I was driving on I-95 in Connecticut a few weeks ago and saw a sign for the hot dog joint, Super Duper Weenie. Now there’s a name you don’t forget. It’s been stuck in my head ever since I first watched the 1999 PBS documentary, A Hot Dog Program. I’m sure you’ve seen it; PBS trots the show out every summer during pledge drives.
We all know Walter’s Hot Dog Stand is the king of hot dogs in Westchester (and according to devotees, the world), but I was curious: How would a Super Duper Weenie dog compare? For the sake of the blog, I threw calorie concerns aside and did a taste test. Let’s break it down:
SUPER DUPER WEENIE
A little back story: Super Duper Weenie (let’s call it SDW) used to be operated out of a truck parked off I-95, until owner Gary Zemola ditched the truck in 2000 and moved the digs into a small house in Fairfield. Gary trained at the Culinary Institute of America and is known for his homemade condiments like hot relish, onion sauce and chili.
SDW names its dogs after regions of the country. I’m ashamed to report that as a former Bostonian, I ordered a “New Yorker” over a “New Englander” (but you better believe that had the hot dogs been called “Red Sox” and “Yankees”, I would have ordered a “Red Sox” on principle alone). The New Yorker comes loaded with sauerkraut, mustard, onion sauce and hot relish. My friend Jose ordered the same and then told me he’d never had sauerkraut before. (That bit of information blew my mind… a born and bred New York guy with no sauerkraut experience?)
Here’s my New Yorker.
I love that the hot dog is split before being grilled. It also has a casing with a nice snap to it (some people hate the snap, but I like it). The hot relish is fantastic — sweet and spicy and clearly homemade. The onion sauce is tasty, but maybe unnecessary; I would have been happy with fresh chopped onion. And as good as the condiments are, they make the top of the bun soggy. But it’s a perfect combination of flavors and a seriously top-notch dog.
Oh, and the fries were excellent— hand cut and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
WALTER’S HOT DOG STAND
What’s left to say about Walter’s? This venerable hot dog landmark has been serving up weenies in Mamaroneck since 1919. Clearly they’re doing something right. The dogs are split down the middle, grilled in a “secret sauce” (butter?), placed in a toasted bun and topped with a homemade mustard relish mix. That’s it. Hot dog simplicity.
And what a beautiful hot dog it is. It’s perfectly grilled until golden brown and crusty; I’ve never had one anywhere else with a crisp crust like that. And the dog (skinless and made of beef, pork and veal) is light as air— I actually wrote “fluffy” in my notes. Paired with a toasted bun, slightly sweet mustard relish and a cost of $1.90, and you can’t do much better. You really can’t. It does bum me out that Walter’s doesn’t serve sauerkraut, but I know they’re all about hot dog purity. More a minor quibble than a complaint, really.
Super Duper Weenie and Walter’s are both so good and so completely different in style, that trying to decide which hot dog is better is like trying to choose a favorite child. So it comes down to this… Given the choice of one hot dog at this very moment, which one pops into my head first?
THE WINNER: Walter’s (by a hair)
But you know what? There are no losers here. They’re both great, and you better believe I’m doing another taste test. For the purposes of the blog of course.
Super Duper Weenie
306 Black Rock Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06825
203-334-DOGS
Walter’s Hot Dog Stand
937 Palmer Ave.
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
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