Hot Dogs and Baseball

Baseball and hot dogs bring back fond memories to many of us. For me it's a day at Fenway with my Dad and a hot dog with mustard. I can taste it just sitting here thinking about it. It was a simpler time and the only way to go back there is by closing my eyes and tasting that unforgettable taste.

That is why having a hot dog joint is such a great thing to do. Almost everyone that comes through the door has a memorable hot dog experience. Those memories usually take one back to a pleasant time. Often our customers share those memories with us. It's the best part of the job.

Anyway, Yank's Franks is beginning to add a baseball theme to our "joint."  What better way than to hang photos of the original "Yank."  The top photo is Yank in his Philadelphia Athletics uniform in 1942 and below he is in his Chicago White Sox uniform in 1949. In between 1942 and 1949 was WWII, Northeastern University and minor league baseball.

Oh, and the bats and balls above have authentic signatures of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Frank Robinson and Cal Ripken, Jr.

Frankly, there is nothing more All-American than baseball and hot dogs!

Keep A Look Out For The Traveling Yank's Frank

The Traveling Yank's Frank made his debut today at Drakes Island Beach. He handed out coupons to hot dog lovers of every age.

Even our Traveling Yank's Frank gets hungry. When he does, you know where he eats...Yank's Franks!

Notice the Relish Green shorts and special kudos for the Mustard Yellow sneakers.

Frankly, does anyone know of a better Traveling Hot Dog? No chance!

Yank's Franks Gets A New Look!

This morning we were so happy to add this banner to the front of Yank's Franks.

Once again, thanks everyone for your votes!!!

Frankly, I Really Like The New Banner!

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.

Yank's Franks Wins Best Hot Dog

Great news for Yank's Franks! Check out the piece that was run on NECN this morning.

Thanks to all who voted for Yank's Franks.

Frankly, Yank's Franks has the BEST customers and the BEST friends!!!

July is National Hot Dog Month

To pay tribute to the All-American hot dog, The Hot Dog Man is traveling to a different Hot Dog Joint each day during the month of July, National Hot Dog Month. Lucky for him, July is one of those great months with 31 days and that means 31 hot dog stops. I thought I had a great job!!!

That's the Hot Dog Man in the center of the photo along with the owners of the greatest hot dog maker on the planet, Pearl the official hot dog of Yank's Franks.

I hope everyone that reads my blog will stop by Yank's Franks on Tuesday, July 10th and be a part of Hot Dog History. I can't wait for the movie.

Frankly, We Are Honored To Be A Part Of The Hot Dog Tour!

Yank's Franks Gets The Nomination For The 2nd Year In A Row

Last year Yank's Franks was voted 2nd in the NECN Baby You're The Best Hot Dog in New England. Well it's voting time again and we need your help. Please follow this LINK and vote for Yank's Franks. Voting ends this Wednesday evening, June 27th at 8 pm.

We would really love to have the bragging rights to 1st place so please tell your friends and family. It seems that only one vote can be recorded from each computer so don't sit around clicking away.

Remember, voting ends in 2 days so send out the call that Yank's Franks wants your vote for Best New England Hot Dog!

Thank you and keep your fingers crossed.

The Yank's Franks River Dogs Take First Place

The Yank's Franks River Dog's 1st place season wrapped up this evening with a celebration party at Yank's Franks.

The River Dogs were the youngest team in the Wells-Ogunquit Little League and obviously the most talented.

Each member of the 2012 championship team received trophies as well as awesome hot dogs and fries (nothing goes better with baseball than hot dogs).

Great job Coach Soper and congratulations to all the ball players. Get em again next year.

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.

Yank's Franks on the Green Monster??

Good job, Matt!

Well, maybe not on the Green Monster, but we will be on the "home run wall" at the Wells-Ogunquit Little League Stadium.

Opening day for the 2012 season is this Saturday, April 28th and Yank's Franks will be there again grilling up hot dogs.

Whether for breakfast or lunch, stop by the Yank's Franks stand and pick up an awesome dog. And remember, all proceeds are donated back to the Little League.

Frankly, nothing goes better with baseball than hot dogs!

Maine Hot Dog Stands (Joints)

Maine is a beautiful state, but best of all, Maine has some great Hot Dog Stands (or Joints as I prefer to call them).

I have sampled some of them and I have put the Joints I have yet to sample on my "to do" list.

I am listing the Hot Dog Joints of Maine in alphabetical order. I am certain I have missed some so please feel free to post a comment or email me to let me know the Joints I have left out.

The Joints I have had the pleasure of visiting I am rating on a scale of one * to five *****. I wish I could do something more clever than *, but I'm not a computer guy, I'm a hot dog guy.

If you see your favorite and I have rated it less than you would have, don't be upset, it's just a matter of taste. Also, for those that have not noticed, this blog is the Yank's Franks blog so, of course, Yank's gets a *****. Hey, it's a matter of taste.

Ava's Hot Dog Stand, Oakland
Bolley's Famous Franks, Hallowell ***
Chicago Dogs, Scarborough ****
Danny's Hot Dogs, Brunswick
The Dog House, Kittery ***
Don's Famous Franks, Augusta **
Dunton's Doghouse, Boothbay Harbor
Flo's Hot Dogs, York *
Hot Diggity Dogs, Kennebunk ****
Perry's Sidewalk Cafe/Almost Famous Since 1994!, Portland
Rapid Ray's, Saco *
Red's Eats, Wiscasset ****
Rosie's Hot Dogs, Eastport
Simone's, Lewiston
Upie's Take Out, Port Clyde
Wasses Hot Dogs, Rockland *****
Yank's Franks, Wells (I told you *****)
That's my list so far.
Let me know if you have a favorite or if you want to weigh in with your ratings.

Hot Dog ~ I Got A Winter Gig!

Wow, Yank's Franks International?

It has a nice ring to it.

Hot Diggity captured this image of Yank serving up hot dogs at Crane Beach in Barbados. Sweet!!!

Now, if we could just serve Rum Punch at Yank's Franks in Wells. Some of you may remember the Smoothie of the Day for awhile last summer was Piña Colada. That's about as close as we will get.

Opening Day this year is May 19. We can't wait.

Frankly, there's no place like home!

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?

Three Dog Night, by Yank (Mama Told Me Not To Come)

I had been jonesin' for a hot dog all week. I've been dreaming about Chicago Dogs and day dreamin' about Chili Dogs.

Today was my big chance. You see, IMHO (that's, In My Humble Opinion) once Yank's Franks closes for the season, I have to drive a considerable distance for a great hot dog.

Hot Diggity and I had planned a day-trip to the north, specifically to the Rockland, Camden area. With that in mind I had Wasses etched into the "Foodie" section of my brain.

We got on the road and I was excited with anticipation.

Then, about 90 minutes into our trip, Hot Diggity spotted a sign...Morse's Sauerkraut, 7 miles, next left. I have been planning to visit Morse's for well over a year when I received a recommendation from a well known Maine Foodie blogger and later another recommendation from a member of the Yank's Franks tasting team (The French Fry King). So, blinker on, left lane, left turn, 7 miles and we are there.

The deal at Morse's is, they have only a few tables. Okay, I'm not criticizing
(after all, Yank's doesn't have very many tables), I'm just saying. You leave your name with the hostess and, at the same time, you place your order. Very clever way to move things along.

My choice was simple, 2 hot dogs served on a pretzel roll...let me say that again, a pretzel roll...wow! Wait just one minute, they have another choice on the menu that includes those same two hot dogs and mac n' cheese. Holy Wiener Heaven Batman. I'll have that! Hot Diggity had something else, blah, blah, blah (not a hot dog).

We were called to our table and once we sat down I noticed 2 crocks of pickles. One half sour and one sour, all for me. I know what your thinking, that Yank guy is living right.

This is the hard part, you see I have never posted a review of any place that wasn't an excellent review. If you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything. Sound familiar? Yes, my mother used to say that too.

Here goes...it was disappointing. The pretzel rolls were really no big deal. In fact, they tasted nothing like pretzels and they were too big to be holding these hot dogs. The mustard, that was my fault, I selected the Whole Grain Dijon and the Hot German (mustard, that is). The dijon tasted funny, but the German was pretty good. Since it was a sauerkraut place, I asked for some sauerkraut. It arrived cold. I asked and was told that it is normally served cold, but she offered to heat it if I chose. I declined since I wanted to experience the kraut their way. I've heard of others serving cold sauerkraut. Actually, it wasn't others, it was one other and I just heard it a few weeks back. At a joint we sampled (and didn't write about, hint, hint) the owner told us she serves it cold and one of her customers started screaming at the cook for not heating it up.

Once I tried the cold kraut on my hot dog, I realized that I don't like cold kraut.I picked it off and finished both hot dogs. In fact, in a stroke of genius (read, hunger) I added some of those free and delicious sour pickles to my hot dog.

In summary...the pickles were great! And, I wasn't done, Wasses was a little further to the north. All is well!

Top Dog of Rockport ~ Awesome!!!

Today was a rainy and chilly day in Rockport. That really didn't matter to the Yank's Franks Team because Rockport is a fantastic destination no matter what the weather.

On our stroll down Bearskin Neck we passed by several seafood restaurants because we had our plans to stop on the ride home at one of my favorite seafood joints, Woodman's of Essex. I had deep fried lobster on my mind.

Hot Diggity and I, along with Bad Dog Barbara (pictured right enjoying her Bad Dog) and Shaggy Dog Howard (below left enjoying his Shaggy Dog) meandered along the charming lane that stretches the length of the Neck and Lo and Behold...a Hot Dog Joint.

Top Dog of Rockport was staring at me and screaming, "Yank, get in here and have a dog!" (I take medicine in an attempt to control the voices)

I apologized to the others and explained my need to silence the voices. As it turned out the others wanted a dog as well (this was the beginning of the end of the Woodman's idea).

My choice was the Golden Retriever topped with Bacon (the owner, Scott's recommendation). Griddled and served on a buttered and toasted New England style bun (sound familiar?) and swimming in mac 'n cheese. Holy Hot Dog Batman!!! this hot dog was great.

The other's had the Shaggy Dog and the Bad Dog and all reports were fantastic. The Fries were great and the Homemade Onions Rings were spectacular.

Only one bad thing to report...if I had realized at the time that we weren't going to Woodman's, I would have had two more dogs. That would have made it a perfect trip.

Thanks Scott!

Frankly, Yank knows a good dog when he tastes it!

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!

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

Frankly, The Hot Dog Man did a great job!

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!

The Hot Dog Man Tours Southern Maine

Photo courtesy of The Hot Dog Man and his fancy schmancy camera.

The Hot Dog Man and his wife, Mrs. HDM set out on a tour of Southern Maine and his first stop...you guessed it, Yank's Franks.

The Hot Dog Man pulled into the Yank's Franks parking lot at about noon last Friday. He and Mrs. HDM unloaded their fancy, schmancy video equipment from their vehicle and proceeded to snap photos and conduct interviews for his Yank's Franks review.

Frankly, we can't wait to see the final result.