoq7hk_BJ7ZhlrGoi4PKIjrV2A3mvPLaWsbRxfYvfX1c6PNYOp-VuBMy-/w640-h483/IMG_4525DH.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I’ve been going to the Dog House for years, literally since the first one opened back when I was about 9 years old. I should have featured the Dog House sooner; better late than never.</span></div></span></div><p></p><p>It’s a cute theme. The building looks like Snoopy’s dog house. Trash cans are fire hydrants and mailboxes. And the hot dogs have names like Collie, Puppy, Ol’ Yallow, Boxer, German Shepherd, and my favorite, the Bull Dog. They used to have a Chiahuahua, my second favorite, but I haven’t see those in a while. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jWBMbfvFlTyn4wqJL4nI2A8yL30VNnNmmAuH2AN-2Mw-FzhmbBGk0WHohkFYzalS-nlB9e6C5uWhXhPXPC3gY8TCgEjv-MVDCpS5oV7Dch74_AIz0Ki7fH4Glx2UviFYPF8pOCPs7AMz/s2048/315.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dog House table, shaped like a dog bone with puppy paw prints" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jWBMbfvFlTyn4wqJL4nI2A8yL30VNnNmmAuH2AN-2Mw-FzhmbBGk0WHohkFYzalS-nlB9e6C5uWhXhPXPC3gY8TCgEjv-MVDCpS5oV7Dch74_AIz0Ki7fH4Glx2UviFYPF8pOCPs7AMz/w640-h480/315.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I grew up in Bahama, and on Friday nights, it was a big deal for us to “go to town.” Lots of times, we’d visit family or shop in downtown Durham before Belk, Thalhimer’s, and all the other stores moved from the center of the city to the malls in suburbia.</p><p>On these trips, we’d “eat out,” and that usually meant grabbing a hot dog at King’s Sandwich Shop or the newcomer, the Dog House. I loved the Dog House back then. And I’ve loved it throughout the years.</p><p>When I was a kid, the only location was the Miami Boulevard spot. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGpn4MihBemhyau62Tyl1QzXcfpJYwdOG2uahm2tC-I7EfIJvBHjlXqnql4ozJyNrB5Y7gyr_cUySXyuePAuOEuYH8wmfzQE8ihSZ2RYXDaXjwqWqK1SJOs64Uo6WX3DPe2QP959AiFu8/s2048/IMG_4533DH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dog House sign and trash cans shaped like fire hydrants and mail boxes" border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGpn4MihBemhyau62Tyl1QzXcfpJYwdOG2uahm2tC-I7EfIJvBHjlXqnql4ozJyNrB5Y7gyr_cUySXyuePAuOEuYH8wmfzQE8ihSZ2RYXDaXjwqWqK1SJOs64Uo6WX3DPe2QP959AiFu8/w640-h360/IMG_4533DH.png" width="640" /></a></div>When I was in working in a grocery store on weekends in college, the Guess Road location was my favorite. Back then their employees stuck around, and I remember watching several familiar faces age through the years--always delivering awesome Bull Dogs, my dog of choice.<p></p><p></p><p>For a while, my grocery store transferred me, and I lunched on Miami Boulevard, at the location of my childhood.</p><p>Later, when I worked at a software company in Morrisville, I’d grab a satisfying lunch at the now-departed Dog House on Airtech Drive. After that closed, I’d sometimes make the trek to the one closer to the intersection of NC54 and NC55 on Allendown Drive.</p><p>I even remember when one Dog House sat near where the Durham Farmers’ Market stands now. </p><p>According to their website, now they have locations in Hillsborough and Kinston. There’s even one in North Durham, near where I went to high school.</p><p>The most convenient Dog House for me is the one on Hillsborough Road. I like that it has a drive-thru window. Sadly, it's not my favorite.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAYnCGvB7TaL_IIqZ98u6N98g7NUU9sZxwSIQclHbR6KPFrIlxUiqot_ftg8WUcV1Mx5ybqc2xRlpGB-OB9XU7otCjX7Tu5twNlNKbZ5qdhSvQMIG-dcyddUEtrnbmPr2Ti_2PhR5dr4Q/s2048/316.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Dog House on Hillsborough Road in Durham, NC" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAYnCGvB7TaL_IIqZ98u6N98g7NUU9sZxwSIQclHbR6KPFrIlxUiqot_ftg8WUcV1Mx5ybqc2xRlpGB-OB9XU7otCjX7Tu5twNlNKbZ5qdhSvQMIG-dcyddUEtrnbmPr2Ti_2PhR5dr4Q/w640-h480/316.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillsborough Road, Durham</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>For most of my life, I found their hot dogs to be near the best one could get.</p><p></p><p>As time goes on, things, change. That’s true for the Dog House, as well. </p><p>I noticed that sometime in the last 10-15 years, their dogs changed. Gone were the older ladies who served me great dogs over the years. And along with them, some of the magic also disappeared.</p><p>It’s hard to put my finger on just what changed. </p><p>Until the past decade or so, I never got a wrong order, but I’ve gotten my dogs home upon occasion to find poor hot dogs smothered in a nasty cheese sauce with fake bacon bits—something I’d never order. Other times, I’d pay for a quart of slaw and find I received a pint.</p><p>It’s not just the accuracy, the look and taste seem to have changed, as well. </p><p>I think it’s mainly the care. It all seems to have happened when they stopped wrapping the hot dogs in the white tissue paper and started using an unbleached, thicker paper, but I doubt it was the paper that caused the change. The slaw doesn’t seem as fresh—and I really loved their slaw. </p><p>Maybe it’s just because I’m older and have romanticized my earlier experiences. But I’m not so sure.</p><p>Despite all that, I still find myself hankering for a couple of Bull Dogs. And sometimes, I give in. I gave in a couple of weeks ago—and I decided to go back to where I first experienced the Dog House: Miami Boulevard.</p><p>I ordered two Bulls and a large fry. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQYqtWznD7JvEIsiXIlcvU8qwlaCOxXr1canrdhruT-HRUiBKzFmwqXM-InTmap0WVPoM3sNK4m8Gv8g18tFwz9OrbRAJZnD-haQnbyjZsWF0legmvQayW_o3GoW3YTk80WoW1AGVrZ-k/s2048/IMG_4527DH.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two Bull Dogs: mustard, slaw, chili, onions" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQYqtWznD7JvEIsiXIlcvU8qwlaCOxXr1canrdhruT-HRUiBKzFmwqXM-InTmap0WVPoM3sNK4m8Gv8g18tFwz9OrbRAJZnD-haQnbyjZsWF0legmvQayW_o3GoW3YTk80WoW1AGVrZ-k/w640-h480/IMG_4527DH.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Bull Dogs</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Despite being wrapped in the new, unbleached paper, my dogs were pretty darn good. I wouldn’t say they were as good as my memory, but they were pretty decent. And the fries were delightful. These fries are beautiful crinkle-cut fries. The salt sparkles on them, and they’re best when they slightly burn your fingers. The slaw isn’t quite as delightful as I remember, but it was homemade, and that’s the key to a good Carolina dog.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Y3-nKeEsfUdvozeYTrUiZ3Zvxs1v9Tbv4_skbBD8cxxGct5ljTjE_ULLY6Z-ObZSfLUdW9ghOvOIE0nCfVKtTRB7szTig-5tnDA1xBIdoJyU2l4myUzVYc6jxi9XLXs8oZKasAFb_kA/s2048/IMG_4529DH.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Crinkle-cut fries, piping hot with sparkling salt" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_Y3-nKeEsfUdvozeYTrUiZ3Zvxs1v9Tbv4_skbBD8cxxGct5ljTjE_ULLY6Z-ObZSfLUdW9ghOvOIE0nCfVKtTRB7szTig-5tnDA1xBIdoJyU2l4myUzVYc6jxi9XLXs8oZKasAFb_kA/w480-h640/IMG_4529DH.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crinkle cut fries</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I think the original location is the closest to what I remember as the Dog House I grew up with.</p><p>My verdict: 4 weenies</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0931 N Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703, USA35.9917532 -78.86884517.6815193638211525 -114.0250951 64.301987036178843 -43.7125951tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-69007192235386017822021-04-01T14:45:00.002-04:002021-10-05T11:11:56.851-04:00Durham Filling Station<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTYyv8DMLA7_R0R8CpENOSZLTkpZpbBH2O8FmbDVJ3hALGptCkE4iswBpCMrlmhu7Ju_NQa_2c-nkOlJ2oJhyEXwM70ODn8xtZsuoVlmmuFcrk5Xl3_dN4edspvYfe6vHTTd49mzqrJ4w/s1812/DFSCombo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1812" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTYyv8DMLA7_R0R8CpENOSZLTkpZpbBH2O8FmbDVJ3hALGptCkE4iswBpCMrlmhu7Ju_NQa_2c-nkOlJ2oJhyEXwM70ODn8xtZsuoVlmmuFcrk5Xl3_dN4edspvYfe6vHTTd49mzqrJ4w/w640-h304/DFSCombo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br />What a great find!<p></p><p>I had assumed the old Wimpy's Grill location was still a vacant building. Then I happened across a listing for the Durham Filling Station and realized it opened in that spot a bit over a year ago. With their awesome curbside service, I do wish I had discovered them earlier in The Pandemic.</p><p>Like Wimpy's the Durham Filling Station offers comforting fast foods like burgers and dogs. But unlike, Wimpy's, the menu takes a bit more of a foodie turn. Nearly EVERYthing is homemade, and everything I've had is really good, from hot dogs to burgers to onion rings to biscuits to fatback, not to mention an amazing banana pudding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAOBqpAW4F3f5JawXpaq7_F8aHXwWWuF4KqnDOh_Nwe16WzrC6leZLTbl5nW8gnmY3HgxG4b_WbheSNjHrDH1UcxsTm8nyVnxmsRkvb68oD9c2utfnNLMSPpLYc8pR4o1hWYKHVdw3AbA/s2399/other.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="2399" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAOBqpAW4F3f5JawXpaq7_F8aHXwWWuF4KqnDOh_Nwe16WzrC6leZLTbl5nW8gnmY3HgxG4b_WbheSNjHrDH1UcxsTm8nyVnxmsRkvb68oD9c2utfnNLMSPpLYc8pR4o1hWYKHVdw3AbA/w640-h218/other.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>But this is about the dogs.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZO3BKt70B_JeXF-lqZ7Mvz3qG6peKAp1F1l2_RJKO6N8qTJBdD-w4nmOTNwvo5RVZkVtSPVUXvTiMnWUwDAY2z6QxtDxKYG-5oomPSLIa-L1KFDhrHv_5D1wzdpTX10iVHDk8ZyiHVyWs/s2048/dogsinfoil.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="2048" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZO3BKt70B_JeXF-lqZ7Mvz3qG6peKAp1F1l2_RJKO6N8qTJBdD-w4nmOTNwvo5RVZkVtSPVUXvTiMnWUwDAY2z6QxtDxKYG-5oomPSLIa-L1KFDhrHv_5D1wzdpTX10iVHDk8ZyiHVyWs/w640-h420/dogsinfoil.png" width="640" /></a></div>Their hot dogs are probably the best in Durham. I've had some good ones, but these are exceptional. The chili is flavorful and meaty. The slaw is decidedly better than the slaw at most other hot dog stands. The onion and mustard round out the near perfection.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0Jz7yodQPmieeAywpASRWNTnS6S9e8kx5Ct78eABXpDwBWqUQVogUfNp2wqkmZLBMPxBjbl5-dRi82jj_LLO3FQAcgmJY4kdjYz6aR2UiCB0t4_WN-JkPv6YkhcvL7HSFn5asa5lJsq2/s2048/Dogs.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0Jz7yodQPmieeAywpASRWNTnS6S9e8kx5Ct78eABXpDwBWqUQVogUfNp2wqkmZLBMPxBjbl5-dRi82jj_LLO3FQAcgmJY4kdjYz6aR2UiCB0t4_WN-JkPv6YkhcvL7HSFn5asa5lJsq2/w300-h400/Dogs.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>No dine-in option, but in a welcome improvement to Wimpy's, The Durham Filling Station features tables under a shelter to save you from eating on your hood or tailgate--or in your car!</p><p>The only downside is the hours of operation, Monday-Friday, 7AM to 2PM and 10-5 on Saturdays.</p><p>My verdict: 5 weenies! Damn close to perfection.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/s493/fivenvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="493" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/w200-h64/fivenvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0617 Hicks St, Durham, NC 27705, USA36.0130286 -78.9321587.7027947638211529 -114.088408 64.323262436178851 -43.775908tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-66812806617072004552019-11-06T16:11:00.002-05:002021-10-05T11:13:18.458-04:00Fetch Hot Dog Co.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOcysZ9BrtXlNd26qINbd-m4gR8rVnNVpg9bFIfh4sgFIIzEbKLReCBHxNhWuzMeAmwh2z1q20rS01X4RhcF7G35GroKJrOfGyB5HFUvfhGAw6ehsV3R12pr-kuwJDMeXSumyUhkxmf1R/s1600/419.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOcysZ9BrtXlNd26qINbd-m4gR8rVnNVpg9bFIfh4sgFIIzEbKLReCBHxNhWuzMeAmwh2z1q20rS01X4RhcF7G35GroKJrOfGyB5HFUvfhGAw6ehsV3R12pr-kuwJDMeXSumyUhkxmf1R/s640/419.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Fetch was a food truck.<br />
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Sadly, it rolls no more. Another dog-gone-bye.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiLiudRku6z9nHVICtEz_RIrKLmW5ICIk3LVem28VEChrMhKp8iRssgHggzS0084uKUPP50RYg9tQWbxqHBaD9SiB1Z09ZuKK7oc7r1brMYeebYV4c7vgTNoypWi24Clr7IYO6GS5zVuC/s1600/421.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiLiudRku6z9nHVICtEz_RIrKLmW5ICIk3LVem28VEChrMhKp8iRssgHggzS0084uKUPP50RYg9tQWbxqHBaD9SiB1Z09ZuKK7oc7r1brMYeebYV4c7vgTNoypWi24Clr7IYO6GS5zVuC/s320/421.JPG" width="240" /></a>Even thought their Carolina dog wasn't really what I grew up loving, I miss that truck. It used to stop on the occasional Wednesday at the office park where I work.<br />
<br />
Fetch was all about creativity. From the food to the way they coordinated orders, cleverness ruled. When you placed an order, they gave you a card from a regular playing cards deck. Then, they called your card, (<i>i</i>.<i>e</i>., seven of clubs) when your dogs were ready.<br />
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Their Carolina dog was a bit higher brow. For one, they used locally-sourced, all-natural dogs. Hey, that's a good thing. But the toppings, mostly the chili and slaw, and the composition, were a bit too gourmet to be a traditional Carolina dog. Their slaw was more of a cabbage salad, and it lacked the mayo to give it a creamier texture. The mustard was artfully zig-zagged across the top of the dog--not exactly the same thing as our beloved Carolina Hot Dog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuesvJVvQatEhN3a86HLdEuXyg2A6jREq_5isBnDzOCNs281eJVb3fo38YdERGSVnfmS8BjUZbrNzbL8RrMQjfITiCWusT-TnkDo1gcvhgchjYJfOdTygJftSxnpoqcyJsiWx6kC48pO/s1600/422.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuesvJVvQatEhN3a86HLdEuXyg2A6jREq_5isBnDzOCNs281eJVb3fo38YdERGSVnfmS8BjUZbrNzbL8RrMQjfITiCWusT-TnkDo1gcvhgchjYJfOdTygJftSxnpoqcyJsiWx6kC48pO/s640/422.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fancier Carolina dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But for the occasional, 5-buck, <i>fancy</i> hot dog, Fetch was a treat. Their menu featured several regularly occurring dogs and a daily or weekly special or two. Always with creative toppings and combinations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA6k2LpqYKW_Qo1rMvrtnZHgR8EyTjME8Ml6c9WQNOrOzPd5JvWR7JJ9cnH0SvT37yAlxzPSHeA_rtxHthdhQUhexl0f5MtAGH3IXWYLf-gamB6vyA5Rm_BimLr9lTVmcnZSNTfUYCwQH/s1600/420.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="1315" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA6k2LpqYKW_Qo1rMvrtnZHgR8EyTjME8Ml6c9WQNOrOzPd5JvWR7JJ9cnH0SvT37yAlxzPSHeA_rtxHthdhQUhexl0f5MtAGH3IXWYLf-gamB6vyA5Rm_BimLr9lTVmcnZSNTfUYCwQH/s400/420.JPG" width="386" /></a></div>
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I guess the cost of that kind of quality ingredients made the business model hard to maintain. They still hold a soft spot in my heart.<br />
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My verdict: 4 weenies for creativity and healthier dogs<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s320/fourinvisible.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0Hillsborough, NC 27278, USA36.0754183 -79.099734735.972751800000005 -79.2610962 36.1780848 -78.9383732tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-63963643807500859742019-08-16T16:13:00.001-04:002021-10-05T11:14:02.348-04:00I Dream of Weenie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdTO1fcqKf-nzkbGR203Ff1yt4L12WzJQwjadwXfPjPT6x69VyMo6WvFQcsTmjCS2WjKtzqUgJf2EjRnLF059SQKsT2LbpQZDHqtvQujABZUyVE7FiJpdIGD2xv9Qz4iDYT_G4pUuyUHt/s1600/IMG_8664.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdTO1fcqKf-nzkbGR203Ff1yt4L12WzJQwjadwXfPjPT6x69VyMo6WvFQcsTmjCS2WjKtzqUgJf2EjRnLF059SQKsT2LbpQZDHqtvQujABZUyVE7FiJpdIGD2xv9Qz4iDYT_G4pUuyUHt/s640/IMG_8664.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I stumbled upon this Nashville eatery several years ago, and I knew I had to review it here. I grew up loving the TV show that inspired its name, and I hoped I would not be let down. I wasn't.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoYINl07oA2I9oa6HtC4GS8HKa8-QhLfHuDuye7Jzsnyj5lsv9rKU_pNgxnsp17A4UWA8xg32TqXFzqumWwT_zLUml0DBnVThu4gs7Wv9DKtvg5WdiEcAtpFWrgGtIIFG_x-iT_JX0qZM/s1600/IMG_0648.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoYINl07oA2I9oa6HtC4GS8HKa8-QhLfHuDuye7Jzsnyj5lsv9rKU_pNgxnsp17A4UWA8xg32TqXFzqumWwT_zLUml0DBnVThu4gs7Wv9DKtvg5WdiEcAtpFWrgGtIIFG_x-iT_JX0qZM/s640/IMG_0648.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's worth a visit solely for the extent of the theme--for its delightful kitschiness and for its relentless attention to the pun. But just as worthy of a visit is the attention they provide for all that fills their buns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHEfin1dBJx6E2KJuRt8yMV1-enXHOayGLWGX_ZZhbegjIO5lz4pEn-yov8H11E1IVKDfTny8KjN481xOhUZbR7vCuX5gtwoz2ViHub4jvq0ktqwtFWUL5euKXV7IgccDtVTccx0YarnF/s1600/IMG_0445.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHEfin1dBJx6E2KJuRt8yMV1-enXHOayGLWGX_ZZhbegjIO5lz4pEn-yov8H11E1IVKDfTny8KjN481xOhUZbR7vCuX5gtwoz2ViHub4jvq0ktqwtFWUL5euKXV7IgccDtVTccx0YarnF/s400/IMG_0445.png" width="300" /></a>The kitchen is an old, classic, VW bug that has been converted into a "weenery" kitchen, complete with a shelter just big enough to provide some protection from the sun and rain while you order and wait for your food.<br />
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Order at the first window and step to the next to pick up your delicious dogs.<br />
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As a bona fide Carolina Hotdog fan, I was destined to dine on the Chili Slaw Weenie, but the names and combinations were much too tempting to stop there. I added a Flaming Frank to my meal.<br />
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My husband, true to form, ordered the Frank and to the point. And they tempted us further with their home made mac and cheese--not to mention an assortment of I Dream of Weenie swag: buttons, stickers, shirt, and such.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQd9aiaf-mKlGqAlD17_QVfh3cfUJbnMZM6TZtUYkxH0DreXFOMGZm-oR62WJDyxPbFq_DJKbuKiuMzocvCdR6f1QqBGBh9Far_PiBu0onKelgQMSFt2Aq_H-Fa7B5MBdtRyuRw_SKiop/s1600/IMG_7305.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQd9aiaf-mKlGqAlD17_QVfh3cfUJbnMZM6TZtUYkxH0DreXFOMGZm-oR62WJDyxPbFq_DJKbuKiuMzocvCdR6f1QqBGBh9Far_PiBu0onKelgQMSFt2Aq_H-Fa7B5MBdtRyuRw_SKiop/s320/IMG_7305.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Our food arrived quickly enough and we took it to one of their picnic tables in the shade nearby.<br />
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My husband was pleased with his selection, and we both enjoyed the mac and cheese.<br />
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I think the Flaming Frank would have been better with pico de gallo and fresh jalapeños, but it was still a respectable dog.<br />
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As you would expect, the Chili Slaw Weenie was my favorite. The chili tasted good and complemented the slaw, onions, and mustard. The slaw is freshly made and flavorful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU_pils15nA-XJHXKcWuAh4TW3vIlgQGkhY8BnVxHHf04KW05bxfjKHIhHv28_y1aEbrOE6Mguvo2vKs0pn7jIwgc8dpvystUKZxCLZBgLNMeC0dK6Xs5_DbBI7ow_pLhyphenhyphengSIPhVCjWi9/s1600/IMG_2559.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU_pils15nA-XJHXKcWuAh4TW3vIlgQGkhY8BnVxHHf04KW05bxfjKHIhHv28_y1aEbrOE6Mguvo2vKs0pn7jIwgc8dpvystUKZxCLZBgLNMeC0dK6Xs5_DbBI7ow_pLhyphenhyphengSIPhVCjWi9/s640/IMG_2559.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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My only complaint is the bigger bun. It overpowers the fillings. Of course, the fillings are ample and messy, and if the bun were smaller, the dogs would be even harder to eat. As it was, we were glad to have a couple of forks.<br />
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A very fun and tasty place to lunch in Nashville.<br />
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My verdict: 4 weenies (bonus points for concept)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s320/fourinvisible.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
<br /></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0113 S 11th St, Nashville, TN 37206, USA36.176671700000007 -86.74986939999996610.328176700000007 -128.05846039999997 62.025166700000007 -45.441278399999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-73696546358222000502019-05-15T09:49:00.002-04:002021-10-05T11:40:04.978-04:00Heritage Grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRPfw9IOyVXwdFPS9f3suukU0Nf1ts3sC_34WIqnswBZbQ35K48NRteIt716aXaGi0iAFjQaUrYTrky-1oWQv-mHW8UX9Of6TOM1vfLvBqhyphenhyphen-Prm1JIXUJP6wEmjyQKXHSFGQMTzPo5_9/s1600/IMG_2823.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRPfw9IOyVXwdFPS9f3suukU0Nf1ts3sC_34WIqnswBZbQ35K48NRteIt716aXaGi0iAFjQaUrYTrky-1oWQv-mHW8UX9Of6TOM1vfLvBqhyphenhyphen-Prm1JIXUJP6wEmjyQKXHSFGQMTzPo5_9/s640/IMG_2823.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sorry it's been so long. I hope to do better.<br />
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With that in mind, I tried a new-ish Carolina dog last night.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, my parents mentioned the Heritage Grill, in rural eastern Durham county, not far from Falls Lake. A former gas station, now a restaurant serving from 7AM to 9PM.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-z58hw1lwBUvAhmKbzA17NtYTX9c55-12jRgFXiJWaKHANuSIhdWPs5Mt2HNij39V-HKvNKu45q-SlX1t-2o3O7897snvpJRv86I2MBOMDArzThX4Dc-Bc9Qrf1hjgMO7pty_H_ISlpU/s1600/IMG_7101.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-z58hw1lwBUvAhmKbzA17NtYTX9c55-12jRgFXiJWaKHANuSIhdWPs5Mt2HNij39V-HKvNKu45q-SlX1t-2o3O7897snvpJRv86I2MBOMDArzThX4Dc-Bc9Qrf1hjgMO7pty_H_ISlpU/s320/IMG_7101.png" width="320" /></a>Along with an impressive dinner menu complete with specials for each night of the week, including steaks, pasta, and lobster, the Heritage Grill also serves standard fast food, from burgers to bologna, and, of course, Carolina hot dogs.<br />
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With the name, and location, I wasn't sure what to expect. The outside does look like a gas station or small-town general store from days gone by. The covered service area where the gas pumps once stood is now an area for folks to eat on picnic tables.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW7q9uJHYp2hKSSDkdlo6XWvFTzgtnMx3mlnly-yh8yafNSJt4xEfLNtivFCkH8PTLRKgvsvVee6gM_5aV83yG_Le9cYziwK41tWzVn0Gdz1EdrKoETISMFLxx8-XBI7ZYjwQ-FYyfY64/s1600/IMG_4800.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW7q9uJHYp2hKSSDkdlo6XWvFTzgtnMx3mlnly-yh8yafNSJt4xEfLNtivFCkH8PTLRKgvsvVee6gM_5aV83yG_Le9cYziwK41tWzVn0Gdz1EdrKoETISMFLxx8-XBI7ZYjwQ-FYyfY64/s320/IMG_4800.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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The inside is a combination convenience store, bait shop, and grill. Mounted game heads decorate one wall. Coolers for beer and soft drinks line the back. The grill is just inside the front door. I also noticed a salad bar along the mounted animals wall, but I didn't inspect it more closely.<br />
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A television with the non-offensive Spectrum News channel was mounted near the front door; I had feared another might be playing. However, after visiting, I was disappointed to find a Confederate Battle flag on their Facebook page.<br />
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We apparently hit the Heritage on Surf and Turn night, and I must admit the dinner specials were tempting. But you know I what I wanted...<br />
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I ordered one hot dog with the usual mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. Tempted beyond that, I also ordered a fried bologna sandwich. Sides include fries and a host of other sides. I opted to start with mushrooms and have okra accompany my meal.<br />
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The staff was friendly, and the service was swift. Portions were generous, if not just too much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQb6t3A6vdslJ26U7yPP94lL6ONndkCYaXHz4vGUYp7qAbpgalq0kwHxb891cfVgR17kSEZity4iMqqiajeBtO9YnPda7RiuJebpBdEp0OS-p30ZC5qWeU_hv7Fp6lOl_clQ6x9vKfXZm/s1600/IMG_3430.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1600" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQb6t3A6vdslJ26U7yPP94lL6ONndkCYaXHz4vGUYp7qAbpgalq0kwHxb891cfVgR17kSEZity4iMqqiajeBtO9YnPda7RiuJebpBdEp0OS-p30ZC5qWeU_hv7Fp6lOl_clQ6x9vKfXZm/s640/IMG_3430.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hot dog was pretty good. The slaw, and there was lots of it, was really good--definitely fresh and homemade. The chili was very meaty, but it didn't really stand out. It was generously loaded, and that made it problematic to eat. I had to go in from the top and eat some of the slaw and onions before I could actually take a bite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM23QDzzhz9YMgBBzaO9cKat3HAB6VundvVAXXuabAkmRNCWesrPDNub7iRHX5EMBloJEFjowENl_ThSsbVOFwaEjZwuhkt2MtEc0RXIpayqevcCIzaQfnHN2aTwHIjhU7bnYl2GHItBo/s1600/IMG_2350.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM23QDzzhz9YMgBBzaO9cKat3HAB6VundvVAXXuabAkmRNCWesrPDNub7iRHX5EMBloJEFjowENl_ThSsbVOFwaEjZwuhkt2MtEc0RXIpayqevcCIzaQfnHN2aTwHIjhU7bnYl2GHItBo/s320/IMG_2350.png" width="320" /></a>I enjoyed the other food as well. The bologna was fried nicely. The okra and mushrooms portions were overwhelming. And their homemade ranch was perfect for dipping.<br />
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I may have to return to try the steaks.<br />
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My verdict: another solid 3 weenies for the dog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /><div><br />
<br /></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com05801 Cheek Rd, Durham, NC 27704, USA36.0291965 -78.773399310.507161999999997 -120.0819903 61.551231 -37.464808299999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-80305392528793206132017-05-21T17:07:00.003-04:002021-10-05T11:41:04.344-04:00Bill's Hot Dogs<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xEH1wr-OFlchzSohMl6YJErALpFXICENoYpCKfRHZVkCI3FUetRmC94plIGNsoOztw8_9OfPfX9R8nnKp04O0dLNX59hirtYuvXluTy393E4fvwPFXnkXhFa0A3yyiJgzdPNHDU60B97/s1600/bills.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xEH1wr-OFlchzSohMl6YJErALpFXICENoYpCKfRHZVkCI3FUetRmC94plIGNsoOztw8_9OfPfX9R8nnKp04O0dLNX59hirtYuvXluTy393E4fvwPFXnkXhFa0A3yyiJgzdPNHDU60B97/s640/bills.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill's Hot Dogs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For years, a couple of friends of mine have been telling me
about a unique hot dog experience in (Little) Washington, NC. Trouble was... I
don’t find myself in that area very often. When my husband and I decided to
celebrate my birthday at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, we thought it
would be a perfect opportunity to make our way to Little Washington the next
day. As luck would have it, the friends who have raved for years about Bill’s
Hot Dog Stand were able to meet us for the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And an experience it is!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp1aUG35y2ASTZQOO9F6rXPHm_ajtUEHi1V84CrKuZww0jW2-4rruyZds1NGpfzVE5Eg-Q-HnHlc94Z-2AcLf9c0zxdIofBqR1qRkDfPU8PCQZjKaJo0yes1Ndr8Fto-yFnaILUyeuaCF/s1600/billswalloffame.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp1aUG35y2ASTZQOO9F6rXPHm_ajtUEHi1V84CrKuZww0jW2-4rruyZds1NGpfzVE5Eg-Q-HnHlc94Z-2AcLf9c0zxdIofBqR1qRkDfPU8PCQZjKaJo0yes1Ndr8Fto-yFnaILUyeuaCF/s640/billswalloffame.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall of Fame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We arrived on a Saturday around lunch time, and we weren’t
the only ones. The line snaked back and forth through the small storefront. You
find the back of the line and follow the folks in front of you until you can
place your order. Take a couple more steps, and pay, telling the cashier if you
want any soft drinks or banana pudding. By the time you pay, your order is
ready. Stop by the drink case to get your beverages and dessert, and exit,
leaving a fresh batch of hot dog hungry people waiting for their turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZVe1J6v0eRx4sLNbMyW-F8_LspWdamxLlQwvqvfArYGcVsHxZCQmEFKE5nJ8SQi85HzG3PsPwgCEpsKT7ulKrBdzT6jAAo2dqNj6y1TNDtuyB5imegdSKkF1x6f-NgJSR5wveKTYQmkS/s1600/billsinside.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZVe1J6v0eRx4sLNbMyW-F8_LspWdamxLlQwvqvfArYGcVsHxZCQmEFKE5nJ8SQi85HzG3PsPwgCEpsKT7ulKrBdzT6jAAo2dqNj6y1TNDtuyB5imegdSKkF1x6f-NgJSR5wveKTYQmkS/s640/billsinside.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line Snaking Through the Storefront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Bill’s hardy has enough room for the throng waiting for
dogs, so you have to eat them somewhere else. We took our bounty across the
street to the riverside park. Ours was a sunny day with a balmy coastal
wind--nearly perfect for munching at a picnic table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ve really never had anything quite like these dogs. They
aren’t really the traditional Carolina Hot Dog; they don’t offer coleslaw, and
the chili is made of bacon grease, old buns, onions, and spices. Yes, bacon
grease. Actually, it tastes like it could be grease from fatback, but I’ve been
told it’s bacon grease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It doesn’t look or sound the most appetizing, but it’s
amazingly good! It’s more than a flavor thing; it’s also textural—the way the
chili is absorbed by the white bread bun and makes it nearly fall apart in your
hand. Mustard, onions, and chili make a dog all the way, and they all work in
harmony to create a wonderful sensation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It sounds like an odd comparison, but the chili reminded me
of my great-grandmother’s milk gravy on loaf bread—pumped up with a nice burn
from cayenne.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of all the hot dogs I’ve tasted, I’d say Bill’s Hot Dogs
were the most unique experience. I’ll be on the lookout to find other hot dog
stands with a similar culinary philosophy. If you’re ever in Little Washington,
or want to make the trip, I highly recommend checking these out.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My verdict: A solid 3 weenies, maybe 4 for uniqueness</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com2109 Gladden St, Washington, NC 27889, USA35.5436453 -77.05820879999998935.5435948 -77.058287799999988 35.5436958 -77.058129799999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-28525526131536870512016-02-27T14:05:00.002-05:002021-10-05T11:41:57.861-04:00Tasty8's<blockquote id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46477" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 1em;" type="cite">
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46475">A casual dinner with friends on a recent Friday night led me to Tasty8’s the next Saturday afternoon. Open for about 18 months, this was the first I had heard of the hot doggery, so I set out to discover.</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46528">It was a dreadfully cold Saturday afternoon, and only a few folks were out on the streets in downtown Raleigh. In fact, as I turned the corner onto Fayetteville Street, I wasn’t sure Tasty8’s was even open. Once warm inside, I was glad I had pre-checked their hours, rather extended for a hot dog stand.</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46527">Hot dog stand Tasty8’s is, but not your average one. These are billed as gourmet hot dogs, and the prices reflect that. At nearly seven bucks apiece, lunch for two can easily head toward $30.</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46526">The theme is 8: eight hot dogs, eight beers, eight shakes, and eight sauces for your fries. The décor is trendy and a little industrial. It appears to have a wall of garage doors, and they are likely a great asset on balmy weekend evenings when they are open until 3 AM.</span><br />
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We ordered two dogs, two fries, a Coke Zero, and a Mama Wells Tasty Treat—a peanut butter, fudge, and banana milkshake. The cost, around 25 bucks.<br />
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While the price is steep, especially compared with places like Snoopy’s and the Roast Grill, these dogs ARE a bit heftier—and they’re "gourmet." Bigger is certainly quantifiable. They are bigger. Gourmet seems to be a bit more of an opinion. The wieners themselves certainly ARE better than your average hot dog stand: tasty all-beef wieners or sausages and a token veggie dog.<br />
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I had the Southern Comfort, as close to a Carolina Dog as the menu gets: blue cheese slaw, Carolina chili, red onion, and scallions. I was concerned about the funk of the blue cheese, but I didn’t even notice it. What I noticed was the chili. I wouldn’t really call that Carolina chili. It had meat, but it also seemed to have a significant smashed bean component; when I think of Carolina chili, I definitely think of a beefy chili sauce—without beans or bean paste. I loved the scallions, but then again, I always do. I didn’t see mustard, but I’m guessing it is available; of course, I’m definitely NOT a gourmet mustard fan. Give me French’s yellow mustard for my dogs!<br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46535">My husband had the El Perro, a Mexican inspired dog consisting of a jalapeno-cheddar bison brat with guacamole, queso con chorizo, Mexican crema, salsa, and jalapenos. It sounds excellent, and I had to try it, but sadly, my main take-away was that the salsa reminded me of Pace picante. I was rather disappointed.</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46536">The fries aren’t my favorites, but they are plentiful. We probably should have shared one order. The jalapeno-buttermilk ranch packed a modest kick, and the green goddess was a mellower sauce. I would have liked a bit more flavor from the green goddess, but it wasn’t unlikeable. I still wonder if I would have liked the Crema Mexicana better.</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46537">Considering the price and the chili and salsa, I was a little disappointed. Obviously, I love a traditional Carolina dog, and while the wieners were great, the toppings just didn’t do it for me. That said, I do hope to go back and try their Windy City Weenie and see how that compares to the ones I’ve had in Chicago.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1456594516435_46537">My verdict: 3 weenies</span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p> </p>
<br />CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0121 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA35.778818 -78.6386979999999779.7960765000000016 -120.12307299999998 61.761559500000004 -37.154322999999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-79616292397979426482015-09-08T20:57:00.006-04:002021-10-05T11:53:40.428-04:00Sam's Hot Dog Stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I love an accidental discovery.</span><br /><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">A gloomy Sunday at the beach made for a good time to drive to Wilmington.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">As we drove in on Oleander, a man dressed as a hot dog caught my attention. I made a note to return and investigate.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">An hour or so later, we headed back, keeping alert for a hot dog man. Sadly he was gone. Or maybe we missed him.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We turned around.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">On the final pass, we saw the big hot dog sign and a sign for Sam's Hot Dog Stand just behind it.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It looked quiet and deserted. Afraid they were closed for the day, we investigated a little further and found they were open for a couple more hours. Let's do this!</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Inside, an open kitchen looked out upon a handful of tables and numerous stools with the Sam's Hot Dog Stand logo encased in shiny varnish. Near the register, a menu board detailed their offerings: hot dogs and BBQ sandwiches in various combinations. The menu board was surrounded by various cans of soft drink, including Sun-Drop and diet Sun-Drop. Score! A chalkboard on another wall detailed their daily deals.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">After inquiring about their slaw, I ordered two with the signature Carolina Hot Dog toppings: mustard, slaw, chili, and onions--or as they call them, "All the Way," including their spicy chili.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The two dogs arrived nicely packaged in a Sam's Hot Dog Stand paper bag, along with my chips and diet Sun-Drop.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">They looked great and tasted better. The slaw is clearly fresh and made on-site, a perfect blend of cabbage, mayo, and seasoning. </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The spicy chili added just a bit of kick. It was meaty and savory. Not sweet like so many lesser hot dog chilis, this was near perfect.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The mustard, onion, hot dog, and bun each played their part to support the starring chili and slaw. Truly a great Carolina dog.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Before I left, I also sampled the mild chili and the BBQ. The mild chili was almost as good as the spicy--but without that little extra something. The BBQ, imported from Siler City, was smoky and delicious.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">What a great find. I loved Sam's Hot Dog Stand. It is now my favorite hot dog in Wilmington, easily the best southeast of Raleigh, maybe further.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 5 weenies</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/s493/fivenvisible.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="493" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/w200-h64/fivenvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com05917 Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC 2840334.2257255 -77.94471020000003134.120103 -78.106758700000029 34.331348000000006 -77.782661700000034tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-23747502894650990122015-06-18T21:08:00.001-04:002021-10-05T11:43:29.970-04:00L & D Grill<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I first heard of L & D Grill at an impromptu family
gathering on Boxing Day last year. My cousin’s cousin makes deliveries and gets
the chance to grab lunch at a wide variety of eateries, and when he discovered
my love for Carolina-style hot dogs, he said I had to try L & D’s dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Not Abandoned!</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Locating the business was a challenge, but finding them was a bit easier than finding them open. My first attempt was New Year’s Day. I really
didn’t think they would be open, and they weren’t. In fact, I really wasn’t
sure I had found the place, at all. I drove southwest on Angier Avenue from
Driver Street to Ellis Road, looking for something that looked like a hot dog
stand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I passed many old commercial buildings, some abandoned, some
being used, a few rather impressive specimens of by-gone architecture. I couldn’t
remember the name, but it wouldn’t have helped. The name is only clearly
displayed INSIDE the building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">On New Year’s Day, most of Angier Avenue was deserted, and I
noted what appeared to be an old abandoned gas station on the right. It really
looked boarded up and out of business, but a sign off to the side caught my
eye: “You’re in hot dog country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I really did think the building was abandoned, and I was sad
that I had missed this “Hot Dog Country.” But I thought I’d continue searching
for the legendary eatery my cousin’s cousin had mentioned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This abandoned place haunted me throughout the spring. I
also did some research and found that it probably was the right place. And I
tried to find out when it had gone out of business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">On Memorial Day, I decided to venture back down Angier
Avenue. Maybe it just looked abandoned in the dead of winter. It still looked
long deserted late that Monday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">A couple of weeks later, I had taken the morning off work.
What the heck, I’d give it one more try--this time in the morning. I wasn’t
expecting it to be open, and as I drove past, I noticed the window looked
fresher. I could have sworn the windows had been boarded up… but these were
real windows. And wait, an OPEN sign flashed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Thrilled and excited, I hit the empty cement slab of a
parking lot and pondered where and how folks parked there and went for it.
Someone else parked close behind, and I followed him in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Bingo!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Inside, there’s not much fancy ambiance. Two rooms: the
grill and a room with a soft drink case and a bench where customers can “dine
in.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I’ve read glowing reviews of the fried chicken and
chicken-fried steak, and the chicken looked amazing. But I was there for the
dogs. I ordered two with mustard, slaw, chili, and onions and quicker than most
other hot doggeries, my food was ready.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">While I can’t say they are my favorite dogs in the Triangle,
they are quite respectable. Their chili is tasty. It reminds me more of chili
with tomatoes or tomato paste than the chili I grew up on at King’s Sandwich
Shop and the Dog House. It has a definite chili-powder flavor. The slaw was
very sweet. In fact, at first, I thought it might have been a very sweet chili,
but I’m pretty sure it was the slaw. The onions were mild and tasty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I enjoyed the hot dogs, and I’m thrilled I finally found
this place isn’t just a legend. Their service is friendly and inviting, and if I can make it back when they are open, I’d
love to have a dog or two again and explore other offerings on their menu. They
have chuckwagon sandwiches, and I haven’t seen those since the Bavarian Inn at
AppState.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 4 weenies</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br />
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</div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com02620 Angier Avenue, Durham, NC 27703, USA35.9783588 -78.87118119.9956008000000018 -120.3555561 61.9611168 -37.3868061tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-59687810223940005232014-09-23T17:18:00.003-04:002021-10-05T11:44:48.755-04:00Paul's Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I’ve been planning to write about Paul’s Place—or as it is
formally known as Paul's Place Famous Hotdogs—for the longest time. I
originally heard of the place many years ago. In fact, my first visit was
probably in the late 80s or early 90s. If I am not mistaken, at the time, Paul’s
Place boasted multiple locations. Now, it’s back to just the original.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This was my third visit. A couple of years ago, I had
visited around the Holidays with every intention of penning a review, but time
got away from me and I failed to remember enough to write about their dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The inside has a feel of days gone by. Various canned goods,
t-shirts, and tractor-type souvenirs are set out for sale under harsh fluorescent
lighting. Numerous simple tables with Coke-carton condiment holders provide
ample “dining” room. A counter for
ordering and picking up food and a hand-dipping ice cream case separate the
eating area from the kitchen. It’s a utilitarian and yet nostalgic
establishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQaQiKVQovb-VZ5YOXOCAJ9LkC6s6dz1BdRQozzTJjFIYLoooCoClCcVE4uBG9bAcgHOtWxhLc5Kdj45LvOmygv8s4CCSFdHFNiorRNnikhUH0YoXQfJOPGUjCcsAIOhgYM2vK8Rgqbul/s1600/8-9-2014WedEtc+046.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQaQiKVQovb-VZ5YOXOCAJ9LkC6s6dz1BdRQozzTJjFIYLoooCoClCcVE4uBG9bAcgHOtWxhLc5Kdj45LvOmygv8s4CCSFdHFNiorRNnikhUH0YoXQfJOPGUjCcsAIOhgYM2vK8Rgqbul/s1600/8-9-2014WedEtc+046.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I remember not being very impressed upon my first visit. It’s
all very hazy now, but I do remember not caring for Paul’s Special Sauce. It’s a ketchuppy concoction that’s a bit like
relish, and being a Carolina Hotdog fan, relish never was my favorite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">“All the way,” includes the sauce, but luckily Paul’s sells
hotdogs without that special sauce. Sure enough, they sell classic Carolina
Hotdogs with mustard, slaw, chili, and onions, and that’s how I ordered mine. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg2G8HlXyY77b4_FVJebnbu1Eor6URWZuP5d1oAKHEPWFGxDLHRj3inA4zvcWaMHcQDliXMqaz48QxaAu1DR8oVQ8j0UmvsIrBxF7cp1Mz-813kqkujvEVAt3Huyjclp_3XjeuhKE-SZW/s1600/paulsplace.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg2G8HlXyY77b4_FVJebnbu1Eor6URWZuP5d1oAKHEPWFGxDLHRj3inA4zvcWaMHcQDliXMqaz48QxaAu1DR8oVQ8j0UmvsIrBxF7cp1Mz-813kqkujvEVAt3Huyjclp_3XjeuhKE-SZW/s1600/paulsplace.jpg" title="Two Carolina Dogs: Mustard, slaw, chili, and onions--and accidental ketchup" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Two Carolina Dogs with accidental ketchup</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Sadly, the person taking my order got it mixed up and added ketchup, but I didn’t
want to be wasteful; because it was my third visit, I can wrote around it and
recall the previous visits.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The dogs weren’t bad. They weren’t my favorite ones, either.
The slaw was a bit too pickle-y and the chili didn’t add a lot. The chili reminds me of that which I encounter regularly; it has meat but is a thickish liquid with lumps of meat. I don't know what thickens the liquid, but I know I like a seriously meaty chili without a lot of liquid--some, but not a lot. And it should add a nice chili punch!</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It seems this
is what I thought upon my first visit. I liked them a bit more on my second
visit, but even then, I wouldn’t put them near the top of my all-time favorite
hot dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If you’re in the area and hankering for a Carolina Dog, this
one will do, but I’m on the lookout for better.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 3 weenies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Post Script: Since I wrote this review, TNT's <i>Good Behavior</i>, starring Michelle Dockery, shot some episodes at Paul's Place.</b></span></div>
CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com011725 U.S. 117, Rocky Point, NC 28457, USA34.3901524 -77.89323028.4074038999999985 -119.3776052 60.3729009 -36.408855200000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-28440143900273485372014-05-18T17:31:00.004-04:002021-10-05T11:45:52.718-04:00SmashBurger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06npbu518C0lQT6_d7vseqZtwekSFFx_TcFINbmeX4OAVMP0egE-DNcTCyNp3l3uLdh7G6UTyhEwmUYKfTBzFaC2g6ic43qk42OHwt3kjtr0s4kP-0y7wfbKCh0inPrVm9G7m7n_bbODo/s1600/IMG_4770.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06npbu518C0lQT6_d7vseqZtwekSFFx_TcFINbmeX4OAVMP0egE-DNcTCyNp3l3uLdh7G6UTyhEwmUYKfTBzFaC2g6ic43qk42OHwt3kjtr0s4kP-0y7wfbKCh0inPrVm9G7m7n_bbODo/s1600/IMG_4770.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">SmashBurger is a new burger chain that recently opened near Duke. I was so impressed with the burgers upon my
first visit that I decided to try their hot dog on my second visit. It turns
out it’s not quite as simple as that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yauEnGyoBSN_GVy9rYR3XKq8Wn_5H5yTNfI_h1e_YURpr4_eX0tsjSlFTc698kBgUULg-cxw5dg_JRa5NNW651K616Gi0zlVtF0b91_G3pKcNjy593rm8kBewvxy10N5Ob9LIYw8hcoz/s1600/sbtrim.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yauEnGyoBSN_GVy9rYR3XKq8Wn_5H5yTNfI_h1e_YURpr4_eX0tsjSlFTc698kBgUULg-cxw5dg_JRa5NNW651K616Gi0zlVtF0b91_G3pKcNjy593rm8kBewvxy10N5Ob9LIYw8hcoz/s1600/sbtrim.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">SmashBurger Carolina Hot Dog</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">First, their hot dogs are only available on the kids’ menu.
That’s <span style="background-color: yellow;">OK</span>, though. They don’t mind selling kids’ meals to adults. The problem
is… the hot dog is served as so many kids’ dogs are served: naked. And that’s
certainly NOT the Carolina Hot Dog way! </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><o:p></o:p>The naked dog sits on a big bun. I'm sure lots of folks like the trend of making a big deal out of the bread, but for me, a hot dog only needs just enough bread to hold everything in. Bread is not the belle of the ball, that's where the toppings come in. In fact, I've been known to skip the bread, entirely.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Now the kind folks at SmashBurger—and I do mean kind… theirs is some of
the best customer service I’ve experienced… it’s like the people who work
there like to go to work!!—were willing to add chili, slaw, and onions on the
side (mustard is on the table) so that I could construct a real Carolina Hot Dog, myself. And I did just
that!</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Once I had assembled everything, I had a pretty decent hot dog. The slaw (one
of my favorite components, as you might have noticed) is really pretty good.
The chili isn’t bad. It’s meaty but not all-meat. It reminds me of a chili that
make have smashed beans or some other thickener. Again, not bad, but not
wowing. The onions, too, were fine, but nothing that stood out.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJ5XQDD6t9uG05RUXFk5qJFnJoOyDlmCx2lKIEn8mpTv3BN1tzXY-ZHdXuS9z6V4cJhCtW9nXdgPW9bRb194GE_rrtWQEERU6lhJfuhyphenhyphenuQYXB5TwfZ9F8pGBZ6R1YAUHIjlSi4XdVCiuR/s1600/IMG_4821.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJ5XQDD6t9uG05RUXFk5qJFnJoOyDlmCx2lKIEn8mpTv3BN1tzXY-ZHdXuS9z6V4cJhCtW9nXdgPW9bRb194GE_rrtWQEERU6lhJfuhyphenhyphenuQYXB5TwfZ9F8pGBZ6R1YAUHIjlSi4XdVCiuR/s1600/IMG_4821.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Veggie Frites</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">On the side, SmashBurger offers three kinds of fries,fried onions, and side-salads, but the Veggie Frites, flash-fried green beans and carrot sticks, intrigued my taste buds most.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In the end, I really like SmashBurger, but
considering the obstacles to ordering hot dogs and the fact that they didn't really knock me out, I’ll stick with their SnashBurger's burgers and leave the hot dogs to the kids' menu. . </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">There are better places to have a hot dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 3 weenies</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com12608 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705, USA36.0092684 -78.94481439999998410.026541900000005 -120.42918939999998 61.9919949 -37.460439399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-45322202634686235792014-03-14T15:09:00.002-04:002021-10-05T11:46:38.356-04:00Steve's Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-vwy5lprpKWLDAy2nfffCqArKizc6i_FPqniNH0V8pnEpl49WeXJ_Gj2MyDHG5578z842Qt9LD5wepjDVgzHW9g4GGVJ5VTlFmdpXP3OBdy1xeaaloziAdsOlXYEK-dr4vVVYqiiBxwd/s1600/IMG_4350%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-vwy5lprpKWLDAy2nfffCqArKizc6i_FPqniNH0V8pnEpl49WeXJ_Gj2MyDHG5578z842Qt9LD5wepjDVgzHW9g4GGVJ5VTlFmdpXP3OBdy1xeaaloziAdsOlXYEK-dr4vVVYqiiBxwd/s1600/IMG_4350%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The other day, I happened to be near Triangle Town Center
and decided to see if any hot dog stands might be close. Indeed there was:
Steve’s Place, in Plantation Square an older shopping center between Capital
Boulevard and the Mall itself. I decided to give it a try.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUqPkNjxXrnQKNOcWTcRTx-VvfdrKzWw0GTeyNnthEiFcauv4uuqy6TqY6iX6aQC1MTtc6Vr7FpXBzrRJEZiwcPPPiJ6UFXezhW24S6d_vhW-oHBu4gudoZjCvqT1oaNl9u4nMROgXmWh/s1600/IMG_4351.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUqPkNjxXrnQKNOcWTcRTx-VvfdrKzWw0GTeyNnthEiFcauv4uuqy6TqY6iX6aQC1MTtc6Vr7FpXBzrRJEZiwcPPPiJ6UFXezhW24S6d_vhW-oHBu4gudoZjCvqT1oaNl9u4nMROgXmWh/s1600/IMG_4351.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLWbUs2G9kXEfO-FLv4UCrj5RDPzEdZeCeu1LWOVTCqNibwIKI2pC12H10yHXgDhWwnfR7wUI7ndLxX15x7PrRGmU9E26XXicRum9wr25Cz9IPqvoYYTu2Mt4-FETg-41j4sSOrhIsunL/s1600/IMG_4349a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLWbUs2G9kXEfO-FLv4UCrj5RDPzEdZeCeu1LWOVTCqNibwIKI2pC12H10yHXgDhWwnfR7wUI7ndLxX15x7PrRGmU9E26XXicRum9wr25Cz9IPqvoYYTu2Mt4-FETg-41j4sSOrhIsunL/s1600/IMG_4349a.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Steve’s is located next to the post office, and the bold
white lettering on the edge of the roof simply reads “HOT DOGS.” A neon sign in
the window tells you it’s Steve’s and a white wooden sign above the door reads,
“Steve’s Place.”</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">One of the first things I noticed is that there are a few
high tables but no chairs or stools inside. A couple of tables with chairs
provide al fresco dining when the weather is nice. I’ve read some complaints
about the lack of chairs; but to be honest, hot dogs are usually quickly
consumed, and a place to hold your food and drink while you stand and eat
really is sufficient.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Steve’s offers hot dogs, deli sandwiches, and salads, but I
was there for the dogs. Stacks of colored paper caught my eye, and I quickly and
correctly surmised that I would order by choosing a sheet from the stack for
hot dogs and checking the options I preferred.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXL9qk5B0BQT4r2tz-iI__pYrEyBASlHalqn7mfXxzgSeJVCJUTdBhvMwGN3b7K-nARV38nPajq4v0QH5UNQt95Y54YmTevXYEgY1tdftIr6sqHV-fo1jXeM3vB0UW5P0KzlWRSRXrutNk/s1600/IMG_4353trim.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXL9qk5B0BQT4r2tz-iI__pYrEyBASlHalqn7mfXxzgSeJVCJUTdBhvMwGN3b7K-nARV38nPajq4v0QH5UNQt95Y54YmTevXYEgY1tdftIr6sqHV-fo1jXeM3vB0UW5P0KzlWRSRXrutNk/s1600/IMG_4353trim.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Options</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Traditional red and all beef wieners are the same $2.25, so in the interest of scientific evaluation, I opted for one of each—after initially thinking I’d just try the traditional ones. I chose my usual toppings: mustard, slaw, chili, and onions, but they offer several others. Steve’s also serves several side and dessert items, but I decided to focus specifically on their hot dogs.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The service was exceptionally friendly and amazingly quick.
I’ve never understood what should take so long to put together a couple of dogs;
apparently, Steve’s Place agrees with me. Really. The service was fast and
friendly.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">One Traditional Red, One All Beef, Two Yum</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Within a few seconds, I had two very delightful-looking hot dogs in a plastic basket. Both were pretty good dogs. If forced to choose, I’d probably prefer the beef, just because it did have a touch more flavor. Their slaw is clearly home-made; it’s quite good but perhaps a little too sweet. The onions were subtle players, not sharp as onions can sometimes be, just right. The chili was tasty but not very strong. Perhaps more chili would have made the dogs better. I mainly noticed the chili flavor with bites light on mustard, onions, and slaw. While I don’t like a “hard” chili, this one may have been too soft, so that it was hard to distinguish it from the rest, but again, it seemed to have a nicely flavored spice mix.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">All in all, Steve’s delivers a solid Carolina Hot Dog,
worth a try if you’re in the neighborhood but not a destination hot dog worth
going out of your way to obtain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 4 weenies</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com26320 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27616, USA35.8704513 -78.578043635.8688348 -78.5805756 35.872067799999996 -78.5755116tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-68780026883100825232013-11-21T19:39:00.005-05:002021-10-05T11:52:07.366-04:00The Roast Grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The Roast Grill Storefront</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">From the street you’d never guess what a treasure The Roast
Grill is. Its name glows in neon in the big picture window and a Coca-Cola sign
with “Hot Weiners” is a clue. Otherwise, this building, located on West, just
off Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, looks like what was once someone’s house.
In fact, there’s a front porch next door.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If the outside makes the establishment look smallish, the inside accentuates the point. A counter with eight stools and a couple of really small tables round out the accommodations at twelve seats. It's tiny. Customers must maneuver as if they are solving a sliding puzzle to accommodate one another.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">NC State memorabilia decorate the walls. A “no ketchup”t-shirt and pictures from the Roast Grill’s encounter with The Travel Channel’s Adam Richman and <u>Man vs. Food</u> add the perfect accent.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulPj7UjWA2Xwc2WPaZqAiKxG5ht3c9xD53OWHYQYKk170A_7AqM9SnUCTNVHY2ytmLpV6NRNmiI3FuPeDdCo8Ptz92rlo_3xVbKvoenu06GzDzQ3irM2M5QdBfqd_awcQ2hcF6WoMU9FK/s1600/roast.xketc.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">A motherly/grand-motherly woman takes your orders and prepares them. She also
takes your payment when you’re ready to leave… and gives you a Tootsie Roll for
the road. The ambiance alone is worth a visit, but we’re here for the dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Ordering isn’t complex. They sell hot dogs. Nothing else—well,
other than beer and soft drinks... and dessert: baklava or pound cake. Toppings
for the hot dogs are classic Carolina Hot Dog fare: mustard, slaw, onions,
chili. No, they do not have ketchup or catsup. Don’t ask.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The dogs are some of
the pricier ones in the Triangle. They currently sell for $2.50 plus a
quarter if you want both onions and slaw—well worth the extra quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">While I thought the hot dogs a tad expensive, I’d have to
say I’d pay it again. They’re darn good dogs! They grill the wieners to a
delicious crunch, and that smoky crunch really sets these hot dogs apart from
the usual boiled ones. The chili has the right taste and meatiness. I would
have loved a bit more, but it still added just the right flavor. The slaw is
hand-chopped, not mutilated by a food processor. The same hands that chop the
cabbage apparently chop the onions; they’re about the consistency. The onions
on my dogs were just a little bitter, but that happens with onions.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Two Very Delicious Carolina Hot Dogs</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Parking is street parking but not particularly hard to come
by. Payment is cash only. Hours are 11-4 Monday through Saturday. With its
location near so many Downtown night spots, I’m sure they’d make a killing if
they were only open late night, but I guess they’re satisfied with the money
they currently make. I know I'd sure buy 'em around 2AM if they <i>were </i>open.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">For a hot dog that stands out served in a retro environment,
you can’t go wrong with The Roast Grill. Yum!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 4 weenies</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com27 South West Street, Raleigh, NC 27603, USA35.780233 -78.6456449.9317110000000035 -119.954238 61.628755 -37.337050000000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-57317201161133461312013-11-01T18:11:00.002-04:002021-10-05T11:49:31.410-04:00Snoopy's Hot Dogs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJqgmXFNPB8ZfJlamG8Aq7sYnazWDdBfhPBZSdMLrrrysCkpUqBe9x8soMcCMgRt8dvDnwm-CGc0gvvkEgVd1ehyS50Xydhm-tdx-ocnUqINM7g-1RHCoBJZGWCLgPq7tSJ6LtcpGoz-N/s1600/IMG_3796%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJqgmXFNPB8ZfJlamG8Aq7sYnazWDdBfhPBZSdMLrrrysCkpUqBe9x8soMcCMgRt8dvDnwm-CGc0gvvkEgVd1ehyS50Xydhm-tdx-ocnUqINM7g-1RHCoBJZGWCLgPq7tSJ6LtcpGoz-N/s640/IMG_3796%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Snoopy's Hot Dogs with non-offensive marquee</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In Wake County, you really can’t talk about Carolina Hot
Dogs without Snoopy’s Hot Dogs making an appearance. They may not be the best
hot dogs in Raleigh, but with numerous locations, they are probably the most
recognizable hot dog stand in the Capital City, especially inside the Beltline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NVppKFr4wGDeV19yEBJwcmprp1R49b8Kex6igx-IDgK7m1WLXHA9diBFdefmQnExQQ2lYp064Swp7bk2XIxvh-JdExllyyQnXMV-hU0m2UVzintJCJA63b8S5bLvZYx5VOwhUCMhwxmV/s1600/IMG_3797%5B1%5D.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NVppKFr4wGDeV19yEBJwcmprp1R49b8Kex6igx-IDgK7m1WLXHA9diBFdefmQnExQQ2lYp064Swp7bk2XIxvh-JdExllyyQnXMV-hU0m2UVzintJCJA63b8S5bLvZYx5VOwhUCMhwxmV/s400/IMG_3797%5B1%5D.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I originally sampled Snoopy’s several years ago, and as I
recall, I wasn’t really impressed. Because of that, and another issue I’ll
discuss a little later, I haven’t really been back. However, if I’m going to
review Carolina Hot Dogs, Snoopy’s is definitely a location to include.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">With a hankering for dogs and a mostly open mind, I decided
to hit the original Snoopy’s at the corner of Whitaker Mill and Wake Forest
Roads, just a few miles east of Five Points. It's a small building, a converted service station, with a walk- window for ordering and another for picking up. Because there are no public rest rooms, there are no tables or chairs for dining. (I used the trunk of my car.)</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In keeping with my taste and
tradition, I added coleslaw to the mustard, onion, and chili of the standard
Snoopy’s Famous Hot Dog. At just over two bucks, these dogs are a small bit
more expensive than most others I’ve sampled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I unwrapped my order, and the slaw was a bit
suspicious-looking. It was hard to tell if it was home-made or bought. Even
upon tasting, I wasn’t completely sure, but if it wasn’t home-made, it was
probably the best purchased slaw I’ve ever had. If it was home-made, it was
sufficient, but not awesome. It blended well with the chili, onions, and
mustard and made for a pretty respectable dog, certainly better than the ones I
had remembered. The chili was tasty, but it didn’t seem as meaty as I typically
like, but again, it worked. I did enjoy the hot dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoXsvFYPBRTHFDhxmoYsDOScjbB6H3pMM6JF84_B5gcWfjMk9VPq6whIqVelxdvk5NTqwLHMzB3n9e01h5VzfylG17khDUrAY2jyVI0g2DnFPWNp89hOel5kXMinUSGef_PCApnGX4sVn/s1600/IMG_3798%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoXsvFYPBRTHFDhxmoYsDOScjbB6H3pMM6JF84_B5gcWfjMk9VPq6whIqVelxdvk5NTqwLHMzB3n9e01h5VzfylG17khDUrAY2jyVI0g2DnFPWNp89hOel5kXMinUSGef_PCApnGX4sVn/s640/IMG_3798%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">And I would probably go back. Might go back. Depending on my
mood. If my hankering for a Snoopy’s dog out-weighed my political conscience,
that is. You see, there’s a message board/marquee out front, and through the
years, most of its content has been innocuous—like it was the day I visited for
this review—but many times it has featured conservative political comments that
tend to rub me the wrong way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It seems like a business owner would want to appeal to as
many customers as possible. Liberal money spends just as well as conservative.
Atheist and agnostic money, as well as Christian. The same with black and white,
Islamic and Hindu. It’s like playing a biased newscast in a business. Wouldn’t
it be better to aim at non-offensive—unless a business owner is happy to settle
for a specific niche (see Chick-fil-a and Barilla).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Political messages aside, Snoopy’s offers a darn decent dog,
and they have some pretty enticing pricing, especially on Tuesdays and Sundays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict 3 weenies<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com01931 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27608, USA35.80726 -78.6250219.958693 -119.933615 61.655827 -37.316427000000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-31283127066770227312013-10-15T17:44:00.002-04:002021-10-05T11:51:43.596-04:00Drag Bingo<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Drag Bingo actually more of an event than a place, but the hot dogs are fabulous... and the entertainment matches!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Mary Kmart Hosts</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Hosted by the awesome Mary Kmart, <a href="http://www.aas-c.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=68" target="_blank">Drag Bingo</a> is a major fundraiser for the Alliance of AIDS Services - Carolina. AAS-C provides all kinds of support for those living with HIV/AIDS and their families and friends. The AAS-C holds Drag Bingo about six or so times a year, usually at the Durham Armory across from the Marriott and the Carolina Theatre in Downtown Durham. Upon special occasions, Drag Bingo has been at the Raleigh Civic Center, the NC State Fairgrounds, and at Golden Belt. The evening consists of traditional bingo mixed with stand-up comedy, drag performances with a new theme for each event, and great dogs rolled into one glittery fun evening.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The hot dogs are delicious and cheap. Five bucks gets you two hot dogs, a bag of chips, a sweet, and a soft drink. Purchase your special and head to the toppings table. The usual condiments are provided: mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo; but more important are the toppings that make these dogs special: freshly chopped onions and home-made coleslaw and home-made chili.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I've always said one of the most important components to a great Carolina Hot Dog is the slaw, and the slaw here is always fresh and creamy, seasoned perfectly. The chili, too, is tasty and freshly home-made. It's really hard to find something about the chili or slaw that isn't divine. Truly delicious!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Three Carolina Hot Dogs</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">You do have to purchase a ticket to get in. Currently, admission is $20. It includes several games of bingo, several dazzling drag performances, and off-the-cuff comedy between the host(esses) that make it worth the cost of entry. Add to that the fact that all the money raised goes to support those living with HIV and AIDS, not to mention access to some of the best hot dogs in the Triangle. That's the makings of a fun--and tasty--night out.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Don't miss some of my favorite weenies!</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 5 weenies</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/s493/fivenvisible.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="493" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/w200-h64/fivenvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0220 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701, USA35.997813 -78.90163899999998935.997411 -78.902269499999989 35.998215 -78.901008499999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-72468176940536963392013-09-05T19:53:00.001-04:002021-10-05T11:51:28.867-04:00Hot Diggity DogzMy partner and I spent a week in Surf City this summer, and tooling around the island one evening, we spotted a tiny hot dog stand named Hot Diggity Dogz. It was after hours, and they were closed; but I decided we’d have to hit it during our stay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZral1VARyGD8UG0pkUhL0SkLqhJnmRPrGX1q_GsXvV0H_SAJ-9huha-zEIgaZCMrM10DzoW1BvTuuUyA3I4vMAZJE7fo092zEeA76YG6gLy9GqKpJg8KuLHx-VxAM9ZdKs6vK_Xj-mEbW/s1600/IMG_3340.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="photo of Hot Diggety Dogz from the street" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZral1VARyGD8UG0pkUhL0SkLqhJnmRPrGX1q_GsXvV0H_SAJ-9huha-zEIgaZCMrM10DzoW1BvTuuUyA3I4vMAZJE7fo092zEeA76YG6gLy9GqKpJg8KuLHx-VxAM9ZdKs6vK_Xj-mEbW/s400/IMG_3340.JPG" title="Hot Diggity Dogz" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, one scorching afternoon, debating lunch options, we decided to visit. The dogs all have beachy-cute names like Shaggy Dog, Carolina Dog, Beach Dog, etc. except for ones named for hot dogs of a specific city, like the Chicago dog. All dogs are three bucks, and the stand also offers canned soft drinks, shaved ice, and nachos.<br />
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Hot Diggity Dogz is indeed a hot dog stand. If you don't want yours to go, there are a couple of picnic tables and a shelf where you can eat. We ate at a picnic table, but we had the hardest time finding the trash. It was out by the street.<br />
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As we walked up, the man inside promised the best hot dog we had ever eaten. In fact, their slogan is: “The best seven inches you’ll ever get.” At three bucks, they ought to be good, and I have to say they were. The best I’ve ever eaten? Well, that’s a tough title to earn.<br />
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I opted for a couple Beach Dogs: mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. My partner opted for a couple of different dogs, the names of which escape me. One featured a ketchuppy relish that did very little for me and the other was a chili cheese dog.<br />
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As you may have heard me say, you can tell a lot about a hot dog from the slaw. Hot Diggity Dogz’ slaw was not necessarily traditional, but it was very good. I could tell it was made fresh. The chili also seemed fresh and created with care. The wieners were all-beef, so they were a bit “fancier” than the red ones that normally lie under Carolina toppings—and I like beef franks, so I was pleased.<br />
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Though the prices were a bit steep, it’s good to know that I can get a pretty good hot dog at the beach.<br />
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My verdict: 4 weenies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br />
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</div></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com5103 South Shore Drive, Surf City, NC 28445, USA34.425734 -77.5454358.9036994999999983 -118.854029 59.947768499999995 -36.236841tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-33793301474654881652012-12-11T17:09:00.001-05:002021-10-05T11:55:31.056-04:00Joe's Diner<br />
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For several months now, I’ve seen references to Joe’s Diner in historic East Durham. I drove by once to make sure I knew where it was;then, about a week ago, I decided to give it a try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joe’s diner is located at the corner of Angier Avenue and Driver Street in a commercial area that has seen brighter days. Joe's Diner,though, hints that the worst of days has past and the area is back on the rise.Certainly, the hip foodie chatter I’ve heard won’t hurt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I arrived early enough to try a combination of items from the breakfast and lunch menu. After discerning the ordering protocol, I placed my order at the cash register, found a seat, and waited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After a moderate wait, my food arrived. The breakfast left me uninspired, but I’m here to talk about hot dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had the Judge Dog, originally ordered without ketchup, but served with ketchup, after all. The wiener was pretty big and dense, the kind that snaps when you bite it. Even among all-beef dogs, this was more a deli-dog than a skinless Nathan’s, Hebrew National, or Sabrett’s. The slaw was fresh and tasty. The chili had a good flavor, but it wasn’t meaty like a Carolina Dog would normally be. A large bun accommodated the wiener and generous toppings,and the whole thing required a knife and a fork.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The prices were pretty staggering. The cheapest dog is a basic hot dog for $2.50. Most of the dogs are quarter pounders, and they ring in at $4.25 and up. They ARE bigger, and they are all beef, but the prices seem steep for a hot dog.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I thought the Judge Dog would be the closest to a Carolina Dog, and it may be, but it really wasn’t a Carolina dog. For the concoction it was, I thought it was pretty darn good, but compared to a Carolina Hot Dog, I felt it fell short.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My verdict 3 weenies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com02100 Angier Avenue, Durham, NC 27703, USA35.981860999999988 -78.8777800000000335.981860999999988 -78.87778000000003 35.981860999999988 -78.87778000000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-49486357005286617202012-08-08T16:03:00.001-04:002021-10-05T11:56:25.358-04:00King's Court Frankfurter Express<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It's been a while since I've updated CarolinaHotDog.com. I've been out of town, mostly spending time with my partner who is home for the summer. We've done a bit of travelling over the past several weeks, and that includes a couple of hot dog experiences I want to share.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The first is in San Antonio, where I spent several days while my partner took a course on teaching AP Physics. I decided to Yelp! for hot dogs and found a place that really interested me: Dirty Dogz. The eatery is in a shopping center that seems to be created from old train cars, tucked behind some larger buildings on one of the major north/south streets in San Antonio. Not only was the place hard to find, it was closed for vacation the week I was there. The handwritten note on the door indicated it would re-open the day I left, but it didn't. In short, no idea how their dogs are, but their desire to be open seems questionable.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The next hot doggery I found was King's Court Frankfurter Express, a hot dog stand made from an older home... complete with a white picket fence and twists and turns inside from dining area to dining area. When I arrived it was dark and quiet except for a friendly guy working as order taker, cashier, and chef.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The choices were nearly endless and overwhelming, and I didn't immediately see anything resembling a Carolina Dog. I let took the friendly guy's suggestion and ordered the Heaven dog, a brat with grilled onions, home-made guacamole, and mayo. Sadly, on that trip I didn't notice the trimmings bar and just ate the dog "as is." As is, it wasn't bad, cloud-like, actually. It kind of sounds heavy, but it wasn't. It was mostly a fluffy canvas that would have been great if I had added some kick--perhaps pico de gallo or peppers.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">After leaving, I regretted that I hadn't tried the toppings, and I regretted I hadn't tried other dogs... So I returned the next day. By this time, I'd reviewed their menu online, and I wasn't overwhelmed. In fact, I found their slaw dog: a 100% beef hot dog, covered with chili and "creamery" coleslaw.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">KCFE features three different kinds of chili: Texas chili, Coney Island chili, and Cincinnati chili. Unless otherwise specified, the slaw dog comes with Texas chili, and it really is similar to the Texas Pete chili readily available in cans in North Carolina. Their Cincinnati chili is made in-house with a recipe reminiscent of Skyline Chili, and the Coney Island chili is also made in-house, more of a Greek chili, the beefy chili I grew up on here in NC.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The slaw dog was tasty concoction. I do prefer the Coney Island chili, but the combination was still pretty good. I added a little pico de gallo and loved it. Still wanting to try their Coney Island chili, I ordered one Hot Dog Express, a dog with or without chili and enjoyed it with onions and mustard; another win.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It was great to find a hot dog stand so far away from home that offered not only their take on my familiar favorites but several other combinations to make my mouth water. If I'm ever back in San Antonio, I'll be sure to go back... for hot dogs and conversation. What a great find!</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My verdict: 4 weenies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/s401/fourinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="401" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jLWtHfP7enub5Z_7lMlZCa8JdpA-HIyJ-V7VHJM4I1xETztDvCVJA523VBGb2FJZE5pOBqDCEhSXCCn9b-4ogNGnOw84q45SoV6MZO-MnseOX9Ho-JokWqlwwoIDBiO3ToIqfd99m65e/w200-h79/fourinvisible.png" width="200" /></a><br /></span><br /><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0111 Kings Court, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA29.4529656 -98.48505119999998729.4529656 -98.485051199999987 29.4529656 -98.485051199999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-57372540469249337052012-06-29T22:02:00.004-04:002021-10-05T11:57:13.986-04:00Restaurant Starlu<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">a dearly departed dog</span></i><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Restaurant Starlu was a great eatery near my home. Their regular fare was a bit above my everyday price range, but they had a late night menu with a pricey burger and a couple of less expensive hot dogs.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">On our anniversary one year, my partner and I decided to hit the late night Starlu menu. We decided to spurge and split the burger, and someone at the bar suggested we try one of the hot dogs. The name escapes me, but the description was unforgettable: an all beef hot dog, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, served with peanut butter, mayo, and red onion...</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It sounded downright weird, if not disgusting to some. I grew up on peanut butter and banana sandwiches with mayo, so I was pretty sure that combo would be awesome. I love onions, so that might not be bad. And... well... bacon... Duh.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We timidly ordered one. It was gone so quickly we had another. I know. It wasn't a real Carolina Hot Dog, but it was such a darn good... and memorable.. dog that it earned a ranking among the<i> dearly departed dogs</i>...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My lower-carb homage to dearly departed Starlu's creation</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Despite the fact I can't remember the name, that dog will forever stick in my memory. Perhaps, Sam Poley will stumble across this post and let us know what they called it...</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">My verdict: 5 weenies</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/s493/fivenvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="493" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlqMk7SEib8laVRsFLWAguonw_KmQl_pi9tVAf2_FCUpt2zLQeDPX5qEakPgrem_hWsycl_197eIzhzJ_S9pSSABg_wBUHybzlCQWbIYagjWfjpyj4zchrO4P0WF7RaYj0Iyp2uaoVYvx/w200-h64/fivenvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com03211 Shannon Road, Durham, NC 27707, USA35.964642 -78.95465835.964642 -78.954658 35.964642 -78.954658tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134781477586899995.post-73024387736454492132012-06-22T11:38:00.003-04:002021-10-05T11:58:24.830-04:00Hot Dogs & Brew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BFpLHtiQm5NjFjZgn89ISrvBK-h96WrPTVVdZWz7msZBV4DGBkHoDNTZz4l1PJl3lZ5H91S7-V2FYorknRGrmWlC6aOd3euljd3PaVxIJuxA2lW4Mw86RW-JhBDtmAKX-kiIZWiWPRrp/s640/blogger-image-1971676592.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BFpLHtiQm5NjFjZgn89ISrvBK-h96WrPTVVdZWz7msZBV4DGBkHoDNTZz4l1PJl3lZ5H91S7-V2FYorknRGrmWlC6aOd3euljd3PaVxIJuxA2lW4Mw86RW-JhBDtmAKX-kiIZWiWPRrp/s640/blogger-image-1971676592.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A few days ago, I searched Yelp for hot dog establishments in the area. I do that from time to time to keep up to date in my quest for the perfect dog. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a new hot dog restaurant in Chapel Hill.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DOyfmzBIEBMDQtpprwNeUAtDIcUHIkmZERGyFuEuEx-WGB39zSNoUsr8LESrMEjAjogVi9iN5yzWuqZuyngpFbma6i9vfZMjodSs9MOwF3KmH9Wj9NrXZcRaXWhM4jDIwD7-P2UJKmyH/s640/blogger-image--173192236.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DOyfmzBIEBMDQtpprwNeUAtDIcUHIkmZERGyFuEuEx-WGB39zSNoUsr8LESrMEjAjogVi9iN5yzWuqZuyngpFbma6i9vfZMjodSs9MOwF3KmH9Wj9NrXZcRaXWhM4jDIwD7-P2UJKmyH/s400/blogger-image--173192236.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you're a pedestrian in Chapel Hill, Hot Dogs & Brew is easy to get to, but if you drive, it takes a bit more effort to find a good parking space. I parked in the garage near the old Post Office and took Post Office Alley to get to Franklin Street. Other than having to pay for parking, not a bad place to park--when the garage isn't full.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The store front it self isn't much to speak of: a blue awning with the name. The half windows sport a sign that reads "GRILLED HOT DOGS." It's clean and new, not much character... yet. Only the chalk sign on the sidewalk indicates this might be worth checking out.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Inside, it's clean and spacious, a long room with tables and a couple of big screen televisions. Walking in, I felt a twinge of nostalgia. The layout is similar to the legendary Amos 'N Andy; the decor is not. It's much brighter and doesn't have wooden school desks.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The woman taking orders was friendly and could tell it was my first time there. We chatted a bit about hot dogs, and she asked about my favorites. She promised that Hot Dogs & Brew would be my new favorite. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwqN1igQeEW3igNCOcNMUP0ovijqgbtjH87G_iHBU7q_QmaquNQTYu1eMVjH8HhD7OHL_9JxW3RaK0wZv3ouGKvez2kb3IsOdIa6XKfEkPNJaT2UT-KEmLp16NtdI_NLLluVxUl8nh9X-/s640/blogger-image--1071996364.jpg" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwqN1igQeEW3igNCOcNMUP0ovijqgbtjH87G_iHBU7q_QmaquNQTYu1eMVjH8HhD7OHL_9JxW3RaK0wZv3ouGKvez2kb3IsOdIa6XKfEkPNJaT2UT-KEmLp16NtdI_NLLluVxUl8nh9X-/s400/blogger-image--1071996364.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The menu is a colorful chalk board with several "specialties," including one called Carolina's Favorite: mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. Of course I ordered one of those, and I had to try the Spicy Redneck: bacon, jalapenos, slaw and chili--as well. I took a seat and waited for my dogs to arrive.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After a bit, the woman who took my order delivered my dogs to my table. They looked good. In fact, thinking about them today makes me hungry again. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsh_7rHRuYj1TnmEZhdo4TdmWTRe_q_Wk4jb3GAsx6V21pxuiFrbTKrZ1Os8rNGsW4Enbolgu1-7q-jhfFGLNKVCr1eTysODy8TuZMHYIjsqu4ze-S8X3cPFO5CsS2x_gLgkmCNntiMAt9/s640/blogger-image-1881712008.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsh_7rHRuYj1TnmEZhdo4TdmWTRe_q_Wk4jb3GAsx6V21pxuiFrbTKrZ1Os8rNGsW4Enbolgu1-7q-jhfFGLNKVCr1eTysODy8TuZMHYIjsqu4ze-S8X3cPFO5CsS2x_gLgkmCNntiMAt9/s400/blogger-image-1881712008.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I tried the Carolina's Favorite first. <span style="background-color: white;">The bun wasn't steamed, but it was fairly fresh, so it was soft enough. The first taste I got was sweet, and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The sweet came from the slaw, which was not homemade, sadly. The chili and onions, though, almost made up for the slaw. It was a darn good hot dog. I'd have it next time without the slaw--unless they take my advice and make their slaw fresh daily.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like the Carolina's Favorite, the Spicy Redneck suffered from the slaw. Otherwise, the chili, bacon, and jalapeno were tasty combination.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The prices are a little steeper than most, in keeping with the prime location: $2.50 & $3.25. Good for the expected lunch and dinner, but I'm betting most of their business will be late night; they're open until 3AM on weekends. <span style="background-color: white;">All in all, Hot Dogs & Brew has pretty good hot dogs. They could be great with a little freshly made coleslaw.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">My verdict: 3 weenies</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/s298/threeinvisible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="298" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcREhijBOgSe86YpOa8iU7cip68TkHC_gw4EDJNaVxnEK5vQb1fk5EMi1EpERm8E-foHWkoVNM2GW0L3HKTcp6JRvxyCqJ71UFvthiep-2pytZZ9uI1Um_aUa-dmF9oOIDHfitWOupP0tO/w200-h106/threeinvisible.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">UPDATE: Sadly, the lack of homemade slaw may have done them in. This hot dog stand is history.</span></div>
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CarolinaHotDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11372564176526869676noreply@blogger.com0169 E Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA35.9722081 -79.0475559000000235.9722081 -79.04755590000002 35.9722081 -79.04755590000002