Halal

Just had the best hot dog we have ever tasted in our lives. An all beef frank from a Halal butcher in Center City. (As he explained it to us, Halal is essentially Kosher for Muslims - though that is a simplification).

Regardless, it made for the best frank we've ever had; juicy, crunchy casing, full hearty meat flavor, no aftertaste - and of course, absolutely NO added ingredients like the Dietz & Watson or Vienna Beef dogs we've been finding all over the city.

I'm putting in a call to the butcher in the morning for wholesale pricing info and we're going to talk to him about a discount for using him exclusively as our frank supplier and for putting his shop's name in our menu (yes, it was that good lol). After all the hot dogs we've tried in the past month, finding one that good is worth pursuing.

-Brett

pizza and cheesteaks

That's all there is here. Now this is completely anecdotal, but every single person here that we've told about opening a gourmet hot dog shop has had the same reaction - that's GREAT! They are absolutely in love with the idea and all consistently say that it would work really well here. Ruben pointed out that the only eating establishments here are hoagie shops or fine dining restaurants. Having something simple yet high quality - something that's different, that's an "L.A. attitude" as he puts it, would be welcome here. I think he's right, and even if it isn't strictly business plan material, it certainly confirms that we made the right choice to open up here.
-Brett

A Boy and His Dog

A few years ago I got the idea about opening up a hot dog joint. As a waiter in some of LA's finest restaurants I fell in love with different foods. The kitchens were always a place that I could lose myself in, although I spent most of my time talking up the great menus to the front of the house.

I'm a Puerto Rican from New Jersey that grew up eating Carribean, East Coast fair and learned about the finer foods in LA. Working in Real estate for five years every once in a while I'd run across a commercial place that just screamed at me with possibilities. My TIVO is overflowing with Food Network shows and I could give most of them a run for their money. Never went to cooking school but food is mostly in the heart. When you can express love and feeling through your cooking that's the best raw talent there is.

Last year when a little place on Rowena Ave in Silverlake that had been vacant for so long got rented my stomach turned. And two weeks ago when I saw them setting up little tables I got mad. Anger ususaly translates into action for me and that's why I'm in Philadelphia. My summer session at LACC got canceled because of budget cuts, and Brett has had trouble getting a new job as a Medical Librarian (I love you Boo) so we're here to try something new.

We'll spend the next 4 weeks looking around for the right area and place for me to pour my blood sweat and tears into. Philly is 40 minutes from Jersey where my LARGE extended Puerto Rican family lives and that will come in handy. It's cheaper to live in Philly. They are diverse and welcoming. And even in a recession everyone has a couple of bucks to buy what will be one of the best dogs around.
-Ruben