Comestiblog

Walter's Hot Dog Stand: The Tale That Wags the Dog

It seems that whenever I'm determined to like something, I end up being disappointed.  Walter's Hot Dog Stand in Mamaroneck is the latest example of a place that, in my opinion, does not live up to its superlative reputation.  After a couple of visits, I find myself more bemused than ever by the accolades lavished upon it by such august publications as Gourmet and The New York Times.

My opinions notwithstanding, the lines tell of a success story.  Students from Mamaroneck High School across the street, as well as devotees from much farther afield, happily wait on lengthy queues for singles, doubles, and fries.  The counter is lined with postcards sent from around the world by loyal customers lamenting the absence of "civilized" food in the exotic locales they find themselves.  There is also an impressive array of celebrities—including Bette Davis, Jonathan Winters, Gene Rayburn, Joan Rivers, Jimmy Fallon, and others—who have frequented Walter's over the years.  What draws them all here?

Ornamental carp crown Walter's copper roof and lanterns

One's first impression, even before seeing the menu, is of Walter's distinctive architecture: a Chinese-style pagoda.  A vestige from the days of roadside attractions, the building was erected in 1928, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.  With its oxidized copper roof, ornamental carp, and hanging lanterns, this dog's casing really stands out.  To play up the motif further, the letters on Walter's sign were drawn to resemble Chinese characters, with wieners representing calligraphic strokes.

Walter's single: a split dog with mustard-relish sauce

But is a pagoda enough to attract consistent crowds?  Let's take a closer look inside the bun.  Walter's hot dogs are different.  They're made from a mixture of beef, pork, and veal using a recipe developed by founder Walter Warrington and a local meat company.  (The same patented formula is still used today, albeit now under the manufacture of Boar's Head.)  But wait, there's more.  The franks are split lengthwise, cooked on a griddle with a "secret" butter-based sauce, and served on a toasted bun.  Portion sizes include single ($2.10), double ($4), and diminutive puppy ($1.15) dogs.  Toppings are limited to Walter's proprietary mustard-relish blend (whose latter component is scarcely noticeable), plain brown mustard, and ketchup.  No sauerkraut!

The tail end of a single

Walter's "split dogs" may sound intriguing, but how good are they?  I like a hot dog that is juicy and that snaps when I bite into it.  Splitting it, however, eliminates either possibility.  Furthermore, I find an all-beef content to be tastier than Walter's bologna-like meat blend.  Frankly, I prefer the taste and consistency of Nathan's frankfurters on Coney Island and, of course, the ones in Verona Park.  I don't dislike Walter's hot dogs; I simply don't deem them superior.  "They're … pretty good," I tried to reassure one of my Comestaccomplices.  "They're not pretty good!" was her reply.

Walter's double: twice the dog in one bun

Established by Walter Warrington in 1919, and now under the ownership of his youthful 88-year-old son Gene, Walter's Hot Dog Stand remains a family business.  Peter Fellows, husband of Gene's daughter Jeanne, is the manager.  Sadly, for me, this is a case of the tale wagging the dog.  It's the sort of place I want to love.  I just wish I could.

Walter's Hot Dog Stand

937 Palmer Avenue
Mamaroneck, N.Y.  10543-5410   (map)

http://www.waltershotdogs.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walters-Hot-Dogs

By train:  Metro-North New Haven Line to Mamaroneck
By bus:  60, 61

Fat Franks—The Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, Vermont

Fat Franks, the self-proclaimed Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, is a place to relish.  Anyone can serve a hot dog, but not everyone can do it right.  This little place offers perfectly prepared frankfurters, sausages, and burgers in a clean, friendly, and welcoming environment.  Though the franks and such are not made here, their provenance is local and regional.  To wit, the bacon and most of the smoked sausages come from nearby Claremont, New Hampshire, while the wienies and other wursts come from Boston, Springfield, and Mattapan, Massachusetts.  Even the ale used to poach the knackwurst and bratwurst hails from Vermont's own Long Trail Brewing Company.

Proprietor Jim Mort with daughter Lila Pellerin

Begun some three-and-a-half years ago, this excellent wurst venture was a result of some compelling circumstances.  While Jim Mort was growing dissatisfied with his job, a Chinese restaurant, the sole tenant of his building next to Miss Bellows Falls Diner, closed and vacated the premises.  The time was right for his embarkation into the man-eat-dog world of wieners.

Visitors to this Bellows Falls wienery can enjoy their red hots in three of the wurst ways: eat-in, take-home, or self-serve.  Perusal of the comprehensive menu reveals every manner of encased meat imaginable, including lamb, chicken, andouille, and Italian sausages, kielbasy, and German-style würste.  Each of the seven types of sausage is smothered in its own perfectly matched sauce-and-veggie concoction.  For the dogs, at least 15 toppings are available, along with several sides such as hand-cut Russet fries (with optional chili and cheese), homemade coleslaw, and beans laced with maple syrup.  Beyond the wurst, Fat Franks offers seven-ounce beef burgers (as well as turkey and vegetable varieties), also prepared in seemingly infinite ways.  For those who prefer a doggie bag, three sizes of frankfurter—Everyday, Skinny, and Fat—are sold by the pound, along with the aforementioned bacon and sausages.  One can even purchase the perennially popular Sabrett's sauerkraut by the bag.  Finally, to satisfy stomachs growling for a quick bite, there's the self-service steam table at which one can dress up a so-called Everyday Dog in fine fashion.  This is how my Comestaccomplice and I sampled the best of the wurst.

The Everyday Dog’s meaty flavor and proper "snap" reflect Fat Franks' attention to quality.  Though not all the menu's add-ons are available here, the superior toppings and condiments more than adequately round out a truly delicious experience.  While this New Yorker has grown accustomed to Sabrett's sauerkraut (and was pleased to see it among the self-service offerings), I've never enjoyed a tastier, spicier (homemade) chili topping anywhere.  In addition, the well-chosen Raye's Stone Mill Mustards from Maine afford a deeply-flavored sauce for every sausage.  Lastly, to help tame the dogs, beer and wine are available.

Frankly speaking, in the world of wursts, this place is a wiener.

Fat Franks

92 Rockingham Street
Bellows Falls, VT   05101-1316   (map)

(802) 463-4388

http://fat-franks.com/

By train:  Amtrak's Vermonter to Bellows Falls, VT (BLF)

 

Hot Dog! Childhood Memories of Verona Park

Each of us has a private, nostalgic universe—that combination of sight, sound texture, smell, and taste that informs our memories.  I say "private" because it is impossible for another person to share our experience, even simultaneously, let alone after the fact, because our personalities and biases shape what is ultimately stored as memory.

Impossible as it may be to share an exact memory, there is a place that is special enough to conjure what my Comestaccomplice termed a "near-memory experience."

Verona Park in Verona, New Jersey was my boyhood haunt.  Nearly every day during the warm months, my grandmother and I made the long walk thither from my house in West Orange.  On the occasion of my recent visit to my childhood home, however, we drove.  As we followed the familiar old path to my little paradise, my friend marveled at how much ground my little legs were willing—nay, eager—to traverse to reach the park.  This alone conveyed the idea that Verona Park had to be very special.

When we arrived, my friend understood how heavenly this place must have been for a small child, with its variety of features to explore: a lovely lake with wetlands, inlets, an island and waterfalls; a playground; a bridge; a fort with a dungeon (or, in grownups' parlance, a bandstand).  My friend dug deeply into her five-year-old self to see this place through my young eyes.  The emotions from her own nostalgic venues were easily accessible as she immersed herself here.  For the rest of our sojourn at Verona Park, she was able to remain in that child's shoes, and experience it as I might have.  Contributing to the magic of this experience was that very little had changed in the decades since my childhood.

Of all the things that had not changed, or hadn't much changed, was the concession stand and the superior hot dog that it offers.  When I was a lad, the snack bar was situated inside the boathouse.  One could eat inside, or enjoy the food outside on the deck overlooking the lake.  Today the concession stand faces out to the deck, and the boathouse interior is closed.  It was a very busy day, yet there were plenty of spots available at the long picnic tables alongside the water's edge.

Consistent with the crowds was quite a wait for our franks (there's an ample menu, but no reason to order anything else).  Finally, they were handed to us across the counter … my Comestaccomplice could hardly contain her disappointment.  It took only one whiff of the hot dog's aroma and a glance at its crackly skin to realize that ordering just one had been a serious mistake.  Two or three would have been much wiser.

The hot dog's appearance—fine as it was—could only hint at just how good it actually tasted.  The grilled skin offers a gratifying snap as one bites into it.  The juice inside is just enough to keep the meat moist without it running down one's chin.  The flavors meld perfectly: good quality beef is blended with just the right amount of salt and savory spicing, and encased in that snappy skin with its slight charred flavor.

It is rare that as adults we can revisit a favorite childhood experience and even find it still enjoyable.  It's truly special when a visit down memory lane is not only pleasant, but measures up to our inner child's expectations.  Amazingly, the hot dog was exactly as I remembered it—how truly remarkable after all these years.  What a treat it was to share such a delectable old memory.

Verona Park

Bloomfield & Lakeside Avenues
Verona, N.J.   07044   (map)

http://www.essex-countynj.org/
http://www.veronapark.org/

By bus: 29 (Bloomfield Avenue)