Andrew Mark Veety

Surfdogs Just Might Have The Best Buns In St. Louis

In the realm of intelligent things to do on a Sunday afternoon, I'm not sure pounding almost a half dozen hot dogs is one of them. I am positive its not a good idea when you have traveled over 20 miles to try one of the new guards of St. Louis hot dog joints, Surfdogs, where surfing, perfectly steamed poppy seed buns and Jimmy Buffet reign supreme.

To start, I'd like to share with you the souvenir I brought back from my trip to the Chesterfield Valley - my membership in the Surfdogs Hang 10 Club. In about 20 minutes I managed to "Hang 5", barely, before the ordering stopped and I limped back to the car for the long trip back to Webster. 

For the record, I ate half of the Big Kahuna Challenge. Basically the challenge consists of a person, a seat, 10 decadent hot dogs and 60 minutes. According to the Surfdogs website there are no substitutions, no trips to the bathroom and if you hork before your done, I have to assume the challenge is over. If its not over, it should be. However it is unclear if the rules allow you to continue after vomiting. To be honest I don't really want to know.

In any event I would be unable to compete for the Big Kahuna given the number of hot dogs that include cheese, in slice, shredded and sauce form. While I was able to ask for my dogs to be made sans cheese, for the purposes of maintaining the integrity of the Big Kahuna Challenge, the dogs can't be made without cheese. 

I think it would be grossly unfair to the handful of people who have actually completed this gut wrenching challenge to attempt it without doing the cheese dogs. 

Joining me on my trip was my friend, hot dog with ketchup lover, and sometimes site guest contributor Jeff, who brought along his daughter, who had this face on pretty much the whole time I was eating. Clocking in at a year and a half, even she seemed to know that what I was doing was wrong, and possibly against the very laws of nature.

While I appreciate that she was worried about what was unfolding in front of her, I still had to make the most of my trip because I honestly don't know how often I will get back there. 

Hence the desperation inherent in my ordering - as you will see over the following paragraphs. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Here is the rundown:

From Left to Right - The New York Dog, The Original Surf Dog, The Ruben Dog

The New York Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with spicy mustard, giardiniera peppers and sauerkraut. Now longtime readers will remember my issues with "New York Style" dogs both at Woofies and Pam's Chicago Style Dogs. Much like at Pam's, the addition of giardiniera is tasty, but it has nothing to do with New York hot dogs. New York hot dogs come from a dirty water dog cart, topped with mustard, onion sauce and sauerkraut. When they are from a shop they are grilled on a flat top, topped just like a dirty water dog and ideally served with papaya juice. I've eaten hundreds of hot dogs in NYC, and never once was I even offered the option of giardiniera. Now don't get me wrong, giardiniera is an amazing topping. It tastes great on a dog, and even better on Chicago style Italian beef, but its addition does not make for a New York hot dog. You know what does? Mustard and sauerkraut. All in all, a great hot dog with a geographically depressing name for this NYC transplant.

The Original Surf Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with pineapple, tomato, bacon, peppers and swiss cheese. As I mentioned above I asked for mine without the cheese. My experience with this dog started rocky when a bite of dog and crushed pineapple came on a bit strong. However as I made my way into the dog, the mixture of fruit, dog, bacon and peppers made for a downright excellent and unexpected hot dog. Surf Dog, you live up to your namesake.

The Reuben Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with 1,000 island dressing and sauerkraut. Simple and tasty, this was the only dog that I didn't have to ask for no cheese on, even though I think I should have if it was really a reuben. Regardless, this one went down first and fast. 

While I was taking down my first basket of dogs, Jeff attacked Capn' Misty's Italian Dog, a Vienna Beef dog on a poppy seed bun topped with mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce (or gravy if you were taught correctly) and sweet peppers. The menu indicates the bun should be toasted, but from the picture it looks like this one was not. Jeff was really happy with this gussied up pizza dog and with the fact that the bun was steamed instead of toasted. 

From Left to Right - The South Shore Slaw Dog and The Dog House

There comes a time when you are eating really dumb amounts of food that you decide that you're going to order again before you finish what's in front of you. I blame the menu that hung there on the wall, just staring at me. Three dogs was more than enough for one visit, but as if my feet were taking directions from my sack instead of my highly rational brain or completely full stomach, I soon found myself back at the counter ordering the two gut busters pictured above. 

The first, or rather fourth dog was The South Shore Slaw Dog, a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed poppy seed bun topped with a really fresh and well executed cole slaw. Now, I've eaten slaw dogs all over the south, but i have to say this reminded me of a slaw dog that I would make at home during a cookout. The right amount of tang and the right amount of crunch from the cabbage. Bravo.

My fifth dog was the aptly named Dog House. A combination of The Cheesy Dog, The Epic Chili Dog and a South Shore Slaw Dog, this dog is by all measures a problem, or maybe it was just a problem that I was eating it last. First off, without the cheese, it was just a dense and amazing slaw chili dog. I can't imagine this dog covered with cheese sauce, or rather I can't imagine how I would eat it without a knife and fork. Not that there is anything wrong with knife and forking a dog if you need to. To be honest as I sized up this dog, I thought about my brother attempting the Chili Pie at Woofies this past spring and then I counted my blessings it was missing the cheese and dug in.

The chili was sweet and not very spicy. The first bite reminded me of Skyline Chili, as did the second. By the third bite I found myself back in the middle of a slaw dog, with the tang mixing well with the sweetness of the chili. By this point I was not even sure there was a hot dog in there, I was just trying to finish. 

Which I did, thank you very much.

Postscript:

As I write this, its been about 36 hours since my visit to Surfdogs and I just finished dinner, my first meal since visiting Chesterfield. Seriously, I was not hungry for over a day and a half. If my exploits don't make you want to saddle up and head out to the wilds of St. Louis county, I don't know what would. Along the same lines, if my exploits make you want to never eat a hot dog again or perhaps go vegan, that's understandable as well. Hell, I was thinking that on the ride home. And while I'm positive I will never, ever, ever attempt the Big Kahuna challenge, I will find my way back to finish out my punch card. 

Eventually. 

After I go for a run. 

Several really long runs. 

All dicking around aside, Surfdogs is well worth the short road trip from St. Louis city and worthy addition to the top shelf hot dog joints we have here in town.

Andrew And Reis Take On Five Guys And Their Burgers And Fries

General Housekeeping:

Its been some time since I've sat down and posted for this site, but for good reason. Since my last update on March 20th, I've been getting ready for the birth of my son, Reis Andrew Veety and getting used to life with a baby. 

Two months into this adventure, my wife and I have been out and about, visiting our favorite restaurants and antiquing, which along with hanging out with friends, have always been our primary past times. We've also been plugging around the kitchen and grill, trying to figure out how to cook and experiment with the great meals that we've enjoyed sharing with friends and readers over the years while bending to the demands of a super cute 10 week old.

Its been an adventure, but I'm happy to report that in my absence I've continued to work with some of my favorites, including burgers and backyard BBQ. I've even gotten quite good at a new pizza style - pizza bianca - in addition to working some more with Chicago deep dish and a giant calzone the size of a large pizza bent back on itself.

Recent Pizzas:

Pizza Bianca with a chard and kale pesto, summer squash and zucchini carpaccio and shallot.

Pizza Bianca with roasted tomato and red peppers, artichoke heats, baby spinach and olive oil.

Veggie Chicago style deep dish with a friends top notch home-brew - a tasty "My Neighbor Is A Dirty Pirate Hooker" ale.

From the grill:

Lemon pepper chickens on ginger ale cans, smoked over apple wood.

Exploded Jucy Lucy's waiting for a veggie Jucy Lucy to warm up. Veggie Lucy, how depressing.

The Main Event:

Now that we are back out and about, I'm ready to refocus on exploring the best eats that St. Louis has to offer. Also, if the road trips Sara and I used to take around the country exploring food and visiting with friends and family was fun, it will be even better with Reis in tow. I'm excited to get started, so lets.

Out of the box I wanted to focus on a recent addition to the St. Louis county landscape, Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I've been reading about Five Guys for some time on my favorite burger blogs (A Hamburger Today, Hamburger America and Road Food) and I've waited and waited for one to show up in St. Louis. Five Guys seems to polarize folks into two camps - fans and haters. The fans rave about the quality of the burger and the extensive choice of toppings. Haters focus on the greasiness of the burger, how they are only cooked to well done and how average they are compared to other burgers. 

I have to think that the complaint about the overall averageness of the Five Guys burger has to stem from the fact that they are still expanding across the United States, and the word of mouth is not jiving with the actual experience. Anything short of magical turns out to be a disappointment worth complaining about, or so it would seem from my reading.

Before actually trying for myself, I suggested Jeff Lash (intrepid road warrior and sometimes guest poster) try Five Guys on a recent trip to Philadelphia. Jeff did indeed make a stop and forwarded me this picture of a sad burger at Five Guys, taken with a very capable iPhone camera. 

Jeff indicated he was in the "average" camp. Photographic evidence in hand, I was beginning to think that Five Guys would be a loss. I also wondered where this burgers friends were, seeing only ketchup and some wilted lettuce. Then I remembered a trip to Pam's Chicago Style Hot Dogs that Jeff and I took last fall, and this burgers accompaniments match up pretty well with the dressing of his hot dogs then.

Still, condiments and personal preference aside, this was one sloppy and poorly constructed burger.

So, with Reis, Sara and Jeff Lash's family in tow, we headed out into St. Louis Country to see if Jeff's experience was the standard or the norm for Five Guys and their burgers... 

Babies waiting on burgers while parents munch on peanuts.

The Burger:

A far cry from Jeff's experience, I decked out my first Five Guys with bacon, mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, grilled onion, pickles and raw jalapeno. When accompanied by friends, the burger becomes much more appealing. It also helped that the St. Louis version appeared to be assembled by a competent person, where as the Philadelphia version really looked like a real life "Whammyburger".

While the burger was cooked to well, it was still moist and had some great caramelization from the grill. The patties played well with others, especially the crispness of the pickle and the biting heat of the jalapeno pepper, which in its raw state resembled the color green usually reserved for the Chicago style hot dog. 

The bun was toasted on a grill before assembly and seemed capable of absorbing any grease thrown off by the burger itself. Truth be told, I don't know what it is with people complaining about greasy burgers anyway. For me, burger happiness is forgoing the napkins and licking juice and grease off your hands and forearms. We are eating burgers here people, when has a neat and tidy burger ever been fun, let alone tasty?

A real treat was the wrapping for this burger. The plain aluminum foil carrier smacks of indifference to the burger inside, however for me, it was like getting a perfect Christmas present wrapped only in newspaper. Humble in appearance, it puts the focus on the burger.  Utilitarian in purpose, it kept the burger warm longer than wax paper ever could, which seemed perfect for take out.

In general, I did not find the burger overly greasy, instead I found it a step above your traditional fast food fare. Is it a great burger? Probably not, instead it rates about even with Johnny Rockets or Red Robin. Does it far outshine most of its fast food/national competitors in the St. Louis area? Without a doubt, and at the price, I would drive past the gobs of chains that litter St. Louis and seek out one of the several stores that have popped up around 270 and deeper into the county. 

However, I do have to scratch my head and wonder why they are not venturing into the city. I've heard rumors of a store opening near Brentwood, but I have not been able to verify that, yet.

The Surprise - A Five Guys Hot Dog:

What you don't read about very often is that Five Guys is also a hot dog shop, selling dogs split down the middle, grilled and then topped with the same toppings as their burgers. A unique take on the hot dog in St. Louis, the dog at Five Guys is more like a hot dog sandwich. 

I covered mine with bacon, grilled onion and relish to complement the all beef dog. Thinking back on it, I should have taken this chance to make a hot dog / dagwood sandwich because the construction of this dog and the vast amount of toppings available lends itself to the idea.

The novelty of this dog also is its major drawback - by making it into a sandwich the bun is called upon to do a duty its just not cut out for. The bun appeared to be steamed and disintegrated quickly into the dog and toppings to make a tasty yet amorphous mess.

I will be back to again to try and make that dagwood dog though. 

The Missing:

The fries. We ordered a large fry which was enough to satisfy 4 adults. The fries are cut naturally with the skin on and fried, then piled into giant styrofoam cups and all around the paper sacks that each order is served in. The fries were not salted when they came out of the fryer, which I think is a mistake. They were also soggy from the oil, indicating that they were cooked poorly. They were a largely forgettable addition to an other wise above average burger night out.

The Verdict:

Put me in the fan camp, but there is lots of room for improvement. Given Jeff's experience in Philadelphia, I worry about quality as these stores melt into the local landscape. Kudo's for having malt vinegar for the fries, but shame on you for the actual fries. Kudo's for joining us here in St. Louis, but shame on you for ignoring the city. 

I will be back though, because the burger, while cooked to well done, it also well above the average.

(For the record, Reis slept though most of this meal. That's good, because if he had been fussing, chances are he would have been covered in burger juice and condiments.)

Guest Contribution - Jeff "The Road Warrior" Lash

For some time now I've been pestering friends who always seem to be traveling around the country to contribute accounts of the food they run into on their trips. I'm very excited to share the first of what I hope are many contributions - from Jeff Lash - unfiltered and in the proverbial raw:

At Andrew's request, I was intending on providing a write-up of one specific dining experience -- a Friday Fish Fry at our local St. Louis Catholic Church. However, I have had a number of noteworthy dining experiences lately, and rather than focus on just one or attempt to write up separate posts for each, in the interest of efficiency, I present: Jeff's food travels, March 2009.

March was an eventful month, including a lot of business travel. Business travel often leads to interesting food experiences -- good and bad. Let's start closest to home, though, with...

Friday Fish Fry

St. Louis is a very Catholic town (um, "Saint" Louis, anyone?), the kind of town where many people pick the location of their next home by what parish they want to be a part of. Like the earliest flowers of spring, the Friday Fish Fry signs start popping up right after Ash Wednesday. On some major roads, there's almost a Fish Fry sign every block (literally).

Having been in St. Louis many years and never having attended, I figured it was high time I experienced the tradition. I rounded up a group of friends -- my wife, the vegetarian, not included, since the mere smell of fried fish makes her nauseous -- and we hit up the Fish Fry at Saint Joan of Arc a few weeks ago.

Cheers was a place that everybody supposedly wanted to go to because everybody would know your name. At Saint Joan on a Friday night, it's not too different. Most patrons seemed to be church members and regulars, and it seemed like everyone knew everyone. During the 20 minute wait in line, there were lots of mini-reunions and friendly conversations. Though we were new, people were friendly, and canned beer was offered to us to make the line easier to handle. You have to pay for the beer, though it's dirt cheap. In fact, the whole meal is -- for about $7 you can get a full plate of food, drink, and dessert. (Cash only, of course, though that's understandable.)

I was expecting an all-you-can-eat buffet -- I thought that was part of the appeal -- though Saint Joan does everything a la carte, which is fine, since I really couldn't / shouldn't have eaten anything more than the one hearty serving. They of course have the standard fried fish patty, just like you remember from elementary school (and I say "you" and not "we" since I never was allowed to buy lunch at school growing up), though other options are available including some variety of fish which was fried, head and tail and all. I don't remember what kind of fish it was, since I think I'm still trying to block out the image of a fried fish carcases on various plates. There were also fried catfish nuggets, as well as grilled fish for those not interested in anything from the "fried" food group. Normally I eat very healthy, though if you're going to a Fish Fry, you eat fried fish. Would you go to a steakhouse and order a salad for an entree? Wrong place, wrong time.

Sides included standard fare -- potatoes, either oven roasted or french fried; various vegetables; macaroni and cheese -- and some interesting (to me, at least) options -- apple sauce; spaghetti in tomato sauce. Fine foods, though paired with fish seemed a bit odd.

To drink your options are the aforementioned can of beer, or the classic plastic cup of soda poured from a 2 liter bottle. The enormous dessert table offered a wide selection of homebaked and storebought goods, neatly arranged bake sale style (on small paper plates, covered by plastic wrap). The glass of Diet Coke and 2 desserts I chose added $1.50 to my total bill.

The food is, well, what you'd expect of a fish fry done by volunteers in the cafateria of a church. Actually, no, it's probably a bit better. The fish was a bit overfried and not as warm as it probably should have been, likely due to it sitting out in a heating tray for too long. Still, it was decent, and served as a good foundation for the meal. I wasn't expecting gourmet British-style fish and chips, and thus I wasn't dissapointed. For sides I went with the oven roasted potatoes and mac + cheese. Yes, starchy, I know, though I figured those were good standbys. The mac + cheese was the typical generic cafeteria brand, with big too-soft noodles and a gooey way-too-unhealthy fake cheese sauce. (I probably would have been better off with the spaghetti.) The potatoes were excellent, though, even better than some I've had at "normal" restaurants. And the desserts were solid as well -- the chocolate cake seemed to be homemade, likely from a box mix; and the store-bought chocolate chip cookies, which I later shared at home with my wife, were of course fine. Not the most adventurous choices, though you can't go wrong with box cake and store cookies.

All in all, it was a great experience and I'm definitely up for it again. The next day I remembered why I rarely eat fried food (entrees, at least), partly because my body isn't conditioned for them any longer. (How I ate chicken fingers and fries pretty much every day the first two years of college is beyond me.) Of course, you don't go to a Friday Fish Fry at your local church because the food is going to be stellar; you go because it's going to be cheap, it's going to be good atmosphere, and because it's just a tradition -- and on those things, it delivers. Sure, some local restaurants offer Fish Fry Fridays, though to me that's just not the same.

Since that review was longer that I thought, I'll keep these next reviews on the short side...

Weber Grill Restaurant

I was in Indianapolis for work, and as we approached our hotel downtown, I noticed an enormous novelty barbeque grill hanging off the side of a building about a block away. I knew instantly that was where I was going for dinner. I had heard about the Weber Grill Restaurant, where everything (well, almost everything) is cooked on real genuine Weber Grills. (No, Andrew, I didn't ask to take a tour and see the kitchen.) As a marketer, I marveled at the innovative brand extension. As a fan of grilling, I marveled at the chance to eat at a restaurant where they cooked on real Weber Grills. The restaurant did not fail to deliver, with the highlight being the Weber Sampler appetizer, which included Beer Can Chicken Tenders and Steak Skewers -- a great selection of Weber-ized meats. Though I normally avoid chain restaurants when I travel and try to find something local, this was worth it. (Plus, does 3 locations in Illinois and 1 in Indianapolis really count as a chain?) Recommended.

Burger King Burger Shots

I arrived in Orlando late one night and needed a snack. Not a full meal, not dessert, just something quick and simple before I went to sleep. Across the parking lot from my hotel was a Burger King. (Actually, there was another hotel -- this is Orlando, after all, and we were only minutes away from Universal Studios.) Having been wooed by the advertisements for BK Burger Shots, I figured I'd give them a shot. Tiny burgers seem to be in, with Steak 'n Shake pushing them hard as well. Maybe it's because of the economy, or the lingering fascination we Americans seem to have with all things "Mini" (-Cooper, -me), though I too was sucked in.

Don't make this mistake.

First, the obvious caveat that no food shown on TV or in advertisements actually looks like that when you buy it, though that shouldn't be a surprise. Second, the mini burgers are only sold in packs of 2 or 4. It's not like White Castle (more on them in a minute) where you can order their sliders in any denomination you want. This is probably my biggest gripe -- a 2-pack of sliders is probably about the same amount of meat as one regular Burger King hamburger (not a Whopper or anything fancy like that, just your basic bottom-of-the-line hamburger), and it costs probably about $.30 more. So why would you order the sliders? Because the advertisement makes you want them, that's why. Not that they were horrible -- they were about the same as your standard fast food burger, which is only mediocre. Of course, Andrew probably thinks that I ruined them by having them plain with just ketchup, just like how I ruin my hot dogs. It's okay, I've accepted that, I'm moving on.

In summary, don't fall for the appeal of the sliders, at BK at least. If you really want mini burgers, the venerable White Castle does this as their bread and butter, not as a seasonal side to take advantage of a trend. Plus, their buns are steamed, which makes all the difference.

In 'n Out

Now, if you want a "real" fast food burger, all the foodies tell you that In 'n Out is really the only place to go. I was in California for work and this was really the only place on my food list. I had been once before and dragged along a co-worker who had never been. This particular establishment near LAX was packed on a Thursday evening. I was particularly enthralled by the car-hop taking orders at the drive thru.

In 'n Out is known for two things -- a dead-simple menu, and super-fresh food. As you can see, the menu has a limited number of options, and beyond just differentiating them from the competition, it's probably good for business too (read The Paradox of Choice to learn more). That doesn't mean that you can't order off the menu, though. In fact, they've attracted a whole cult following around the "secret" items to order. In 'n Out lists some on their site, though there are plenty of others.

Beyond the menu coolness, the food is just plain better. The meat is never frozen, the french fries are made fresh from real live cut potatoes, and the shakes are made from real ice cream rather than a mix. I kept it simple, with a single burger, fries, and chocolate shake. The burger patties are bigger than the average fast food variety, though not as big as I remembered. It's more like the size of what you might find at Steak 'n Shake (or Carl's Drive-In, for those St. Louisans in the know) than your standard $1 drive-thru, not that I eat any of those varieties even infrequently. The patty was definitely higher quality, and extra points for the real romaine lettuce rather than shredded iceberg you normally find. The grilled bun is a nice touch -- usually I like my buns warm, not grilled or toasted, though it worked here. (Insert "buns" joke here.)

The fries definitely taste fresh, and the serving size is generous. I'll admit to not being picky about chocolate shakes -- even the crappy fast food ones are okay in my book -- though this was definitely a cut above the norm. Still not to the level of what you'd get at Crown Candy or the venerable Friendly's Fribble, though respectable nonetheless.

If you're on the West Coast and happen upon an In 'n Out, go in and check it out. (Sorry, that was a horrible, horrible pun.)

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ

Upon recommendation from a co-worker, a group of us visiting our Orlando office took the short ride from the hotel to to Bobbalou's Bodacious BBQ. Or, should I say -- the "award-winning" Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ. A sign of a good restaurant of any variety is framed, signed pictures of celebrities and pseudo- or local-celebrities hanging up by the cash register, and Bubbalou's didn't fail to deliver. Three things I liked about this place:

1) It's in a modern strip mall, perhaps the most soul-less environment known to man, though they managed to make you feel like you're at Iron Works when you're inside.

2) They serve snow cones.

3) Their next door neighbor in the strip mall is a uber-healthy juice bar, which makes for some fun games to play while waiting for your food, as in: "Hey, see that guy parking his car -- do you think he's coming to get some barbeque or going to the juice bar?" Okay, the game is actually very easy and not challenging, though the dichotomy between the two establishments is still amusing.

Nothing else to add in particular here. Standard BBQ main dishes, sides, and prices. Every BBQ place says they smoke their meat the best, or have the best sauces. I'm not a conniseur, so I can't compare all of those claims, I just know this was darn good food.