Classic Weenie Commercials: Oscar Mayer Wieners

I found this classic Oscar Mayer hot dog commercial from the '60s the other day. This is the one with the ubiquitous "I Wish I Were An Oscar Mayer Wiener" song that has become a staple of American pop culture.

There are a couple of points in the advert, however, that seem rather dated. First, notice the peer pressure exerted on the child who has an opinion that is not in line with the other children. That sort of groupthink, while still prevalent, would probably not be encouraged these days. Also notice that they go out of their way to discuss that the weenies are "all meat." Back then, putting soy in a hot dog was considered a way to cheap out, as opposed to current conditions where Tofu Pups cost twice as much as dogs made from "meat" (likely meaning turkey, chicken, and pork). Nowadays, one would only advertise "all beef."

Anyway, enjoy this blast from the weenie past.

New Martinsville HDJ Review - Presto Lunch

West Virginia Hot Dog lovers, There's a new thrill in New Martinsville: Presto Lunch.

According to the printed mats placed on each table in this beautiful retro-styled eatery, the original Presto Lunch was located a few doors down from the current location on over fifty years ago and remained popular well through the 1960's. The granddaughters of the original owners and their mother reopened the restaurant in 2006.

The dining area is spacious while remaining warm and inviting just the same. It's directly adjoined with a wide-open cooking area, separated only by a counter with some stools. Each table has its own roll of paper towels on a spool, which is more than a nicety...it's a necessity to help sop up all the lip-smacking goodness. My ultra-friendly waitress was happy to point out that everything on the menu is homemade. “Mom” was constantly referred to, and it was easy to figure out which one in the kitchen area she was. No doubt this family puts their all into this fantastic establishment.

My order arrived in a relatively short amount of time, and I was more than pleased by the quality of my hot dogs. The slaw was nothing short of to die for. This was not your typical HDJ slaw, but rather a flawlessly balanced sweet/tangy promenade. The cabbage was finely shredded and chopped, which allowed to dressing to weave into the mixture. It was not too thick to clump or too thin to run. There was a hint of freshly ground black pepper to boot.

The chili was also a work of art. The sauce was smooth and rich, complex yet not overpowering the rest of the dog. The grind of the meat wasn't too fine, but that served it well since the meat and sauce were able to blend together and compliment each other. It was very hearty and gave you that stick-to-your-ribs semblance.

As well it should be, the onions were sandwiched right in between the layer of chili and the slaw. The mustard was applied right on top of the onions to ensure they didn't slide out of place on the comfortably steamed bun. Personally, I'd call it a work of art when a hot dog artisan takes the time to place the components of a hot dog in a deliberate layout that results in a plethora of flavor.

Astounding service from a wonderful staff, awesome hot dogs, and attention to detail (cherry Coke that comes with actual cherries) earn the magical Presto Lunch a five weenie rating. This is well worth going out of your way for. Watch for Presto Lunch to be nominated in the Weenie Awards.

Barboursville Hot Dog Joint: Auntie Anne's Pretzels

During a recent shopping expedition to the Huntington Mall, we all needed a snack and had some coupons for Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Well, one of the certificates was for a free pretzel with the purchase of a pretzel dog. I have long flirted with the idea of reviewing these weenies, but at $2.79 I could get 2 Stewarts dogs or a slice of over-priced mall pizza, so it hasn't ever exactly been a priority. With this coupon, however, it was worth a shot.

For their weenies, Auntie Anne's takes a rather high quality all-beef frank and wraps them with pretzel dough and bakes them in an oven. IF you have ever had pigs-in-a-blanket made with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, you get the idea. They offer ketchup and mustard for free and a variety of dipping sauces for $.59. No slaw or sauce, however, so I just opted for a couple of mustard packets.

Let me make this one thing clear: while the dawg was indeed purchased in WV, it is by no means a West Virginia hot dog. Therefore I cannot and will not rank them on the weenie scale. As a regular old snack, however, they weren't shabby, getting 3 out of 5 stars. That being said, I would still recommend something from Cosimo's or the Big Loafer if you are at the mall and are starving.

Shinnston HDJ Review - T&L Hot Dogs

T&L Hot Dogs of Shinnston is one of those cozy little HDJs that abides by the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. And for WVHD fans, that's obviously a good thing.

The little stone covered building situated on Main Street always manages to bring in the customers in a very steady stream all day long. My recommendation is to get there early if you're in the area for lunch, because the two dozen or so seats fill quickly. The staff keeps the focus on the food, and each order is prepared freshly and with TLC. The local regulars are greeted by name with open arms, much like a returning long-lost family member.

The cooking area is wide open for view, and markedly smaller than some other HDJs. You'll be able to watch the experts in action. Everything from the ladles to the fry slicer is well worn but highly cleaned, giving the place a lot of character. The snug dining area follows the typical T&L 50's motif, with reprints of classic advertisements, movie posters, and the like adorning the walls.
The menu here is relatively simple, with only hot dogs and hamburgers listed (of course fries and chips are also available). Many of the other locations offer up the likes of steak hoagies, kielbasa, and so forth. I suspect the limited cooking area factors into this, but it doesn't really matter since the hot dogs are the star of the show here.

Starting at the top of each WVHD is a very fresh slaw mix, featuring that finely chopped cabbage, carrot, and dressing combo that goes well with any variety of hot dog you can think of. It's got a pleasurable taste that melds sweet and tart on the perfect plane. You can't help but smile a little from the great taste.

Right below is that famous T&L chili, which you can get in mild (good for most), medium (not for the casual fan), and hot (how brave are ya?). It's finely ground, with a wonderful mix of flavorings that blends well with the hearty, beefy taste from the cooked-just-right meat.

About the only thing I wish this T&L would improve on (aside from the parking, which is beyond their control) are the fresh-cut fries. Listed by the moniker “Freedom Fries” on the menu, they have a tendency to get either overcooked on the outside or under cooked on the inside. Sure, it's a timing issue, but nothing a little more experience and practice won't fix. Then again, fresh cut fries are an art form. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

This T&L location deserves no more or less than four weenies. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and grab a couple for the road (if you don't mind waiting behind with the long line of locals).

Charleston HDJ Review - RPM Restaurant

A new Capital City HDJ has opened in the former home of the Patrick Street location of Sam's Hot Dog Stand. RPM Restaurant, obviously a reference to automobile terminology (revolutions per minute) since the interior is decorated with cars: Little model cars all over the place. I'm guessing the owner is a car enthusiast. I'm psychic like that.

The most impressive piece of decorating, though, is not inside but standing outside in the parking lot: A five foot tall weenie pouring ketchup over its head! Ketchup! (at least it has a bottle of what looks like mustard in the other hand) I've seen this statue at other HDJs before, but this one is unique because it is wearing a cape made from an American flag. This kind of lawn ornamentation definitely says loudly and proudly that this is a Hot Dog Joint. And RPM is definitely a hot dog joint.

I was in a hurry so I didn't have much time to peruse the menu board. I stopped when I saw "West Virginia Hot Dog" with its chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I ordered 2 to go. I was pleased to look in the bag and see that the dogs were individually wrapped in aluminum foil. They were really nice and soft by the time I got them to the car, and unwrapping them was a treat. The slaw was gorgeous, finely chopped with enough carrots to give it some great color. It tasted great too: Very fresh and lightly sweet. It went perfectly with the chili, which was a little on the tame side spice-wise, but had a good flavor nonetheless. The whole dog was kind of salty tasting, which was unusual but not unsavory. The all-beef weenie added the extra oomph that made this a special dog.

Not quite a Five -Weenie, because the chili was a little too tame. After I ordered I noticed a spicy option, and I've already decided to schedule a revisit to check it out. But for now, RPM scores a very good 4.5 Weenie rating.

Parkersburg HDJ Review - Mr. Diggity

My recent Parkersburg swing allowed me to visit another HDJ that I've received lots of email about: Mr. Diggity's. While technically in Vienna, this little HDJ is a little more upscale than the average small town typically has to offer. I came to this conclusion when I saw the sign on the front sidewalk announcing that they were serving Lobster Bisque: not your typical side dish for a WVHD. Inside I found a very functional floor plan with some nice decor, a few really roomy booths and enough tables to seat more than the lunch time crowd that was there at the time of my visit. It would be a nice place for a casual business lunch as well as a nice place to take the kids.

A board behind the counter offers a dizzying array of possible combinations of hot dogs and toppings. Since it was the lunch hour and many hungry people were waiting in line I just ordered one with the proper toppings for a West Virginian and let them decide which of the menu items it most closely resembled. I did notice that the board listed the most requested combination as sauce, slaw and onions. My additional request of mustard didn't seem to raise any eyebrows.

When I got my hot dog the first thing I noticed was the incredible softness of the bun. It literally molded itself to the shape of my hand as I began to unwrap it. Once it was unwrapped it was the slaw that caught my eye: This just might be the most finely chopped slaw I have ever seen on a hot dog. The slaw could not help but be creamy with its minute cabbage particles, but the taste was very nice as well. It was applied in a heaping helping.

As for the chili sauce, it was good and went well with the slaw, but it lacked any distinctive characteristic: Not spicy, not tart, not meaty. Just sauce. If it were a bit spicier would make the whole dog better.

Still, Mr. Diggity's has a mighty fine hot dog. It scores a 4.5 Weenie rating.

Cabell County Hot Dog Joint Restaurant Inspections for Nov. '07

From the Cabell-Huntington Health Dept. Website:

FARLEY'S FAMOUS HOT DOGS
1226 SOUTH MAIN ST.
11/1/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NOZZLES OF FOUNTAIN DRINK DISPENSER ARE DIRTY (CORRECTED).

TARGET - FOOD AVENUE
2070 THUNDERING HERD ROAD
11/5/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NONE

SAM'S HOT DOG STAND
2885 5TH AVENUE
11/5/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NONE

DAIRY QUEEN/BRAZIER
1939 ADAMS AVENUE
11/6/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NONE

TUDORS BISCUIT WORLD
424 29TH STREET
11/8/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: CAN OPENER BLADE UNCLEAN (CORRECTED).

TUDORS BISCUIT WORLD
520 20TH STREET
11/8/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NONE

STEWARTS ORIGINAL HOTDOGS
2445 5TH AVENUE
11/8/2007
NO SANITIZER DETECTED W/ TEST STRIPS-- SINK REFILLED AND PROPER AMOUNT OF SANITIZER ADDED. ROACHES FOUND UNDER POWER SUPPLY OF 2ND CASH REGISTER-- MUST SEND COPY OF EXTERMINATOR.

DAIRY QUEEN
2660 5TH AVENUE
11/13/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: NONE

TUDORS BISCUIT WORLD
5984 ROUTE 60 EAST
11/19/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: SAUSAGE GRAVY 121*F IN WARMER - OUT OF TEMP. COOKED EGGS 119*F SITTING ON TOP OF STEAM TABLE INSTEAD OF INSIDE - OUT OF TEMPERATURE (CORRECTED - BOTH THROWN AWAY).

SAM'S HOT DOG STAND
816 8TH STREET
11/26/2007
CRITICAL VIOLATION: EGGS IN COOLER OVER READY-TO-EAT FOOD ITEMS (CORRECTED - EGGS MOVED TO BOTTOM SHELF).

PRITCHARD COFFEE AND SANDWICH SHOPPE
603 9TH STREET
11/27/2007
NO VIOLATIONS

Nitro HDJ Review - Jen's Southern BBQ

Here's a little local place with a big future.

To say that Jen's Southern BBQ is the talk of Nitro is an understatement. It is the talk of the whole Kanawha Valley. It is one of those places that isn't fancy or flashy but has some of the best food you're going to find at reasonable prices prepared and served by some of the nicest folks you will ever meet. It's only been open for a few months, but already people line up at lunch time to get one of the dozen or so tables that might still be available. It sits right on the corner of First Avenue and 8th Street in Nitro in the former home of one of the many Rio Grande Restaurant locations. Look for the huge smoker out front.

I first went there because I heard that the pulled pork was to die for (and it is) and went back to try the country style ribs which were equally as scrumptious. On my second visit I noticed the menu includes a "WV Hot Dog" that comes with chili, slaw, mustard, onions and ketchup (the last ingredient being superfluous, as regular readers already know). I knew that I needed to get back and try one because as good as the rest of the food is I figured that the hot dogs would be awesome. I figured right.

It's difficult to know where to begin, so let's start at the top: The slaw didn't look like anything special. It was cut much more coarsely than I normally prefer and I was expecting something different from what I tasted, but this slaw is very good. Despite the larger pieces of cabbage it was creamy and as sweet as you'd ever want with just a hint of tartness. It tasted unbelievably fresh. This is perfect side-serving coleslaw and it works just as well on top of the dog.

Just under the slaw was more goodness: The chili on this dog, while not terribly spicy, was as tasty as chili gets. It was wonderfully overloaded with garlic (is there such a thing as too much garlic?) and nicely complex. Some folks would no doubt prefer it a couple of shades hotter, but it worked perfectly with the slaw.

Down under it all was an all-beef weenie that seemed to have been lightly grilled. It was bursting with flavor. The onions and mustard didn't detract, but the bun did a little: It seemed to be standard Heiners issue but had not been steamed, toasted or grilled. If I had gotten my dogs to go the wax paper wrapping would have no doubt softened the bun. This is a mild nit-pick and I'm not going to penalize for it. Also, don't forget to ask them to hold the ketchup.

Add it all up and Jen's scores a Five Weenie rating.

Cha-Ching! We're in the money!

Ever since I began this blog and expanded its content to the wvhotdogs.com site, I have dreamed of a big payday. I knew that there were legions of loyal West Virginia Hot Dog fans out there who would inundate our sites with gazillions of hits looking for information on the beloved hot dogs of their homeland. I knew that my writing skills along side of those of Chris, Kevin and now Big Daddy, would bring popularity and critical acclaim to our little corner of the internet. Of course I had to pay for the domain name, and the web hosting fees. I've bought promotional items to give to people who could help spread the word. I have used up hundreds of gallons of gas running all over looking for hot dogs joints to review. Printing certificates for the annual Weenie Awards wasn't cheap. Overall I figure I've spent in excess of a thousand dollars on this little enterprise. That doesn't account at all for the hundreds of hours I have spent typing reviews and designing and updating web pages and just doing the work of the Head Weenie Wonk. But I decided it was a wise and prudent investment that would someday reap great financial rewards. I dreamed of a life of luxury paid for by my hot dog income.

And now, coming up on its two-year anniversary, this site has finally paid off. I received in the mail today my first payment from Google Adsense.

That's right: $103.37. That is the total income produced by the Google Ads on our site for the past two years.

Look out Donald Trump; There's a new Weenie Mogul in town.

5-Weenie HDJ to be Featured on Food Network

WSAZ is reporting that Huntington area 5 Weenie hot dog joint Hillbilly Hot Dogs of Lesage will be featured in an upcoming episode of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." They are in town this weekend filming for a segment that should air sometime next year.

Maybe one of y'all with cable or satellite can tape it for Stanton and I (we spend too much on hot dogs to afford such luxuries).