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A half-dozen hot dogs

Since my call-out in last month’s newsletter, I’ve eaten more hot dogs than would be considered healthy by most respectable doctors and dieticians. A half-dozen dogs for investigation purposes, plus a few weekend smokies over the campfire for good measure. I can’t stop and I won’t stop.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with their vendor suggestions! I couldn’t hit them all but I made a respectable dent in the list.

Clockwise from top left: Bright Side Kitchen’s Good Dog, Deek’s Dog House Kolbasa Smokie, Dug and Betty’s Don Juan, Shaw Park’s Goldie Dog, North Star Drive In’s Bacon Cheese Dog, Willy Dogs’ Smokie. (Photos by Eva Wasney)

Clockwise from top left: Bright Side Kitchen’s Good Dog, Deek’s Dog House Kolbasa Smokie, Dug and Betty’s Don Juan, Shaw Park’s Goldie Dog, North Star Drive In’s Bacon Cheese Dog, Willy Dogs’ Smokie. (Photos by Eva Wasney)

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You can read about the adventure in this week’s Tasting Notes feature here, which was incidentally published on National Hot Dog Day (that was a happy fluke, I really should’ve googled it before I pitched the idea). Sorry in advance for all the puns and stupid wiener jokes.

My favourite meal by far was the Bacon Cheese Dog from the North Star Drive In on McGregor Street. Great topping distribution, a full bacon strip, sliced pickles and house-made mayo. Absolute perfection, no notes. Five out of five weens.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the excuse to eat as many hot dogs as possible, last week got a little hairy. As a chronic procrastinator — it’s part of my process, OK — I waited until the last second to start taste-testing. Four of those smokies were eaten in a two-day span. I wouldn’t recommend eating hot dogs for both lunch and dinner. It started to feel like a real Supersize Me moment.

Now that I’ve done a hot dog tour, what’s the next local foodstuff to try?

 

— Eva

 

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Tasty tidbits

  • The sixth annual Winnipeg Beer Festival will take place Saturday, Aug. 12 and will feature all manner of local drinks producers — mostly beer, obviously, but also some cider and other tasty treats. This year’s festival is taking place at Le Patio (340 Provencher Blvd.) rather than at Fort Gibraltar, which remains closed after the collapse of a portion of the structure in June. Tickets are $50 plus fees for either the early (5-7 p.m. or later (7:30-9:30 p.m.) admissions, and include all samples — they’re available here.
  • Interested in learning how to forage wild food? FortWhyte Alive hosts regular Wild Edible workshops every second Tuesday throughout the summer. The next event takes place July 25 and includes a guided walk through the nature park with tips for identifying, harvesting and preparing wild foods. Tickets $15 each.
  • After ManyFest organizers cancelled the 2023 downtown street festival last week, Four Crowns Restaurant & Hotel (1030 McPhillips St.) swooped in to save the annual food truck competition. The newly minted Four Crowns Street Food Fest is set to take place Sept. 8 to 10 in the Four Crowns parking lot, with the best local food truck determined by a panel of judges. Free entry for customers.

Recommended fare

Ben: While it’s certainly not a new spot, I recently visited Yujiro Japanese Restaurant on Grant Avenue for the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. I had tried chef Ed Lam’s culinary creations before (at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, which he won in 2022), but for some reason had never eaten at Yujiro, despite its longtime stellar reputation. All the eight different rolls we tried were super fresh and absolutely delicious — it was probably the best sushi I’ve had in Winnipeg. Ever.

Eva: The Winnipeg Folk Festival has come and gone, but I’m still discovering favourite new artists thanks to the 2023 playlist (available on Spotify and Apple Music). I’ve had S.G. Goodman, Mariel Buckley, Rich Aucoin and Faye Webster on repeat lately.

Homemade

Homemade is a Free Press project celebrating home cooking in Manitoba. Want to share a recipe with readers? Visit wfp.to/homemade to fill out the submission form.

Need more hotdogs? Here’s a Hotdog and Cabbage recipe courtesy of Val Hastings, who found the dish in a cookbook called The Cook’s Book from 1983.

 
 

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More stories to sink your teeth into...

Eva Wasney:

Backcountry cuisine

Dehydrated Thai red curry a hit Read More

 

Tessa Adamski:

Take it outside

Pandemic patios continue to flourish Read More

 

Ben Sigurdson:

Beer and cider lovers unite!

Lots of boozy events throughout the summer Read More

 

Colleen Zacharias:

Perfect mix: Futura Farms and local beverage industry

Brewers and winemakers are thirsty for taste of Manitoba-grown fruits Read More

 

Eva Wasney:

Red Cherry Café rebounds

Downtown Ethiopian coffee house rooted in community Read More

 
 
 

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