Gus's in Crestline

The conscientious reader of this blog (Is there one?) will know that I particularly like the unexpected. This week we encountered the unexpected again. Gus’s (The Original Gus’s Hot Dogs) in Crestline is where we encountered “the unexpected”. So, what was unexpected? The sauce!!!

There are lots of hot dog sauces out there; many are very similar. Every hot dog stand wants to have a sauce that is a little different from all the others while being similar.

Gus’s in Crestline has succeeded in doing that in a way that we haven’t encountered before. The sauce at Gus’s is thick, very thick and full of flavor. This is worth a special trip to try it.

Let’s back up a little. When we arrived at Gus’s we stopped outside to take a couple of pictures. We were surprised to find that the proprietor, Ernie Gerontakis, came out and was commenting on the external appearance of his shop. Throughout our visit we observed Ernie continuing to interact with all of his customers. I think this is a key to his quality. This guy really wants his customers to enjoy their food and makes an effort to make sure that has been their experience.

I will confess that occasionally we have a report or past experience that somewhat turns us off from a place. That was the case here; we avoided Gus’s for months due to a report of an unusually long wait one day when Ernie wasn’t there. How wrong we were! This place is definitely a top tier hot dog stand in Birmingham.

Somebody really captured this guy in a drawing.

Ernie is a hands-on owner operator who is committed to serving a good product. He is also a heck of a nice guy; talk with him when you are there. He is a long-time player in the Birmingham hot dog scene.

So, what did we have? Our usual initial order, a hot dog all the way and a chili dog. The hot dogs are great with their unique sauce. I’d say the thick sauce easily places Gus’s of Crestline’s “Regular” dog into the top dogs we’ve tried. Chile dogs are mild but good especially after you add a little red pepper. We also had a corn dog which Ernie apologized for since it wasn’t his usual product. After talking with us he insisted on serving us a slaw dog. Robert and I split one and thoroughly enjoyed it. They use a sweet slaw that would not be the choice for either of us as we would tend toward “sour slaw”, but theirs is good on a hot dog. All of our dogs were served hot, not just warm. This is better than many others do and shows an attention to detail. We ended up having four different items and agreed that our hands down favorite was the regular dog, all the way.

Regarding corn dogs: Fresh, hand dipped corn dogs are wonderful; like you get at the fair. There is actually a brand name for those; “Pronto Pups”. It’s a shame that there isn’t enough demand for fresh corn dogs for someone to prepare fresh, hand dipped, never frozen, corn dogs. I would sure like to find a corn dog that didn’t come out of the freezer.

I can’t wrap up this report of Gus’s without commending Ernie for his choice of ice for the drinks. I once tried to find a modestly priced ice maker that makes ice like this. I found that it is called “flake ice” and the machines that make it are very expensive, too expensive for me to buy for home use. They don’t make a junior/small model. Regardless, this ice is perfect for those who enjoy chewing/eating the ice after the drink is gone.

Kool Korner for Cuban Tamales

This week we decided to peruse another tamale (we have called Mexican hot dogs). We decided to visit Kool Korner, in the Publix shopping center at 790 Montgomery Highway. This isn’t a hot dog stand or a specialty tamale vendor but they come up prominently in an internet search for tamales in Birmingham. Kool Korner is a Cuban Sandwich shop that also serves tamales, presumably Cuban tamales. They also have a desert pastry, a guava and cream cheese pastelito. One of these can be observed in the background of the photo below.

Here we were at a Cuban sandwich shop ordering Cuban tamales. Let’s back up for a little bit. There was once a business located in Birmingham known as Mancha’s. They served these wonderful hand rolled tamales prepared for gringo tastes. They came soaked in an orange sauce that added flavor. One could also order various presentations of these tamales including corn chips, chili, cheese and various sauces. It was a real loss to Birmingham dining when the owner lost his life and the business subsequently closed as no one stepped forward to continue hand rolling the tamales.

Mancha’s, right or wrong, has been our standard for judging tamales. The ones we got at Kool Korner were presented to us plain. There was a bit of a language barrier between us gringos and the young lady taking our orders. It seems that she could recognize the names of things on the menu when spoken in English, but couldn’t answer many questions. Maybe we ask too many questions. With that said, we attempted to inquire about possible toppings or sides and were directed to 2 bottles of Mexican hot sauce, one mild and one “extra hot”. These sauces did add some flavor; but as a gringo I must admit that I find plain tamales just a little too plain. I like to eat tamales with a little something else to add flavor and supplement the high corn flour content. This could be chili, cheese, thick salsa or some other addition. I noticed they had on the menu a couple of soups and salads. These might be ordered to compliment the tamales; but the match isn’t made on the menu so you need to do it yourself.

Another thing which surprised us is the way these tamales are made. After doing some research online, it appears that this is the standard for Cuban tamales. Where Mexican tamales have a meat and chili-pepper concoction in the middle, wrapped with masa, Cuban tamales have the meat simply mixed-in with the masa so the tamales have the same consistency all the way through. . . not unpleasant, just different from our “standard”.

We had a long delightful conversation with Ildefonso Ramirez, the owner. If you go there try to meet him and hear his story. I am convinced that he is serving the real thing when it comes to Cuban food. He has been in the US for decades and moved his business to Birmingham from Atlanta to be closer to his son. We compared notes and both know and respect a local Cuban gentleman who came to Birmingham in the 1960s.

I want to report on the guava and cream cheese pastelitos. I didn’t order one but Robert raved about his. In fact he thinks that they are the big attraction at Kool Korner. I really want to return and try a Cuban (smashed flat) sandwich with a desert pastelito.

A Couple of Updates

I just recently got a few pictures from "hot dog day" back in May. I have added them to the post about that day. You might want to take a look back at that post, Here.

Now, the last post was about our visit to Gus' Hot Dogs in Irondale. I commented that I would like to return and order a chili dog and a special dog just to compare the two. This week my schedule put me in the area of Gus' when I was ready for a late lunch. So, of course I went in for a return visit. I must just pause and say; "I like this place".

I ordered both a chili dog and a "special dog" so I could make the comparison. There is definitely a difference. The "special dog" has a beef topping that is much less spicy than the chili dog; it tastes more like the beef topping that was served at Pete's Famous Hot Dogs. It's a plain beef and onion mix with few spices. I must say that it is much thicker than the beef topping that Gus served at Pete's, it has real body. It isn't a runny/soupy half liquid poured on top of a hotdog. I think John has gotten it right with his thick meaty consistency.


Take a look at the picture; the dog in the foreground is the chili dog and the one in the rear is the special dog. The chili dog still doesn't taste like chili one would eat in a bowl, but it's good. After making the comparison I like the chili dog more, but you might want to order one of each like I did and make your own comparison. Those who miss the special dogs at Pete's will find a similar flavor with more substance.

Gus' in Irondale

This week when we talked about a hot dog excursion, Robert told me he had discovered a hotdog place that we had previously missed. So, we went to Gus’ Hot Dogs in Irondale. Gus’ is located in the shopping center right across the road from Sam’s in Irondale. This shopping center was once the location of Walmart; but is now anchored by a salvage store and a garden store.

A note about “Gus’ Hot Dogs”; There are numerous hot dog stands with the name Gus’ in the Birmingham area. We have already visited two of them, one downtown and one in Helena. They are all individually owned and use their own recipes. Of the Gus’ we have visited, this one has been the best.

This Gus’ is owned and operated by John Musso (not of football fame). He bears a name, not unknown to folks around here, shared with his cousin known as Johnny Musso, the football player. A photo of Johnny (#22) is prominently displayed on the wall among several football photos. When we arrived we were surprised to find ourselves at the back of a long line. John definitely has a loyal following that makes their way to his line at lunchtime. The line moves a little slower than we would like, but; “Hey, it’s lunch, are you in a hurry to get back to your desk?” It wasn’t that slow, but helped get the apatite ready. We ordered our usual, a hot dog and a chili dog, both all the way. Robert ordered fries with his and I got chips (Golden Flake). I also ordered a corn dog that I split with Robert. We both love good corn dogs.

Now for some details; I have previously written about how some of the best dogs we have had have been the unexpected ones. This visit was a strange hybrid of the expected and the unexpected. I’ll try to explain. The hot dog (all the way) is very good, one of the best. The chili dog is different. They use a chili that you would never call “chili” at home if served in a bowl. It looks more like the beef sauce often served up on a “special dog”, only thicker. There appears to be no chili powder used, no red color or beans, BUT it is very good. It is well seasoned and is a great complement to a hot dog. The only question we had was; “What is the difference between a special dog and a chili dog at Gus’? I really want to return and order one of each, then try to figure out the difference.

This visit has caused me to rethink a couple of preconceptions. First, as we started this journey we thought one way to judge chili on a chili dog was to ask; “Would I eat a bowl of this?” We have realized that the chili on chili dogs isn’t always what you would want to eat a bowl of on a cold day. It’s a condiment. Take a closer look above; this doesn't look like what you usually think of as chili. Secondly, I have never been a fan of “special dogs”. The first one I ever had was at Pete's Famous Hot Dogs where the usual presentation included a runny, soupy, gray substance containing some beef, onions and a thin gravy. Lots of people like this; but it has never been something I would go out of my way for. Gus' has a chili without chili spices and seems to be the stuff that should be used on “special dogs” everywhere. This is good!

John is very friendly and works hard to make sure the meal you get is above average. It says a lot that he has a waiting line while being located in a shopping center that is less than 50% occupied.

Bottom line; this is the best Gus’ we have visited. It is also one of the best hot dog stands we have tried.

Interesting Hot Dog Recipes

For several months I have been really enjoying a program on the Food Network, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I haven't seen many hot dogs on there but lots of other interesting food.

Today I was poking around on the Food Network web site and discovered a big hot dog feature from their Food Network Magazine. The feature is "30 Days of Hot Dogs". There are 30 different recipes for preparing and serving hot dogs, some of which are intriguing. For example consider these hot dogs:

• Chimichanga Dog
• Pizza Dog
• Nacho Dog
• French Poodle Dog
• Sausage and Pepper Dog (with an Italian flair)
• Bruschetta Dog
  

Take a look Here.

Below are some pictures I copied from their site: The Po-Boy Dog, French Poodle Dog & Chimichanga Dog.

V. Richard's - The "Good Dog"

This week my bride and wife of 36 years, the lovely Caroline, pointed out to me an ad in the News for V Richard’s that featured their hot dog. Robert and I got in touch with each other Wednesday morning (our default day to do these excursions) and quickly agreed on her suggestion of an obviously “upscale” destination, V Richard’s.

This place is located on Clairmont Avenue, just east of the Highland Golf Course. I’ve heard of V. Richard’s for years but have never gone there. It is a grocery store/gourmet shop/wine shop/deli/salad/sandwich/hot dog server right in the Forest Park – Avondale area; and is close enough for many to get to at lunchtime without taking extra time.

I don't know how I got a picture without all the salad eaters there, but this is the ordering area.

When we arrived we took a look around at all the interesting items for sale. There are definitely some uncommon items in the inventory here, not to mention an award-winning selection of cheeses. When we finally decided to try to order we found a long row of people along a glass showcase in the back of the store. This assembly of people seemed to have a destination at the far right end where the cashier is located. We asked one of the guys with this group and found out that most of these people were waiting to order and be served a salad (AKA rabbit food). We were thankfully directed toward the cashier to place our orders for non-salad items. I will restrain myself from commenting on why so many people wanted salad rather than real food.

So, we placed our orders for the prominently displayed “Good Dog”. The Good Dog is a quarter pound, all beef hot dog, on a “made from scratch bun”, topped with “sirloin chili” and “house cheese sauce” served with an order of fries. Although it’s not listed as an ingredient it also comes with a very light application of chopped onion. The obvious missing ingredient is mustard. The chili is outstanding and is made using tender chunks of beef, presumably sirloin, rather than the usual ground beef. The cheese sauce is definitely not the usual yellow “nacho cheese” gummy sauce/topping. When served it appears to be simply melted white cheese applied to the hot dog. Robert and I agree that it would be better with a little mustard. That is easily remedied since they have available the usual fast food type of little plastic pouches of mustard.

After we ordered we moved toward the dining area along the front side of the building. We discovered that the tables inside were taken, so we went outside to the deck overlooking the patio. For some reason nobody was dining on the patio in 90-plus degree weather and even the covered deck didn’t have too many occupants. We soon observed some tables inside being vacated, so we also moved in to the air conditioned dining room before our food was served. Yes, call us wimps; but we were more comfortable.

I’ve already given the official description of the “Good Dog”; so I’ll make some comparisons. Hot dogs like this are a little different from the usual hot dog stand offering. At first they appear to cost a little more; but that is often an illusion due to the high prices charged for sides and drinks at many places. The immediate comparisons we made were to Broad Street Deli, Max’s and Johnnie Rocket’s. These places also serve high end dogs that are comparable. They tend to have things in common but are all big dogs. What can I say: this one is another one. It is good, but nothing to motivate rave reviews. The dogs at V Richards are definitely filling and taste good; but are also definitely hard to eat. I don’t know where to lay the blame; but the bottom of the bun tends to dissolve or give way. This could be due to the very big weenie, or the moisture of the toppings, or even the design of the “made from scratch bun”. Regardless, this dog is hard to eat without resorting to a knife and fork. Hey, that’s not necessarily bad, especially when you are sitting at a table. It sure beats the “pencil weenies” served at some places.

Bottom line; give the “good dog” a try. Take the time to look around the store while you’re there. You can even stand in line to get a salad if you are so inclined. Somehow I don’t see many readers of a hot dog blog choosing a salad rather than the good dog.

Woof Woof.

Sophia's and Looking for the Twilight Zone

This week we went back to downtown Birmingham. I must confess that I really enjoy going downtown; and as far as hot dogs go, there are lots of choices. It seems that hot dogs have gotten a great deal of "press" recently after the death of Gus Koutroulakis. It was one of these articles that led us to Sophia's Deli.

But before I get to Sophia's, the article that led us there is in the July 2011 issue of Birmingham Magazine. You can read the article Here. Robert and I noticed a couple of inaccuracies in the article, but it is a fun read with lots of good pictures. Take a look.

So where is Sophia's? It's right at the corner of Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard and Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard (previously known as 8th Avenue North and 21st Street). They are right on the corner on the lowest level of the parking deck at the Jefferson County Court House. Those who have had to serve jury duty, buy a car tag, renew a drivers license or handle other county related business have likely seen this place.

The surprise is that it when you go in, it is bigger than it looks from outside. Another surprise is that there is a George Sarris look-alike who works there. The owner, Howard Faulk named his deli after his wife, Sofia, who happens to be the sister of George Sarris, the very successful owner of the Fish Market restaurant on Southside. But, it doesn't end there, George's brother, Nick Sarris works at Sophie's, thus the George Sarris look-alike. I must say, these Greek restauranteurs in Birmingham not only know each other, but all seem to be related. That is something that the Birmingham Magazine article alludes to, even if some of the details are wrong.

Howard Faulk & Nick Sarris

Here we were at Sophia's. Sophia was nowhere around due to family issues, but her husband, Howard did a wonderful job of greeting us. We always enjoy interacting with one of these proprietors who is a "people person", and Howard is one. We didn't have to go out of our way to interact with him.

He has been in the hot dog business in Birmingham for decades. Before opening Sophia's he had Toms Hot Dogs located on the southeast corner of 19th Street and 2nd Avenue North, right across from Pizitz. He is proud to show off the first prize ribbon and certificate he won in a competition between all the downtown hot dog stands many years ago. Several of the businesses he competed with are no longer in business; the competition is down. But the fact is that Howard and Sophia were judged to serve the best hot dog in Birmingham many years ago.





How are they today? They are still good. They are served hot and freshly grilled unlike many vendors who serve them warm after they were grilled at some point in the past. Robert was also impressed that they had real fresh lemon available for tea. Sophia's, like all the other hot dog stands in Birmingham, makes their own hot dog sauce, with their own recipe, similar to the others yet unique. These recipes are a closely guarded secret by each maker. Sophia's sauce is prepared by Sophia herself and even Howard isn't sure about the recipe. Her sauce is different, unlike any we have encountered so far. It is loaded with various seasonings and has a flavor that definitely makes these dogs stand out. As usual we ordered both a chili dog and a regular hot dog all the way. There was no discussion as to what they should put on them. Robert and I agreed that we preferred the hot dog to the chili dog at Sophia's. That's a switch for me because I tend to like the chili dogs better.

On this visit for some reason I noticed particularly the pricing on drinks and chips. Both are priced at $1.99; you might as well say two dollars. This is typical for fountain drinks especially where the customer can get refills like at Sophia's. Even so there is a healthy markup making drinks a profit center. The chips (small bags) at two dollars a bag seem a little high to me. I don't particularly like playing games with prices, but this isn't the only place where this happens, so I certainly don't want to reflect negatively on Sophia's.

It was interesting to talk with Howard. He really whetted our appetites for learning a little more history. He was adamant that he could tell the true history of the Birmingham hot dog stands. It has made me want to interview not only him but the other old timers at length. Who knows, maybe we will be able to assemble the definitive history of hot dogs in Birmingham. There is most definitely a unique history here compared with most cities.

A couple of final thoughts about Pete's Famous Hot Dogs. It looks like Pete's will never reopen as it was. Gus had planned on taking his secret sauce recipe with him to the grave and seems to have done so. The wonderful neon sign on his shop has been removed and is reported to be on it's way to the Barber Motor Sports Museum. Yes, Birmingham will miss this unique establishment; but there are still some great hot dogs being served by some long time vendors in town. Try Lyric just a couple of blocks away and Gus's over on Fourth. Sauce is just sauce. I don't think there is any recipe that is so good that it shouldn't be shared with heirs; nor do I think that a flourishing business should die simply because the owner dies. Of course that's only my opinion.

Finally, despite the challenge, we didn't make it to the "hot dog guy at Mazer's on the weekends". We tend to do these excursions during a weekday lunch and don't get together on weekends. We actually pulled in the Mazer's parking lot Friday at lunch; but the hot dog guy wasn't there so we headed on downtown to Sophia's. I wonder where this guy is during the week? Could he be the illusive hot dog guy at Cooper Green that we could never find? Maybe he or they are actually residents of the Twilight Zone.

Surprised at Bistro Pro Vare

WOW, What a hot dog stand!!.



No, it's not really a hot dog stand, but it sure has good food.

This week Robert and I went to a familiar haunt and were surprised with a hot dog. A little over a year ago we would meet for lunch weekly at this place. Robert's younger daughter was in the culinary program at Jefferson State, at the Shelby County campus. Part of the curriculum there is for the students to work for at least one semester in their bistro. When working there each student takes several turns doing each of the different tasks involved in running a restaurant. The bistro is only open at lunch on weekdays during the semester. We found it to be a great place to eat lunch, dining on gourmet food. The menu varies daily since they include items they have been working on/learning recently.



Today we found on the menu something we had not seen before, a "black Angus beef hot dog". Of course hot dogs were not the plan for the day but as soon as we saw this on the menu we knew what our order would be.







Our dogs came with a side of truffle flavored fries and the usual bread basket. So how were they? Better than many. We did enjoy our dogs. They had a unique flavor which didn't surprise either of us; after all this is a culinary school. We kept trying to figure out the identity of the chopped pink plant matter on top. We finally asked and found out that it was marinated onion with a flavor somewhat reminiscent of bread and butter pickles. The dogs came with a light addition of mustard, pickle relish and marinated onion. Also provided were some purple onion and tomato slices as well as some ketchup.

I can't tell you how surprised we were by this offering. The menu always has a couple of fast food items on it such as a couple of different pizzas and a burger. But, the really interesting items are the entree's which can not be predicted. I have eaten some great food here in the last couple of years, including the best Italian dish I have ever eaten. I would recommend this to anyone. You probably won't get a hot dog; but you will most likely enjoy your lunch.


Reservations are suggested, although on this visit there were numerous empty tables. This is an upscale little bistro that is usually fun and good. The prices are very good and tipping is not allowed. To make a reservation call: (205) 983-5214. The location is the left hand end on the ground floor of the above pictured building right off of Valleydale Road.

Great Article and Video About Pete's Famous

I appreciate the comment left by Stephen telling me about this article. Click Here to read another article about Birmingham's recent loss of Gus Koutroulakis who ran Pete's Famous Hot Dogs for years. Be sure and don't miss the short video.

Hacienda - "Mexican Hot Dogs"

I haven't had much to write about the last couple of weeks. My brother and companion on this trek, Robert, was seriously injured in an accident recently. I am happy to report that he is doing well and slowly recovering.

So, what about important things like hot dogs?

Last week I took dinner to Robert and family one afternoon. I took Bar BQ and various trimmings to feed a family of 7, yes seven. The Bar BQ I took was from Full Moon on Hwy 280. Robert and I had been talking about moon dogs just prior to this and he had told me how he would like to have one again soon. When I placed my order I also ordered several moon dogs. What can I say, except that as I drove out to his house (way out) I decided to eat a moon dog, then another; so there were two fewer by the time I arived. Have no doubt, these things are good. Take a look at our previous visit to Full Moon for "moon dogs" here.

Moon dogs aside, this week we decided to dine a little closer to where we both work; so we went to Hacienda Mexican Grill on Valleydale Road. The obvious question is; "Why are you writing about going to a Mexican restaurant on a hot dog blog?" The answer, which might not be so obvious is to include "Mexican hot dogs". Early in the planning of this hot dog tour I wanted to include tamales on the tour. I love good hand rolled tamales like we once could get at Mancha's.


Last December Robert and I joined forces to prepare a big batch of tamales. We actually did pretty good as verified by at least one Hispanic who sampled our efforts. After doing this I have a whole new respect for the humble tamale. Preparing these things is very labor intensive. Tamales are not just whipped out in a few minutes. I guess that's why it is so hard to find good hand rolled tamales in Birmingham any more.

I had previously had the lunch order no. 12; Tamale & Chile Relleno, Served with lettuce and tomatoes. I had enjoyed the tamale so much that this time I ordered lunch no. 15; "Two tamales with enchilada sauce served with rice and beans." Comparing the two orders I must admit that I preferred the prior order. Their tamales are clearly hand rolled and have ample filling (not necessarily easily done). Either order will give you a good sample but the one with chili is a little closer to what we gringos expect. The no 15 is good, but to me the "enchilada sauce" tasted more like gravy than a Mexican dish. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed my two tamales and trimmings. I was unquestionably in the "clean plate club".


Robert chose the lunch no. 9, Lunch Fajita, Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo and two tortillas (beef or chicken). He chose beef, aka cow. He also rolled some of his lunch into a hot dog like presentation in the tortillas. (Hey, we're still doing hot dogs!)

We left Hacienda well fed and with no complaints.

I was also glad to see that Robert's numerous injuries are healing and to see him walking freely and using both arms. His accident was on a vehicle the likes of which I haven't ridden in many years, a motorcycle. I now address him as Mr. Knievel. This is his second serious accident on one of these devices. His first accident was many years ago in his junior high years. This accident happened to a mature man trying to save money who was being much more careful than that boy years ago. Yet in some circles these machines continue to be appropriately called donor-cycles.

There is another whole story there. The short version is that ten years ago I was a live donor for a kidney transplant, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Please consider being a donor yourself and tell you family so they can help make it happen if the occasion ever comes. It is a "gift of life" for those who receive.

Post Script 7/19/2011. I had another lunch here today with a companion that knows much more than me about Mexican food. I have discovered that the gravy looking sauce is actually traditional enchilada sauce rather than the cheese and salsa type sauce often seen in the US. Live and learn. This is still a good place; in fact my companion raved about his lunch.

This Just Wasn't Our Day

We have visited well over 30 hot dog vendors as we have been on The Great Birmingham Hot Dog Tour. Robert and I are based very close together in northern Shelby County; so it is a challenge for us to get to some areas on the tour. Recently we realized that it was a good week for both of us to take a little longer than usual for lunch, so we decided to go for one of the vendors we have missed so far.

The first choice was Dino's Hot Dogs in Woodlawn at 5422 1st Avenue No. Robert asked his son Alex to spot this place for us a day before we were going, but he couldn't find it. We then tried to call the phone number we had for Dino's and found it disconnected. NEXT!

We decided to visit the Dawg House in Center Point. The GPS Couldn't locate their address and their phone was no longer in service. So, NEXT.

The next choice was Paul's Hot Dogs on Edward's Lake Road in Trussville. Please be aware that by this point we were on the way... headed to a destination. Unfortunately the Paul's Hot Dogs on Edwards Lake Road is nowhere to be found. So at the last minute we decided to visit Big Al's Hot Dog Wagon. Big Al's is the hot dog vendor who is located on most days in front of Lowe's in Trussville. It was manned again by Chris Sellers without Big Al, just as on my previous visit.

One of my desires on the tour is to find something positive to say about every place we visit. Sometime that is a challenge. This week I will start with the positive. When you go to Big Al's you can definitely get enough to eat. The hot dogs are consistently plump (no pencil weenies here) with ample toppings. W e have observed that fellow patrons are very open to discussing the experience. These patrons are consistently appreciative and loyal. They also have a perfect health score against all odds for a cart.

We each got a chili-cheese dog and a regular dog. Toppings offered are gardenias (onions), kraut, relish, mustard, ketchup and an oriental style of hot sauce. For the chili-cheese dog, they add Hormel chili sans beans and nacho cheese sauce – the kind you can purchase at Sam’s in a number 10 can. We had the regular dog all-the-way, and the chili-cheese dog with mustard, gardenias, chili and cheese. Robert had jalapenos added to his (see below). Flavor-wise, the regular dog was about average. The chili-cheese dog was pretty good, and needed to be eaten with a knife and fork. Big Al had plastic forks, but no knives. For the record, let me say that the need to eat a loaded dog with knife and fork is not a negative. Some of the better “loaded dogs” out there must be eaten with knife and fork. In this case, since we had no knives, we were delighted that Big Al’s cart had a sink for hand washing.


Now for a few less than glowing comments. A hot dog cart has challenges every day. I am sure that dealing with those challenges gets old but they are nevertheless there every time they open for business. Some of these challenges are to serve a HOT dog, to serve COLD drinks, and to keep it all sanitary. Big Al's seems to be missing a couple of these. Our hot dogs were served warmish but not hot. The drinks were in a bin that had had ice on them a few hours ago, unfortunately we observed there was an ice container that had numerous bags of ice that could have been added to the drink bin. Our drinks were cool but not cold. Somehow it is easy for me to overlook this at a cart but there were also some other negatives that I won't detail.

Bottom line, at Big Al's you can definitely get a good lunch if you are hungry; and you can have a good time with the locals; but don't expect a great meal. It's difficult to argue with the opinion of the masses but I must confess that I don't think I will be returning to Big Al's unless I am right in the vicinity and am very hungry.

Sam's - An All Time Favorite

A few days ago my son-in-law Aaron invited me to meet him and Susie for lunch at Sam's Super Samwiches in Homewood. It took me less than a second to decide to join them. Take a look at my previous entry about Sam's Here.

There was a time several years ago that my office was about two blocks from Sam's. At that time I was a frequent customer and developed a great appreciation for their offerings. I have even been heard to say that they have "a chilli dog to die for". OK, that might be a little extreme, but the chili dog is great at Sam's.

On this visit I entered from the back door which opens into the parking lot behind the building. This was my old entry point. When one enters this way there is a long hallway, painted complements of Pepsi, that leads into their main serving area and "dining room". When I arrived ahead of Aaron and Susie I experienced the strange phenomenon of being the only customer in the place for several minutes. I had a nice conversation with the staff while I waited. I found out that Sam was away on a much deserved golf trip that day. Of course it didn't take long for the place to fill up with people; I had experienced a rare lull in their business.




As I waited I was impresses with the collection of sauces that observed. I am including a picture of one line of sauce bottles available to customers; and this doesn't include all the choices. I can't imagine anyone wanting to top off their dog with a sauce and being disappointed.


Below is our table outside on the sidewalk in the heat. There is an assortment of dogs including chilli dogs, regular dogs, slaw dogs and super dogs, as well as an assortment of drinks. The root beer bottle was mine since I don't particularly care for Pepsi products. If you like 'em, go for it; just give me an alternative. The absence of Coca-Cola products is my only complaint about Sam's.

On this visit both Aaron and Susie tried the slaw dog and reported about how good it is. I was tempted to go back and order one after finishing my two chilli dogs but restrained myself. The slaw dog will have to wait for another day; but will be ordered on my next visit to Sam's.

Interestingly, while we were there, Sam's wife Sue stopped in and was directed to speak to us since I had discussed the blog with the staff earlier. We also had a nice conversation and remembered some contacts from the past. Yes I have a past peripheral involvement with some of the hot dog vendors of Birmingham. Not enough to give me a bias but it helps make it interesting.

Dee's Dogs Again

We recently went to the medical center area to look for a vendor that Dr. Edwards had mentioned. He had commented about the "hot dog guy" near Cooper Green Hospital. Well, we really tried to find this guy but he was nowhere around. This led to plan B which was a revisit to Dee's Dogs at the corner of 20th Street and 7th Avenue South. You can read about out previous visit here.


When we arrived for this visit I was impressed that we had to wait in a long line. She was doing a great business. When we finally worked our way to the front of the line I remembered hearing an order from a regular customer when we were there before. He always got a dog with mustard and relish. I thought it sounded good so I included it in my order along with a chili cheese dog.


Dee remembered us from our previous visit. People sometime don't give enough credit to others regarding their ability to remember people. For over 30 years Brenda and I worked together. She would often tell me; "___ called but wouldn't leave a message". Dee like Brenda remembers her customers. Good for her, she's paying attention.


Our visit was on one of these very pleasant Spring days (a couple of weeks ago before the heat hit town) that makes being outside a pleasure. We were able to walk less than half a block down the street to a little seating area where we ate in the shade. Dee's continues to please. She serves a great hot dog, one of the best. I thought both dogs were great. The big return crowd indicates that I am not alone in my appreciation for Dee's.

Dining at Dee's is a really fun experience. Combined with the quality it makes a great lunch time stop.