Have You Eaten At Yank's Franks Lately?

That's what people will be asking their friends when they taste the new toppings at Yank's Franks this year.

Let me back up a little. I have been wanting to find a special, Yank's Franks Sauce to top our hot dogs. People love our Ridge Relish, it's delicious. People love Flo's Relish, but while it's good, it's not for me. People love the Zun Relish at Edgar's Olde Mill Burgers, but that's not what I put on his awesome burgers.

Sometimes I feel a bit frustrated, but searching for just the right combination of flavors that I would call my absolute favorite has been a very tasty mission as well.

That search has finally paid dividends (can you tell I'm an accountant?). I stumbled upon a small creator and purveyor of mustards, relishes and other sassy sauces. W.O. Hesperus Co. Right here in Southern Maine, they create some of the tastiest condiments you'll ever eat. The genius behind these condiments, Dan Stevens has taste buds that were trained on New Orleans cuisine. When he returned to Maine, he soon found that if he wanted truly amazing sauces, he would have to make them himself. That's what he's doing and Yank's Franks will be a beneficiary of that determination.

The local tasting team of Hot Diggity, Double Dog Dennis, The Hot Dog King and I headed out for yet another tasting field trip. We tasted relish (with red chiles and seaweed), and we tasted mustard (with cayenne pepper and Garlic). We tasted Dan's fantastic Canceaux Sauce, that has won so many awards Dan can barely keep up with adding them to his website. And, we tasted his Bar Harbor-Que Sauce, a tangy sweet BBQ sauce that is so well balanced everyone will love it.

After tasting so many unbelievable condiments, my mouth and taste buds were kicked into neutral. Another taste would have been futile. Yet there was one more sauce that I had to try. The Boston Red Sauce is a must for a kid from Boston. I took a bottle to go.

So, here I am sitting at my computer and I am going to the test kitchen to give the Boston Red Sauce a try. I'll be right back.

Okay, I'm back. Hang on, I've got to go get a drink of water.

Back again, holy cow is this sauce hot. I'm trying to tough it out and not leave you for another water or piece of bread, but I had that spoonful of Boston Red Sauce about four minutes ago and I am sweating on my forehead, my upper lip and my lower lip. It is...

I'm sorry, I didn't even warn you, I went for more water and I brought the bottle back with me. No more interuptions.

The Boston Red Sauce is awesome, but it is very hot. We may offer this at Yank's Franks this coming season, and I assure you that anyone requesting it will be told that it is delicious and very hot.

It's been one of the best and most rewarding field trips we have taken and we didn't have to go very far. Now, more than ever, we can't wait until our season begins. The new toppings we select as a result of visiting the W.O. Hesperus Co. are going to be awesome.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs...and we serve the best toppings!