Grandma's (formerly: Genie's Weenies), Somerville

     The first stop on our tour brought us to a small, bright green building with ample parking and additional outdoor seating. The ordering area might get a little congested on a busy day, but the service was cheerful and kept the line moving nicely. We were greeted by none other than Genie herself who suggested we choose an outdoor table on this beautiful day and she would bring our order out shortly.  Following a brief pause we received our order with an additional plate of free fries to share!  Genie was very interested in our tour and told us about her origins in the hot dog business.  She's a very pleasant lady!

     My Chicago dog had a nice spicy kick and was very tasty.  The basic dog with kraut & mustard came with A LOT of kraut and a pickle on the side.  The Texas dog offering sweet onions and BBQ sauce was "delish!" and our Italian hot dog lover was pleasantly surprised to enjoy his hot dogs cut in pieces and mixed with the fried potatoes!

     This was an awesome way to kick off a hot dog tour...  Genie's will be hard to beat!  If you're cruising Route 22 through Somerville, make sure you stop in for a bite!  They close early (at 3pm) 6 days a week but are open until 9pm on Wednesday's for Cruise Night!!

UPDATE:  Sadly, as of late Fall 2012, Genie's Weenies sustained a fire that has closed down the business. As of this update (Jan, 2013) there are no signs of renovation or re-opening. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

UPDATE 2:  Happily, this hot dog haven has reopened as of May 2013.  Genie is back at the helm and the dogs are just as awesome as ever!  Welcome back, Genie!!

UPDATE 3:  After many years, Genie has decided to retire!  But fear not, as her kitchen staff are keeping the business going with the exact same menu and quality!  Only the name has changed.

Northern NJ Hot Dog Tour is scheduled!!

The tour is on!!  We're starting our trip on Monday, August 22nd, 2011 at 11am.  The starting point is located at Genie's Weenies on Route 22 East in Somerville.  Even though we're hitting (8) of the best hot dog stands in NJ, I'm planning on limiting myself to 1 dog per stand. It's all about the adventure and the surprise, not gaining 10 pounds! Besides, I figure a few bucks left at each stand will add up so, I say: S-A-V-O-R !!

We're going a little low budget on the T-shirts... I picked up some plain cotton tees @ WalMart for a couple bucks and got Iron-On Transfer paper for my printer.  After a couple of hours in PrintShop, I now have event T-shirts for about $20-$25 for the whole family!

We're each taking responsibility for a certain style of hot dog.  My oldest son likes them naked so I'm counting on his opinion for the base comparison.  My wife is a fan of Italian hot dogs, but not every stand serves that variety.  I'm trying to talk my younger son into sampling the chili dogs, and I plan on selecting the "specialty" dog at each stop; the owner's favorite, the big seller, whatever it might be!

Look for my feedback a few days after the Tour....  I'll need at least a day or two to recover before recording my thoughts!  Pray for sunny skies on the 22nd!!!

Primary Post

To my fellow Jerseyans and welcome guests,

     My aim for this blog is to share my experiences and opinions in regard to the many purveyors of America's favorite fast food, the hot dog.  I'm not talking about the neighborhood diner who serves 124 different menu items, of which one happens to be the hot dog... I am talking about those fast food "stands" whose menu revolves around this iconic delicacy!

     I want to report my thoughts based on current visits, so I am very excited to begin my first "hot dog tour" later this month which will hit 8 of the biggest names in hot dogs that New Jersey has to offer.  At this time I will be restricting the scope of my travels to the borders of Jersey but who knows what the future will hold?  I realize that 8 locations is a little aggressive, especially for my first tour, but my excitement and my desire to have a solid base of experience from which to report is fueling this goal.  I will cover 150 miles during 3 1/2 hours of travel.  Expecting to spend at least a 1/2 hour at each stand, we're talking about a good 8 hour investment.  I can't wait!!

     The 2011 Northern NJ Hot Dog Tour (as I have affectionately called it) will include the following 8 destinations:

                       □  Genie’s Weenies, Somerville, NJ

                       □  Nathan’s Famous, Bridgewater, NJ

                       □  Galloping Hill Inn, Union, NJ

                       □  Hiram’s, Fort Lee, NJ

                       □  Rutt’s Hut, Clifton, NJ

                       □  Jimmy Buff’s, East Hanover, NJ

                       □  Hot Dog Johnny’s, Buttzville, NJ

                       □  Charlie’s Pool Room, Alpha, NJ

       More information about the actual tour will be posted as it approaches and details become more reliable.  I am considering having T-shirts printed for the event listing each destination, but this is one of the aforementioned unreliable details!  With the blog created and my intentions stated, I need to get back to planning so that this tour comes off without a hitch.  More to come!!