Steve's Snappin' Dogs

I apologize for getting behind on my hot dog reviewing. We really have been to more hot dog joints than the blog has let on. I seem to find myself a little busy this summer. I blame this on U.S. foreign relations. See I am currently taking a class on the history of U.S. foreign policy and it is taking up more of my time than I wish to admit. So hot dog blogging has been put on the back burner. Since today I am procrastinating writing an essay on the evolution of foreign policy from Washington to Truman, I think now would be a great time to get you a little more informed about where to get your hot dogs around here.

Last weekend, Aaron and I were able to eat at Steve’s Snappin Dogs. Actually we ended up eating there on both Friday and Saturday nights! It was the combination of these two nights that has put Steve’s way into the lead. (I am tempted to give them five weenies, but that is reserved for the winner. So if Steve’s can’t be beat than I reserve the right to adjust their score once the summer is over.)

Before I get into the judging I have to let you in on a new fact. I have officially come to the conclusion that my love for hot dogs only exists if the hot dog is ALL BEEF! I am not sure why that was left undiscovered until this point in my life. Maybe because I had only ever had all beef dogs. I was finding myself a little disappointed in some of the hot dog establishments. I couldn’t put my finger on why until I realized I had been eating some half pork/half beef dogs. So in order for this girl to be satisfied I need beef. Just know that from this point on if I am judging a hot dog you can assume it is 100% beef. Otherwise you will definitely hear about it!

Judging time:

Value- Price was just right. I paid 11 and some change for two hot dogs, two chips, and two drinks. $11 seems to be the magic number for that combination of food. They are right on track with price. Not at all too expensive. My Chicago Dog cost $3.65. Aaron's Memphis Dog cost $3.65.

Preparation- These were grilled. You can see your dog being cooked right there in front of you.

Presentation- This was AMAZING! Check out the dogs below. I had the Chicago Dog. Aaron had the Memphis Dog. On night 2 I had the Jersey dog.

Chicago Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, red onions, celery salt, sliced tomato, dill pickle spear, and sport peppers.

Memphis Dog- BBQ sauce, grilled red onions, bacon, and coleslaw

Jersey Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, caraway sauerkraut, red onions and bacon. (Sorry no picture. Just imagine the Chicago dog minus the pickle but add tons of sauerkraut)

They looked delicious! The toppings were piled on. I am from Chicago and I grew up on hot dogs with endless toppings. This was ideal for me!

Ambiance- Near perfection! The only downfall might be that it is located on Colfax. Since we live so close we decided to walk on over there and in the three minutes that it took us to walk, we did get hit up for money by a homeless guy. But everything else about this place was great. This hot dog joint reminded me of a fun summer afternoon barbecue. That is the exact feeling I have been looking for. Steve's was set up with picnic tables and even though I am a strict believer that dogs and hot dogs should have nothing to do with each other they do offer convenient seating for your dog if you want to walk him or her on over to eat with you. Great atmosphere!

Taste- Again near perfection! This is where the combination of the two nights and my "all beef" rantings come in.

Night # 1. I got the Chicago dog. It was delicious. The combination of topping was delectable. The bun was nicely toasted. I actually enjoyed the bun and I am very picky about my hot dog buns. I was also introduced to my new favorite topping… Spicy Mustard! Everything tasted divine except for the dog itself. It definitely snapped in you mouth like they promised. It was flavorless and disappointing.

Night #2. I didn’t have a hard time deciding what to get because the night before I debated whether to get the Chicago or the Jersey. So Jersey it was. I just wasn’t looking forward to the actual dog itself. That is when I noticed that they offered hot dog options! I didn’t have to get their special Thumanns brand. I could get an all beef Kosher dog. So I did and I loved it! I didn’t love the combination of toppings of the jersey dog as much as I did the Chicago. There was a little too much sauerkraut and not enough spicy mustard for my liking. But when I go back to Steve’s I will get the Chicago dog with an all beef hot dog. It will be prefect!

Now to wash down your dog, they give you cans of pop. I really loved that it gave it more of the at home barbeque feel.

There you have it! Go to Steve’s. I promise you will love it even if you are not a hot dog lover. My sister-in-law was able to order a Philly cheese steak sandwich. I forgot to ask if she enjoyed it. It did look good. They also have some fun sides like fried green beans which thank to our friends we were able to sample, they were delicious. If you want to go all out you can even get you hot dog deep fried!

Overall rating: Steve’s Snappin Dogs receives 4 weenies.

ONE of the EIGHT MILLION things that we LOVE about DENVER...

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Movies in the Park!

We discoverd these last year and we went to plenty of them. Friday, we attended our first one of the 2009 summer. The featured movie was Princess Bride. We were able to enjoy this splendid movie in Cheesemen Park.

Thank you Denver! We love you and all of your free Summer entertainment!

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Regional Competition!

Aaron and I had seriously been contemplating heading to New York this summer for the 94th annual National Hot Dog Eating Competition. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the six-time champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi and defending champion Joey Chestnut, who tied last year with 59 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. We figured it would be a great way to end our Summer of hot dogs. Lucky for us we got to save some money on airfare because one of the regional competitions took place right here in our own town. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend. So Saturday we headed to Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Regional Competition!

They held numerous competitions. The first few competitions were just for fun. They consisted of a few random audience members. The highest number of hot dogs eaten in ten minutes, by the average joe, without having any practice was 7 1/2! Which is decent seeing how I eat two in twenty minutes and feel nauseous.

For the final competition, for the real competition, for the competition that could win you a spot to the final in New York City, the number of hot dogs consumed was much higher! It was a tough race. The two top competitors were Pretty Boy Pete and Mongo Marquez. They seemed to have their technique down. Each were dipping their hot dogs in an unknown red substance, believed to be Gatorade, before devouring the dog sometimes whole. Pretty Boy Pete came in a close second with a total of 29 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. It wasn't quite enough because Mongo Marquez won it with a whopping 30 hot dogs!

Now I know you all wish that you were there so I made sure to tape it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Check out the awards ceremony! Mongo is the first Coloradan to ever make it to the finals!

This guy wins the award for coolest hat of the day!

Here is the aftermath. Can you believe that they were giving away the left over hot dogs! We chose to pass.

Home Sweet (soon to be) Home!

So I have been asked a few questions about this whole house buying business. Sorry to leave you all hanging. I am still in shock about it! I am also still a little hesitant to say anything since it is not officially ours until July 6. But I figure it wont hurt to at least answer a few of the questions that I have been asked.

Did you seriously buy a house?

Yes, it is true! Aaron and I are going to be home owners in about a month. That's if everything goes as planned. And speaking of plans, I did not actually think we would be buying a house this soon. Aaron and I have loved looking at houses all around Denver. Neither of was too serious about buying just yet. But when we walked into this house, we fell in love! The fact that my husband put in an offer right away without having to sit down and weigh the pros and cons and figure out some deal he could get, and the fact that somehow we beat out a higher offer for the home means that this is meant to be. (Ok, I am just cheesy and think everything is meant to be.)

Where is this house located?

Right here in Denver, of course. It is just a few blocks west of City Park. We love the city. Someday we will move out to the suburbs and we will love it there too. We just aren't ready quite yet.

Will you still be in the Capitol Hill ward?

Yes, we will be in the Capitol Hill ward for a while now. Aaron and I are excited about this because we are big fans of the members in this ward!

And last but not least, what does your house look like?

Well let me show you. Below is a visual tour of the home. Obviously none of the furniture is ours, although I wish it was. The video isn't the best quality but it will give you an idea until you can come over to visit!

How Do We Spend Our Summer Nights?

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BIKE RIDES TO CITY PARK

Chalk Art 2009

Saturday we headed back to the annual La Piazza Italian chalk art festival!
It was the 3rd year in a row that we have attended.






And I have to say that chalk art 2009 was a success!

We saw it all! From the "psychedelic baby"...

...to the many faces of the chalk art festival.

Even boy genius here... he is only 9 years old! He said that his design was some character from Alice in Wonderland. I was thinking it was one of Floop's Flooglies from Spy Kids- which by the way is one of my all time favorite movies!

Of course we stopped for Gelato. This was the Italian art festival!

And this year we added some extra cheesiness to our original design. Not only did we go with the hands but we added a heart this year.

I also took the chance to get in some window shopping. But only window shopping because...