we've been lazy...

sorry, there's more posts to come but in the mean time, this will blow your mind:

Mini Corn Dog Bites @ The EARL

The EARL, as previously mentioned on the blog, has changed around the menu a bit. There's a new hot dog item, the mini corn dog bite. Its everything you'd hoped it would be...although i wish they had a jalapeño version. While I don't feel this warrants a full review, it was definitely worth mentioning.

The Hot Dog King - Austin, TX

I was in Austin this past weekend for the Maker Faire and had the incredible privilege to score some dog's from the Hot Dog King (actually, it was the queen and one of his princes that served us).



It was my buddy Nick (pictured), who had the stroke of genius to suggest we grab some food from The King. Unfortunately they were out of some of their more famous combos, due to someone forgetting to get the dogs, but what we had was absolutely fantastic. The Hot Dog King is a family run business, made up of several carts in downtown Austin. We had a chance to talk to the two Hot Dog Princes and they are totally into hot dogs. Very knowledgeable about their product. The King offers many varieties including veggie dogs, which have a reputation for being fantastic.



I chose the incredible 8" Bulldog that includes chili and cheese. I also threw some kraut and pickles in the mix. First off, the roll was incredible. Really, it was a proper Northeastern Hoagie roll....normally this would be too much bread for a dog, but the hot dog itself was huge! It had a very fresh, butcher shop kinda vibe to it, and actually almost felt healthy (okay, so not at all, due to the awesome chili and cheese). Really, I have nothing bad to say about the Bulldog.



Nick went for the Elgin jalapeño cheddar dog. (that's jalapeños and cheddar inside and out!). A smaller, but certainly no less awesome dog. The roll was a mini version of the Bulldog, and the stuffed elgin sausage was insanely tasty. I could have dealt with the addition of some onions, but it wasn't my order.

Needless to say, I love the Hot Dog King. Since most of my ratings on this site are really based on a scale from 0 - Yacco's (also hot dog royalty - there will be a post next time I make it home to Pennsylvania) this is a deservedly high rating. I can't really seem to come up with anything that isn't positive to say about The King. I really look forward to hitting them up next month, when hopefully the famed Mad Dogs will be in stock.

Holy freaking smothered hot dog, batman

Old Hickory House, Dunwoody, Ga

The sign out front exclaims: "Put a little south in your mouth" and that's exactly what I did.

My choice: the smothered dog, which comes in two varieties: chili, and Brunswick stew which I ordered purely out of curiosity. The concept is awesome, and it looked fantastic, unfortunately the taste left a little something to be desired. I think it was the flavor of the hot dog, which was very unique, and would be excellent on its own, clashed with the Brunswick stew, which was also quite tasty on its own. I definitely want to go back and try the chili version. My roomate got the pulled pork sandwich, and though this is a blog dedicated to hot dogs, its worth a mention that the bbq was fantastic.

Johnny Rockets chilli dog!

I hit up Johnny Rockets in Buckhead the other day for lunch at work. Never one to turn down an opportunity for a chili dog, I immediately ordered mine with fries. Now, while I'm not really into chain restaurants, I really have to give these guys credit. They got the old school 50's diner thing down. Yeah, its nothing like you'd find in Jersey or Philly, but they cook a mean hot dog. The sauce was thing and tasty, and the chopped onions were perfect. There's also some foods that orange cheese is just made for. Similar to a Philly cheese steak with "whizz", processed cheese goes hand in hand with chili and a dog. Nice touch on the grilled bun too!

The EARL

earlDog1, originally uploaded by recompas.

Last evening, we visited the EARL (East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge) for some EARL Dogs. The EARL is located in the heart of the East Atlanta Village and is a rad place to see live music, and get some great food. They also do a pretty decent brunch on Sundays.

I (Travis) got an EARL Dog with the "works" - red and green peppers, dill relish, tomato, onion, chedder, and jalapenos and also opted to add sauerkraut and chili.





EARL Dogs are decently sized grilled hot dogs and there are many options to choose for toppings (any combination of the "works"). Chris chose an EARL Dog with cheddar and onions.












While I really dug my order, I think adding the sauerkraut was a little bit overkill in the tangy flavor department. Along with the dill relish, which is quite strong, it was too much tart flavoring. This was totally due to user error. The chili was really good, and I really wish there was more of it. I think next time, following Chris's lead and going for a more simple, classic dog is best.





While what kept this hotdog from being perfect was mostly due to my own errors, I still think there is room for improvement. I give my dog a 3/5.





Sorry about the iPhone pics. Next time we'll bring a nicer camera!

Skip's in Avondale

Skip's in Avondale, originally uploaded by recompas.

Doggin And Bloggin, Part I - Skip's Hot dogs, Avondale, GA

What better way to power through a Saturday morning hangover than with authentic Chicago dogs from Skip's. Nestled in the sweet bosom of scenic Avondale, Skip's has been around since 1979, seriving some damn authentic hot dogs.


Pickles, pepper and celery salt....the only thing missing is the poppy seed bun. The interior is reminiscent of the old school fast food establishments. No flashy screens, talking characters, strange sauces, just good old fashioned hotdogs and hand-made milkshakes.


Travis rated his Skip's dog a 4/5.




Next up: The EARL Dog!