Thursday, March 28, 2013

Brud Pierce, The Hot Dog King



A living landmark of Boothbay Harbor for 60 years Newbert “Brud” Pierce began selling hot dogs out of a push cart in 1943 after returning home from serving his country in World War II and continued doing so until 2004. 

I first learned about King Brud in 2002 while watching an episode of Bill Green’s Maine, ironically the same day I watch a special on PBS called “A Hot Dog Movie”.  Since then I have read about him in Tim Sample & Steve Bither’s book “Maine Curiosities” and read stories about in magazines and newspapers. 

The general consensus was the Brud was a very friendly, caring, and giving man that loved his home town of Boothbay Harbor that voted in 1981 to crown him the “Hot Dog King of Boothbay Harbor.”


I have visited Boothbay Harbor several times over the years and cannot ever remember seeing him or his truck but when I finally ventured down on July 30, 2003 specifically to buy a hot dog from him I found him exactly where Bill Green said he would be at the intersection of McKown St, Oak St, Commercial St, & Townsend Ave, the very heart of the town.   And each time I returned after that, until he was forced into retirement by the town I saw him in that exact location. 

According to the March 2, 2006 edition of the Boothbay Registry Brud was denied a victualer’s license in April 2004 in a move the town thought was for his own good.

When I saw him Brud’s cart was a 1964 Cushman Truckster that was outfitted as a hot dog cart with built in steamers, the most unique hot dog cart I have ever seen.  He only had the standard natural casing dogs and I’m not sure what brand he used.  The dogs were steamed to perfection as were the buns.  His condiment selection was ketchup, mustard, or relish nothing else.  Not that I need more than mustard.

On August 16, 2008, while visiting the Boothbay Railway Village I saw his Truckster in the car museum.  They also had his original push car that he used.  It wasn’t until I started researching my Hot Dogs of Maine book that I learned of his forced retirement and his death on February 18, 2006 at the age of 85.







Although clearly Brud is no longer with us, I would be remiss not to include him on this blog. Below is a postcard of Brud, date unknown that I found on ebay.



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Bolley's Famous Franks


Bolley's Famous Franks
38 Water St
Hallowell, ME  04347
(207) 622-2951


My favorite local place to get hot dogs is Bolley's Famous Franks located in Hallowell.  Not to be confused with Bolley's Famous Franks in Waterville.  Located in the just down the road from the State Capitol building in Augusta, Bolley's has been a landmark in Hallowell for

Bolley's has a large menu beyond just Hot Dogs and Burger's.  They also offer hand cut fries, seafood, chicken, homemade favorites, and a whole lot more!  They have a full breakfast menu that I have partaken in several times getting the bacon plate which consists of two eggs, toast, home fries and stack of bacon.  I usually get take out but they have a small dinning room with about a dozen tables that can fit 4 people per table. 

Their homemade donuts are the best donuts around, the honey dipped chocolate being my favorite.  Along with other homemade desserts Bolley's has something for everyone.

The prices are very reasonable and they accept cash and just recently debit and credit cards.


You can either get natural casing or skinless hot dogs in steamed or grilled buns. 


The Burgers are hand made and come in both the quarter pound and regular size variety cooked on a flat top grill and served on a toasted bun what ever you like on them.  Though I usually get dogs when I am there I occasionally get a cheeseburger and I've never been disappointed.


Thanks for reading, please leave a comment and check out my other pages.

Later Readers!




Cheese, Kettle Chips, and Everything Else

On this page you will find a variety of places that are not eateries but they are awesome food related places or items.

Eateries of Maine

I love cheeseburgers almost as much as I love hot dogs. There's just something about a thick, juicy cheeseburger that just makes the day better.  If the option is there I usually get them cooked medium and I like mayo and tomoto on mine. 

If someplace has a signature sauce I always like to try that and if they have real cooked bacon, not the pre-cooked microwave stuff, then that never hurts to add as well.  You will never, ever find lettuce on my burger!  I can't explain it but I can't stand the smell of warmed lettuce on a sandwich!

Below you will find a list of restaurants in Maine some have great burgers, but all are places that I've been to and in a rare instance it wasn't very good. 
  

Bolley's Famous Franks - Hallowell

Fat Boy Drive In - Brunswick

b.good - Portland 

Burger Boy - Caribou

Pizza By Angelone - Portland/Westbrook

A1 Diner - Gardiner

Val's Drive In - Lewiston

Simones' Hot Dog Stand - Lewiston

Flo's Steamed Hot Dogs - York

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Eateries Outside Maine

On this page you will find a list of places outside the state of Maine that I have had the pleasure, or displeasure of eating at.  Not your everyday places either, they have to be someplace that is unique or the food was amazing.  Also there will be a lot of burger and dog eateries because that's what I love.


Maine's Hot Dog History


THIS PAGE IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

The bulk of my research for this section is from the Internet and a booklet produced by the Newcomen Society in 1992 entitled “Jordan’s Meats: A Thriving Business in its Third Generation…Built Primarily on Hot Dogs.

It was in this booklet that I discovered that there was numerous small sausage making company’s through-out the state that either went out of business or were acquired by larger companies and as you will read almost all of them were bought out by the same company.

I’ve included what I like to think are the major players and those that remain in production today.  In the first section you will learn the reason why we have red natural casing hot dogs in Maine.  During the course of my research I asked current manufactures Old Neighborhood, Kayem, and W.A. Bean & Sons Meats and none of them new why but they all had their guesses.    

Schonland Brothers
Charles and Richard Schonland Brothers started Schonland Brothers in 1891 on Fore Street and later moved to Union St in 1895.  They originated the Red Natural Casing Hot Dogs to differentiate their product from the competition. 
In 1935 Joseph Jordan purchased Schonland Brothers and the Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged.
Not to be confused with their father’s company Schonland’s Franks and Sausages that was opened in 1883 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and sold to Kayem Foods Incorporated in 1987.  Kayem continues to produce natural casing hot dogs with the Schonland original recipe.  

For more information about Schonland's Franks & Sausages follow this link to Cow Hampshire



Jordan’s Meats

Jordan’s Meats founded by Joseph F. Jordan in Portland, Maine
Joseph started working for the Schonland Brothers as a sausage maker in 1919 and in 1925 he and Max Ruelke opened a sausage plant at 131 – 133 Commercial St Portland the Jordan & Ruelke Company.   The company failed after only a year.
In 1927 Joseph and his wife Emma opened Jordan’s Ready-To-Eat-Meats.  Business thrived to the point where in 1935 they purchased the Schonland Brothers.   The Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged.  Jordan’s continued the Schonland tradition of producing the Red Hot Dog due to popular demand.
Also because of the war Sheep intestines, used as the natural casings for sausage products could not be imported from New Zealand and Australia so Jordan’s turned to making skinless hot dogs.
In 1949 Joseph F. Jordan passed away unexpectedly and his son at age 22 Joseph “Chet” Jordan took over the company.
In 1962 Jordan’s Meats moved to their most modern facility on India Street in Portland also that same year they purchase hot dog competitor C.H. Rice Company of Bangor building them a new plant in Bangor and keeping the company running. 
In June 1992 Jordan’s purchased long-time rival the Joseph Kirschner Company of Augusta and Shultz Brand Products in New Hampshire.  Kirschner was maintained as a separate entity from Jordan’s.
In 1997 Jordan’s was sold to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in February 2001.
The Jordan’s Meat plant in Bangor was closed in September 2001.
The Jordan’s Meat plant in Portland was closed on February 1, 2005 although Tyson continued to produce the Jordan’s line of meats.
A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Jordan’s Meats brand.
On May 6, 2010 during remodeling of the old plant it caught fire and was destroyed.
Joseph Kirschner Company
Joseph Kirschner opened his first meat market and sausage shop on Cony Hill in Augusta in 1916 and moved it to Water Street in 1917.  In 1960 Kirschner moved into the plant at 193 Riverside Dr in Augusta where the company remained for the next 44 years.
On January 6, 1986 Joseph Kirschner Company signed a 5 year deal to become the official producer of Fenway Franks for the Boston Red Sox.
An article in the January 11, 1989 edition of the Bangor Daily News reported that Kirschner was sold to two private businessmen who formed a Delaware based company Katina Foods.   
In June 1992 The Joseph Kirschner Company was purchased by long-time rival Jordan’s Meats in Portland who continued the brand as a separate entity.  The Kirschner brand was sold in 1997 to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in February 20001 
On Monday February 2, 2004 the plant in Augusta was closed.
A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Kirschner brand meats.
The Kirschner Plant was demolished in 2010 to make room for and expansion of O’Connors Car Dealership.



Shields Natural Casing Hot Dogs
Schultz Hot Dogs open in 1933 by Ted Bettcher and Carl Schultz in the Seacoast area of Portsmouth, NH.  Purchased by Jordan’s Meats in June 1992 and maintained as a separate entity.  Ownership of the Shultz brand name was transferred to in 1997 to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in 2001 when they purchased Jordan’s Meats and they continued to be made until early 2004 when Tyson discontinued the line.

Shortly thereafter Ken Bettcher, son of co-founder Ted Bettcher worked with Shields Meats of Kennebunk, Maine to re-produce the Schultz.  Although the original recipe was lost in a fire in 1990 that destroyed the Schultz business this new hot dog under the name of Shields Natural Casing Hot Dogs is a close match to the original Schultz flavor that the locals loved and have missed.  

How I like my Hot Dogs

I have no particular way that I like my dogs cooked, fried, steamed, boiled, grilled, deep fried, it's all good.  I do prefer my buns to be steamed, but grilled is fine, straight out of the package at room temperature is unacceptable!  Also they need to be the top split or New England Style bun, never the side split.  J&S Oil uses the side split roll and I will not get one there.
 
                           New England Style or Top Split                      Side Split

I prefer natural casing over skinless, and rarely buy skinless hot dogs for home use.  In fact if a place serves skinless hot dogs I will order something else off the menu.

I top my dogs with mustard, usually the standard yellow variety, but I've not afraid to mix it up and try new mustard styles.  At home I like to use Raye's Mustard Top Dog variety.  Raye's is made right here in Maine in the coastal town of Eastport.

You will never, ever find ketchup anywhere near a hot dog of mine! 

Below you will find a handy list of links to all blog's Maine Hot Dog related in no particular order.




Introduction

 I love hot dogs, I mean seriously who doesn’t! Everyone has their favorite local place to get a hot dog, mine is Bolley’s Famous Franks in Hallowell.

A few years back I attempted to write a book on the rich hot dog history of Maine and was unsuccessful in locating publisher who was interested in it.  I saved all my research and it just sat there for the last 4 ½ years.  I honestly still believe that this could be a successful idea, so I’m going to continue to pursue it, but in the interim I’m going blog all about it! 

This blog is going to go into detail of the Maine’s Hot Dog producers both past and present and on this blog you will find the answer as to why we have Red Natural Casing Hot Dogs in the State of Maine.  Also I will highlight as many Hot Dog stands around the state as I can during my travels. 

When I started researching this book I e-mailed many of the local Chamber of Commerce’s asking them where their favorite Hot Dog Stands were.  Whether it be a restaurant like Bolley’s, gas station, ball park, event venue, cart or roadside stand I want to know!  Feel free to e-mail me with your favorite place, and tell me why as I would like to check it out. 

I’ve also decided that although Hot Dogs and Maine is going to be my primary focus, I will blog about Burgers, Cheese, Kettle Chips, and just about anything else food related that I come across and want to share as I am an equal opportunity foodie!

Enjoy

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