hotdoglover's Profile
Best Italian Hot Dogs in NJ??
It's a small building in a small strip mall. It's on Wood right next to a Carvel just before the train tracks. Easy to miss.
Uncle Petey's Weenies and 2 others.......
Both have very good dogs. For Italian Pete's is good except that I prefer Best's on an Italian Hot Dog and he uses Sabrett's 11/1. Marci's uses bigger Best's. I prefer Marci's, but they are no longer offering them except as an occasional special.
For regular dogs, both are fresh and hot. Petey's is 11/1, Marci's 10/1. Marci's has a unique sauerkraut that is worth seeking out.
Uncle Petey's Weenies and 2 others.......
I was to both a few weeks ago. Max's dog was prepared perfectly. The bun was a quality bun that didn't fall apart like the Windmill's. The dog I got at the Windmill could have used more time on the griddle as well as a better bun. They use cheap Wonderbread buns. Max's dog also had a little more flavor.
Marci's Dog House
Petey's is good; especially his potatoes. And he uses real pizza bread from DiPaola's. But I prefer Best's franks on an Italian Hot Dog and Pete uses tiny Sabrett's. His peppers are from a can. Everything from Marci's is top quality and the dogs are 6/1. The Italian Hot Dog will now be available Saturdays and Sundays. But no longer Fridays.
Best Italian Hot Dogs in NJ??
I've recently had an Italian Hot Dog from a truck called Marci's Dog House that in my opinion is the best I've had. I wrote a review here, but did not comment on the Italian Hot Dog until later in the thread, so scroll down. The owner will be making these on Saturdays and Sundays only. It is a specialty item involving a lot of prep work. He uses bigger dogs and better ingredients than anyone else making this sandwich.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846519
Unique beach hot dog in Cape May in the 70's
Tommy is a great guy, but his hot dogs are just ok. He serves an all beef skinles Berk's as well as a beef/pork Berk's. The beef dog is average, the beef/pork slightly above average. But in addition to being skinless, these dogs are prepared on a roller grill. They lack the char and flavor imparted by a grill or griddle. The Berk's beef/pork frank is good deep fried. Toby's Cup in Lopatcong/Philipsburg fries this frank in peanut oil and it is exceptional. Roller grills are for convenience stores, movie theatres, and gas stations. Not for places specializing in hot dogs.
While the dogs are ok, Tommy's is highly overrated. Granted that South Jersey is a hot dog wasteland, but Tommy's is always awarded "best of" by publications like New Jersey Monthly. Maui's is in North Wildwood and their dogs are much, much better than Tommy's. Not only by and far the best hot dog joint in South Jersey, but one of the best in the whole state.
What Food Trend are You So Sick Of?
Yes! That's my pet peeve and I've posted about it many times. I love hot dogs but hate the new "haute dog" trend where bored chefs try to gussy up a simple unpretentious food with such things as foie gras, raspberry wasabi sauce, truffles, etc. These things mask the flavor of a quality frank. Something I posted awhile back:
The hot dog is an icon and an important part of American culture. People don't want it messed with. Two unfortunate souls in New Jersey (the hot dog capital of the world) learned this lesson the hard way. They tried to bring the "haute dog" concept here with predictable results. After much hype and fanfare plus glorious reviews by the biased liberal media, the place was struck by lightning! A sure sign from above and a warning to cease their foolishness. They did not listen, and as a result their business died a slow miserable death. The guys were never heard from again. It was so bad that the rats and pigeons wouldn't even eat the left over scraps from the "haute dogs" that were in the dumpsters. Even rats and pigeons have standards!
Contrast this to Rutt's Hut, an old school Jersey hot dog legend. You can't even get across the parking lot without encountering pigeons who are so bold that they try to take bites of hot dogs from people who are walking to their cars. These pigeons are so brazen that they routinely shake down rats for lunch money.
Any faux "chef" would be appalled upon enetering this stronghold of American hot dogs. The decor hasn't changed since 1928. The only toppings you can get on your dogs would be mustard and Rutt's special relish. No kraut, no chili, no foie gras. If you ask, they not so politely tell you to go somewhere else. They stick to what made them a legend. Their loyal customers wouldn't stand for any frivolous changes. By the way, their relish is like no other and goes perfectly with their deep fried dogs. Created by an old German gentleman rather than some fancy pants "haute" chef. None other than the bambino himself, Babe Ruth, used to eat at Rutt's Hut.
While todays "haute" ballplayers perform on steroids and amphetamines, the Babe, a true American hero, did it on hot dogs and beer from Rutt's Hut.
Marci's Dog House
I had the Italian Hot Dog from Marci's Dog House yesterday. I was looking forward to it because I heard it would be special. Rare and unique bread, quality ingredients, especially 6/1 Best's dogs. And a few secrets in preparation that I could not persuade owner Rob Marciano to reveal. That's fine because it's what makes his sandwich what it is. I appreciate honesty, and as you know, too many people in this business are dishonest. And that's the good part. The bad part includes subpar ingredients, skimping on ingredients, and bad preparation. Not so here.
I can't give an in depth description of exactly how this sandwich is prepared, except to say that everything is fried as it should be in an Italian Hot Dog. In oil. An exception may be frying the peppers on a griddle as some do. There are frying pans here, a skillet, a griddle, and a deep fryer. And of course a compartment for water to heat the dirty water Sabretts. No water is used in making the Italian Hot Dog. I asked.
The pizza bread is from a bakery that Rob picked out after sampling the bread from numerous bakeries that make this unique product. The hot dogs are from Best Provisions in Newark and are 6/1 or 6 to a pound. No one I know of uses dogs this size. Mijo's Pizzeria did for a short time before they switched to a much smaller dog.I like that Marci's uses Best as it really is the best dog for an Italian Hot Dog. He serves Sabrett for the dirty water dog. The Best's are the standard recipe (Best has only one) and is not claimed by Marci's to be a "special recipe" or "made on the premises." That's good as I didn't have to search the truck for sausage making equipment. As you know the total sandwich is greater than the sum of it's parts. But I like to break down the parts.
The bread is perfect. Most bakeries that sell a lot of pizza bread do a good job of making it. They sell to places that for the most part specialize in Italian Hot Dogs. Bakeries like America's Bakery and DiPaola's, which incidentally was just sold to Calandra's. Good solid pizza bread. But the bread at Marci's is a cut above. It's crusty on the outside; sturdy as well, but light and fluffy on the inside. Not doughy like many pizza breads. And fresh. It's the best pizza bread I've sampled.
The hot dogs are Best skinless 6/1. Prepared well, they have that familiar taste I look for in an IHD. And in my opinion are the perfect size for this sandwich. I always liked the 8/1, but there is better balance and a better ratio of hot dog to the other ingredients with the 6/1. The dogs do not get lost in space. And even though this is a sandwich, no ingredient is more important than the actual frank. This is my favorite frank for an IHD. I had a double.
The peppers are also fantastic. I knew the dogs would be what they were, and I heard the bread was going to be good. I didn't know what to expect from the peppers and potatoes. Marci's uses red and green peppers. I requested them soft and they were prepared as I requested. I liked the long cuts. I was surprised at how good they were. I didn't get how they were prepared, only that they were obtained from a very good source. Maybe a farm? Again I have to say that these are my favorite peppers on an Italian Hot Dog. Rob doesn't skimp. Many do and at least 2 places I know of use canned peppers instead of fresh.
The potatoes were hard to characterize as far as shape. They aren't cut in silver dollar size slices, but they aren't exactly in chunks. More like slices and smaller than what you normally see. Golden brown, tasty, and with a nice little crunch. These are as good as any I've had. And that's saying a lot because several establishments making Italian Hot Dogs make excellent potatoes. Jimmy Buff's, Tommy's, Big Blues, Charlies Famous (on a good day), Uncle Petey's Weenies, and now Marci's Dog House. While Marci's other ingredients are better, in my opinion, than everyone else's their potatoes are as good as my 2 previous favorites, Uncle Petey's and Big Blues. All are different; all are great; and I can't pick one over the other 2.
Put this all together and you have my favorite Italian Hot Dog. It's great to see that now trucks such as Marci's and Uncle Petey's have the capacity to put out authentic, and high quality Italian Hot Dogs since they are equipped with fryers. I strongly recommend Marci's for a great Italian Hot Dog. They are an exception that proves that you can be new to the business and make a high quality product. Rob put in a lot of time and effort researching not only Italian Hot Dogs, but the ingredients and suppliers as well. My only regret is that this sandwich is only available on Friday. And Saturdays this month. Marci's is a truck that specializes in dirty water Sabrett's, but wanted to make a top quality authentic Newark style Italian Hot Dog, Rob did a lot of research, searched for the finest ingredients, listened to people in the business and potential customers; and, with his cooking background combined all this to make one heck of an Italian Hot Dog. He is the only one at Marci's who prepares it, and everything is done by hand. It's time consuming and labor intensive which is why it will only be served one day per week.
These will not be served on the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour for those of you planning to attend. So you have to stop by on a Friday. Or a remaining Saturday in May.
My last Speed's Dog
When the business was bought, the new owner switched from Pearl to an all beef dog from Grote & Weigel of Connecticut. He may have switched back to Pearl since G&W closed for a few weeks before it was bought and reopened.
Barth's Market
I was only to Barth's once and just bought a couple of hot dogs. I can't comment on their other meats, but the franks here are as good as the Union Pork Store's and what is sold at John's, which is from Kocher's, even though John's will lead you to believe they (John's) make the franks which they do not. I invite anyone to compare the Union Pork Store's franks next to Barth's. I strongly doubt you can notice any discernable difference between the 2. I can't and my hobby is sampling and comparing hot dogs.
If anything, I would be partial to the Union Pork Store since I live in Union. But Barth's franks are just as good, and to me the 2 are identical in flavor. As for price; guess what? Union Pork Store charges $6.99 per lb for their franks. Barth's charged $5.49. So if Barth's is astronomical, then Union Pork Store is worse. And John's? That is a place that charges astronomical prices. The dogs they get from Kocher's go for $6.80 at Kocher's and less at Karl Ehmer's in Hillsdale. John's Meat Market charges $8.99 for a pound! I can taste a slight difference in the franks from Kocher's and the other 2. But they are the same in terms of quality and preference
John's sells quality meats, but their prices are much higher than both the Union Pork Store and Barth's. And, unlike these 2, they don't make their own franks; they get them from Kocher's.
Barth's Market
I went to Barth's Market in New Providence for the first time Tuesday on the way to Goodman's deli. Barth's is another old time pork store/butcher shop that we are fortunate to have in our area as they are a dying breed. You are virtually guaranteed that you will get quality franks at any of these stores as they use quality ingredients and old world recipes.
I bought a few of their franks which are 50% beef, 50% pork. Natural casing and I would guess about 5 to a pound. I had one along with a frank from the Union Pork Store. Union Pork Store's franks are 6/1. Barth's are bigger. I heated one of each in water and then put them in my cast iron skillet. Barth's are a little darker in color while Union Pork's are reddish/pink. They are identical in flavor. The recipes for each have to be similar if not the exact same.
My favorite franks in this style are Thumann's and those you get at a place like Barth's. Namely Barth's, Union Pork Store, and Kocher's. Differences in flavor are very slight, and as I said I can't taste any difference between the 2 I sampled yesterday. One of the guys at Barth's worked at Gaiser's in Union before it was sold to the current owners. These guys seem to know others in the business and they all produce similar excellent franks. Better ingredients and fresh as can be. Consume before they go bad as there are no preservatives
Go to whichever store is closest to you. Or try them all. You can't go wrong. And in my opinion these hot dogs are too good to disguise their great flavor with all the crap that many hot dog joints pile on. Especially those establishments owned by chefs who take a quality frank and ruin it with foie gras, raspberry wasabi sauce, guacamole, sour cream, cream cheese, and on and on. It's overkill. Might as well use a cheap Bar S or Ballpark frank because a quality one like Barth's would be wasted. When you see the term "haute dog" this is pretty much what you can expect.
The website for Barth's is http://www.barthsmarket.com/2011/home_2011.html
I hope to get to Stefan's in Clifton this week. Another European market that I haven't been to but has been highly recommended on several other sites.
Dietz & Watson vs. Boar's Head Brands
Are you talking about Piast's franks or the Kocher's franks that are sold at many retail outlets?
Dietz & Watson vs. Boar's Head Brands
John's Meat Market is in Scotch Plains. Known as one of the finest butchers in Jersey (always named best by N.J. Monthly), they do not make their own hot dogs. But they do buy them from Kocher's and try to pass them off as their own. John's is very good, but overpriced. Kocher's sells their own franks for $6.80 per/lb which is about the going rate. John's charges $9 per pound.
Marci's Dog House
Marci's has a truck. Opening may be delayed because the street will be closed for 2 days for construction or road paving. I'll post as soon as I find out.
Dietz & Watson vs. Boar's Head Brands
Add to the list:
Union Pork Store
Pulaski
Lutz
Gaisers
Marci's Dog House
Marci's will be there beginning next Friday. Just signed a contract for the space.
Marci's Dog House
Marci's is a relatively new hot dog establishment serving primarily dirty water Sabretts. But they also serve sandwiches, subs, and grilled chicken breast with roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella and thin sliced garlic w/balsamic vinaigrette. As a hot dog fanatic who has reviewed hot dogs for the Star Ledger and runs the popular New Jersey Hot Dog Tour with my buddy Erwin Benz, I've been to literally hundreds of hot dog joints. Many of them specialize in "dirty water dogs" or hot dogs prepared in water. Let me say that Marci's is my favorite place that serves this type of dog.
There are many factors that distinguish one place from another. Although the brand and method of preparation is the same and the dogs should taste similar from place to place, the serious hot dog lover considers whether the dogs have a casing, how big they are, if they are hot enough, how fresh they are, and if they have been left in the water a sufficient amount of time. Too long in the water and the dogs lose snap and flavor. The bun is also important. Many vendors use cheap supermarket buns that fall apart. Toppings/condiments are important to most people. Not so much for me as I enjoy mustard only most of the time.
Rob Marciano is the owner of Marci's. What sets him apart as an owner is his generosity and willingness to please his customers. He cares about value, offering a bigger sized dog than most of his competitors. Rob serves a 10/1 Sabrett, which in hot dog speak means 10 to a lb. Competitors like Sal's in Clark and Steve's Hut in Linden serve tiny 12/1 franks and charge as much or more. Anything smaller than 10/1 is too small in my opinion. Most of those serving these tiny dogs don't think their customers will know the difference and are extremely thin skinned and defensive when criticized. Rob, although fairly new to the business, is related by marriage to Dee of Dees Hut in Roselle Park, who has been in the business for 50 years and also serves a great 10/1 natural casing dog. His dogs are the same high quality. But his chili is better. I don't usually have sauerkraut on a hot dog (I love it on bratwurst) but the kraut here is the best I've had. It came about because Rob listened to a customer who gave him suggestions about his sauerkraut. Unlike many of his competitors who think people like me should not dare to criticize them "because we don't know what the business involves." That's irrelevant. We are customers who are eating what they make so we have every right to voice our opinions, good or bad.. Sort of like complaining that we can't criticize a ballplayer who doesn't hustle because we never played pro ball. But I digress. Rob added his own touch to a recipe given to him by the above mentioned customer. The result is a sauerkraut that is by far my favorite. When this customer passed away, Rob donated a couple of hundred hot dogs to his son's school for a hot dog luncheon in his honor.
I respect that people who make an excellent product have their recipes and secrets that they don't want to share because it's what makes their product special. I can tell you that the bun used here is better than any hot dog bun I've had. Sabrett stopped making them. Marci's gets theirs from a top notch bakery and they are better than what anyone else is using. His dogs are always fresh, hot, and more substantial than most of his competition. Great with just mustard, but his chili is excellent and the kraut is the best I've had.
Marci's will be introducing an Italian Hot Dog soon. I was told it will be on excellent pizza bread and that the dogs will be Best's, which are better for an Italian Hot Dog than Sabrett. The ingredients will be fried as is proper for an authentic Newark style Italian Hot Dog. And the size of the dogs will be 6/1 which no one else is doing. Can't wait to sample this one. I don't usually give rave reviews since I've been to so many hot dog joints. But Marci's is exceptionally good.
Marci's will be a welcome addition to this year's Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour.
Hot Dogs at Goodman's Deli
She's very rarely there, but I've had experiences with her too. I ask a lot of questions which in the past irritated her. Once she just said "just eat the damn things!" I don't go often but if you can get past Mrs. Max, the dogs are very good.
Hot Dogs at Goodman's Deli
Yes; I usually go to the one in Westfield. Last week I was in Long Branch. Compared Max's to the Windmill. Max's was better. Left on the griddle long enough while the Windmill dog wasn't. The bun is better at Max's. The Windmill used a cheap Wonder Bread bun that fell apart.
Thumann's is my favorite beef/pork frank.
Out of this World.......
I've heard that they will reopen in May or June; probably June. Let me recommend Goodman's Deli in Berkely Heights for a better Chicago Hot Dog. They also serve a regular hot dog which is a 4/1 Best's natural casing. Commonly referred to as the Don's dog. I posted about Goodman's in a separate thread. The owner is from Chicago and makes the best example of a Chicago Hot Dog I've had in Jersey. That includes Out of This World and the former J's Beef.
Hot Dogs at Goodman's Deli
I went to Goodman's Deli in Berkeley Heights yesterday. I limited my intake to hot dogs. I had the Chicago Style Hot Dog and their regular hot dog which is made by Best's.
The Chicago Hot Dog is authentic as far as I'm concerned. Vienna Beef franks and Rosen's poppy seed buns. I'll admit that the Chicago style isn't my favorite style, but since J's Beef (RIP) was 5 miles from my home, I've gone many times and aquired a taste for this type of dog. The Vienna Beef Frank is a quality frank and blends in better with the ingredients than a more well seasoned beef dog like Sabrett's or Nathan's would. These dogs would throw everything out of whack.
I've had 3 Chicago dogs in Jersey that are close to what you would get in Chicago. J's Beef, whose owner is from Chicago and who got a letter of authenticity from the President of Vienna Beef, Out of This World, who gets all the ingredients from Chicago, but doesn't prepare it right, and Goodman's Deli. Out of the 3, Out of This World is ok; but inconsistent. The owner doesn't always have Vienna Beef and for the life of me cannot figure out why she wont heat in water, or chargrill her dogs. They don't griddle fry in Chicago. J's Beef was very good; authentic and the dogs were skinless 6/1.
Goodman's is the best of the three. Don Parkin is from Chicago and knows his dogs. Everything is authentic. He uses a 7/1 natural casing Vienna, which to me is a great size. I prefer natural casing to skinless. I ordered steamed (heated in water with the top closed) rather than chargrilled. While J's was good; Goodman's is better. I prefer natural casing while J's was skinless. Also the tomatoes were too big at J's; at Goodman's they were the right size.
While I like Vienna Beef franks, I prefer other beef franks. But Vienna is the perfect choice for a Chicago Hot Dog. It doesn't overpower the other ingredients like a Hebrew National, Sabrett, or Nathan's would.
I also had a regular hot dog. Which here is a 4/1 Best's natural casing frank. Commonly referred to as the Don's Dog. Here it is chargrilled. And it is the regular Don's dog that was served at Don's years ago. The current Don's is LYING by claiming a special recipe. Don't know why they would do this when the regular Don's dog was so good. I would think that they would want their customers to think that they are upholding a fine tradition.
Goodman's serves their Don's dog on a Pechter's bun that is the same that Galloping Hill Inn uses. Only here it fits better. At GHI I order a double because the bun is too big. At Goodman's, the bun fits the dog perfectly. They use my favorite mustard; Admiration deli mustard. The bun is toasted and the hot dog is prepared perfectly. Unique and easily one of the best hot dogs I ever had. Don Parkin is from Chicago and was brought up eating Vienna Beef franks. But he recognizes the quality of Best's beef franks and serves them at his deli.
I highly recommend Goodman's. They are not primarily a hot dog joint, but the owner knows hot dogs. And serves excellent ones. I will be a regular. As for the pastrami, corned beef, and other food; I didn't have any despite the reputation Goodman's has. Maybe I'll try the pastrami next time. The hot dogs are top notch. And I suggested that Don doesn't go crazy trying to do too many things with the hot dogs. He has an excellent Chicago Dog and a unique Jersey dog. A Best's 4/1 prepared on a charcoal grill and put in a superior toasted bun topped with my favorite mustard.
Jersey Top 10
No. You have to order chili on the side and put it on yourself. While Rutt's chili is good; it's not Texas Weiner type chili.
Nathans Hot Dogs
The natural casing franks may or may not be made currently by John Morell, but I can tell you that at least for a period of time they were being made by John Morrell just as they were at one time made by Marathon (Sabrett). I know people at Best Provisions who were approached by Nathan's to make their franks. Info that I got about Nathan's was given to me by the grandson of Nathan Handwerker and someone else affiliated with Nathan's who responded to an e-mail I sent. Hardly hearsay.
Nathans Hot Dogs
Not only do some Nathan's franchises use the skinless franks, but they prepare them on a roller grill rather than a real griddle. Roller grills are for convenience stores, movie theatres, and gas stations; not places purporting to serve a quality hot dog. From what I heard, Nathan's has the spice formula. I was told that the skinless and natural casing are the same formula, only that the skinless are made by SMG Meats and the natural casing are made by John Morrell.
Nathans Hot Dogs
Well, I would have more faith in my brother in law. My information is a couple of years old and it's very possible that these dogs are again made in the Bronx. I know people at Best Provisions in Newark, N.J. and they told me that Nathans approached them about having their dogs made in Jersey.
Nathans Hot Dogs
nationalbar,
Nathan's were made at Marathon/Sabrett for a short time, but haven't been for awhile. The skinless Nathan's are made at SMG Meats in Chicago. The natural casing Nathan's are made at John Morrel in Ohio and are the same ones served at Nathan's in Coney Island. This was confirmed to me by the grandson of Nathan Handwerker.
Have Windmill hot dogs gotten smaller?
Thanks. My post was deleted. Let me modify it.
Thumann's are also my favorite beef/pork frank. Remember, there are 2 types of
hot dogs; the spicy beef franks with a lot of garlic and paprika, and the milder
German style beef/pork franks. Windmill serves the beef/pork Sabretts rather
than the spicy beef franks. A different spicing and flavor.
I like Thumann's, the Windmill franks, and the franks from few butcher shop/
pork stores that make their own. Union Pork Store is near my home and you can
buy as little as 1 frank. These are fresh with no preservatives so they have to
be consumed within a day or 2 for maximum freshness and flavor. Kocher's in
Ridgefield Park makes excellent hot dogs that are sold in 40 or so retail
outlets. John's Meat Market in Scotch Plains carries these franks but try to
pass them off as their own.
Back to the Windmill. I run the Annual New Jersey Hot Dog Tour. The Windmill was
a popular stop a few years ago. Since we have time constraints and look to have
the stops fairly close to each other, we stick to North Jersey. For this reason
we went to the Windmill franchise in Westfield. Aaron Levine, whose family owns
the Windmill, was there to greet us and make sure things ran smoothly. The dogs
not only taste great but are prepared perfectly and have a good snap. Two
busloads of discriminating hot dog lovers gave the Windmill good reviews with
many (who had never been there) picking it not only as the best hot dog of the
Tour, but the best hot dog they've had.
