Tony the Tiger,

Banquet beer? For real? mmm tasty.

I am all for supporting the local food scene, but calling these dogs gourmet is a real stretch! We tried a few the other day for a lazy lunch, and they were pretty basic backyard picnic fare loaded with velveeta or chili or what have you. Perfect for an after the bar snack, and I hope they do well in their niche, but Coors and yellow mustard are not in the same realm as gourmet. Cooking them in beer? Now that might start to get interesting. They aren't even at Spike's level yet.

What's so great about Spikes? Can someone please explain?

I don't have to tell you that a bite is worth a thousand words. But Spike's can best be described as a hot dog for grown-ups. It's not on one of those flimsy raggedy hot dog buns you get 8 of for 99cents. It's on a fresh baked roll, and the dog, any dog, is about a quarter pound weenie. That's just too much weenie for most buns to take! ;) The strength of the real-life bread allows it to carry lots of toppings without collapsing and making you look like a jerk in front of your date/friends etc.

Hey! I went to Bad Dawgs tonight looking forward to some Sam Summer but it was a no-go. They said "Next week..."

Hey! I went to Bad Dawgs tonight looking forward to some Sam Summer but it was a no-go. They said "Next week..."

Well, hot dogs are not my thing, but lots of my friends are big fans of 'em. I'm more inclined to have a "veggie" dog (don't hate me, I just don't like mystery meat). I found a brand of those in the grocery store that taste so real, I fooled a ten year-old boy with one. Still, I'd stop in if just for the beer. :)

I tend to look at the hot dog as a very holistic food. Where, by using all parts of the animal, you're respecting that animal's sacrifice and not wasting. It's a truly enlightened snack.