The Yank's Franks Angry Sauce Is Ready

W O Hesperus Bottling Department

With the Yank's Franks Opening Day fast approaching we ordered our special recipe, Yank's Angry Sauce from Captain Mowatt's (aka, W O Hesperus Co.).

Hot Diggity and I ventured north to Portland's Eastern Promenade, the worldwide headquarters of Captain Mowatt's. Overlooking Portland's Casco Bay, we were given a tour of their offices, the production kitchen, the bottling department and the storage room.

We were given a gastronomic tour of Captain Mowatt's amazing sauces, including their new Captain Mowatt's Hot Pink which earns a Heat Level rating of 7 out of 10.

We sampled the Captain's new Old Salt, an awesome combination of Sea Salt, Habanero & Cayenne Chiles, and a little Maine Seaweed. At a Heat Level of 4 out of 10, it was just the right kick while still being able to appreciate the taste buds.

Storage Department

We were sent off with a bottle of the Old Salt to keep at Yank's Franks. Anyone wanting a bit of a kick to their burger, fries or onion rings, please ask. I can't wait to try it myself.

Frankly, Some Like It Hot!!! 

Baseball and Hot Dogs!

Nothing goes together better than baseball and hot dogs (not even chocolate and peanut butter, but that's debatable).

Yank's Franks served up Hot Dogs at Opening Day of the Wells-Ogunquit Little League this past Saturday. What a great turn out, but boy-o'- boy was it windy and cold.

Overall, it was a very entertaining day and the players and the parents couldn't have been nicer. Almost all of the parents thanked us for our contribution, but the truth is, we were very delighted and honored to be a part of this All-American event.

This is Grant, one of the great athletes on the Yank's Franks, Riverdogs

Hot Diggity is serving them up.

Pearl's of Wisdom...

Hot Diggity and I were excited when we received an invitation from Pearl Meat Packing Co. to visit their Massachusetts headquarters.

The Yank's Franks tasting team showed up this morning anticipating a fun and educational (get it...Pearl's of wisdom) tour of Pearl's facilities. We were greeted by Bud Lazaro, Vice President of Sales as well as, Bob Camelio, President and CEO. We were very impressed by the facility's cleanliness, efficiency and the friendliness of the people.

Hot Diggity and I were treated to All-Beef hot dogs of various sizes, including a new Pearl Hot Dog spiced with Jalapeno peppers (ay chiwawa). We tried Pearl's beef and pork hot dogs as well as their Italian sausages. We sampled breakfast sandwiches, and even a wonderful Reuben sandwich made with Pearl's lean smoked Pastrami (absolutely delicious).

Of all the terrific offerings, the thing that kept us going back time and time again was the Jalapeno dog, it was delicious and unique.

What a great way to spend the day!

Frankly, Pearl makes awesome Hot Dogs (and more)!

A Yank's Franks Restaurant Review ~ Einstein's Bagels

Einstein's Bagels??? Has Yank gone crazy? Doesn't he have anything else to write about?

The truth is, I love bagels. Believe it or not, I even eat those sesame "rolls with a hole" in the middle that Dunkies sells. I don't love those, but I'll occasionally eat them. The best bagels I've ever eaten are, hands down from The Bagel King in Fairfield, Connecticut. The worst, that's easy, Lender's bagels.

Einstein's falls somewhere in the middle. Certainly a cut above Dunkin Donuts "rolls with a hole" but with a first name like Einstein's and a last name like Bagels, they should be much better.

Having said all that, this isn't so much about the bagels at Einstein's as much as it is about their Bagel Dogs. Yesterday's breakfast was an Asiago Bagel Dog. I had every intention of enjoying one of Einstein's toasted sesame bagels with plain cream cheese, but I spotted those bagel dogs. Even at 9:00 in the morning those dogs were screaming my name.

A hot dog surrounded by an Asiago Cheese bagel roll! Maybe you could resist, but I didn't have a chance.

The Asiago bagel roll was a little soft. It was packed in a foil bag to keep it warm and that lends itself to steaming the bun. Not a big issue as the taste of the bun was still very good. If I had eaten it at Einstein's perhaps the roll (bagel) would have been crispier. No biggie.

The hot dog was split, but I was unable to tell if it was griddled or heated in an oven. I suspect it was the oven, but again, no big deal either way. The only issue I had (and it is a big one) was the taste of the dog. It was very strong and heavily seasoned. I don't mind an all-beef strong hot dog (in fact, I like them), but their seasonings were over the top for me. Not a bad flavor, just a whole lot of it. In all fairness, it was breakfast time and perhaps my taste buds were not fully awake.

All-in-all, I would say I wouldn't have it again, but I did eat the whole dog. If someone bought one for me, I'd eat it, but this time I'd put mustard on it. I should have added mustard for this one, but heck there are times I don't even get a photo because I'm so anxious to eat.

Frankly, isn't it amazing that hot dogs are showing up everywhere?

M*A*S*H Fans and Hot Dog Lovers Rejoice

The Toledo, Ohio Hot Dog Joint made famous by M*A*S*H's lovable cross-dressing Max Klinger will stay in the family. The ownership of Tony Packo's was settled by a judge yesterday and the legendary "Joint" will continue to be operated by the Packo family. Read more here.

While the M*A*S*H television show ended 30 years ago, the restaurant's chili dog continues to be a fan favorite. While I am certain the Tony Packo's Chili Dog is delicious, I believe the Yank's Franks Chili Dog can't be beat.

Frankly, Tony Packo's would make a great stop on a Hot Dog road trip!

Hot Dog Wars Move to the Court Room

In a fight over the best hot dog, Sara Lee (maker of Ball Park Franks) and Kraft Foods (maker of Oscar Mayer) have taken their BEEF to the courts.

The arguments center around a hot dog taste test which Oscar Mayer claims to have won. Sara Lee has claimed that the taste test was deeply flawed for a variety of reasons.

My questions is this...How can you possibly have a national taste test for the best hot dog and leave out the very best hot dog made by Hummel Bros. for Yank's Franks?

I have had many Ball Park Franks and many Oscar Mayer Wieners. Those hot dogs are very good, but they are not even close to Hummel Bros. No wonder they kept Hummel out of their test.

We've said it before and we'll say it again...

Frankly, WE serve the BEST dogs!

"Hot Dog" Mike Returns To Yank's Franks

He's back! One of the authors of the very popular Hot Dog Blog, The Hot Dog I Ate, Mike returned to Yank's Franks today with his lovely wife, Samantha. (and this time it wasn't by accident). As you may recall, his last visit was a result of a surprise sighting of Yank's by Samantha during their journey north. The bad news, at that time, was that they had stopped a short while earlier at Flo's for some dogs. Being a true "veteran hot dogger" that wasn't going to totally stop Mike. He found room for one Yank's Frank.

On this trip Mike had Yank's Franks as the destination and we were thrilled. After Mike and Samantha finished their meals the customer traffic slowed as if on cue. We had some time for some "hot dog talk" and just to visit.

Both Hot Diggity and I are now into our 3rd careers and the great thing is that "Hot Doggers" are the absolute best people.

Thanks for stopping Mike and Samantha!

Frankly, Hot Diggity and I love being Hot Doggers!

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!

Yank's Franks Opening Weekend

Yank's Franks would like to thank everyone that helped make our opening weekend so GREAT!

We said it last year and we'll say it again...we didn't realize that one of the best benefits of opening a "hot dog joint" would be all the new friends we are meeting.

Appearing for the first time, the Burgers, the BBQ Pulled Pork and The Angry Dog were tried by a few of you. But, it was the beloved favorites that stole the show... The Wells Beach Dog, The Chili Dog and The Yank's Frank were clearly the huge sellers for the weekend.

Thanks again everyone that stopped in to say hello and get their hot dog fix. And those of you that couldn't make it, we look forward to seeing you soon.

Frankly, we have the BEST customers!

What Two Words Does Yank Love?

Lynn, wake up!

Food Show!

That's right, Yank, Hot Diggity and (the recently crowned) French Fry King spent the afternoon thoroughly enjoying the Sysco Food Show.

Of course, the primary goal of attending a Food Show is new menu ideas. This show didn't disappoint. It provided a great menu idea for our upcoming season (which, by the way, is just a little over three weeks away).

I'm going to hold off on telling you what this idea is. The truth be told, most of you won't think of it as anything groundbreaking, but those that have followed our progress will be surprised (pleasantly surprised, I believe).

Some of the ideas for the coming season that I've discussed before are taking shape. I would like to share a couple of them with you.

This year you will see a Pulled Pork Sandwich on the menu. You'll have your choice between a Sweet (not too sweet) BBQ Sauce or a Spicy and Smooth BBQ Sauce.

Also, new to the menu is a Specialty Dog that I'm thinking of calling, The Angry Dog, The Dog That Bites Back! It will be made with the new Yank's Angry Sauce. Warning...it really will bite you back.

The season is getting close. We can't wait.

Frankly, we serve a very Angry Hot Dog Sauce!

Yank's Franks Checks Out Vienna Beef Hot Dogs

Hot Diggity and I were invited to Boston today to speak with representatives of Chicago's Legendary, Vienna Beef. The purpose was to discuss whether Vienna Beef Hot Dogs would be a good fit at Yank's Franks.

In addition to the Vienna Beef rep. we were warmly greeted by Grady, the founder and owner of Windy City Eats, the awesome Weymouth, Mass. hot dog joint that serves nothing but Vienna Beef products. Hot Diggity and I thoroughly enjoyed a Windy City authentic Chicago Dog at last year's Hot Dog Safari. That Chicago Dog was easily the highlight of the Safari.

In addition to hearing some of the benefits of Vienna Beef and their products, Grady from Windy City Eats had prepared for us some of his delicious Hot Dog Chili and Spicy Polish Sausage. Both were exceptional.

All this is what's known as food for thought.

Frankly, Yank's Franks serves the BEST dogs!

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!

Gilley's Hot Dogs ~ A Hot Dog Joint Review

Two of the four members of the Yank's Franks research team, The Hot Dog King and I traveled south to Portsmouth, New Hampster today. Our destination was the little hot dog joint known as Gilley's PM Lunch.

The place is a really cool, old wooden diner. Built in 1940 by The Worcester Diner Company it is the only one of the original five built that continues in full operation. It's very small, but really neat.

Today's lunch for The HDK was going to be a cheeseburger and fries. While he was ordering I noticed a menu item that was unfamiliar to me (what fun!!!). I asked, "what is poutine?" As the person behind the counter described the French Fries covered in cheddar cheese curds and brown gravy, The Hot Dog King quickly adjusted his order and changed his fries to Poutine.

The HDK really liked his hamburger. He and I had a long discussion about the size...is it 4 ounces, no that would be a quarter pound. Is it a 2 ounce slider, no it seems bigger. We settled on 3 ounces. Normally we would simply asked the person behind the counter, and normally that person would give us even more information than we asked for. Not here, it was apparent that these folks were a little short on "friendly." Perhaps they attended the Flo's Hot Dogs School of Customer Service. I just don't get it.

For me, of course I was immediately attracted to the Chili Dog. Hey! Wait a minute, they also have Chili Fries. With regard to my Chili Dog...the good news was, there was plenty of chili and both the dog and the chili were pretty good (steamed dog on a steamed bun, I'm starting to get used to it). The bad news, look at the photo. How the heck was I to eat that. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind eating a generous chili dog with a fork and knife, but perhaps due to Homeland Security issues, Gilley's doesn't have plastic knives. At the suggestion of the "less than friendly" hot dogger on duty, I took an extra fork and attempted to mangle my dog into submission. It was a nasty fight in which both the chili dog and I ended up on the floor. In the end, I was victorious and the chili dog was very good.

As for the Chili Fries, they were delicious. Fortunately, there were some that were not slathered in chili so I was able to get a taste of just the French Fries. The plain fries were also very good.

Overall, I certainly would return to Gilley's for the food. Everything was good. If I wanted to make friends and have an awesome dessert, I would head across town to Roly's English Fudge where the people are super nice and the fudge is super delicious.

Frankly, Yank's Franks has the NICEST hot doggers!

No, I didn't misspell New Hampshire, I did it on porpoise.

Don's Famous Franks ~ Augusta, Maine

Our research field trip north took us next to Don's Famous Franks in Augusta, Maine. I'd never heard of Don's, but luckily if there is anyone that knows eating spots better than me (or at least as well as me) it's The Hot Dog King and he knew Don's.

The bad news was, we had just eaten at Bolley's Famous Franks (how long does Yank's Franks have to serve hot dogs before we can call them famous?).

The HDK and Double Dog Dennis were kinda full. A true researcher doesn't let that stop them. For me, it was my standard chili dog and a large order of french fries (to be shared). The menu sign said Homemade Fries, but when they arrived I noticed that they were crinkle cut. I would categorize homemade crinkle cut fries as very rare so I was skeptical.

The hot dog was very good (Kayem natural casing), griddled and served on a steamed bun (if you don't know my opinion of steamed buns read the previous article). The chili was okay, but the fries....the homemade crinkle cut fries were fantastic!!! It is worth a trip to Augusta to try these fries.

Frankly, Yanks Franks serves the BEST dogs!

Where's The Beef?

The beef was in the Yank's Franks' testing labratory. Actually it was the Italian Beef, imported from Chicago the land of great politicians and even greater hot dogs.

The judges were set. Each one of them, Hot Diggity, Double Dog Dennis, The Hot Dog King and me (Yank) had sworn to skip several meals prior to the tasting and arrive super hungry. I wasn't able to skip breakfast, but I did skip my mid-morning snack. Well, I didn't skip it, but I had far less than I otherwise would have. Well, not far less, but less. Hey, the point is, I was very hungry.
The menu was set, and the Italian Beef sandwiches were to be the highlight. I felt we couldn't have a legitimate tasting without a sidedish so I added onion rings to balance things out. They weren't the amazing Yank's Franks onion rings, but they weren't bad.
To wash it all down, we had the famous Yank's Franks Root Beer. What a meal!

As you can see from the photo, we gathered around the tasting table for our first bite of the Beef sandwiches. What you may not know from my previous posts is, The Hot Dog King is in the Witness Protection Program (you now understand why his title The Hot Dog King doesn't include his name) so his face had to be obscured to protect his identity.

The Italian Beef was made by taking very thinly sliced roast beef which is placed briefly into Au Jus gravy and then onto a warm and crispy bread roll. Then you add a ladle of Au Jus gravy followed by some cooked sweet peppers to finish this awesome sandwich. Some people (me in particular) like to have their sandwich topped with Hot Giardiniera. It was delicious, I mean delizioso!

I always said I'd like to get a job eating or testing mattresses. One more check mark on my Bucket List. Even though Yank's Franks won't be opening until May, we continue to do research to bring our customers the best eating experience possible.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

An Inspirational Hot Dog

The last hot dogs from our Cross-Country Tour were from a spot that Hot Diggity and I used to frequent. We would go there often and get the same Dogs each time. We both got Hot Dogs resting on a bed of bacon, then slathered (is that a word?) in spicy mustard and topped with sauerkraut.

We would always get our dogs to go, drive to the beach and eat them.

Any idea what these memorable hot dogs inspired?

Don't answer...let Max tell everyone. How about it Max, do these dogs remind you of anything at Yank's Franks?

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

The Cross Country Hot Dog Tour Continues ~Chi-Town

It's day nine of The Cross Country Hot Dog Tour.


We finally hit pay dirt when I stumbled into Chi-Town Chicago Style Eatery in Austin, Texas.

First a little background...Hot Diggity and I lived in Austin for seven years. It was the nicest place we have ever lived for so many reasons. When we moved to Austin, I quickly noticed that it had some of the best restaurants you'd ever want, however I also noticed that, like Maine, it didn't have what I would consider a great hot dog joint. I always believed that opening a hot dog joint in the right spot in Austin would be a winner. Well, here we are back visiting Austin and what do they have just a few miles from where we lived...a great hot dog joint!


Last night I decided to check out Urban Spoon. They had several negative comments, however most of them concerned what I would describe as start-up issues. Not that they aren't legitimate, but virtually all places (including Yank's Franks) go through a learning period. These guys, Travis and Tim, seem very responsive to their customers comments. For example, one customer complained about the quality of their fries and was upset that they used frozen fries. He went on to point out some great places that would only serve fresh cut fries. Well, Chi-Town now uses fresh cut fries. And, I promise their fries are far better than 5 Guys Burger fries. If I may add one point of disagreement, Yank's Franks uses frozen French Fries. After a very long and extensive comparison of many kinds of potatoes and fries, I will stack our Yank's Frank fries up to any out there.


Back to the point, in addition to the fries I had their Classic Chicago Dog and a Chili Dog. Both dogs were Vienna Beef hot dogs and both were done just right. What a bonus, a delicious lunch when you least expect it.

I can't believe that Austin finally has a great Hot Dog Joint!

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs! And, Chi-Town serves the best dogs in Texas!

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!

Yank's Franks Is Closed For The Season

It went by way too quickly, but we're excited to open next season.

We'll be making plans all winter long and we will let you in on them as the plans materialize. So, check back, we're really not going anywhere (well yes we are, but we'll be blogging and Facebooking (is that a verb yet)) all winter long.

Thank you to all.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!

Two Days Left And Yank's Franks Will Close For The Season

Saturday and Sunday (depending on the Hot Dog supply) are our last two days for our first season at Yank's Franks.

We're running low on a few things (we're out of chicken). Tomorrow we'll be out of our awesome onion rings. We'll also run out of our fantastic French Fries, but I bought some knock-offs for those that must have some Fries. We are not even pretending that they are nearly as good as our usual fries, but they'll help for those with fry-cravings. I even got Krinkle Cut so they'll be no confusion.

We will be serving cups of Yank's Beantown Chili. If you haven't tried it yet, it's spicy and delicious.

We hope to see you for your last Yank's Frank of the year.

Frankly, we serve the BEST dogs!