COLD HOT DOGS AND "GARLIC" FRIES!

Yesterday, I went shopping with my neighbor, whom we will call: "Rodney." Because, well, that's his name. So, after a jaunty hoof up to the nearest bus stop, about a mile and a half away, off we go to the Groceries Cheaper type store, after stopping in to the Hats n' Stuff Cheaper place in town. Note: If the storefront says "Whatever Cheaper," I will walk in, have a quick chat with the friendly Salesperson and determine for myself whether or not they deserve their signage. In the cases of the afore mentioned joints, they do deserve to call their places of business "Cheaper." I buy lots of stuff from them both, already. Rodney wanted to replace a hat that had become "lost" (one of those "Kangol" type wool blend affairs) and I was "just along for the ride, simultaneously showing him that there are actually three separate parts to that store. A "regular part," a "discontinued items and over-stock" part and a "Military Surplus Part." For my part, I shop all three, depending upon my needs.

After the "Groceries Cheaper" shopping, we were waiting for a cab, as neither of us wanted to do the 1.5 mile hike from the bus stop to the place we call home, our respective Apartments. Rodney decided that he wanted to get a hot dog and some garlic fries while waiting for the cab. He asked if: "I'd like an order as well?" (Which basically meant that he was going to try and hoodwink me out of his share of the Taxi Ride. (I'll get him, later, for the difference.)

We got the hot dogs and garlic fries home, both of us were hungry and as I bit into my "Double Dog with Chili and Onions," I noticed that about half of the hot dog was stone cold. The fries were a mangled mess of Simplot Mass Produced Shoestring Potatoes dashed with some kind of "dusting powder" that had a distinct aroma of powdered garlic in it. They were overly deep fried and disgustingly limp. The "Chili" reminded me of Cat Food and Chili Powder. I promptly fired up my Apartment Oven to 275 degrees, wrapped the meal in tinfoil and hucked it in to re-cook. Left it in there for about 20 minutes. It was still an awful Gut Bomb. But, I was hungry.

Now...The Locals of this here 'burg have always told me that this Hot Dog and Garlic Fries Joint was/is "great." Being the former Food and Beverage Guy that I am, I disagree. It was "really bad" at best. Anytime one must re-cook their Take Out Meal, something's "wrong." I plan to call this establishment and let them know just what I think of their $6.00, served cold, greasy meal.

I grew up eating hot dogs from a place called:  Doggie Diner, in San Francisco. There was one of their places right down the street, which was also "On the way to the S.F. Zoo." It was a great place, if you like Hot Dogs, which I do. When I was a kid, a Foot Long with EVERYTHING on it cost about $0.25, which means that I'm OLD. My other Fast Food delight as a child was Zims Hambuger Restaurants. Only to be found in San Francisco. GREAT milkshakes! I understand that those places are becoming harder to find. Doggie Diner has completely vanished. There are still a few of their distinctive signs around town, one near the corner of 46th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, but, no Hot Dogs. Zims? Hit and miss as to finding one of their stores. I don't go to San Francisco much anymore. Too many people, in a small space, going "somewhere" in a Big Clusterfuck Hurry. It was a great place to be a Kid but, that was a long time ago.

A song, "sort of" about Hot Dogs:

Love N' Hot Dogs (Cheaper, of course...),
-Doc