This May be the Best Hot Dog I've Ever Eaten

As a New Yorker, I'm very loyal to Gray's Papaya hotdogs, so a couple days ago, when I was in Providence doing a  Goat Hill Writers talk with Michael Ruhlman and Ann Hood, I wasn't too enthusiastic  when Michael insisted I try the hotdog at Chez Pascal.  They're house-made with local ingredients, so how could I refuse? I took a bite.... and swooned just a little. That's some hotdog.

Truth is I loved all the sausages that Matt Gennuso is making at The Wurst Kitchen (which occupies the front room of the charmingly cozy restaurant he and his wife Kristin run).  I loved the kielbasa - but not as much as Michael did. Cleveland man that he is, he ordered a second plate.  The sausage infused with fennel and locally grown paprika (it's the one in the middle), was really swell. And I appreciated the weisswurst with its curried onion sauce. (Although honestly, shouldn't weisswurst be white? It's the one on the end, and as you can clearly see it's more like pinkwurst).

Then the pork butt pastrami sandwich arrived, smothered in sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and mustard.  I can understand why some people - Ann Hood for instance - can't live without it. 

Ann asked for seconds.  As for me?  More hotdogs please.