Pink's Hot Dogs, Another Item on My Bucket List

We have never been to Pink's Hot Dogs, but it is another item that needs to be checked off my "bucket list."

A friend sent Yank's Franks this photo and offered to send more. I declined and instead suggected sending a chili dog. I expect to receive it early next week.

Pink's is in Hollywood and has been for over 70 years. Many of you may have heard of them as they recently became the subject of an often run commercial about Bank of America. Good going B of A, there is nothing better than hot dogs to make us forget that you were a huge part of bringing the world economy to its knees.

Pink's has the reputation of being the hot dog stand to the stars. That's an awesome distinction, but Yank's Franks is hard at work to replace them as the hot dog stand to the stars.

Frankly, All Yank's Franks Customers Are Stars!

So there you go Pink's. Maybe we'll see you next winter.

A Yank's Franks Restaurant Review ~ The Maine Diner

One of the great things about living in the Wells, Maine area is access to an amazing place to eat called, The Maine Diner.

Hot Diggity and I were out Christmas shopping and were getting pretty hungry. In spite of the amazing Chili Dog fix I got at Hoss & Mary's last Friday, I was still jonesin' for more. A stop at the great Maine Diner was the answer.

One of Hot Diggity's favorite things to have for lunch (and for dinner) is breakfast. One of my favorite things to have for lunch (and for breakfast...and for dinner) is a Chili Dog. We knew what would satisfy both of our cravings.


Over the course of the last 30 years for me and the last XX years for Hot Diggity (I removed the number because Hot Diggity looks too young to go back that far) The Maine Diner has been a favorite with us.

Hot Diggity had her predictable breakfast selection. For me it was the bowl of Chili with 2 hot dogs. Being the clever foodie that I am, I not only turned these ingredients into chili dogs (I should be on the Food Channel), I accepted Hot Diggity's offer to choose French Fries with her meal and I was clever enough to turn her Fries into my Chili Fries. I am so creative.

The Maine Diner is awesome and consistent. We have dined there so many times, and have never had anything other than excellent meals.

Don't let the line of people bother you. There is a reason people are waiting...it's that good!!!

Frankly, Wells, Maine is fortunate to have such a great place to eat!

I Finally Got a Good Chili Dog

Today The French Fry King and I went north to finally lay to rest my overwhelming hunger for a chili dog. Where else would we go but Hoss & Mary's Tasty Grub at Old Orchard Beach.

For me, it was a chili dog and a Moultron (a Moultron is a cheeseburger topped with a hot dog) along with an order of fries. For The French Fry King, it was just a Moultron and fries (wimp). Our meals were fantastic.

I took good photos of our food, but sitting next to me was this young man named Ethan. And, as I came to learn, those eight cheeseburgers that were on the griddle were soon to be put together and served to Ethan as his Ocho Burger. I couldn't resist that photo op. I guess I am now a member of the Paparazzi. That's Ethan in the photo just before digging into his Ocho Burger.

I spent the next five minutes or so, watching Ethan make quick work of his Ocho Burger. He didn't skip a beat and then moved quickly on to finish off his order of fries. So as not to risk feeling a bit hungry on his walk home, Ethan topped his meal off with an order of deep-fried Mother Futchers Coffee Cake with sweet dipping sauce.

Great job Ethan! It was good to have lunch with you and all your friends.

And, great job Hoss & Mary...as usual your food is consistently great!

Frankly, I Love a Great Chili Dog!

A Five Day Waiting Period to Purchase a Hot Dog???

After an incident on the 7th green at Cordevalle where Tiger Woods was attacked by a "hot dog slinging" fan (well, maybe not a fan of Tiger), officials now are focused on the dangers of hot dogs. According to one security expert attending the tournament, "It wasn't a chili dog, that could have been really bad."

I'm hoping all of you will agree with me when I say, "if we make it a crime to carry a hot dog, only criminals...you know the rest."

To slightly modify the words of the great Homer Simpson, "What do you mean I have to wait 5 days for a hot dog permit...I'm hungry now!"

Frankly, Yank's Franks chili dogs would never be tossed!

The Hot Dog Man Showcases Yank's Franks in Wells, Maine

Frankly, The Hot Dog Man did a great job!

The Yank's Franks Testing Kitchen Re-Opens

It's been a long while since the Yank's Franks test kitchen has been open, but we had a special reason to unlock the doors and fire up the cooking equipment. As you (hopefully) read in my previous article, we were recently visited by Chubby Werewolf and he came to Yank's bearing gifts.

On the menu for the testing were Zweigle Red & Whites and Skyline Original Chili. Both were products we were excited to sample.

Double Dog Dennis, The French Fry King and I were all present. Unfortunately, Hot Diggity was unavailable as she was visiting her 8 month old grandson, The Hot Dog Cowboy.


As you can see from the photo (above), the Dogs were served on buns that are not typical of Yank's Franks. They were given to us by our baker, Fantini Bakery to test out. Also, what Hot Dog Tasting could be conducted without fries? So, it was homemade Cajun Fries to keep The French Fry King smiling. And, it was One Red and One White Zweigle's for each of us to keep Double Dog Dennis happy. What kept me happy? I started with two vodka martinis. That'll do it.

I had my Red Dog with Cincinnati-Style Chili and My White Dog with my favorite mustard, Kosciusko. The Dogs...both of them were absolutely delicious. To me, the look of the White Dog was a bit scary. While I have tried White Dogs at Heid's of Liverpool, that was over 30 years ago. If you have never had a white dog, give it a try. They are awesome!

Onto the Chili. The Skyline Chili is what I was really looking forward to as I have heard so much about it. The first thing I noticed was the aroma. I have opened several different brands of chili from cans, and have been consistently repulsed by the odor. Not at all true with Skyline. While the aroma was subtle, it was pleasant.

The next obvious characteristic is the consistency. It was very soupy. I didn't know what to make of this as I worried it would be too runny for a hot dog topping. In the ingredients list on the can, listed first is beef (which I think means beef would be the ingredient most prominent). I continue to be skeptical that beef deserves top billing.

And finally the taste. The Cincinnati-Style Chili was delicious. It definitely reminded me of Mexican Mole (which I love) as it has a hint of a chocolate flavor. Good Mexican Mole just has a hint of chocolate...so little that you almost have to concentrate while tasting to get it. The same is true of this chili. After having the Chili on my hot dog, I had more with just a spoon. Awesome Chili! So good that our Annual Cross-Country Hot Dog Tour may include a swing through Cincinnati.

As to whether Cincinnati Chili makes its way onto the Yank's Franks menu is still undecided. The consistency makes it a messy and difficult topping. It also bothers me that people would know if served a chili that spent time in the can. I have always considered chili in a can as wrong. We'll see. Maybe that trip to Cincinnati will give us a different perspective. I'll let you know.

A special Thank you to Chubby Werewolf for this fantastic meal.

Frankly, Yank loves Chili Dogs!

July is National Hot Dog Month

We would love to see you at Yank's Franks to celebrate National Hot Dog Month.

Try a different combination of toppings each day. Let us know your favorite.

Someone recently ordered The Angry Dog topped with Onions and Jalapenos. It sounds delicious, but I may wait until October to try it myself.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

Johnny Rockets ~ Freeport, Maine

Hot Diggity and I stumbled upon a Johnny Rockets this past Sunday. Normally such a find would result in a spirited "Yahoo" from me, but unfortunately we had just finished lunch at a different restaurant. I only had enough room for one of Johnny Rockets awesome milk shakes.

The thought of a Johnny Rockets' burger danced through my hungry brain for the last several days until today, I was able to convince Hot Diggity, Double Dog Dennis and The Hot Dog King to join me for a mini-field trip back up to Freeport.

In addition to our burgers and fries, I ordered the chili dog and we all split an order of rings.

As you may know, my standard by which all hot dog joints are judged is the chili dog. Others often choose the simple plain hot dog or hot dog with yellow mustard, but my sense of taste and ability to discern the subtle variances in spices and flavors is highly sensitive and extremely sophisticated. (are you buying this?) Plus, I love chili dogs.

Well, I will stop slinging the bull and get right down to the review. The burgers were excellent! Everyone agreed, however Hot Diggity ordered the patty melt and was disappointed with the preparation of the bread. The onion rings were unusual in that the coating was made from sourdough breading. Excellent! The chili dog was great... great dog, great chili. I'll definitely get one the next time I go. Now for the "not as good news" The french fries were not that good. Hey Mr. Rocket, if you're listening, it's an easy fix. I noticed your deep fryer is automatically set to cook for 3 minutes. Set that baby to 4 minutes and you'll have some killer fries. Easy peasey, lemon sqeezey.

Frankly, Yank's Franks serves the BEST dogs (and rings and fries)!

Don't let that stop you when you're in Freeport. Johnny Rockets is a great spot.

My Hot Dog Mission

It's Saturday and Hot Diggity and I found a new relish to try. Have you ever heard of Zucchini Relish. We sampled it at a local Farmers' Market and it was very good. Of course, I had to put it to the hot dog test.

So what you see below is my Zucchini Relish and Kosciusko Mustard Dog (for research purposes) and two Chili Dogs with Cheese (because I was dying for Chili Dogs).

The result...the Zucchini Relish was very good, however it is not different enough from our sweet relish to add to our offerings. We will keep looking and we will invite others to try the Zucchini Relish to get more opinions.

The Chili Dogs were made with Yank's Beantown Chili (as opposed to our regular Chili Dogs that were made with Angus Steak Chili). Whenever and where ever I have Chili, it needs to be topped with shredded cheddar. The Chili Dogs were awesome! Our Beantown Chili is just spectacular. We will likely have it on our menu next Spring.

Now for my problem. I ate these hot dogs a little after 9:30 pm this evening. I could go to bed an hour late, after all we set the clocks back tonight. I'll break even on sleep while most of you get your extra hour, but that's the price I'll pay.

Wait a minute, I have another idea. Maybe if I chase those dogs with a bowl of Ben and Jerry's everything will even out. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

Enjoy your extra hour of sleep. I intend to as well.

Frankly, blah, blah, blah...gotta go to bed!

The Yank's Franks Website Is Up And Running

The new Yank's Franks website went live today. We are thrilled with it. It's clean, crisp and fun, just like Yank's Franks.

Thank you AfterFive by Design, our web developer, for all your great ideas.

Please, take a look and let us know what you think.
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Fall Weekend Special at Yank's Franks

The first weekend of the Fall season and Yank's Franks is introducing Yank's Beantown Chili.

Chili lovers take note...this isn't a chili for the masses. This chili is for "chili lovers."

Our Yank's Beantown Chili is different from our hot dog chili. Our Certified Angus Steak Chili is still being smeared on every chili dog you'll enjoy at Yank's Franks. It goes perfectly with our awesome hot dogs.

But, if you want a cup of chili that will keep you warm on a chilly Autumn day, you need to come to Yank's Franks and try our Beantown Chili. Add cheddar cheese and a Yank's Franks Root Beer and it's Foodie heaven.

Yank's Franks Beantown Chili is so good, if it were served at a Superbowl Party, it would guarantee a Patriots win.

Frankly, we serve some amazing chili!

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Yank's Franks Gets Reviewed By The Hot Dog Blog

After a visit just a week ago, The Hot Dog Blog gave great marks to Yank's Franks. In the words of The Hot Dog Blog, "...Yank's is a fantastic Hot Dog Joint...they do serve a wonderful hot dog."

Mike and his beautiful wife, Samantha, have promised to return. In turn, I promise nobody (including our customers) will try to put him to work again (you'll have to read his September 3, 2010 article to understand this promise).

When they return I'm hoping they'll try our Wells Beach Dog and our Chili Dog. I played customer at Yank's Franks today (Christina and Ellen were working while Hot Diggity and I did some YF chores) and I ordered a Chili Dog, an order of Yank's Franks almost famous French Fries and a Yank's Franks Root Beer. It was the first time I did this and I sat outside on the front porch, I mean the veranda.

I must say, I was thrilled. The food was fantastic, the Root Beer was amazing and the veranda is so relaxing. It was everything that Hot Diggity and I were hoping to achieve.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

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Yank's Franks Opens With A Bang!

We are thrilled with the comments we are getting from our customers. From the local Wells residents, to the travelers from "away," the comments about the hot dogs and about our renovations have been so nice to hear.

The most popular hot dog...The Yank's Frank. It's a hot dog on a toasted bun with Raye's Downeast yellow mustard, sweet relish, raw onions, a slice of tomato, a slice of dill pickle topped with celery salt.

The most popular condiment...mustard, of course.

The surprise (for me) runner up condiment...raw onions. We are going through them like crazy.

There you go, three days down and we're doing great.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

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Yank's Franks Will Be Serving The Very Best Chili Dogs

The six month long, constant search has come to an end. After trying, what seemed like thousands of different kinds of chili, and after the Hot Dog King cooked dozens of different chili recipes (most of which he made up himself) we can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

To say we were nervous is an understatement. Here we were just weeks away from opening Yank's Franks and no chili to go on the chili dogs ~~ unthinkable!

So, tonight we sleep knowing all of you chili dog fans will leave Yank's Franks with big smiles on your faces (and plans to return for more).


The chili that will be served at Yank's Franks is not made with ground beef. Our chili is not made with steak. Yank's Franks chili is made with Certified Angus Beef steak.

Angus Beef is a select breed of Scottish cattle. Considered a premier beef, the Angus has become widely known with its name being synonymous with quality.

Certified Angus Beef has become known as the best of the best. Its certification is received only after meeting a rigorous set of standards.

Yank's Franks Chili Dogs will soon be known as the best of the best.

Frankly, we (will) serve the BEST dogs!

Let's Celebrate National Hot Dog Month

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It's Here! In 1957, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce designated the month of July, National Hot Dog Month.

This month alone, Americans will consume 150 million hot dogs. And, what will they put on those hot dogs? The number one condiment is easy, it's mustard. Number two gets a little more difficult since there are strict rules governing its use on hot dogs. That should be enough of a hint for the readers of my blog who will recognize this "hot dog controlled substance" as ketchup. And the number three most popular condiment is still more difficult. I celebrated the start of National Hot Dog Month with this condiment when I enjoyed my Chili Dog for lunch today. Yes, chili is even more popular than relish.

If you are wondering what 150 million hot dogs might look like...that's enough to stretch across the United States, from coast to coast, more than five times.

It is no wonder that, with such popularity, the hot dog is recognized for the entire month of July.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has today unveiled a series of four commemorative placemats that are sure to liven up any hot dog gathering. Ironically enough, one of the four includes, "Hot Dog Etiquette" so those over the age of 18 years and using Ketchup on their hot dog, can see exactly which rule they are breaking.

Yank's Franks wishes everyone a wonderful Hot Dog Month!

Frankly, we (will) serve the BEST dogs!

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Another Day Older...

...and Deeper in Debt!

It's official, Hot Diggity and I closed on the purchase of the future (mid to late July) Yank's Franks.

Very early this morning we returned from our trip to Texas where, among other things, we continued our search for the best hot dog/Texas chili on the planet. (hopefully that last sentence will be enough to convince the IRS that our trip should be tax deductible)

Additionally, we learned that while we were gone, we received our building permit for the major renovations from the Code Enforcement Office, and we received the required permit from the State Fire Marshal's Office.

We are on a roll and we are ready to roll.

Frankly, we (will) serve the BEST dogs!

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It's Chili Today, It'll Be Hot (Dogs) Tamale

The Hot Dog King and I set out on a mission yesterday. Knowing that Yank's Franks had yet to find the perfect chili, HDK suggested a visit to the best Mexican restaurant in the northeast.

Because a great chili dog is a must at Yank's Franks, we went on the road again. Many of you are skeptical about the idea of great Mexican food in the northeast, let alone in Maine, but I promise you we have a fantastic (and authentic) Mexican restaurant.

So, off we went to Loco Coco's Tacos in Kittery, Maine. Hot Diggity and I stumbled on this place several years back, when it looked more like a converted gas station (that's what it was) than a restaurant. We had recently moved to Maine from Texas (awesome Mexican food) and were jonesin' for Mexican food. We soon turned HDK and Double Dog Dennis on to this great find and they have since been several times.

HDK and I each ordered a bowl of Chili. It was fantastic. It was the best chili I have enjoyed in a long time.

What about using this chili at Yank's Franks? Maybe! There are two issues: first, it had beans. Hot Dog chili typically does not have beans, and second, don't know if Coco Loco's Tacos sells their product for resale. If we decide to pursue this idea, we will inquire.

To round out our Hot Doggin' trip, we stopped at a very popular Hot Dog Joint. We had heard so much about this place we had to try it (Hot Diggity and I had tried this place several years ago, but it was a first for The Hot Dog King). The Joint will remain unnamed as we came away with little positive to say. Yank's Franks will strive to provide much better food and a much better experience for our customers.

Frankly, we (will) serve the BEST dogs!

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Scoping Out the Hot Dog Competition

Our mission for the day (well. at least for lunchtime) was to try our local competition. We drove into the parking lot and were immediately impressed with the number of customers waiting, reviewing the menu or eating their lunch.

After a quick look at their fairly diverse menu, we made our selections. For Hot Diggity, it was the Boston Dog. A dog with bacon and cheese (if you have read my previous posts, you know my feelings on bacon and cheese. Put them together and Wow!). For me, I couldn't pass up a Boston Dog and I added a Chili Dog. We split a large order of fries.

When we ordered we were told it would be about five minutes. Our order was ready in about two minutes. Good job!

The dogs were very good. The fries however, were absolutely terrific. They were krinkle cut and cooked just right.

As you can see, we enjoyed our lunch at one of their picnic tables. It was ideal as this was one of our first Spring days.

We'll certainly return and enjoy some of their other hot dogs, but when we do, we'll each get a large order of fries.

To sum things up, we have some great competition. Oddly enough, we consider this a positive. As people enjoy great hot dogs, they will crave them even more.

Frankly, we (will) serve the BEST dogs!

Memories of a Hot Dog

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It's difficult to remember my first Hot Dog. But, boy do hot dogs bring back great memories.

A 4th of July backyard barbecue with all the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents?

Was it the beans and franks with brown bread (smothered in butter) that would make any Saturday night special?

Or, could it have possibly been when my father took me and our neighbor, Paul to Fenway Park? We arrived early that day and the Red Sox were playing the White Sox. To be honest I can't even remember the hot dog that day (although I am certain we had one) because all memories were overshadowed when my dad introduced me and Paul to his old teammate, Nellie Fox.

Years passed and hot dogs came and went. Those hot dogs weren't linked to fond memories as when I was young. Those hot dogs were relatively unremarkable.

Many years later, Hot Diggity and I, along with two little Hot Doggers, Top Dawg Dada (that's his hot dog name now. He's Just Plain Sophia's Dada) and Deputy Dawg Dan moved to Connecticut. Just to keep things clear, we were living in Yankee territory, but were always Red Sox fans.

It was the thirteen years living in Fairfield County Connecticut that turned us all on to what a hot dog could be. Whether we were standing in line at Rawleys, enjoying a casual lunch at Swanky Franks, relishing a split faced dog from Super Duper Weenie or catching a quick frank at Duchess on the way to Jennings Beach. All these Hot Dog Joints served franks that kept you coming back for more.

It is these years of "Hot Dog Heaven" that inspires what Yank's Franks will be...and better.

Frankly speaking, we (will) serve the best Hot Dogs!
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The Hot Dog Test Kitchen ~ Open on Saturday

Hot Diggity (aka photographer extraordinaire), The Hot Dog King (on the right, aka HDK), and The Big Dog (on the left) were on a mission in the test kitchen today. Actually, our goal was two-fold, we were testing a new topping recipe that was proposed by HDK and we were trying out a new hot dog from a nearby vendor.

The photo to the left captures HDK as he is preparing the ingredients for his Cheesy Chili topping. I am preparing a batter for our side dish today, onion rings.

The hot dogs we were testing were a switch from the all beef style that we have been experimenting with thus far. Today's dogs were also more substantial than most of those we have previously tried.


We each weighed in with our impressions of today's tests. The results were unanimous, we all agreed the Cheesy Chili topping was spectacular. It had a bit of a hot, spicy bite which we all concurred would be expected by anyone ordering chili. Combine that with beef and cheese and it can't help but be delicious.

The hot dogs were fantastic. In the words of HDK, "if you are served a hot dog like this, you feel like you are really getting an awesome meal!" He really has a silver tongue. Today, HDK also became a convert to the New England Style bun, toasted with butter.

After summing up the results of today's hard work, Hot Diggity declared, "this topping is definitely a keeper and we'll name the hot dog a Chili Cheese Dog."

As for the onion rings, they were good, but like our french fry tests, we need to return to the test kitchen until we get them perfect.

Before our hard day of work was over, we ended our meal with a dessert selection of Hot Diggity's fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and we tested a New Hampshire bakery's version of a Whoopie Pie. Now we all have that, I'm stuffed look on our faces.

The day's work is done. Now a nap.

Frankly, we (will) serve the best Hot Dogs!
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