Saturday, September 24, 2011

Q&A from Readers

FreeHollowBooks writes and says "I'm hankerin for a new review......I check everyday. Who has the hottest sauce in WV btw?"


Well, FreeHollow, I just posted a new review. And there is no question that Yann's Hot Dogs in Fairmont has the hottest sauce in the state. It is insanely hot. So hot that it has apparently killed the brain cells of many Fairmont hot dog fans since they are nearly the only ones in the state who stubbornly insist that coleslaw shouldn't be put on hot dogs.


HaveFoodWillTravel asks  "is there a festival that truly captures the wv dog culture? i would like to know if there is. my favorite dog to date is from the parkway in logan, wv."


Unfortunately no, HaveFood. The Southern Ohio Hot Dog Festival that is held in Huntington each July is called The W.Va. Hot Dog Festival, but we all know the truth. Last year some of the vendors didn't even have slaw. And kudos to you for liking Parkway;s hot dogs; just another great HDJ in Logan, where they know how to do hot dogs right. Hey, why doesn't Logan have the REAL WV Hot Dog Festival?

Charleston Area HDJ Review - Riverside Cafe, Port Amherst

Near the mouth of Campbells Creek is one of the most unique little communities in the state. Port Amherst is private property that is home to several business that support the coal and river transportation industries. Kind of a early twentieth century business park, some of the buildings in the park look more like stately residences than industrial offices and 19th century sternwheelers often are docked at the riverfront.

A recent addition to the Port Amherst Community is the Riverside Cafe, a tiny little restaurant that sells basic food to those who work nearby and to those who happen by and see the sign on Piedmont Road, like me.

It should be no surprise that a place like this would sell hot dogs, but I was surprised at the poor quality of those hot dogs. Usually blue collar places like this have solid Utilitarian Dogs, but not so here: The small caliber weenie was overcooked and rubbery, the chili was lifeless and bland. The coleslaw was decent but couldn't make up for the rest.  1 1/2 Weenies.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Tornado HDJ Review - Big Bend Golf Course

I used to play a lot of golf. In addition to the joy of pursuing an ever higher level of proficiency chasing a little white ball around a glorified cow pasture, playing a lot of golf also allowed me to dine at great Hot Dog Joints in disparate places. It seems that every golf course in these parts has really good hot dogs, or perhaps they just seem really good because of the context in which they are enjoyed. Since I haven't played regularly in years, I haven't had the opportunity to review many golf course hot dogs.

Yesterday I found myself with an unusually light work schedule and the weather was so nice that I decided to venture to one of my favorite local public courses, Big Bend Golf Course in Tornado. Since my tee time was just before noon I decided to do double duty and piggyback a hot dog review. I am so glad I did.

Many times when I go back for an official review of a HDJ from my past (aka "The Good Old Days") I am let down because the quality has either slipped or can't stand up to my romanticized memories. This time I was not disappointed: The hot dogs were as good as I remembered.

First, let me say right off that this is one of those classic WVHDs that is greater than the sum of its parts. Sampled individually, the chili or the slaw would be just passable. But both chili and slaw seemed to be designed for each other on this hot dog: neither have strong flavors of their own. The sweet onions sitting on top also were perfectly matched and the weenie was basic with no heaviness and cooked just right.

The only negative about this hot dog was that the bun wasn't steamed. I will deduct a half-weenie for that, but this hot dog deserves its 4 1/2 Weenie score.

(I will only add to this review that the hot dog must've had some mystical golf powers because after eating two of them I played very well despite having not set foot on a real golf course in 2-3 years. )

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

M&M Dairy Belle Celebrates 60 Years

Due to the incessant whining passionate advocacy of Huntington Weenie Wonk Chris James, we allowed one - and only one - HDJ from outside the confines of our state borders to be included on our illustrious Five Weenie HDJ list. Deciding that M&M Dairy Belle can't help the fact that they sit on the wrong bank of the Ohio River (in Chesapeake) and coupled with the indisputable fact that they serve the best WVHD in the Huntington Area, we have decided to allow these Buckeyes to crash our party.

This weekend, the HDJ celbrates 60 years of slinging chili and slaw. Congratulations!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

WV Hot Dog Festival happened...again.

Well, today marked another WV Hot Dog Festival at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington.

This year, I couldn't be bothered.

Let's look at who wasn't there, according to the Herald-Dispatch:

Ok, so my four favorites in town won't be there? Am I going to sweat a gallon to get some C-list hot dogs and watch some weenie dog races?

No thanks, maybe next year.

Or maybe not.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

According to Google...

And to the Charleston Gazette, West Virginians search for the term "hot dog" on Google more than residents of any other state, according to Jenna Wandres of Google.

We're not surprised. And I'd bet if you could somehow track all those expatriate West Virginians (for those of you in Fairmont, that means they were from West Virginia and now live somewhere else) it would double the number.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Catching up from the lazy days of Summer

I know this is not a good excuse for low output during National Hot Dog Month, but with the heat we've been experiencing this month I just haven't been in much of a hot dog mood; writing about them, that is. I'm always in the mood to eat them.

A recent trip to Baltimore brought me an opportunity to see how the northern Chesapeake Bay eats their dogs. I went into a HDJ in Fell's Point that sold a good variety including one with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. You know what they called it?

The North Carolina Dog!!!!

Once again, for the record: It was our recipe first. If not for the mass exodus of West Virginians to the greener economic pastures of Charlotte during the 60' and 70's, they would have never heard of putting slaw on a hot dog (just like the rest of the country!).

Now I was going to complain but then I saw that this place's newest offering was - and I am not making this up - a Crab, Macaroni and Cheese Dog. After I saw that I figured that they were beyond reason.

Anyway, I have some reviews banked up that I'll start posting soon. A Weenie Wonk's work, it seems, is never done; although you couldn't tell that by the work output of Frank, Chris and Big Daddy, whose collective writing over these past few months make me look like a workaholic.

Just kidding guys. But seriously, write something OK?

Monday, July 04, 2011

Test Results - Fairmont meets Marmet

As I wrote earlier today, a Fourth of July cookout gave me the opportunity to test out my theory that if you add a cool, creamy coleslaw to the top of a spicy Fairmont style hot dog it would make a great West Virginia Hot Dog. Here is my report on the test:

 As much grief as I like to give Fairmont people for their stubborn resistance to slaw on hot dogs, I have to give them credit for some of the most interesting chili sauce to be found anywhere. Marion County does a few things right: Pepperoni Rolls and Spicy Hot Dog Chili Sauce would be two of those things. Yann's is the most famous of these, and most definitely the hottest. My recipe for a Yann's tastealike took all day to cook but was worth it. The sauce was not quite as spicy as Yann's but had perhaps more complexity and reminded me of other Marion County HDJs like Woody's or Lupos.

My Marmet Yellow Slaw recipe produced a slightly more vinegary slaw than I have had at the classic yellow slaw HDJs like Mr. C's or the newcomer, Chums. In spite of the extra vinegar flavor, the slaw had a wonderful texture and a sweet complexity that is hard to match with a mayonnaise based slaw.

My plan was to put these diverse elements together on top of grilled Nathan's Famous weenies and let my guests decide the success or failure of the combination.

The result? Everyone liked the chili sauce - even those from eastern Kanawha County where spicy chili is rare. Everyone liked the slaw, although the praise it received was somewhat muted compared to that given to the chili. The two together? The opinions were unanimous: There was synergy here. The spicy chili was cooled down nicely by the sweet slaw and the whole was was greater than the sum of its parts.

As a personal test, I loaded up a test dog with chili sauce, mustard and onions and then applied slaw to only one end. I started on the "Fairmont" end and ate my way to the "Marmet" end. No doubt that the dog's taste got markedly better halfway through.

My only regret is that I didn't go ahead and make some mayo based slaw to offer my guests to see which they preferred. Perhaps that will be a Labor Day project.

Now I would love to try this test again for some open-minded Fairmont people, but in my experience there are no open minded Fairmont people when it comes to hot dogs. Alas.

4th of July WVHotDogs,com Test Kitchen - Marmet meets Fairmont

Followers of this blog know that I prefer to have my hot dogs made by the professionals, but today I'm taking matters into my own hands. As I write this a pot of Fairmont style chili sauce is simmering on my stoevetop and a large bowl of Marmet Yellow Slaw is chilling in the fridge. Company coming over at 5:00 for an indepence day hot dog feast and I'll report the reviews later today.

Now, I have to give credit for my decision to try this today to Mike over at the other hot dog blog - http://thehotdogblog.wordpress.com - who tried this combination recently. When I reported it on Facebook it caused a minor war of words between Fairmont folks an some others. I'm hoping that giving a true West Virginia perspective might carry more weight with the Fairmont faithful. I'm not holding my breath.

Also, it should be noted that earlier today Joey Chestnut waddled away with his fifth straight Mustard Belt at today's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island by eating a mere 62 hot dogs. Of course, none of them had chili or slaw so people in West Virginia barely noticed.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Skeenies Slipping??

Everyone has a bad day now and then. I hope that explains my experience at Skeenies yesterday.

For those who don't know, Skeenies is the real deal when it comes to West Virginia Hot Dogs. Iconic in every way, this place has been serving amazing hot dogs since the 1950s in the same location; a location which happens to be less than a quarter of a mile from the birthplace of West Virginia Hot Dogs. Skeenies has been the standard that other HDJs in the area aspire to for decades. I've never had a bad hot dog from Skeenies.

Yesterday came mighty close, though. Too close for comfort.

First, let me say that my dining companion and I ordered five hot dogs. Two were as good as always, but three of them were unsatisfying. Chili and slaw were very sparsely applied and the buns were kind of stale. There seemed to be no acceptable explanation for the mediocrity: the staff was the same as always (mother and son), it was lunchtime and they weren't particularly busy.

I really hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come. I don't know what I would do without Skeenies; it is a shining beacon of hot dog excellence in a world of indifference. At least it was.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

Balance harmony
As water seeks its level
Yin yang, chili slaw

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

Beef pork or chicken
Academics are worthless
Good hot dogs don’t care

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

Warm and soft is right
Life is cold and unbending
Buns should be better

Monday, May 23, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

Paper or foil
Enhances hot dog spirit
Foam coffins bring death

Friday, May 20, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

North Central folks say
Slaw is wrong and we know best
Foolish heads in sand

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

Mustard chili slaw
Onions may be omitted
This is the true way

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

West Virginia
Chili slaw mustard onions
The one true hot dog

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Hot Dog Haiku

The people forget

Haiku hot dog blogging starts
Again people think

Friday, May 13, 2011

Charleston HDJ Review - Five Corners Cafe

In a location that formerly housed another HDJ (see review of Neighbormart here), Five Corners Cafe had a leg up on life simply by association Neighbormart had great hot dogs and if not for the intervention of the West Virginia Tax Department would no doubt be still serving them today. While it offends me to believe this I think I know that it is true: when you don't pay your taxes the state is glad to help facilitate change without regard to how good your hot dogs are. Sad.

Especially sad in this case because this change was NOT for the better, at least when it comes to hot dogs.

Spurred by this Daily Mail story about the new restaurant and buoyed by the hope that a staff of five of with 150 years of restaurant experience would have to make good hot dogs, I made my way over the Five Corners. Riding this wave of optimism, I forked over way too much money for 2 hot dogs ($2.39 each) and waited in glorious expectation for them to arrive. I waited, and waited and waited. 25 minutes later my two hot dogs arrived. And the chili had beans in it.

That sound you hear is the sad deflation of my formerly high expectations of getting good hot dogs.

Not only did the chili have beans, the slaw was tasteless. The bun was grilled unnecessarily and the weenie was charred from over grilling.

Perhaps the rest of the menu is better at Five Corners Cafe, but you only get one shot at a WVHotDogs.com. Fail. 1 Weenie. And that's generous.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Grafton HDJ Review - T&L Hot Dogs

While it is not necessarily a 100% guarantee, you can usually take it to the bank that you will not get much variation between T&L Hot Dog outlets in terms of quality and consistency. While there are some T&L outlets that rise above the norm (see this review of the Clarksburg / Old Bridgeport Hill location), the majority do not deviate away from the formula that the chain has become know for. This is the case with the T&L located on the outskirts of Grafton.

The Grafton location is not necessarily in Grafton proper, but is actually situated between Pruntytown and Bridgeport at the junction of U.S. routes 50 and 250. This location is also annexed on one side by a banquet hall. There is no heavy population center immediately nearby, but this location has thrived and survived due to the heavy traffic flow from the aforementioned highways. The interior is warm and pleasing, featuring wood paneling throughout. Additionally, it is large enough to hold a good size crowd, yet spacious enough to allow one stretch out with plenty of room.

Like other T&L locations in the area, the motif is largely centered around 50's and 60's memorabilia. I noticed that all of the archived newspapers that were framed on the walls seemed to focus on rather morbid historical events: Pearl Harbor, the death of Elvis, John Lennon's murder, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the passing of FDR. Needless to say that made for some rather curious lunchtime reading.

As for the hot dogs themselves, I previously mentioned that the song remains the same here. As always, T&L delivered some of the best hot dog chili around, a rich meaty taste with a pleasing consistency. I ordered the medium chili this time out and found it to be warm in the tummy and pleasing to the palate. The slaw had a nice contrast of sweet and tang, but honestly didn't taste a fresh as I usually get from some of the other locations. This was a bit of a let down. Also, I thought the weenie was cooked to the bare minimum requirement. My serving seemed to be cooked to an adequate temperature, but lacked some plumpness. Overall, I thought the entire offering was good but not necessarily great.

All in all, the Grafton T&L Hot Dogs rate four weenies. While their formula for chili is usually spot-on, the slaw and weenie had a little room for improvement. The location is a little out of the way for most, but if you're in the neighborhood you will no doubt find a WVHD that fits the bill for your craving.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Oscar Mayer Weinermobile in Ripley today

The Weienrmobile will be in Ripley today. If you are a hot dog fan, or even just want to see a piece of  classic Americana up close and personal, check it out at the local supermarket at 200 Academy Drive from 10am - 4pm.


Here is a report I did a few years ago whe it last appeared in the area. Sorry the picture links are broken.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Weeniemobile

The famous Oscar Mayer Weeniemobile is at the Southridge Walmart right now!

Monday, April 04, 2011

Nitro HDJ Review - Linda's Hot Diggity Dogs

Linda's Hot Diggity Dogs occupies a space inside the Brandywine Flea Market in Nitro that was formerly occupied by Jake's Dawg House (you can read that review from 2008 here). Recently Linda, presumably the owner, has posted on our Facebook page and asked for a re-review. This past weekend afforded the time to make the trip to Nitro to check it out.

Proudly written on the menu board in first position is "WV Hot Dog" but its toppings weren't listed. When I inquired as to what "everything" consisted of ketchup was unfortunately included in the list, so I asked for two without the offensive tomato stew.

The first thing I noticed about these hot dogs was the yellowish tint to the slaw. Not quite Marmet Yellow Slaw yellow, but definitely yellowish. This brought a rise of hope within my hungry breast since I had never had yellow slaw that wasn't very tasty. But when I picked up my hot dog I was disappointed to feel the stiffness of a cold bun. Not a good sign.

Aside from the bun, though, it went pretty well. The yellowish slaw was very good (sweet and creamy) and the chili was about average (very meaty but having not much spice or complexity). At the center was a nicely grilled weenie that tasted like one of the more premium brands.

 Overall this was a good hot dog and earns a solid 3.5 Weenie score. A steamed bun and something distinct about the chili would have leveraged the quality of the slaw into a higher score.

Friday, April 01, 2011

Racist City Planners Conspire to Close Downtown Charleston Hot Dog Joint

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

For years the Middle East Mart has been providing those who frequent Slack Plaza and the KRT Transit Mall with the necessities of life: Cigarettes, Pepsi and Hummus. When they added hot dogs to their menu several years ago the hordes of people that this addition brought to the area began to cause some problems for City leaders. Two years ago the mayor installed "loafer rails" - strips of steel spikes - on top of the planter seatwalls that were meant to discourage the hard working Slack Plaza regulars from sitting down and eating their lunch. Then last summer he had the trees in the plaza cut down to eliminate shady areas where people could sip their sodas in the heat of summer. While these tactics have no doubt had a negative effect on the hot dog sales at Middle East Mart, WVHotDogs.com has remained silent while this administration has systematically persecuted the only minority owned Hot Dog Joint in the downtown area. Recent events, however, have made it impossible for us to remain silent any longer.  

This week a group of "experts" from a university in North Central West Virginia (where, as we all know, many people have a sick aversion to cole slaw on hot dogs) came to Charleston to hold a "community meeting" where a "plan" for "improvement" of Slack Plaza was "developed." Funny, but only two days after this meeting was held, a plan was released whose major component is the removal of Middle East Mart from the plaza. No other business would be affected by this proposal; only the one that is owned by people from the Middle East was targeted. Has there ever been a more obvious case of racial profiling? Can we, the hot dog loving citizens of West Virginia, stand idly by while a Capital City HDJ is run out of town by a racist administration?

Call To Action
Here's what I propose: Today, anyone who works or is visiting in Downtown Charleston needs to go to Middle East Mart and buy a hot dog! Whether you opt for one of their regular hot dogs with grape leaf slaw or one of the more exotic ones (I recommend the all-lamb weenie with baba ganoush on a pita), join us in standing up for the rights of our Muslim brothers, won't you?

Make sure you do it today. Tomorrow the opportunity will be lost. All great revolutions begin on a significant date: Communism has its May Day; perhaps April 1 will henceforth be as well known.

I have a dream today.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

WBOY TV Visits The Custard Stand

Tonight's edition of the evening news on WBOY TV featured The Custard Stand in Webster Springs on the semi-regular "Restaurant Road Trip". Hopefully the accompanying video will be posted soon. You can read the text from the report at this link. Of particular interest is that Custard Stand is looking to expand by offering franchise opportunities.

If you want to read some more heartfelt reviews, check out Stanton's review from August 2010 here, or my review of the Flatwood's location here.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sam's Casino Hot Dogs

I have noticed a trend, disturbing for me, for Sam's Hot Dog Stand locations being opened as part of a gambling parlor. Malden and Marmet were the first two such places but a new one has opened on Greenbrier Street in Charleston. I'm not sure if these are hot dog joints that have gambling rooms attached or gambling parlors that offer hot dogs to their addicts, I mean customers. Is this a new corporate direction for Sam's? Does anyone care?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

A nifty hot dog iPhone game free today in the App Store

App Advice reports that Crazy Hotdogs is free for today only (3/26/11) in the Apple App Store. It is a fun little game that allows you to manage your own hot dog joint from your iPhone or iPod Touch.

My only complaint: no slaw!

Still, the price is right and it should help the time pass while waiting for two WV hot dogs & crinkle-cut fries at your favorite weenie stand.

Click here to download.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Clarksburg HDJ Review - Stealey Lunch

For the longest time, it seemed as though the hot dog culture in the greater Clarksburg area had reached a level of complacency. There hadn't been any new pure or worthwhile hot dog joints of note in some time. There wasn't much to write about for the longest time, and to be honest the weather and my work schedule weren't very cooperative.

I was a really disappointed to find that one of the better HDJs in the area, Hometown Hot Dogs of Clarksburg, had shut it's doors in the latter part of last year. The building that once housed some WVHD greatness had fallen into "good hands" for selling insurance, if you get my drift. However, I was suprised to find out that the crew from Hometown had actually packed up and moved to the other side of town, smack dab between the East View section of Clarksburg and Anmoore. The new name was Smiley's Hot Dogs, and all seemed right with the world. The slaw was fresher than ever, the service was great, and the chili was hearty as ever. But alas, it was a short-lived comeback. By the time I had started to pen a review of the new digs, Smiley's shuttered it's doors sometime before Christmas of 2010. Personally, I'd chalk it up to a very poor location.

So as I looked and looked around Clarksburg some more. Surely I had not covered all of the good HDJs around, had I? Luckily, I found Stealey Lunch. Just a few blocks down from where the old Hometown Hot Dogs stood was this inviting new establishment nestled in the corner of a building along one of the busier thoroughfares in town.

Stealey Lunch had a crisp, clean interior with lots of space. There wasn't much in the way of atmosphere or decor, but nonetheless the smells of deliciousness permeated the walls to make one forget this negligible "shortcoming" (if you want to even call it that). The menu features a multitude of choices for lunch, ranging from hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken, salads, and the like.

The hot dogs are listed as "slaw dogs", but they do come as a West Virginia hot dog should by the numbers (you know the routine...chili, slaw, onions, mustard). But to say that these hot dogs meet the standards for quality. For starters, the weenie was incredible scrawny. Cook it one minute too long, and it could've been a toothpick. The chili had hint of "tomatoey" to it, which surprisingly was the only highlight of it. There wasn't anything wrong with the chili, mind you. It just was devoid of any other real flavor. The slaw was also in the "okay" category, unfortunately. This iteration of slaw included hints of carrots for some reason. Carrots are okay, but when used as a hot dog topping they are best left off. My final beef was with the bun. It tasted as though a stale bun had been warmed over (badly). After a few minutes of cooling off, the bun became chewy, which is never a good sign.

While I'm always glad to see hot dog joints make their home in the north central area, I still find myself disappointed by the effort put in to the product. Stealey Lunch seems to "want" to put out a good hot dog, but doesn't have the goods to "execute". I'd like to say the potential is there, but who knows? Maybe some simple tweaking will liven up these otherwise boring dogs, but until then I have to give these a 3 weenie rating (and I'm spotting them about 1/2 weenie here).

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Charleston Area HDJ Re-Review - Venture Family Fun Center

I just realized that this blog is now 5 years old. The anniversay passed in early January without fanfare.

Huh.

Anyway, the reason I realized this is because today I had hot dogs for the second time in 5 years at Venture Family Fun Center. I looked up my last review and realized it was almost five years ago. You can read it here if you are so inclined.

I'm sad to report that nothing has really changed since April of 2006. The hot dogs still have visual and tactile appeal: The slaw looks good, the chili is nicely txtured and clolored and the weight of the dog seems hefty. The bun is soft and nicely steamed.

But put it in your mouth and its mediocrity really comes to life: The onions are old tasting and the weenie seems waterlogged. The chili and slaw don't work together. Just unsatisfying all around.

The worst thing about the visit however was a hanging ten pin that stopped my run at a 200 game in the tenth frame at 196. Not bad, though, for only my 2nd time bowling in 5 years!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Morrison's and Skeenies both make Rachel Ray's Top 64!!!!!!

Thanks to our good friend Hawk Krall and his considerable influence in the food blogging world, two of the most celebrated HDJs in West Virginia have been included in the bracket of 64 best hot dogs in America on the hugely popular Every Day with Rachel Ray website.

OK WVHD fans, let's rally to the aid of our state's finest! Leave your enthusiastic comment on the Rachel Ray site to make sure that we're not overlooked. We have a lot of geography and population to make up for.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/every-day-living/trip-advice/the-search-for-americas-best-hot-dog

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Charleston HDJ Review - Blossom Deli

We first reviewed the hot dog offered by this Charleston landmark eatery in 2007. You can read that review here. Unfortunately, that restaurant closed last year and in its place has popped up a poser with the same name in the same building. This new manifestation has been open for a month or so and I just recently heard that they had resurrected the "Blossom Dog" - a Five Weenie treat in 2007 - and so I had to go try it.

I was somewhat surprised that the place was open on Saturday because they cater mostly to the downtown work crowd, but it was fairly busy today so it was good that they were open. Good for them at least; not so much for a hungry soul who wandered in out of the cold with expectations of being satisfied like I was last time.

You see, the hot dog that the Blossom used to serve was an oversize giant that had a $3.50 price tag, but was worth every penny. When I saw the new version priced at $4.50, I wasn't discouraged; after all it was as big as two or three regular WVHDs and if it was half as yummy as before I would still get filled up.

Unfortunately, though, it was half the size of the old version. While the taste was about as good as before (almost identical as I remember it) this thing was puny! Instead of being an oversize Chicago Red weenie it was a small caliber version of a standard WVHD weenie. Instead of an oversize special made bun it was on a dreaded New England Style bun. The chili and slaw were both tasty and worked well together, but I was still extremely hungry after it was gone. Thankfully I had a plate full of chips and my lunch companion took pity on me and shared her chicken artichoke salad with me so I had enough strength to make it back to the car. A trip to Charleston Bread Company for a couple of hot from the oven cookies brought me all the way back to consciousness.

Once I had regained my senses I decided to write a review so no other WVHD fan will have to make the same mistake. This is about the worst value I have ever experienced in the 400 plus reviews we have done on this blog. Bad, bad, bad form for a once-proud restaurant.

Here's my advice to Blossom about their Blossom Dog - Make it bigger or make it cheaper or make it go away.

No Weenies for you.