I know this review has said coming soon since this blog was started. Sadly Dean was on his yearly vacation when I last travelled through Gloversville. I will be in the area over Memorial Day weekend to once again taste Dean's awesome meatsauce and soups. Looking forward to it!! Pictures to follow
Monday, April 28, 2008
Dean's Hot Dogs
I know this review has said coming soon since this blog was started. Sadly Dean was on his yearly vacation when I last travelled through Gloversville. I will be in the area over Memorial Day weekend to once again taste Dean's awesome meatsauce and soups. Looking forward to it!! Pictures to follow
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wendell's Pub
Wendell's Pub
(508) 285-5555
30 W Main St, Norton, MA 02766
Wendell's is a hole in the wall in Norton, MA. Don't be fooled by it looks. Though it's a dive bar it's got some dynamite wings. Waits here can be long as it's very popular with the locals and college students from Wheaton University. The horseshoe shaped bar seats about 10 and the is one more table in the bar. The dining room is much larger with a jukebox. Since their kitchen only has 2 fryers and they cook everything a bit longer than usual it's a wait for the food but believe me it's well worth it. Have a few beers while you wait.. they've got the traditional selections of Bud, Bud Light, Coors, etc.. you wont find any craft brews here
First off, this place is all about its wings. I find them to be, hands down, the best I've yet to find. These aren't your traditional Buffalo styled wings. The wings are always fresh never frozen and come 1 lb to an order. Wendell's offers several varieties of their sauce. At the bottom of the list is the Sissy wing which is just garlic and butter. Next we move to the suicidal sissys.. butter, garlic and a kick. Next come their regulars. Then the 3.5 wings, which is right between regular and extra spicy. Those are the money wings if you're looking for the combo of heat and flavor. The list tops off with extra spicy, suicidal and then double dare (They don't even list this on the menu). When the manager was once asked if they could make something hotter than the double dares he replied "I could pour kerosene on your face and light you on fire" This gives you an idea of what you're dealing with. The wings emerge from the kitchen in a bowl topped by another bowl which most people give an extra "Wendell flip" to ensuring the sauce is evenly coating all the wings (DON'T do this with a double order or you'll be cleaning sauce of the bar). Their wings come out crispy, but slathered in sauce. If you want blue cheese it costs extra but you don't need it for his wings. Grab a basket of crispy fries too which helps sop up the sauce in the bowl .
Price wise Wendell's can get a bit steep if you hang out for a while but if you just want some to go wings it's about $7. They've got a decent jukebox, some games, and darts if it's not to crowded. Sports are always on the TVs in the bar.
All in all despite price I love this places wings and will always go back for more. My favorite wing joint in the world!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Hot Dogs on Cape Cod

The Dog House
189 Lower County Rd
Dennisport, MA 02639
In venturing down the cape recently, I tried two hot dogs. One was from The Dog House, a cape cod classic that, well, didn't quite do it for me. I tried the split dog with bacon. The concept is simple enough. Cut a hot dog lengthwise and put bacon in the middle. Now that should be the perfect recipe for deliciousness but it just didn't pan out. The dog was burnt where it was cut in half and the returned to the grill (or griddle) and this concoction took 15 friggen minutes. 15 minutes for a hot dog? They're pre-cooked people. All I got was one dog to go and it took 15 minutes. I do have to say, though, that I have heard great things about this establishment so I may have just caught it on an off-day.
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LIL' Caboose Ice Cream
1279 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Another sampling was the pullman dog with chili and cheese from the Lil Caboose up the road in Yarmouth on route 28. I used to go to this place as a child for their ice cream, but now that i'm older and less of a sweet tooth (and more of a meat tooth), I went for a hot dog. This dog was the most delicious dog I'd had in weeks. From the snap of the natural casing to the mounds of chili and cheese I was hooked. If I didn't have dinner plans I would have stayed there until they kicked me off the property. The price was very reasonable too so I award this place the highest honours. The only points off were for the meaty meaty chili that wasn't bubbling hot, merely tepid, but if the chili was properly heated I would've burnt my mouth as that dog wasn't gettin a chance to cool.
Hometowne Hotdogs
Hometowne Hotdogs
1 Nicholas Rd
Framingham, MA 01701
LOU MERLONI WAS WRONG!!!!I don't know if anyone has ever uttered these words. Well, maybe someone has in jest or while intoxicated, but even thinking such a phrase about a hometowne hero bothers me. This brings us to hometowne hotdogs, a local establishment celebrating and celebrated by Mr. Merloni. Now I love Framingham and I love hot dogs probably more than the next guy, but C'Mon! Are we even trying? Steamed hotdogs are not the way to go, but if covered in enough delicious toppings, they're acceptable. However, Hometowne decides to put most of the toppings under the dog and to me that's just not American. To make matters worse, the toppings can occasionally be scarce and they're just not up to the standards of most places that specialize in hotdogs. If this were an establishment that sold hotdogs on the side I wouldn't be so frustrated, but hot dog is right in the title. Unfortunately, Hometowne is the only true hot dog joint I know of in the Framingham / Sudbury / Marlboro / Hudson area so it has a corner on the market and when I need my hot dog fix, I have no other legitimate choice. Thus, I send out a plea to all local restaurateurs, "Save me from this plight!" If you don't want to do it for me, that's fine, but think of Lou Merloni. Please, think of Lou.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Alliger's House of Wings
Alliger's House of Wings
201 Spring Street
Sayre PA 18840
(570) 888-9805
(Yes that is my finger in the picture..)
In Sayre, PA just over the border from New York off of Route 17 you'll find Alliger's House of Wings. According to the locals Alliger's serves the best wings in the area, and they could be right. They serve 25 type of wings, anywhere from Hawaiian with it's pineapple flavor, all the way up to their Nuclear variety. View their menu here.
I've been here twice, and have not been disappointed. My first trip I had the South type wings, which are spicy with a slight tang that seems to have a hint of lemon. On my second visit I went with the Kamikaze wings which have a nice burn which will definitely creep up on you as you continue working on the bowl. Their sauce is thinner than most, but they are liberal with the application to make sure every wing is coated.
Alliger's also offers a full pub menu with everything you'd expect from burgers to ribs to Spedie Chicken, which is a local style of marinating and grilling chicken. My lady friend is very partial to their ranch fries which, as the name implies, are fries coated with ranch seasoning. The Garlic-Parm wings are also a favorite of hers.. in fact they are the only bone in wings I have ever seen her eat.
As well as their many wing choices, they also spout the benefit of spice to our health. They use "Super" Cayenne Pepper which their website claims has been used to treat many health conditions :
With their cheap prices ($5.50 for a dozen wings), their usual (and again cheap) domestic and Canadian beer selection (I paid $2 for a Labatt's Blue) I would concur that Alliger's House of Wings do, in fact, have the best wings in the Southern Tier area.
