Frankly Perfect

Rob and I used to crush some wieners. Frankfurters, that is. When we lived together in Arlington and Falls Church from 1993-1996, we had limited funds and limitless appetites. Hence, having our mail forwarded to the Cowboy Cafe. But hot dogs are cheap eats for young men on a budget.

On an only distantly related note, my dad moved house in 1994, and he unloaded two items of note on his favorite son: (1) a mishmash case of liquor that wasn't making the move, and (2) an item I can only guess was a gift to him, and maybe a gag one at that. 

1. The Liquor. While I recall a bottle of Bacardi and some bourbon in the mix, it was predominantly Scotch. My dad had become a Johnnie Walker black purist over the years, so this was a leftover assortment of Dewar's, J&B, and the like. The problem being that neither Rob nor I (nor our old buddy Spoid, who lived in a glorified closet in the same house) drank Scotch.  One night Rob determined that he'd become a Scotch drinker once and for all, if only for the free booze. It lasted about 15 minutes, until he emptied the glass into the sink with a grimace.

2. The Other Thing. What accompanied the hooch was a kitchen appliance, diminutive in stature and reputation but enormous in impact in our young lives. It was a hot dog toaster.  A Skymall special. A small device that toasted two frankfurter buns while warming the dogs at the same time. Simul-toasting, if you will.

All of you, behold... the Hot Diggity Dogger.

Which I just realized Rob heralded in Gheorghemas 2016. Dammit, man. No matter. That's not the point of this GTB post.

I lost the original Dogger along the way.  I bought one for Rob for his wedding, if I recall.  I bought another for myself at some point. I believe I may have lost that one in a divorce, if that's even possible. But recently I remedied that, albeit in knock-off form. ($20 and at your doorstep in 48 hours, keen shoppers.)  And yeah, the weight loss program is going swimmingly.

Anyway, 'tis true, we've eaten more than our fair share of dogs. 

And we (yes, Rob, the royal we) have frequented fine purveyors of frankfurter fare. Nathan's Famous.  Ben's Chili Bowl with Rob. Chavez Ravine, Fenway, and Wrigley. Katz's. Texas Tavern with Rootsy. The Varsity. Crif Dogs with Marls. 

Locally here, wieners are kind of a big deal. There's something called "Norfolk-style dogs," with its own Wikipedia page (perhaps the thinnest one ever). I enjoy Famous Uncle Al's in downtown Norfolk, Doug's in Ocean View, Lew's near the airport, and Harbor Park watching the Tides. And the classic for over a century, Doumar's. The King for decades here was Tony, and when Tony's Hot Dog's closed a handful of years ago, it mattered to frank-lovers all over town: "This city’s hot dog is an 80-year tradition. Will it die?"

And then there's my personal favorite: Perfectly Frank, a tiny greasy spoon right by Old Dominion University. My daughters and I have been going in there for years. And now they go there with their friends, without me. (Tear.) P Frank, as the cool kids call it, is an outstanding neighborhood staple.

Here's P Frank's menu. What more could you want on a college kid budget? A killer Patty Melt, a hot dog, crinkle fries, their damn fine secret sauce, and $1 fatty Nattys in happy hour? Come on.

And then they went and did something... and made it even better. Their front sidewalk sandwich board usually has stuff like this that they did for St. Patrick's Day.

But then they put this out there.

Which begat this -- a bulletin board on which any customer can buy a meal for a future stranger and tack the receipt. Then someone who can't make it happen on a given day comes in and gets some grub. No questions asked.

Just doing a little something to make our part of the world a little brighter -- in a contagious, community-funded way. It even got a little national attention. Anyone who says that giving a couple of chili dogs and fries to people who may lack healthcare gets a slap. See the beauty in this, and when in my town, head over to P Frank. Suck down a couple of chili dogs (that link makes me laugh more than it should) and a cold beer or a soda with chunk-let ice. Maybe some seasoned taters or a sausage. Maybe watch some of the Monarchs game on the tube, and have an amusing back and forth with the staff or a local. And then buy a quick meal for somebody you'll never meet.

Hot diggity dog!!