Dinghy Dogs: A Hot Dog Worth Having on Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island full of mediocre hot dogs. You can get a hot dog just about anywhere you turn either on the island, or on your way there; in the ferry terminal in Wood's Hole, on the ferry itself, in convenience stores, even in clam shacks.
But until Dinghy Dogs opened in Oak Bluffs Harbor there was not a hot dog worth the calories and salt. It's a tiny place—just a stand, actually—but they do hot dogs right. They start with a a grilled all-beef kosher style hot dog made by Pearl Meat Packing Company in Boston. Ask for your Martin's Potato Hot Dog Roll toasted, some good deli mustard, some chopped onions, and sauerkraut if it suits you, and you will surely enjoy a hot dog at Dinghy. If you really want to gild the lilly, ask for some bacon as well.
So if you happen to find yourself on the Vineyard as the summer draws to a close, stop by for a Dinghy Dog. And as an added plus, it's conveniently located a few steps from Joey's; so if you feel the need to vary your diet, have a hot dog and Joey's slice for lunch.
Dinghy Dogs
12 Circuit Avenue, Vineyard Haven MA 02568 (map)
508-693-6900
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9 Comments:
Why would you have a hot dog when you can get lobster rolls? Hot dogs are everywhere, the rolls aren't!
CharlieB at 4:34PM on 09/06/09
Pearl Meat Packing uses natural casings for their hot dogs. Natural casings come from a pig; NOT KOSHER!!!
The hot dogs may be all beef with garlic, but they are not kosher.
fishman69 at 6:48PM on 09/06/09
fishman 69, I said kosher style, not kosher. And most natural casings on hot dogs are actually from sheep.
Ed Levine at 7:53PM on 09/06/09
@CharlieB: Some people would rather have a hot dog than a lobster roll.
@fishman69: Ed didn't say the dogs were kosher; he said kosher style. There is a difference. As for the natural casings, the one in the picture is from a sheep. The casings for hot dogs that are thicker come from a pig.
The Pearl frank, though almost non existant in New Jersey where I live, is a good one. Very similar to the better beef franks in the tri state area. Although they won't divulge the information, many Stop & Shops sell Pearl beef franks under the store label. During summer months I can get them loose or in 3 pound packages at my local Stop & Shop. Until this past year, Pearl was the brand used at the Famous Boston Speed, which was named by the Wall Street Journal as America's best hot dog. The new owner's switched to Grote & Weigel. In and around Massachusettes Pearl is perhaps the best locally produced kosher style all beef frank. For a German style beef and pork dog, Kayem is very good.
hotdoglover at 8:02PM on 09/06/09
Oops! Ed posted while I was still posting. Sorry.
hotdoglover at 8:03PM on 09/06/09
@CharlieB I do love a good lobster roll. Believe it or not the best lobster roll I have had recently on the Vineyard is at Garcia's Deli, formerly Back Alley's. Garcia's has awful, awful, pizza, but a fine lobster roll, especially if you ask the person making your lobster roll to toast the hot dog bun.
Ed Levine at 9:45PM on 09/06/09
Get the hot dog on the Vineyard go to Red's in Wiscasset, Maine for lobster roll.
JohnFred at 4:13PM on 09/07/09
What? No New England style hot dog rolls?
cara_mia at 5:12PM on 09/07/09
I've eaten at Dinghy Dog and what I like are the different toppings - chili, State of Maine, Mexican (salsa, avacdo, bacon and jack cheese) French (brie and grainy mustard) and beive it or not, hot dog hash for breakfast. It is sort of a goument dog. I love lobster rolls also, and thanks Ed for the tip, many says Grace Church's Friday night roll is the best, but lobster rolls are lobster rolls no variety
beatricec at 10:53AM on 09/08/09