MEMORIALIZED

Given the choice between foie gras and grilled Sabrett hotdog, I'll take the dog every time. Waffled between Nathan's and Heeb Nats for a good five, six years. LINY res and LHP co-hort, DePalma convinced me without convincing re: Sabrett. It's made in the Bronx fer chrissakes. Detract point for "skinless," which I suppose means "w/out casing," although it's a chicken and egg thing to try and determine how all the processed beefness gets stuffed without anything there to stuff it into in the first place. Queue mezcal, Black Label beers, prodigious amount of Off, sweating, bleeding, slipping down the back porch stairs while trying to make it to the goddamn grill while there's a clearspell before the sky falls out again. Mmhmm, Memorial Day.

Truly official start of summer? Can't ever tell. Never take newscaster banter for granted. Just stock up on hotdogs, buns, astringent French's yellow mustard. Always seem to have a can of bean-less chili, head of cabbage, etc. Sabrett's stellar naked, or with a squirt of French's. Always liked to load 'em up, though. Chili, slaw. Sometimes kraut and onions. Cooking 'em falls into one of three camps: Fried, grilled, boiled. Frying crinkles the dog; sharpens the snap. Grilling grants perfection. Boiling is last ditch effort and of it must be done, has to be dunked in beer and heated through until floating. Honestly "like" all three prep options, but grilled is you better, you bet, you best.

Mezcal works better than any commercially avail repellent. Insects falling within six-foot radius. Shorts, shirt, skin harassed by tropical air. Sound of mopeds grinding by. Dogs hit the grill. Cooked through, nearly popping, bruised. Nuke the buns, steam those fuckers through. Chopped cabbage and carrots folded with a fistful of Duke's, a shake of cider vinegar. Buck a can chili bubbling. Bury the dog in chili, slaw, splatter with mustard. Another Black Label. More mezcal. Who gives a shit if the power goes out again...