I've been on a tear lately for hot dogs. I started asking around and doing some Internet research about hot dogs here in Maine. One place that came to my notice was Bolleys Famous Franks in Hallowell, ME; near the state capitol Augusta. I hopped in my car and drove the 80 miles to Hallowell to see what the fuss was all about.
I finally arrived at my destination and perused the menu. I asked a few questions of the counter girl and decided to order a dog with mustard and fried onions, a chili cheese dog with mustard, small orders of both fries and onion rings, and a large chocolate milk. My order was packed up nicely in a few styrofoam clam-shells and I headed outside to plant myself at a picnic table.
The fried onion dog was mighty tasty with a nice snap to it from the natural casing. The mustard was the typical boring yellow stuff, but the onions had a nice caramelized sweetness to them. The chili cheese dog was very good, with some of the best hot dog chili I've had. It was real chili with a nice bit of cumin and a little heat. Meat, beans, maybe some onions, in a dark red sauce. Instead of that faux cheese sauce squirted on top, there were some slices of white American cheese layered under the dog and starting to melt nicely.
The onion rings were a bit bland. I'm all in favor of sweet onions like Vidalia's, but a more assertive yellow onion is a must for onion rings. Sadly, these seemed to be the former. They were very hot, fresh, crisp, and obviously hand made, not a frozen product. I'd like to try them again some time made with yellow, not sweet onions. The fries surprised me, they were the best part of the experience. Definitely twice cooked, they were brown and crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. You could tell that the person working the fryer knew their stuff. Both the onion rings and fries were cooked to perfection, but with the fries they rose to transcendence. They had that real earthy potato taste from a russet style Maine potato that made you sit up and say, " Man these are some great fries!" The hot dogs that I found good on their own, became excellent when paired with the fries, and the icy chocolate milk was the perfect accompaniment. I snapped a few photos, finished my meal, and sat back in the sun to relax for a few minutes before completing my 160 mile round trip for lunch.
6-27-2008 @10:53AM aelphaba said... As a fellow Mainer (and Camden native)(and ok, I was even friends with one of the Wass kids) I am surprised that Moody's hot dog plate has not been mentioned. I mean if Tim Sample can make a comedy record about it....
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6-27-2008 @9:43PM bob said... WTF is up with the hot dog buns up in new england. I was in New Hampshire last month for a cookout and the buns looked like they were a piece of bread someone folded in half. A couple times I've noticed pics of them on here...
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6-28-2008 @6:31AM JMForester said... bob- They are New England style, top sliced buns. That's them up above. They are actually better than side sliced buns since they don't tend to break in half at the fold, and hold condiments better since they don't soak through as easy since they have more bread at the fold. I became a solic convert the other day when I made dogs with both types of buns and the side sliced ones broke apart much easier, spilling out the dogs and condiments messily. -JMF-
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6-28-2008 @6:32AM JMForester said... aelphaba- I never heard of moody's hot dog plate (and no one I asked has either) and I don't think much of their food anyway. They may have been good decades ago, but not any of the times I have been there in the past 15 years. -JMF-
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6-29-2008 @10:57PM Marilouise said... Maine has the best hot dogs any where. We always called them "snappy dogs"because they have the natural casings. And the buns that can be grilled on both sides make every other bun sad by comparison. Now I'm homesick, I was born in Maine but have lived in Michigan for the last 25 years. The also have the best Italian sandwiches, and don't get me started on the seafood......steamed clams mmmmmmm!
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6-29-2008 @8:20PM gman said... yea,being a transplant from chicago living in ma. i can't get used to these buns. thanks the to the hot dog gods a true chicago style hotdog place has opened in weymouth. a properly prepared bun won't split. i thought they were maid special for kids.
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6-29-2008 @8:45PM Andrea said... I was reading the way of topping hot dogs around the world, I'm from Chile, and of course the chilean hot dogs are great, the mashed avocado on top (not guacamole,that is mexican)plus mayo and tomatoes, (ketchup is an extra) is the way to go on chile, (Called also Italian or Completo)they also eat them with sauerkraut, not the sweet type...You can find them in every street corner of the capital, and is the easiest and cheaper way to eat lunch, spend a dollar in a hot dog and a soda.
Very proud of our dogs, that our burgers must have all these things : )
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6-29-2008 @8:59PM solomeeeo said... Give me a Nathan's all beef and smother it in nothing but mustard!
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6-29-2008 @10:53PM jsprusso said... Colombian hot dog? Where the hell are the quail eggs? I'll head out the door right now and get a picture of one
- Armenia Colombia, SA.
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6-30-2008 @12:12AM Uncle Duke said... Blasphemy! The only true hot dog is the Chicago style hot dog, preferably a Vienna or at the very least a Best Kosher or a Sinai 48, poppy seed bun, bright green relish, bright yellow mustard, chopped onion, two half circles of thinly slice tomato, a slender spear of crisp Kosher pickle, the obligatory two (I prefer three)sport peppers and the dash of celery salt. All other variants are merely artless gut-bombs of no redeeming value whatsoever, although I might have to give a nod to a classic Nathan's, but only as a last resort.
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6-30-2008 @12:28AM Skip said... Two hot dogs, M O C, Please. Mustard Onions and Chili.
And, even this simple southern dog disguises the dog itself.
Baseball dogs, I guess are closest to the real concept. Bun, dog, Mustard and Ketchup.
All these others seem to exhibit so many combined flavors as to lose the dog completely. Can you taste the weenie under all the other flavors? Legitimate question, I have not been exposed to these treats.
There used to be a chain called Lum's. Anybody that old here?
The gimic---weenies boiled in beer. The law caused problems with selling to minors. Even though commom sense tells you the alcohol is boiled off before the water even boils itself. They had to relent.
Ultimately, the Chili makes the dog for me.
AND a comment on the bun.
Now a days. After fighting to get the bun open it splits anyway. So, why not split it and grill it? Sounds good to me.
Skip
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6-30-2008 @5:50PM d706 said... You can't beat a Vienna Hot Dog in Chicago ILL. The best I have ever had and I have had them all over the world.Nathans is a close second in New York. Dave.
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6-30-2008 @7:36PM Harold Harriman said... In central New England for many yeas the only hot dog to eat was ESSEM made in Lawrence MA. Natural casing and skinless made in many sizes they were served in most restaurants. Alas the company was sold out and the dogs are almost extinct, as far as I know they are only sold in the deli section now. The only roll to eat them on is the New England "Salad Roll" the proper vehicle for a Lobster roll also. Living in Florida now I have to stock up when I visit and bring them home along with some Essems if I can get them.
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6-30-2008 @9:39PM Skip said... Post #13
Harold Harriman said...
In central New England for many yeas the only hot dog to eat was ESSEM made in Lawrence MA. Natural casing and skinless made in many sizes they were served in most restaurants.
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Please clarify.. If it has a natural casing (pig gut)... How is it skinless??? Or, do you mean two different styles? Natural casing OR skinless?
THX
SKIP
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7-01-2008 @8:29AM gman said... the place in weymouth. is using vienna dogs with the poppy seed bun,neon green relish sport peppers,tomato,pickle and the celery salt.
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7-01-2008 @2:53PM Harold Harriman said... ESSEM made both natural casing and skinless dogs of many sizes, I read on google where the brand name and I suppose the recipes was acquired by KAYEM from Tyson foods. Maybe they will be more available again with a regional owner.
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7-25-2008 @6:53PM donna murawski said... buffalo area - Sahleln's hot dogs are the best. I have tasted the "best" from many areas of the country and you can't beat a Sahlen's hot dog available here. Your judges should make the effort to have these as part of the
taste test and I guarantee you will be wishing you lived in western new york. FAmous hot dog stands which have added establishments in other areas of the country have these shipped in to accomodate the
new area "hot dog lovers".
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