Anyway from this morning’s Boston Globe:

FENWAY
No dogging it
For vendors and fans, selling and buying ballpark franks is serious business
By Emily Simon, Globe Correspondent | July 20, 2008

Simple and straightforward, the hot dog is perfect ballpark fare. It’s filling, portable, and easy to cook. It can be dressed to suit any taste.

So why does Kevin Haggerty need spreadsheets to keep his hot dogs in line?

Because when you sell thousands of them in a single night, hot dogs become a whole different ballgame.

Haggerty is resident district manager for Aramark Corp. food services at Fenway Park. He oversees the sale of concessions within the stadium - which means he has to keep track of every bag of peanuts, bottle of soda, and ice cream cone.

And of course there are hot dogs, which involve a lot more than throwing them on the grill and sticking them in a bun.

The Red Sox may have broadened the menu in the past few years, but the Fenway Frank reigns supreme. Night after night, it remains the park’s top seller.

“On an average night we sell about 9,000 Fenway Franks,” said Haggerty.

But that number can vary for unexpected reasons. Sales are affected by the weather, the day of the week, and even the pitchers on the mound. If a pitcher is known to work slowly, “we’ll keep grilling and steaming dogs for a while longer,” he said.

Haggerty records data in his computer, so before each game, he’ll take a look at comparable games in previous months or years to ensure the order size is accurate.

Even with the best bookkeeping, though, hot dogs can’t sell themselves. That’s up to the nearly 800 Aramark employees who work the stands, carts, and suites throughout the park. Competition for sales is heated, but friendly.

“You want the best dog in the house? It’s sold right here,” said one server at a stand near the entrance to Yawkey Way.

Equally competitive is the scene in the stands, where hawkers race to sell their wares. Though vendors are not assigned specific sections, many veterans have staked out certain areas, which can make it challenging for a rookie to break in. No matter how senior they are, however, all vendors share the same burden: a heavy hot-dog bin.

Fully loaded, each bin fits 36 dogs, 36 buns, condiments, and tongs. Add a can of Sterno to keep things warm plus a belt for cash and change, and the average hawker is lugging around more than 40 pounds. Who’s ready for nine innings’ worth of stairs? To encourage these hardy hawkers (as well as other serving personnel), Aramark has established an incentive system, with awards of gift certificates.

The company also has to keep an eye on safety, after Fenway’s food stands flunked city health inspections on more than a dozen measurements on opening day April 8. It wasn’t until May 16 that the concession stands passed a health inspection.

As for the hot dogs themselves, most fans opt for the Fenway Frank, but there are three other varieties of hot dog on sale at the old ball game: the Footlong, the Gourmet Dog, and the Monster Dog. Each has its own appeal.

The Fenway Frank ($4.50) is an all-beef hot dog from Kahn’s, steamed and topped with mustard, onion, and sweet pickle relish. It’s served on a white bread bun. The Footlong ($5) is 12 inches of all-beef dog from Hebrew National, grilled and perched atop a 10-inch bun.

Weighing in at a full half-pound and nearly a foot in length, the Monster Dog ($6.75) is much thicker than the other dogs, closer to the bratwurst end of the encased meat spectrum.

Feeling guilty? Order it with an ear of corn on the side. At least you can tell mom you ate your veggies.

“You’d be surprised at the range of customers who order the Monster Dog,” said Haggerty. “Sometimes we see little kids biting into the thing, and it’s as big as their arm.”

A more recent addition to Fenway’s lineup is the Gourmet Dog ($5). Served on a poppy-seed roll, the all-beef dog is kept in its natural casing, unlike the other, skinless options. When grilled, the casing turns crispy, giving the dog a “snap” when bitten.

“We have been seeing more demand for this kind of hot dog lately,” said Haggerty. “Customers want to try something more flavorful and upscale.”

Toward that end, Fenway allows discerning fans to skip the hot dog in favor of a turkey wrap, rotisserie chicken, or clam chowder from Legal Sea Foods. At the private EMC Club and State Street Pavilion, patrons can order from a menu featuring local and seasonal ingredients, and choose from a comprehensive wine list.

But purists need not fear. Even in the lofty seats and suites, the humble hot dog claims its rightful place. “Guests in the private suites choose to order pans of hot dogs more than anything else,” said Haggerty. “It’s what people want when they come to a ballgame.”

© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Chestnut again proves he’s top dog at Nathan’s contest

July 5, 2008

Joey Chestnut gulped to victory Friday in a fast and furious five-dog overtime round, beating legendary speed eater Takeru Kobayashi at Nathan’s Fourth of July International Hot Dog Contest on Coney Island.

The two had tied at 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

It was a high-stakes rematch for Chestnut, 24, of San Jose, Calif., who last year grabbed the title from six-time champ Kobayashi, 30, of Japan, who was struggling with a jaw injury.

But if anyone questioned the legitimacy of Chestnut’s claim to the Mustard Yellow Belt, he put those doubts to rest yesterday.

Sweating and wincing, he raised a fist as he accepted the belt, then leaned forward and braced himself on a long table littered with wieners, buns and water cups.

“I knew I’d be able to do it and push through the pain,” he told the cheering crowd. “I was pushed by the audience. I love you, New York!”

The competition lasted 10 minutes - two minutes shorter than recent contests - because organizers discovered that the original 1916 Coney Island contest had lasted just 10.

Some expected the shortened time to favor Chestnut, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound champion in hamburgers, chicken wings and grilled cheese sandwiches who is at his best in the first minutes of competition.

The 5-6, 170-pound Kobayashi holds titles in cow brains and rice balls and is a strong finisher.

Didn’t have time to go to a number of the other spots mentioned but will do the next time I am in the Windy City.

Merrill

The originator was “The Hot Dog Ranch” on Linden St. They serve small red hots, covered with a ’secret sauce”, mustard and diced onions. You would order them 5 or six at a time (they were like the “White Castle” of dogdom). The cook would have about 50 on the grill and line them up on his arm as he put the sauce and condiments on them (the board of health has since made them put them on a tray). The rolls are steamed. They are absolutely delicious.

Even in a small town like Pittsfield, Linden Street was a “dicey” neighborhood, so a competitor, Teo’s, opened on East Street in the 60’s. The fare was the same: small dogs, onions, mustard, good sauce (like In and Out Burgers they don’t have an extensive menu, but do one thing very well).

Both places are working class bars established to serve the workers of the once thriving GE plants. They do a cash only business and you never see tourists in there. Only the natives know about them. (And if you go, leave your Yankee cap at home. This is Red Sox country!)

Nevertheless, the following among Pittsfield natives is fanatic. Every year, I go to Amherst for the UMASS Alumni Association Conference; and every year I lead an expedition of my colleagues down dark, lonely old route9, 60 miles away for hot dogs. I have been in Boston on business and have even driven to Pittsfield (2.5 hours one way), picked up 8 dogs and driven back. They are that good!

ps. Just writing this makes me hungry for them!

My favorite dogs were the ones my dad and I would have on a Saturday afternoon when I was a kid. We used to look for a hot dog stand in the Bronx that served ” Dirty Water Dogs “. The very best.

The Dawgs are bigger, juicer, and garlicier than a normal Nathan’s weenie. When you’re in Chicago, it’s a must stop.

No I have never heard of Fromms Franks. When I was at Hofstra we always went to Nathans for our dogs. In fact when my parents would visit my Mom always wanted to go their as well.

Thanks for your response.

Merrill

Don’t know if it was still there when you went to Hofstra but there was a hot dog truck that used to park just off campus called Fromms Franks. Great dog and cheap too which was important as a student!

Appreciate you trying them out.

Merrill