Viva La Hot Dog!!

We Salute You, National Hot Dog Day

2011-07-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

July 23rd marked National Hot Dog Day.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a HUGE holiday person. HUUUUUUGE. And this new holiday I learned about is a winner. A huuuuge winner.

If you think about it, National Hot Dog Day is more than just a holiday. It celebrates America, one hot dog at a time. It is only fitting that this dog gets its day.

To honor this winning holiday, I hosted a National Hot Dog Day Celebration at my house. On Saturday, a dozen people attended (the wiener club + significant others, and a few honored guests) arrived at 6pm to ring in this special day.

Around the World Wieners/Hot Dog Buffet:

The Parisian: Sliced pears, melted brie, honey, balsamic, hot dog, all in a sweet bun. Amour!

Pizza Dog: Pepperoni, marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, crushed red peppers, hot dog, wrapped up in a french roll. Mangia!

La Mexican: Jalapenos, crumbled bacon, siracha/mayo. Ay Ay Ay!

(no picture taken, oopsies).

We also had the "every day condiments" and some others thrown in for fun... so people such as my husband could make their own variation (con queso, pepperoni, jalapenos, bacon, 2 wieners, 1 sweet bun, messy face).

Yes, he had two hot dogs of the same "variation".

Here are some snapshots of the spread:

Sliced Pears, Sliced Brie, Crumbled Bacon, Sliced Jalapenos

Marina, Fresh Mozz, Pepperoni

A snapshot of the overall spread

We Salute You Hebrew Nationals & Sweet Chicken Apple Sausages

French Rolls & Sweet Buns

Greek Salad

"Secret" Pasta Salad

All that was left for "Round 2"

Before Wiener Wednesdays, every time I'd order a hot dog I'd get the usual: a pound of ketchup, a splash of yellow mustard, sometimes a dash of relish to give it some green color. I never stepped outside of my hot dog boundary. And then... something happened. When WW was born, we had just wanted to try hot dogs from locations all over the Phoenix area. And then we started realizing: the more unique hot dogs we tried, the better tasting they usually were! So now, I go for the odd hot dogs; the ones with fruits, the ones with cheeses I can't pronounce, the ones with coconut shavings, the ones with "secret" ingredients, the ones that taste BEST. This is why I'm voting that The Parisian was absolutely the best hot dog served on Saturday night: it was out-of-this-world. I woke up craving the warm brie, the drizzle of honey, the snap of the crisp grilled hot dog mixing with the soft sweet bun.

A dozen of us sat around eating hot dogs from our bright yellow & red hot dog trays, drinking beer, and playing apples to apples. The grand finale was supposed to be this hot dog cake recipe I had found online, but one of the girls wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, at 6:08 (8 minutes after the 6pm start time of saluting the hot dog), I got a text message with the following:

"umm hot dog cake fail. I'm realllly sorry but I have no dessert to bring" with this picture attached -->

My husband sometimes refers to me as "Patty Planner" because I'm anal about any sort of planning in my life, especially when it comes to events. But, knowing that everyone would stuff their face with the hot dog bar, I took a deep breath (namaste), stretched (this was mainly for my stomachs benefit seeing as I knew how many hot dogs I'd be consuming within the hour) and whipped up chocolate chip cookies.

Most guests left after a few hours, and the stragglers stayed behind until midnight. This is about 3 hours past my bedtime... so when I fell asleep, it was with a full belly and images of hot dogs dancing through my dreams. Until my nightmare, when a giant hot dog cake knocked on my door, to eat me.

Hope you had as amazing of a National Hot Dog Day as we all did!!

Hungry for hot dogs? Here is some amazing wiener trivia to memorize and keep up your sleeve:

-Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Franklin Roosevelt have served hot dogs at official White House functions.
-Sara Lee made a hot dog that measured 1,996 feet to celebrate the 1996 Olympics. It took over 2000 buns to hold the huuuuuge hot dog!
-The first hot dog was rumored to have been created in Frankfurt, Germany. However, the citizens of Vienna (wien) have declared they created the first dog!
-During baseball season, Americans consume over 26 million dogs.
-When polled on "what should be done with condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog" the Hot Dog & Sausage Council ruled you should "lick them away" as proper etiquette.

Bringing Home the Bacon (or in this case, the hot dogs)

2011-07-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since we last blogged, and I apologize. Contrary to popular belief, work has got the best of me lately, and I rarely find myself with time to blog. Its either a quick catch up on facebook, or blogging about hot dogs. And, unfortunately, facebook always wins out. As much as I love hot dogs, I also love creeping peoples latest photos & wall posts. But, I digress...

After our outstanding experience at JP's Doghouse, we knew we needed to bring home the bacon. Not in the monetary sense, but in the actual pigs-body-parts sense. We wanted to bring JP out to our place of business. Since we started Wiener Wednesday a couple months ago, our office has had the misfortune of listening to the handful of us go on & on about hot dogs each week. Case in point: "WIENER WEDNESDAY!!!!" Zach usually yells. "WIENER WEDNESDAY" the wiener club chants back. And we all horse-gallop into our caravan awaiting us in the parking lot. We cause a huge, obnoxious, and completely uncalled for scene before we speed away to our newest location. We usually make an even more ridiculous scene when we return from our lunch hour: car tires get rolled down the hallway, people push each other out of the way for the nearest restroom, and the aroma and remnants from lunch linger on our clothes as we begin to describe the "amazing lunch we had, but you didn't have" to everyone who sits at their desk, diligently working during their lunch hour. "WIENER WEDNESDAY RULES"

So, it was only out of the kindness of our hearts that we asked SheKnows to bring in JP, to feed all the hard working souls that have to deal with our insufferable behavior. So to review the timeline: Wednesday we ate at JP's. Thursday we asked the BMOC (big man on campus) to allow JP's to come out with his cart. On Friday, JP arrived. To the left, you will see the AMAZING view from my office window. That is the man, the myth, the legend... JP setting up shop in our parking lot.

We requested the summer special to be served, as well as the notorious chili cheese dog, and basic condiments. Slowly, all employees filtered out of the building and into the scorching 100 degrees, to get a small taste of what Wiener Wednesday was all about.

This entry is going to be full of pictures.... please see below.

The line starts!

The line grows!

JP doing what he does best.

The Summer Special - a party in your mouth!

2 wieners 1 bun trick.

Attempting to eat the 2 wieners 1 bun

Such a wiener woofer...

Some of the Wiener Club, loving life.

It was one of the best Fridays we've had in a long time. Everyone indulged/over indulged in JP's hot dogs, chips, cookies, and tasty treats. When lunch came to an end, we all came back inside to the AC and remainder of the work day, counting down the minutes until the weekend starts.

If we're lucky... we will have JP out here a few more times this year since it was such a big hit. We all know how difficult it is to come to a "what are we ordering for lunch today" decision.

(Hot) Dog Days of Summer

2011-06-08T14:29:00.004-07:00

Zach wanted the title of this blog to be "Girthy Dogs and Moist Cakes" but he was vetoed. Immediately.

I got a tip from an old coworker at the end of last week; she emailed me about a hot dog vendor that sets up his cart-shop on the corner of Bethany Home & 15th street, every Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday from 11am-1pm. To some, the mention of the hot dog cart can be dismal and diarrhea-inducing, and to others just plain mundane - New Yorkers pass a hot dog cart about as often as a Scottsdalian (?) passes a Starbucks. However, it was her description of that day's daily special that intrigued us - "Today's special is the 'summer dog' - grilled peaches, goat cheese & balsamic onions. I know it sounds weird but delicious." No Mia, that did not sound weird at all. That sounded amazing. I clicked fwd and sent the information to the group in a calendar invite for this Wednesday, and all accepted within minutes.

Within the time period of sending out that email and attending Wiener Wednesday - we had hired a new girl for our department.... who.... didn't....like....hot dogs. Not only did she come and kick me out of my old office - but the real blow came when she announced her hatred of the HOT DOG. Her excuse was that she was a cart girl at a golf course for many years, and the thought of hot dogs being served all day made her nauseous. It made the rest of our group hungry.

After talking her into a trial taste-testing with our group, she then had the audacity to ask if she could write an entry for the blog. Blasphemy! I stormed out of my old office and into my new one; my world was slowing spiraling out of control. It wasn't until I arrived today at JP's that my axis stopped tilting and all was right in the world. I even got to watch the new girl eat an entire Jumbo Dog, without ralfing. However I have to admit, I wouldn't have minded a little side curb action. At this point, she deserved it. (Just kidding Kylie, I love you girl).

At first, we drove right past 15th street and screamed in horror as the man and his hot dog cart faded in our rear view, along with our (hot) dog days of summer dreams. However, within a blink of an eye, Zach had spun the car in a 180 and we were back on track. Quickly parallel parking his car (apparently we needed to get as close to the cart as physically possible), we got out and stepped right on up to the cart. Fairly disappointed, we found out that the Summer Special was not on the menu. But, we were greeted with a smile and the smell of jumbo dogs on the grill, as well as a promise that the Summer Special will make its comeback next Wednesday for us. This quaint hot dog cart lived up to it's recommendation. The jumbo dogs were perfectly grilled, the bun was right on par, and the condiments were excellent.

The orders were placed as followed:

Zach: A special - Jumbo Chili Dog w/onions & cheese

Sara, Alex & Kylie: A special - Jumbo Italian Dog (peppers, onions, mozz cheese)

Amy: Jumbo Dog with onions & mustard

Renee: Jumbo Dog with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mustard & mozz cheese

We completely enjoyed our JPs Doghouse experience - and are going to go back next week for the Summer Special!

A little boy enjoying a special treat -hot dog day with his dad! And Kylie, showing us that she finished her entire hot dog! Good job kids! :)

And, just incase we weren't full enough yet - we made a pit stop on the way back from JP's.

Cupcakes anyone?

JPS - 9.0 / 10

The newest member of our group... the WIENER WHEEL!!!

2011-05-19T14:56:00.002-07:00

Meet Walter the Wiener Wheel!!

Dear to our hearts, this little fellow was left in the middle of the road to fight for his life. Thankfully as we left Luke's, our day took a turn for the awesome, because we found him stranded and decided he would become part of our group. I lept out of the car, and if anyone from up above was watching, they were able to witness a 2011 version of Frogger, live in action. Weaving in and out of semi's, women on bicycles, hot air balloons, and heavy jet stream.... I was able to rescue Walter from the road and toss him in to the car. Remnants of oil, crap, garbage, and dirt stained my jeans and the back of Amys car... but it was well worth it. We gained a wheel. A wiener wheel.

Oh Walter, you're so funny!

The Wiener Wheel will be passed down to a member of the group each week - there is no set standards, requirements, or specifications. Sometimes it's the best order, sometimes its the dedication, sometimes its the gossip they bring to the lunch table. It's up in the air for now...as well as also sitting in Renee & I's office. Come on by and wish Walter the Wiener Wheel a warm welcome!

Luke's of Chicago

2011-05-19T14:43:00.005-07:00

Truth be told, this last WW doesn't stand out among the crowd. We were one ~~chode~~ man short (Renee, again) and everything was a tad on the greasy side. Grease doesn't necessary = bad, in most cases.... grease = good. But, I should have known we were in for a wild ride when Zach's hot dog came out first, and as he walked to the counter to grab some napkins, his hot dog had dripped grease down his plate, onto his chair, and then down to the floor. It kind of reminded me of that song "On top of Spaghetti... all covered with cheese... I lost my poor meatball, til somebody sneezed"... except we are talking about the meat, not the potatoes (wieners, not balls.) But it was covered with cheese, and the grease drippings for SURE rolled down onto the floor. Nobody had to sneeze though, this all occurred on its own doing.

Amy ordered a bratwurst, only to take a bite and remember... she doesn't even like bratwursts. Minus one for her.

Alex & Sara ordered the Maxwell Sweet Polish - it came with grilled onions & sweet peppers, with spicy mustard. Alex seemed to enjoy hers... I thought mine was so so and ate more of the crinkle fries than I did anything else on my plate.

Ashley ordered the Chicago Dog in its pretty little sesame bun (always a good decision).

Zach ordered an Italian Sausage on a toasted buttered french baguette, with melted cheese (again, he always wins for the best looking hot dog).

I'm wrapping this one up short & sweet - because I don't have too much to say about it. In all honesty... and this goes against my hot dog policy, but if I were to ever visit this establishment again, I would order the meatball sub on a toasted roll with melted provolone with fresh parmesan. Yes, I would order the balls over the wiener. Whatever. :)

Luke's: 5.5 / 10

Hotdog at the Happiest Place on Earth

2011-05-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

As we've already established... hot dogs are one of the small luxuries in life. On top of our minor obsession with these wonderful wieners (and Costco, again... already established), I am obsessed with The Happiest Place on Earth. There is no better feeling than running around 107 acres of the Magic Kingdom, full of Disney Princesses, Characters, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World... and so much more. Stepping inside of this enchanting park is like transporting to a mesmerizing world of fantasy - something, no matter how old you get, can never change or be taken away from you. It's magnetic, imaginary, and downright blows my mind each time I go. Since 1971 this place has left its footprint in hearts around the world.

A couple weeks ago I got the chance to visit Disneyworld & the Magic Kingdom with my beautiful family. We entered the park the second the mystical gates opened, and hit the ground running.

Within a few short hours, we had hopped on and off (sometimes multiple times) our favorites rides, before the crowds took over. By noon, we were famished. Our feet had taken us on a magical 7 mile journey, and we needed to feed our poor bodies with something other than happiness and laughs. My parents & my husband (now you all will understand why I married this man) immediately took off towards the hot dog grille. Not to be outdone, I jumped ahead of the line and felt my stomach flip-flop. Could it be true? I was ordering a hot dog, at the happiest place on earth. Cinderella's fairy godmother must have been looking over me that day, not poor Cinderelly. What a dream! We placed our order, hit up the condiment station, and found a table to drool over our delicacies.

Low and behold, my hot dog was ice cold. "Nooooooooooooooooooo" I screamed as I fell to the floor of the Magic Kingdom. (I could have majored in drama if I had so chosen). Sirens went off in my head and I slightly blacked out, as my Disney Wiener Dreams vanished before my tear filled eyes. But, with the wave of a wand, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother was back, with a vengeance. I knew there was a reason I placed an order for two lunches for myself. I quickly grabbed the corn dog bites, and smiled. All was right in the world... these were the most amazing things I'd ever eaten. Crunchy on the outside, (warm) and delicious on the inside. Corn dog bites sprouted Minnie Mouse ears to grow on my head, and I bounced off like Tiger to watch the 3pm parade.

Disneys Dogs: 7.75 / 10

Costco Cashes In

2011-05-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

With limited time and a limited budget, Costco is my new best friend. Well, let me clarify. Costco has always been my best friend. When I first started dating my now-husband, he thought it was strange that I squealed like it was Christmas morning when it was time to hit up Costco. It is absolutely my favorite place to shop - I get lost with large puppy eyes in the aisles shelving wine, cookies & toilet paper - all sold in packs of 100, so my days were usually set for quite some time. Fast forward a few years, and he's pretty much used to my fascination with the dreamy distribution center.

So when last Monday rolled around and we all sat hungry in our offices wondering what we were going to do for lunch - Costco came to mind. Where else can you buy a hot dog and large fountain drink for under $2.99. What a bargain! It's like stealing from the poor.... so wrong, but it feels so right. Costco has this lunch thing in the bag - the line was easily 30 people deep to order their stuffed chicken rolls, pretzels, slices of pizza, and... hot dogs. Ironically, everyone from the group except for myself & Ashley Mullins brought cash, so lunch was on us (the only negative thing I have to say about Costco is the fact that their food line only accepts cash & checks). We ordered 6 hot dogs, 6 drinks, 2 slices of pizza & 1 churro - and the total was a whopping $15.23.

They have a mini condiment station set up, complete with an onion machine that spits out freshly diced onions.

We were in and out of Costco with lots of time to spare. If I had my way, I would have stayed and skipped down the aisles... throwing things into my basket with glee. Unfortunately, work called... so back we went.

Oh - and for those of you that were confused on why 2 slices of pizza were ordered... it's quite simple. Zach had the brilliant idea of taking the pepperoni & cheese off of the pizza slice, and adding it to his Costco hot dog. It looked incredible. The rest of the group just took a few bites of the greasy pizza, in between bites of our wieners!

And no trip would be complete without their foot long churro.
Warm cinnamon... mmm.

COSTCO - 9.0

Maui Wowie

2011-04-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

Hakuna Matata!! Today was such an amazing day. We got into Ashley's car and hit the road to Maui Dog- Hawaiian Hot Dogs & Sliders. No one had ever been there before - so we called On Star for directions. While we were chit-chatting away, we spilled the beans to our On Star representative that we are part of a club that eats wieners every Wednesday. However creepy this could sound to some, she was more than happy to jump in on the conversation and let us know that today just so happened to be Appreciation Day at her office and that they were catering in.... (wait for it)....wieners!! Talk about hot dog destiny... the stars were aligned today my friends. Not to be outdone, Zach called his mobile On Star representative, and asked her to tell us about the largest hot dog found in the Guinness Book of World Records (FYI: it was so large, it fed 1000 people. That would feed our club for roughly 167 Wiener Wednesdays - which is about 3 years worth).
After our 13 mile - 30 minute transport, we had arrived at our destination. It was a humble yet colorful restaurant shack, peaking out onto Indian School Road. When we stepped out of the car our senses were overwhelmed with scents of roasting hot dogs, fresh chopped pineapples, and onions mixed with sweet peppers on a grill; the aroma lingered and filled the air.

A menu painted on white wood hung from the side of the restaurant, and we turned the corner to find very Hawaiian inspired decor. Starting on the outside, surfboards were painted on the floor; vibrant blues, greens and reds adorned the walls.

The view from the shack, in all its glory. Also seen above, Sara riding the waves.

It was a two-man show on the inside: one taking the orders and running the cash register, and then one behind the counter. Half a dozen tables were placed on the inside of the restaurant, and all were taken! After placing our orders, we scooped up a large bench located in their outdoor patio.

Alex "Charlie Wien" - I'll be wienning for the rest of the day: Sweet&Spicy Dog (Turkey Dog, Chipotle Garlic Mayo, Spicy Brown Mustard, Pineapple Topping, Sweet Pepper Mix, Onions), fresh Tigers Blood icee

Sara "Queener" - hot dog same as above, with a blue raspberry & wild cherry fresh icee

Ashley "Wiener Chief" - There are too many wiener chiefs and not enough wiener Indians: Tiki Dog (Turkey Dog, Chipotle Garlic Mayo, Maui Mustard, Coconut Topping, Avocado, Bacon)

Zach "Wiener Woofer" - Hana Dog (All beef hot dog, Chipotle Garlic Mayo, Avocado, Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Monterey Jack Cheese, Bacon) with fries

Amy "Plain Jane Dog" - Hot Dog, Garlic Chipotle Mayo, Onions, Avocado, icee

Renee "Chode-Chomper" - Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Clearly she didn't attend, and for this, we are all at a loss for words. RIP Chode-Chomper, R.I.P.

Maui Dog surpassed all of our expectations. We all took one small step outside of our hot dog comfort boxes; one giant leap for mankind. The fun Hawaiian touch that each of our dogs had, made them strangely and shockingly mouthwatering! Majority of the group decided this was the best hot dog we had eaten to date.

Maui Dog: 9.75/10

Hot Dog Happiness

2011-04-21T15:23:00.001-07:00

We almost missed out on our WW experience today. Zach "wiener woofer" Alter had back-to-back meetings and put the royal kibosh on our WW outing. This was unfortunate for many reasons; the main one being that no one else had a say, nor had they brought anything to eat for lunch. Lucky for us: the clock struck wiener:thirty and Zach skipped down the hall with a kielbasa in his step! He was ready to rumble, as was his gut.

We had about 30 minutes to find our next hot dog venue and get back to the office for Zach's next meeting, which meant we were basically going to have to participate in our very own little hot dog eating contest. The next "new" venue was 11 miles away, and since we didn't want to have to dip our buns in water and swallow the dog whole, we decided "why break something you can't fix" - and we hit up the Hot Dog Stop once again! We had already said we wanted to come back, so today was the day. Plus, we had our newest members attend, so this time we got to sit at a table of 6 instead of 4.

This place never ceases to amaze us. It is hot dog heaven; they have a hot dog condiment bar AND a hot dog condiment station!!

Condiment Bar & Condiment Station, Sigh

Orders were placed as follows:

Alex "tba": Philly dog (grilled onion, green & red peppers, sans bun)

Amy "plain jane-dog": Grilled dog with regular french fries (she hit up the condiment station & condiment bar for some onions & ketchup)

Sara "queener": Grilled dog with sweet potato fries (she also hit up the condiment station & condiment bar for some ketchup, mustard, spicy red pepper, celery salt & garlic salt)

Renee "chode-chomper": BLT dog (bacon wrapped all beef dog, lettuce, diced tomato, mustard in a tortilla)

Zach "wiener woofer" & Ashley "tba": French Dog Special (Polish Sausage in a french baguette, covered in mozzarella cheese)

Zach continually orders the absolute best item on the menu at Hot Dog Stop. He is a true aficionado, and we usually have the utmost respect for the orders he places during our lunchtime routine. However... we all thought it was a little unusual that his hot dog & fries & soda meal deal came to $6 and some change... and then 15 minutes later he was rung up at the counter again with a whopping $12 fee! He spent majority of his lunch money on the candy & crap buffet. (picture below).

Second Visit to Hot Dog Stop: 8.75 / 10

Because we are all adults, I don't think I need to point out the obvious. However, one of these pictures is not like the other... and I'm not too happy with the person who bypassed their bun & candy buffet, and ordered a big... apple.

tsk tsk

All Queener wants for Christmas is her very own hot dog vendor truck on wheels!

Whoopie for Wieners!!

2011-04-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Instead of hiding in the dark, we decided to let a few people in on SheKnow's club of secret wiener wooers.

Less than a day after "sharing" this blog, we decided it would be interesting to check out our google analytics (industry thing, we can't help it!). We got 30 page views in a few short hours! We also got a few comments, and we'd like to share.

Nicole DelVecchio of NY says "lol oh my god, I think my love for you just escalated times 1 million"

Ricardo Neto of NY says "I love wiener!"

Lindsay Hayes of AZ says "I'm reading and laughing and suddenly hungry..."

Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs

2011-04-14T15:37:00.004-07:00

Normally when we pull into the SheKnows parking lot and announce our triumphant return, we all scatter back to our desks and get to work. I take a few necessary moments to gather my thoughts, and begin to type on this blog so that I can fill you the reader, in on our latest undertaking. Today was a little different my friends. Today we got back to the office, and our desks, and all managed to hang our heads about an inch away from our keyboards, while surreptitiously unbuttoning the top part of our pants. Two hours post lunch, our pants are still unbuttoned with embarrassment, and tiny twinges of hot dog pain fill our bellies - but not our hearts.

At the stroke of noon our Microsoft Outlook calendars dinged in harmony as our "viva la hot dog" appointment popped up on our screen. Like dasher and dancer, donner, and vixen - we were off like Santa's reindeer on a mission, into Zach's car. Today we invited 2 "honorary" members to join in our lunchtime festivities. These "honorary" members quickly became indited into the club. It brings such joy to our hearts to know that we can reach out to others, and show them our wiener ways.

Our newest members!!

We went to "Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs and Grille" - any establishment with a name this fancy including the word "famous" sets our expectations pretty high. And it did not disappoint. From the second we set foot into this institution - we were kindly seated and notified that someone would come take our order!! If any of you have followed our blogs thus far, our past hot dog ordering encounters have taken place while waiting in line at a counter or speaking into a tiny machine founded in cement. We are moving on up in the wiener world - we are finally being recognized as wiener connoisseurs. The menu pamphlet was located on the tabletop; in between the mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper and stack of napkins. The whole left column of the brochure was dedicated to Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs and Uncle Al's Sausages. The middle column was dedicated to "Sides, Extras & Desserts". The orders were placed as the following:

Zach/Wiener Woofer - Philly Dog (Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Peppers & Onions), Chili Cheese Crinkle Fries
Peto/Name TBD - Memphis Dog (Red Onion Sauce & BBQ Sauce), Onion Rings
Sara/Queener - Philly Dog (Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Peppers & Onions), Buffalo Cheese Fries
Amy/Plain Jane-Dog - Virgina Beach Chili Cheese Dog, Crinkle Fries
Renee/Chode-Dog - Virgina Beach Chili Cheese Dog, Cheese Fries
Alex/Name TBD - Chicago Dog (Mustard, Relish, Onions, Tomato, Dill Pickle Spear, Sport Peppers & Celery Salt all on a Poppy Seed Bun)

The buffalo cheese fries were absolutely mouth-watering and extremely satisfying. Buffalo sauce, melted cheese, and crunchy crinkle fries served to be a tremendous trio. Each and every hot dog stood strong with their own personality - and did not disappoint. We left the table standing with only dozens of dirty napkins and a remnant of laughter along with our former, skinnier, selves.

Some of the order, in all its glory!

Alex, one of our newest members, took the following pictures. She was the one who ordered the Chicago Dog. If the following pictures don't do her initiation justice, I simply don't know what would.

Chicago Dog BEFORE - Chicago Dog AFTER
RIP Chicago Dog

As time was winding down and lunch was coming to a close, a few members realized that both Amy & Renee had left half of their bun in their glistening red basket. Now, there are only a few rules in our club, but one of them is that Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die, you'd rather finish your hot dog then get someone else's hot dog thrown at your eye... or worse, get kicked out of the club. Before we knew it, both were shoveling their soggy bun down their throats so that the latter wouldn't happen.

And now, this blog will come to a bittersweet end. I believe it has been our longest post to-date, and we hope you have learned a few valuable things along the way. Sometimes, there is strength in numbers. Our club is growing, and we will all support each other through tears and struggles, belly aches and body battles, so that we succeed in our mission.

Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs = 8.25/10

Wiener War

2011-04-13T15:53:00.004-07:00

Today is Wiener Wednesday, and because Renee "chode-chomper" was unavailable during our regular lunch hour, we had to postpone it until tomorrow. It's kind of ironic, because we all get together and discuss "Wiener Wednesday".. however, we have never actually gone out to lunch and nibbled on wieners on any given Wednesday since this blog has started. Our lunch hour excursions tend to occur on Thursdays. Sigh.
So...
I'm declaring war.
Wiener War.
On the world.

I'm challenging as many of you as possible to go out there, start up the grill, and declare Wiener War on the World with us. I want the air to fill with footlong wiener fumes on this beautiful Wednesday evening. Do yourself a favor and, like Zach would say, "love yourself some wieners".

Until tomorrow...
The Wiener Warriors (may the force be with you)

Sonic Drive-Thru for Wiener Wednesday

2011-03-31T15:04:00.003-07:00

Ok, so we may have celebrated Wiener Wednesday on a Thursday, but calendar-shmalendar. We had a duty to fulfill, even if it was 24 hours past due. It just so happens that Sonic has also decided 'tis the season of hotdogs, just like us (view the multi-cultural commercial above).

We sped over to the closest Sonic and fulfilled our craving at noon. We hopped out of the car, leapt across the parking lot, and walked straight over to the order station. We each got to press the little red "order now" button, and speak to the tiny ladies that live inside the machines who kindly take our order. Within 2 minutes, 3 waitresses on wheels came out with our fresh dogs, chili cheese fries, tator tots, and cherry limeades. I totally forgot that Sonic has a limeade happy hour... I'm pretty excited to get back into that routine.

As for the "who ate what" part of the blog... drum roll please:

Amy & Sara: a corndog. For Amy, this is a gut instinct/natural choice, as it's pretty much her fav thing to order regardless of where we are eating our dogs. For Sara, she unfortunately made the mistake of reading the calorie content first, and therefore made the selection of the 220-calorie corn dog prior to pressing that little red "order now" button. It was a wise decision.. for her waistline, and her taste buds. It was delicious. Mmm.

Zach: Chili Cheese Coney

Renee: NY Dog, a premium beef hotdog with golden mustard, grilled onions, without sauerkraut (I know what you are thinking - why take out sauerkraut? Oh well, her body her choice).

Speaking of bodies & poor choices.... let's review Zachs lunch. Chili Cheese Coney- check. Chili Cheese Fries- check. His Tour de Wiener has a very high probability of turning into a Tour de Potty sometime today. Lets just hope its not at the office. Toodles!

Tour de Wiener - Sonic= 8/10

Just four individuals, conquering the world one hot dog at a time!

2011-03-24T16:02:00.002-07:00

"About Us" Section

Amy LeBlanc: Plain Jane-dog "3 pumps please"
Renee Brown: Chode-dog "Chompin' the chode"
Zach Alter: Wiener Woofer "I love me some wiener"
Sara Gendreau: Queener (Queen Wiener)"This isn't my first tour de wiener"

Viva le Wiener!!!

Hot Dog Stop gets a Green Light!

2011-03-24T15:51:00.008-07:00

Today is a day that will live in infamy. We added a fourth member to our Tour de Wiener... Miss Amy LeBlanc. She was full steam ahead with the Tour de Wiener idea, and came with us for our lunch time escapade to Hot Dog Stop.

Upon entering Hot Dog Stop, our jaws dropped and we began to drool all over their countertop as we stared at the menu posted on the wall. There are dozens of hot dog concoctions to select from, or you can make your own. The options were limitless, and so was our hunger. They even have great sides to go with your hot dog: onion rings, sweet potato fries, steak fries, regular fries, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, oh the list could go on.

It was at this notorious lunch that the idea of a blog was born. It was also where the WIENER WEEK spectacular was conceived. We are going to dedicate a solid week in the month of July to wieners, and wieners only. Our Tour de Wiener and blogging will still be strong as we continue to travel the state for the best hot dogs, but we wanted to shake it up a bit and make it even more special, by organizing a wiener week. Details forthcoming.

Today, we over-indulged at The Hot Dog Spot. We decided that this is a location that will become a frequently visited spot on our list, due to the quantity of choices & quality of their food! We started off lunch by sharing sweet potato fries, regular fries & onion rings... as well as ordering:

Zach: Gagosh Dog (Special of the day- hotdog slathered w/melted mozzarella & pepperonis)

Sara: Phoenix Dog (bacon wrapped all beef dog with grilled onions, bell peppers, tomato, jalapenos, mustard, mayo & ketchup.

Amy: Corn Dog

Renee: Chili Dog

Zachs Order - looked amazing, he didnt share!

A mustard stain = a small price to pay.

Tour de Wiener - Hot Dog Stop= 9.25/10

Wiener = Winning

2011-03-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

Lately, everyone's panties seem to be in a bunch. Especially Charlie Sheens. We're going to blame it on the weather, and how springtime is upon us and has, well, sprung.
Sara attended a local Spring Training came in Springs honor. There is no better place to enjoy a hot dog and an ice cold beer. Ballgame Wieners = Winning. Thank you, Charlie Sheen. And thank you ballgame wiener chefs, around the world! This ones for you....

Sara up close & personal with her winning Wiener.

Tour de Wiener - Spring Training Game= 8.5/10

Homemade Saus-eeg!!

2011-03-24T15:22:00.003-07:00

Being on a hot dog kick, and being of an Italian nationality, Sara went home one night and made sweet sausages & peppers. MMM.... mangia! Of course, Tour de Wiener wouldn't be complete without bringing some in to share with the rest of the club.

Renee Brown taking a bite of her saus-eeg!!

Tour de Wiener - Sara's Sausage = 10/10

25 Degrees, Yes Please!

2011-03-24T15:11:00.003-07:00

Within a few days of not only being a member, but also being presidents of Tour de Wiener, we were off to our 2nd stop along the way. We had a client dinner at 25 Degrees - a formal burger joint located in City North. By formal burger joint, we mean that they serve "gourmet" burgers. Their menu contains fancy appetizers titled "snacks to share" that consist of spicy tuna on crispy eggplant, chicken liver terrin, bacon wrapped dates, and a few others... and of course burgers that cost you about $10-$18 each, depending on the number of extras and sacues you add.

Renee & I sat next to each other and splurged on one of each app. We then decided to split a gourmet burger, and their Sonoran Hot Dog. This $10.50 hot dog was worth every penny. It was a bacon wrapped dog, with carmelized onions, tomatos, pinto beans, hatch green chilis, queso fresco, onions, mustard, and garlic aioli. We cut the dog in half and were pleased, bite after bite. However, due to the mass amounts of appetizers & bites of both the burger and the dog - we couldnt even finish the 5lb delicacy. Plus, the overwhelming amounts of flavor on this dog started to upset our belly. This hot dog isn't for the faint of heart.

The Sonoran Hot Dog in all its glory!

Tour de Wiener - 25 Degrees= 7.5/10

Taste of Chicago Hot Dogs, Taste Mediocre

2011-03-24T14:58:00.005-07:00

An original Taste of Chicago

Our first stop of the Tour de Wiener was to visit a local place named Taste of Chicago, located a few miles from our office. Our mouths were salvating at the thought of big juicy hotdogs! And Chicago dogs, what could be better? Upon arrival, it was a small little spot, with a few people in line, and a few more scattered around tables. We ordered fries to share, a few dt cokes and the following:

Renee: Regular Dog with mustard

Zach: Regular Dog with grilled onions

Sara: Regular Dog with ketchup & relish

The hot dogs came out fast, in small white cardboard boxes! We immediately opened up the box for a sneak peak, and were disappointed to see thin shriveled wieners staring back up at me. It was a plain as day hotdog, with no bells & whistles.

Tour de Wiener - Taste of Chicago Rating= 5/10

Tour de Wiener

2011-03-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

It started out like any other day really. A mundane morning at the office... everyone spending the first few hours of the day with their head held low and their fingers frantically typing over their keyboards, as they diligently went about doing business. At approximately 11am, Zach Alter entered the office of Renee Brown & Sara Schnepp Gendreau. The girls were rocking out to whatever flavor Pandora station they had selected for the day... and looked up to ask Zach what he was interupting their hard-working dance party for..

"Hot dogs" said Zach.
"Hot dogs" murmed the girls as they nodded, while visions of footlongs, ball-park dogs, and costco dogs danced through their heads.

After a few minutes of taking the time to discuss their all-time fav hotdogs, an idea had been born. "VIVA LA WIENER" would be a club that would take lunch hours to tour all local hot dog spots. A plan was put into action, while the girls quickly grabbed their purses and Zach grabbed his keys and wallet.

Up first on the Tour di Wiener: Chicago Hotdogs.