Just In Time For The Holiday Weekend: Man Bites Dog



No Longer In A Trailer

It’s a couple of days before the 4th of July. Nobody really refers to it as “Independence Day” anymore. Apparently, the day has lost its formal title and is now commonly referred to as “the 4th,” as in, “Hey Bob, what are you going to be doing on the 4th?” Well, one thing I won’t be doing this year is watching fireworks.

The ongoing drought in Texas is severe, and there are burn bans in effect for the vast majority of counties in the state. Many cities and counties have cancelled their traditional fireworks display, and, have also taken the unusual step of banning the sale and use of fireworks by the public. That means no “Buy One Get Eleven Free” banners being hung at the fireworks stands this year. It’s all very necessary of course, because the cedar trees which cover the hill country are very dry, and would act as an extremely dangerous propellant in any fire. Nevertheless, I’ll miss watching the fireworks exploding above the various communities which line the banks of Lake Travis.

If fireworks are out of the picture this year, than I still have hot dogs. I love hot dogs, and I always have. In my mind, there is no better symbol for the 4th of July than the good old American hot dog. And, happily, no one is suggesting banning the hot dog. Fireworks I can easily do without, but not hot dogs.



Jeremiah Allen

Yesterday I decided to get an early start on the holiday weekend, and I headed into Austin for dogs. And, in Austin, there is no one who can build a better hot dog than Jeremiah Allen, owner and operator of Man Bites Dog. Jeremiah grew up in Bowie, Texas but has been an Austin resident for many years. Holding an MBA from Texas State, he is not your average hot dog slinger. His educational background, work ethic, and love of hot dogs have served him very well, and his business is growing.

Like many young food entrepreneurs in Austin, Jeremiah started his business in a trailer. But his goal was always to open an indoor restaurant of his own, and a couple of weeks ago he did just that. And so, Man Bites Dog is now permanently located on Burnet Road. He had originally hoped to keep the trailer on South First Street up and running after the new restaurant opened. However, shortly after opening the new place, it became very clear that it was difficult to operate in both locations without sacrificing quality, so Jeremiah wisely decided to close operations in the trailer and focus on the restaurant. Although I’m really a big fan of trailer food, I must admit that I’m glad he made the decision. I’m well past the point in my life where I enjoy sitting in a hot automobile when it’s 103 degrees outside, wolfing down some take-out food.

After Jeremiah activated the red neon “Open” sign yesterday morning, I was first in line. Because the menu was so extensive, I had a hard time deciding exactly what I wanted, because, truthfully, I wanted everything. The hot dog and sausage selections at Man Bites Dog are unique, and they all looked good, but I finally decided upon the “Danger Dog,” and the “Abe Froman.”

"Abe Froman" and "Danger Dog"

The “Danger Dog” is a bacon wrapped beef frank, deep-fried with queso fresco, jalapenos and danger sauce. The “Abe Froman” is a Chicago-style dog which features a Vienna beef frank with yellow mustard, diced onions, sweet pickle relish, tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt.  Given the absence of fireworks this year, I probably should have ordered the “Bottle Rocket,” a smokey Denmark hot link topped with Sriracha mayonnaise and jalapeno relish. That would have taken some fast creative thinking on my part, and unfortunately, I didn't make the connection until after I had ordered.  Perhaps I'll celebrate with one next year.  Additional selections on the menu included, “Hair of the Dog,” “Buffalo Hottie,” “Beer Brat,” “Boss Dog,” “Cuban,” “Chili Cheese Dog,” “Reuben,” and “Old School.” There were also corn dogs, salads, a kids menu, and an ample selection of sides. Drink selections included soft drinks and ice tea, and for those so inclined, beer and wine.



The Perfect Bun

The first thing I realized when Jeremiah brought the food out is that I had probably made a mistake by ordering two hot dogs. These weren’t a couple of puny little hot dogs shoved inside tiny steamed buns like the kind you find at many places. Each of these dogs was a meal in and of itself. The hot dogs were huge, piled high with toppings, and served on toasted oversized buns. Often overlooked, is how important the quality of the bun is to the hot dog. The buns served at Man Bites Dog look to be an inch thick, and are firm enough to hold the hot dog and the toppings intact while it’s being eaten. Few things are more annoying than eating a loaded hot dog on a cheap thin bun and have it all fall apart on the very first bite.

Upon leaving Jeremiah Allen’s place, I felt a lot better about not being able to see any pyrotechnics this year. After all, aside from July 4th being a day of celebration for our country’s independence, hot dogs are truly what the holiday is all about. So, now you know what I did this July 4th weekend. Man Bites Dog.

Lessons Of Life, Like Rules, Are Meant To Be Broken: A Great Cuban Sandwich In Texas

One of the things which life has taught me, is that the farther away you get from the original of something, the less likely it is to be as good. But, the lessons of life, like rules, are sometimes meant to be broken.

An older brother of mine, Rick, introduced me to my first Cuban sandwich at a place in Tampa many years ago. That place was called Hugo’s Spanish Restaurant. And, although that was a mighty long time ago, it was a mighty fine sandwich, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Of course, like all historically popular foods, there is disagreement over what constitutes the “real” Cuban sandwich. To determine what was in the original sandwich, you need to look back to the geographical source. I’m not sure if anyone can legitimately determine whether the sandwich itself actually originated in Cuba, Tampa, or somewhere else in Florida. But, since Florida is less than 100 miles away from Cuba, I’m not going to spend a lot of time quibbling about it here.

I believe, right or wrong, that traditionally, a true Cuban sandwich consists of the basic components of Cuban bread (sometimes sliced at an angle), roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, very thinly sliced dill pickles, and mustard. In some cases, mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce are added. What Cuban sandwiches all have in common, is that they are heated and pressed in a hot iron press.

Over the years, as I have sought out other Cuban sandwiches around the country, I have often been disappointed. In many cases, while the sandwiches may have had the correct basic ingredients, they also had the very “life” squeezed out of them by some overzealous restaurant employee operating the hot press. The end result, were sandwiches with bread so hard it could crack a tooth, and meat absolutely devoid of any moisture whatsoever. To make matters worse, the sandwiches were often served with a side of potato chips. I don’t claim to be an expert on Cuban cuisine, but I can’t believe that potato chips are on the list. Like I mentioned earlier, the farther away you get from the original of something, the less likely it is to be as good. But, of course, there are exceptions.

It is not surprising that I found an excellent Cuban sandwich being served up out of a trailer in Austin, Texas. Austin is a town which prides itself on being different and weird, but it is also a town filled with both a lot of young entrepreneurs and a lot of trailer food. When entrepreneurs, trailers, and food combine, the results are often spectacular.

The Texas Cuban Sandwich trailer has been located on Austin’s South Lamar Boulevard since September of 2009. Relative newcomers to the trailer food offerings in South Austin, the two young entrepreneurial owners have quickly established themselves and have built quite a following. There is little wonder why. Whether you are eating a Cuban sandwich for the first time, or have eaten hundreds of them over the years, this sandwich is worthy of mention.

The menu is rather limited, but by no means is that an impediment. This is, after all, a small trailer, and not a sit down restaurant. The focus, as it should be, is on the sandwich. The “Texas Cuban,” as you would expect, is an oversized Cuban sandwich reflecting the size of Texas itself. The smaller, “El Cubano,” is what I ordered, and unless you are sharing the sandwich with someone, or have a Texas-sized appetite, it is big enough for one person. The sandwich has all the ingredients which you would expect in a traditional Cuban, including, pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly sliced deli-style crunchy pickles. Mayo and mustard, however, are served on the side. But, there are some differences. The pressed Cuban bread, while correctly cut, is flavored with garlic, and, in addition to the Swiss cheese, provolone cheese is also added. Since I’m a fan of both, I liked this “twist” to the traditional sandwich. The best thing of all was how moist the sandwich was. While the bread was nicely pressed, the meats and pickles inside were unbelievably moist.

Every Cuban sandwich from the trailer is served with fried plantain chips. The chips were thin, crispy, and salty, and provided a perfect complement to the sandwich. The sandwich aside, I could easily go back just for the plantain chips. If you want a beverage, you pull it out of an ice box which sits outside next to the ordering window.

What a great sandwich coming from a couple of guys operating out of a trailer. Despite the fact that Texas is across the Gulf of Mexico from both Cuba and Florida, the distance has not changed the quality of this Cuban sandwich one bit.

The Lighter Side Of Hill Country Food

A lot of the food in the Texas Hill Country, while delicious, can be just a bit too much on some days. Especially during the hotter weather, some foods on the lighter side, often sound more appealing than beef brisket, gravy covered chicken fried steak, sausage, or refried beans.

In South Austin, you can walk away from a heavy meal, by literally getting on, not off, a beaten dirt path. Lulu B’s is a trailer, which sits on a shaded but undeveloped lot, on South Lamar. The menu is quite simple, consisting of inexpensive Vietnamese sandwiches, vermicelli bowls, and summer rolls. Meat offerings with respect to both the sandwiches and vermicelli bowls are chicken and pork, but vegetarian selections are also available.

After placing your order at the trailer window, you can sit at one of the portable tables set up under the trees, and wait for your name to be called. Once your food is ready, you can either eat right there in the great outdoors, or take your order with you.

The other day, like most folks do, I parked in front of the strip mall next door, and walked over to Lulu B’s. Even though it was well past the noon hour, there were still eight people who, having already ordered, were standing around and talking. I placed my order, and within a few minutes, was on my way.

My selection was a favorite of mine, the grilled chicken sandwich. The marinated grilled chicken is placed on a baguette, and served with carrots, chili, cilantro, cucumbers, and a type of Asian radish. The bread is soft, and the ingredients, with its mix of flavors, makes for a very nice, light and refreshing, sandwich.

Since enjoying my Lulu B’s grilled chicken sandwich the other day, I have since returned to eating the more traditional foods the hill country has to offer. But, every once in a while, it is nice to have a place to go to which provides something to eat on the lighter side. And, that place, for me, is Lulu B’s.

Parking Lot Food

Most places around the country, you park your car in the parking lot, and walk inside a restaurant to get food. In the hill country, you can also get your food in the parking lot.

Austin and the hill country are populated with trailers, smokers, and cooking stations of all kinds serving up whatever you can imagine. There are Tacos of course, and barbecue, but also a lot more. How about Asian sandwiches? What about subs? Would anyone like crepes?

I love the fact that when I’m hungry I can drive to a parking lot and find food. Yesterday was no exception. I drove to the parking lot of the local grocery store, and took away one heck of a barbecue pork sandwich. Wow, was it good. The meat was spilling out of the bun, and I’ve never tasted a moister, smokier pork sandwich. I want to offer my compliments to the chef, or whoever that cowboy was. There is no “please wait to be seated” or “please seat yourself.” Parking lot food is pretty much, “what ya got? OK, let me have one of those.” And, the cooks are always the friendliest people in the world. It’s easy to understand. This is their food, they love cooking it, and they are darn proud of it.

See y'all in the parking lot. I’ll be the one with barbecue sauce dripping down my shirt.