It's Alive!

Dear Readers,

It's been nearly five years since I started the blog here at Blogspot, but it's time I moved on to a bigger, better website to keep track of my sandwich exploits.

And one with an even easier address to remember.

Head on over to TheDangerSandwich.com for all of the past blog posts, and posts from now and into the future.

Video posts are coming soon and so much more.

I'd like to thank all of you for coming to this blog on the regular, because without your support, I would not have decided to take this writing exploit further, and strive to make it even better.

Thank you, this truly could not have been done without you.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to TheDangerSandwich.com to continue this sandwich adventure with me.

A Trip Down Sensory lane

Greetings, Readers!

Temperature have been really heating up here lately in Los Angeles, so summer has officially and finally descended upon the city. As I've said in past years, one of my favorite foods to eat and grill at this time of year is the hot dog/sausage.

While spending time at Tony's Darts Away this past weekend, enjoying a beer and sausage, I started to reminisce about all of my favorite outings since the blog began. So let's take a look back at some of my favorites from previous year.

Hit up the links below!

The Hot Dog Days of Summer

North Hollywood's Hot Dog Heaven

So Long, Summer

Pinch Me, I'm In Beer Heaven

All Aboard The Flavor Train!

Greetings, Readers!

My expectation a few months ago was that by January I would be enjoying excellent winter-appropriate sandwiches because of the change of season here in Los Angeles seems to have fallen short.

Granted, I wasn't expecting the same temperatures as I had in Philadelphia, but I did expect something cooler than 80 degrees. Something that would make grilled cheese and tomato soup mildly appropriate.

Instead, this past weekend I found myself at a classic San Fernando Valley location with summer appropriate foods: Carney's.

This location on Ventura Blvd. has been around since 1981 (the original on Sunset has been around since 1975). The original owners, John Wolf Sr. and his wife Pat wanted to have an eatery that was memorable and easy to move if their original lease on Sunset Blvd. became too expensive. So they built the first location with an old Pacific Railroad passenger train.

The image of Carney's being cooked and served on an old rail car became so synonymous with the name that they kept with this theme when they opened the second location in Studio City.

Having passed this location numerous times in my six-plus years here, I never had the opportunity to stop in until this past weekend, and now I will be sure not to wait that long until the next time.

I ordered the Carney's Spicy Polish, a grilled spicy sausage topped with chili, cheese, onions and thick sliced tomatoes. The sausage was delicious, well grilled and a little bit of a spicy kick. Despite all of the toppings, the flavor of the sausage still shone through.

The chili added a bit of spice and smoke flavor to the mix, and it was added in copious amounts to the top of the sausage making this a slightly messy meal. The thickly sliced tomatoes were a great topper and not mealy at all. I ended up picking these off and eating them separately since the sandwich was already too big to take a bite out of of. The fresh flavor offered by the tomatoes was an excellent contrast to the savory flavor of the rest of the meal.

The only thing that may be off-putting to some people is that the onions are not cooked. Maybe this wouldn't be a problem on a different sandwich, but it was somewhat odd that they weren't grilled for this one. I feel like that extra step would have put this sandwich over the top.

Overall, the experience of eating in an old train car, as well as eating at a Los Angeles institution was excellent, and something I hope to do again sometime soon.

Oh, and for those outside the city who have always heard about Pink's and how awesome their hot dogs are? Carney's is just as good (if not better) and you won't have a two hour wait for a hot dog.

Make this your must-have hot dog on your next stop in the city.

Until next week...


Carney's Spicy Polish
**** Stars
Carney's Studio City
12601 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
http://www.carneytrain.com/ 

So Long Summer

Greetings, Readers.

Last week I finally put the lid on summer the best way I knew how: A hot dog from a nearby hot dog cart.

As the cool wind picked up outside of the studio, and the sun was hidden behind the dark clouds of oncoming fall, I thought back to the past few months of sandwiching.

Burgering a plenty had happened, usually followed by light and heat-quenching beers to wash those sandwiches down.

Sure, I could continue doing that year round if I wanted, but like the two (one and a half?) seasons that we have here in Los Angeles, this sandwich was the symbol of moving on into different territory.

For the time being.

I've constantly walked past this hot dog cart on the CBS Radford lot here in Studio City. Every time I passed, I'd smell the grilling of hot dogs and sausages and the salty and brined ingredients sitting nearby. Ever time I passed, I'd say "Next time. For sure."

Six months later, I was finally sitting next to the cart, enjoying this Chicago style hot dog, topped with a pickle, yellow mustard, chopped onions, tomatoes, sweet relish, pickled peppers, and a dose of celery salt.

The smoky grilled hot dog combined with the salty, bitter, peppery and sweet ingredients in a way that pulled your taste buds in so many different directions at the same time that I couldn't keep track of when one sensation started and ended.

The ingredients were incredibly fresh too, adding a notable crunch to contrast with the fluffy white hot dog bun and the slight pop of each bite of the hot dog itself. Poppy seeds also jumped into the mix by adding a slight flavor as the bun was covered in them.

Overall, this was a great hot dog, and an excellent way to say goodbye to Summer as the Autumn winds started to kick up.

So, Readers, what do you like to top your hot dogs with?

And have you ever heard of a Danger Dog? Looks like I have a new sandwich to start seeking out in the months to come.

Until next week, Readers...






 

Hot Dog Days of Summer

Greetings, Readers!

My, how fast a week does go by, and also this summer for that matter. Here we are, post-4th of July and we still have so many more sandwiches to go through before the end of summer.

A few weeks ago, I was able to visit the Let's Be Frank Hot Dog and Sausage truck here in Los Angeles. It's one I had frankly (get it?) not heard of before, but was very interested in trying since my mind is in summer sandwich mode.

One of the first things seen on the menu of Let's Be Frank is their statement of commitment to using meat from sustainable farms and that the meat they use contains no nitrates, nitrites, or hormones. So if you've ever been wary about what's going into the sausages and hot dogs you pick up at a ballpark or for your summer barbecue, consider these ones to be significantly safer for you.

All of the options at Let's Be Frank are delicious, but I decided to go with the "Hot" Dog this time. This option is made with spicy heritage pork italian-style sausage. I also decided to add on the spicy devil's sauce and grilled onions on a toasted bun. 


The hot dog itself has a little bit of pop to it, more like an actual sausage. The spices inside of it kicked up the heat a little bit, but the main source of heat came from the appropriately titled devil's sauce. It's something I didn't notice on my first bite, but by the time I had finished my sandwich, there was at least a two alarm fire going on in my mouth. 


Despite the heat, the spicy-ness had good flavor which is one of my requirements in adding heat to any dish: it has to have flavor. Heat for heat's sake is a waste, and an exercise in masochism. 


Let's enjoy our food, not treat it like a death sentence. 


The pork hot dog tasted excellent, and actually was one of the best pork sausages/hotdogs i have had in a very long time, and it's nothing like the store bought "pork" types. 


The onions were still crisp after being grilled and and the grilled bun added a bit of smoky flavor to the entire sandwich. Overall, this may be one of the best hot dogs I've had in a long time.


Sorry, Dodger Stadium. 


Well that's it for this week, readers. How was your 4th of July? Did you grill all day, or just enjoy the fruits of your friend's/family's labors?

Until next week...



Let's Be Frank
Trucks servicing both Los Angeles and San Francisco
http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com/products_dogs.php
Follow at: @letsbefrank

North Hollywood's Hot Dog Heaven

Greetings Dearest Readers!

I've lived in a little neighborhood here in the valley for about 6 months called the North Hollywood Arts District. For those that don't know what it's like, it's kind of this, well, artsy neighborhood lined with shops, boutiques, theaters and amazing restaurants.

This great little nice neighborhood has grown so much over the past few years that it's sometimes hard to keep track of all of the great new places that pop up.

Recently, while walking home from our new Laemmle Theater, I noticed a place called Otis Jackson's Soul Dog and the food pornography (aka menu) posted in the window quickly drew my attention.

While I wasn't ready for dinner that night, I swore that I would return.

And return I did.

Taking the time to choose between the numerous delicious sounding hot dogs, i settled on the Original Soul Dog. This "standard" hot dog is covered in collard green cucumber relish, sweet potato puree and handfuls of bacon crumbles.

The hot dog itself had a little bit of "pop" to it with every bite. Normally I am not a big fan of this characteristic of certain hot dogs/sausages, but it wasn't as prominent here and therefore didn't bother me as much.

The collard green cucumber relish was delicious. It was a bit sweet, very fresh and an incredible contrast from the rest of the heavier/meatier flavors. The sweet potato puree added a nice subtle flavor to the mix and worked better than any mustard or ketchup could hope to contribute.

And come on. Bacon crumbles on top of a hot dog? Do I even have to explain why this is a good idea?

Overall, Otis Jackson's Soul Dog is an excellent addition to this growing neighborhood and hopefully will be there for a long time to come. If you're in the neighborhood for a show or a night cap, definitely stop by and check out their creative creations as soon as possible.

Until next week, Readers!


The Original Soul Dog
**** Stars
Otis Jackson's Soul Dog

5166 Lankershim Blvd.

North Hollywood, CA 91601

http://www.eatsouldog.com/

A Night At The Ballpark

You know, Readers, you may be noticing a trend on the blog here.

I've been reviewing a lot of hot dogs/sausages recently, but I swear there is a good reason.

It's summertime.

And for me, summertime means two things: baseball and hot dogs.

Not surprisingly, this entry combines both of them, as I spent my Monday evening watching the Phillies beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

A cool summer evening, Roy "Doc" Halladay on the mound, a good rivaly, and lots of excitement. In this atmosphere at Chavez Ravine, the only thing missing is a legendary Dodger Dog, but for this blog, I don't do the mundane or even the "slightly-not-so-good-for-you" sandwiches, as you know.

For you, I optioned for the "Doyer Dog."

This footlong all-beef hot dog is grilled, and covered with chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions.

Wow.

This hot dog was the brainchild of someone who obviously loves ballpark food. This is the epitome of stomach destroying food that makes ballparks so special. Where else could you eat something like this and be able to write it off?

Eating this hot dog is an absolute mess. I had to avoid spilling one of its many condiments on my Chase Utley jersey throughout the challenge of eating it. I mean, first of all, how do you even start? It's not the easiest sandwich to handle.

That being said, this monstrosity of a sandwich is one that should be enjoyed not only by those visiting Dodger Stadium, but also anyone hosting a barbecue for the summer. So the next time you're at the supermarket, make sure you stock up on these extra ingredients, and enjoy your very own Doyer Dog in the comforts of your own home as the baseball season starts to heat up

Until next week, Readers...

Update: I also attended Tuesday night's game and again danced with the Doyer Dog. My stomach may not appreciate it, so I hope that you all understand that I put myself at great risk to bring you the best in sandwich reviews.

Also, shout out to Robert Grossman for hooking us up with tickets on Monday night. Thanks!

Doyer Dog

*** 1/2 Stars

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, CA

The Great Debate

Hello again Dear Readers!

This week's blog is sure to start areal debate with sandwichphiles: is a hot dog a sandwich?

Now I know most of you may already have the pat response of "No" just jumping from your mouths, but first a bit of discussion.

In the past I've written reviews for cheesesteaks, subs and a wrap, and those never sparked controversy on their status as sandwiches, so why is it that we cannot consider a hot dog as a sandwich?

Well, today I've decided to change that after visiting The Wien truck in Los Angeles.

I'd been following the truck on Twitter for a few weeks before I finally was able to sample their offerings as they stopped outside of my work one day in Studio City. I ordered the Stray Dog, an all beef hot dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, peppers, crema mexicana and delicious cotija cheese.

This is LA's official hot dog. When you walk around the streets at night, outside of bars, concerts or local hotspots, you will always see someone with a hot tray dishing out these dogs, and they are great.

The Wien does not disappoint with their Stray Dog. The bacon is perfectly cooked, a bit crispy and a delicious flavor to compliment the all beef frank. The grilled peppers added a nice smoked pepper flavor and the cotija cheese was something I had never tried before, but was definitely impressed by it's firm texture and slightly salty flavor.

Overall, the Stray Dog was an excellent addition to the Danger Sandwich compendium and I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

But let's keep the conversation going here: I think a hot dog is a sandwich. Why do/don't you?

Until next week...

The Stray Dog
**** Stars
The Wien Truck
Los Angeles, CA
thewien.com and @thewientruck on Twitter