Dog Days of Summer
Wieners in the News and Drinks for the US Open Tennis Tournament
The “Dog Days” of summer are officially over, but since it’s going to be 90+ degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago this weekend, I’m unofficially extending them. But what, exactly, are they?
The Dog Days of summer are from July 3 to August 11 each year. They’re usually the hottest and most unbearable days of the season. The phrase is a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star. During the Dog Days period the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius the brightest star visible from any part of the Earth.
— The Farmer’s Almanac, 2023
Alrighty, then.
Since the long Labor Day weekend here in the US is ahead of us, and outdoor barbecuing will be in full swing, I thought now would be the perfect time to share more of your choices for best hot dogs— your “Dog Stars”, if you will—and your favorite hot dog joints and brands. The list appears at the end of this post.
But first, the US Open started today and last year I wrote about the official drink of the event, the “Honey Deuce” which is absolutely delicious. I included some other fun ways to serve melon, including frozen as ice cubes that flavor sparkling water and are so cold and refreshing to eat when it’s this steamy outside.
Here is the post from August, 2022. Click on “Read Full Story” below for the Honey Deuce recipe and more.
Wieners in the News
Then…
And Now…
The beloved Oscar Mayer®️ Weinermobile is now the Frankmobile.
For the first time in nearly 100 years, the iconic Weinermobile gets a beefy new name, The Frankmobile, inspired by the tasty new recipe for Oscar Mayer’s 100% All Beef Franks.
— Business Wire, May 17, 2023
But not everyone is happy.
I had a chance to hang out last month with my friend, the brilliant and truly hilarious historian Annette Laing who writes Non-Boring History here on Substack.
Capturing the zeitgeist (ok, it was just the two of us) she’s incensed about this and will only refer to it as “The F-mobile.”
To read the full rebrand story on Business Wire click: Here
Meanwhile, at the Wieners Circle, A Star Serves Dogs
The great Ed Sheeran served hot dogs at the Wieners Circle just a few hours before his sold-out, record-breaking- attendance-concert (70,000) at Soldier Field in July. He posted this about the visit on his Instagram, @teddysphotos.
Served hotdogs at Wieners Circle today. This place is legendary in Chicago for serving hot dogs and insulting their customers. I loved it. See you at the stadium tonight. x
— Ed Sheeran, July, 2023
“See you at the stadium tonight.” Talk about cool. Also: part of the fun at the Wieners Circle is the good-natured “banter” (translation: expletives, a-plenty) between staff and customers.
Reader’s Choice
Thank you all so much for sharing your favorite hot dogs, brands and places, and if I forgot any or you’d like to add to the list, please leave in comments. I’d love to keep this going. It’s lovely to see all of the different places you are writing from — I really appreciate this little community we’ve built. So, here we go! 🌭
The Wieners Circle, Chicago.
Superdawg, Chicago.
Grays Papaya, NYC.
Ted’s, Buffalo, NY
Pinks, LA
Bunnings, Australia
Sonoran Dogs, Phoenix, AZ
Hummel Brother’s New Canaan, CT
Flo’s Cape Neddick, Maine
Coney Island Dogs of SE Mass/RI
Kökka hot dogs, Finland
Zwiegel’s Hot Dogs, Rochester, NY
Danish street vendor dogs, Denmark
Hebrew National Brand
Chili Cheese Dog, Atlanta, GA
Lafayette Coney Island Dogs, Detroit,MI
Nathan’s, Coney Island, NYC
Home Depot Dogs
Charlie’s, Albany, NY
Gus’s, Albany, NY
Dodger Stadium Dogs, LA
Hempler’s BunBuster’s,Washington State
Vienna Beef, Chicago
Labor Day Special!
Between now and September 5th, yearly premium subscriptions are $35.
Or, if you’d like to ‘buy me a cup of coffee” every month, I’d really love it and be oh-so-happy if you’d sign up for a $5 monthly subscription and I’ll do just that! ☕️ ☕️ ☕️
Take care, everyone and thanks again. See you soon!
Jolene
Love it!!
And it’s Rökka Kiosk, Åland Islands, Finland.
The locals would skin me alive (and make me into a hotdog 😱😂) if I didn’t point that out 😆
I’ll have to share with you the Finnish filet (a giant hotdog baked in the oven with cheese stuffed into slits made in the sides of it!) It’s fairly awful but very cheap. Made Finland the happy country it is today 😂😄
There is a lovely gallery/gift shop down the street from where I live. In the window is an apron in a complete "hot dog" motif. The apron is black, and all the hot dogs are in bright colors! 🌭