I am an American and I Eat Hot Dogs

1 x Hebrew National grilled with Dijon mustard

It’s Memorial Day and we were hoping to get invited to a cookout, but that didn’t happen. It’s not that bad though because we’re pretty damn busy trying to finish up our new record. When we’re ready for a break we call up Ernie and rock it over to his place for some dogs. I know he’s gonna be pissed that he’s getting a crappy review on this blog. Sorry Ernie. It’s not really your fault. You did what you could. These Hebrew Nationals were EXTREME salty! You know how when it’s so salty that you instantly feel dehydrated? These dogs are like that. A total killer. Ernie also could have used a bit more in the way of condiments. Maybe I’ll buy him some nice mustard for his birthday.

1 x Fenway Frank with mustard, onions and relish, $4.00

The first Fenway Frank of the season was rather lack-lustre. The awesome condiment stand that I had discovered last year (with pickle spears), has apparently been the victim of some downsizing because there were no pickle spears to be seen. I loaded up on relish in an attempt to compensate. Yuckers.

1 x #8 (coles slaw, pickle, mustard) $3.50, 1 x plain dog with chili relish and mustard $2.50

So Spark’s uses only all natural, organic junk when they make their hot dogs. Does this make a difference? Definitely. These were some high quality hot dogs. Really great flavor profile and a deep hot dog taste. Really snappy too. They also make their own buns and had some pretty interesting condiments like chili relish and real cheddar cheese and stuff like that.

All that nice stuff aside, I wasn’t too impressed by the menu selections and the actually hot dogs I ordered. The condiments took a back seat to the hot dog. It can be tough for a condiment to compete with the intense flavor of these dogs, and most of the condiments weren’t up to the challenge. They either needed to b e more potent or more plentiful. I did have a taste of the #1 (chili, cheddar, mustard, onions) and it was definitely a more robust combination. The onions, chili and chesse all held their own. But overall, I was a little unsatisfied by the dogs I ordered.

Also, the buns, while tasty and homemade, were really bready.. I guess that’s not such a bad thing if, for instance, you can only afford one of these dogs, because it makes them rather filling. However, the buns (and many condiments) were served cold. It was really alarming. It gave the whole dog a really heavy feeling. A little toasting on this bun might have made a world of difference in the experience.

OK. Spike’s sold it out. It’s not about the dogs anymore. Word on the street is that they’re franchising. This was my first visit to the new place in Boston and I was hugely disappointed. First off, they’re not even pushing the hot dogs. Burgers had the prime real estate on the menu. Then sandwiches. And THEN hot dogs. I was shocked. I had always admired Spikes (even if I wasn’t their biggest fan) for being so committed to the hot dog and this was a big letdown to see them abandon the dog.

The hot dogs are still there, but the menu has been pared down to only about 8 or 10 options. No sign of the Lonely Guy Dog. No Samurai Dog. I was so upset, I can’t even remember what I ate. It was the usual Spike’s fare though. Decent, but not great.

What a drag. I hate it when things you like turn into things you don’t like. Remember how awesome Liz Phair was? I feel like Spike’s might become the Liz Phair of the hot dog world.