Waterbury, CT
Okay, first off I need to explain something. I had intended on writing this column a LONG time ago! But just as I was getting ready to take my Official trip out to Waterbury, I heard that Pudgy's was running a Hot Dog eating contest. I talked it over with Avery, and we had decided it'd be a great opportunity to have some photos of me competing in the contest alongside my review. So the column was put off until after the contest. But on the weekend of the contest, my wife was unexpectedly laid up in the hospital, so I never made it. And the column never got written... until now!
You're probably wondering what the big deal is about Pudgy's anyway. Its just a hot dog place, right? Well, yes it is just a hot dog emporium, although they do serve a multitude of other items (burgers, steak sandwiches, BBQs, chicken and ribs), but it does have one thing most Hot Dog joints don't. Make that two things, or more accurately TWO FEET. You see Pudgy's is the home of the two foot long hot dog. And I'm not talking about two 12" dogs. Its is one, single, tube-steak coming in at a full 24 inches !!!
That being said, you can well imagine the
business Pudgy's does on curiosity factor alone. But curiosity
is NOT going to keep you coming back. Taste is. And these dogs
are tasty! They get them from Grote & Wiegel, who Pudgy (The
proprietor) tells me is the ONLY meat-packer that would listen
to him when he first concocted the idea for his two-footer. And
he was so grateful when they were able to deliver the product
that he painted a permanent sign proclaiming that he ONLY serves
Grote & Wiegel hot dogs on one of the interior walls. But
that was just one hurdle to deal with... after you have the dog,
you need a bun. And here is another challenge. We've all had those
soft, supermarket, hot dog buns that always seem to tear in the
wrong spot, or split when you open them. Such a roll wouldn't
do... an awe-inspiring pooch like this needs a substantial bed
to lay on. Pudgy's rolls are akin to French bread, though not
quite as big around, or as crusty.
Okay, We've established that the dogs are good quality meat, and the buns are worthy of this puppy's girth. The next phase is cooking. The dogs are cooked on an open grill (the only thing BIG enough) and served to order with toppings like bacon, cheese, sauerkraut, and chili. I was quite pleased with the amount of bacon you get with a bacon dog, and the sauerkraut was plentiful as well. But they use a cheese sauce rather than slices of cheese, and the chili is unspectacular. There are plenty of free condiments as well, including the houses special Sassy Relish. There's a sign on the wall that claims something like Life is a dream with our Sassy Relish... well I beg to differ. I found it kind of boring myself. But the rest of the freebies (ketchup, mustard, onions, sweet relish, hot sauce) were fresh and appealing. One word of caution however ANY topping that you put on a dog this size is adding almost a quarter pound to the total weight, so be sure to gauge your appetite accordingly.
There's plenty of space to get settled and eat your meal, and the decor is pleasant enough. And its clear the owners have a sense of humor after catching a glimpse of Pudgy's Rules on the wall next to the soda machine(Red Sox Fans welcome - Yankee Fans Tolerated is my fave,) & the motto Where only the food is taken seriously emblazoned across all the employees shirts. And the prices (for the hot dogs at least) are reasonable. True, $4.00 for a plain hot dog DOES sound like a lot at first hearing, but you gotta remember... this is two feet of meat! That's about 2 and a half of your average 9 inch franks. And if you don't have a very big appetite, they do serve normal size hot dogs. But if you go you should at least TRY a two footer... just to say you did it! Oh, and in case you are wondering about the hot dog eating contest I never made it to... well, I heard that the winner ate over 4 and a half two footers in 30 minutes!!! And I thought I loved hot dogs...
[photo: Jim's son, Jeff, meets his match with a hotdog larger than he is]