The Best Dogs in Town

Before 1996, I could take or leave hot dogs. They weren't my favorite food by far, but I wouldn’t turn them down, either. But then, for some reason or another, I began craving them. And when I say craving them, I don’t mean like when someone says, “Oh, I have a taste for a hot dog. Do we have any on hand?” I mean craving in the extreme sense of the word. It was more like I became obsessed with them.

Living in Sterling, Virginia in 1996 offered little opportunity to get a decent hot dog. Sure we had Friendly’s where one could order a grilled hot dog on a toasted bun, or Costco where you can to this day buy a ¼ pound hot dog in a potato sub roll with a fountain Coke for $1.50, but we didn't have what I was craving the most – chili and cheese dogs. (And don’t you dare suggest 7-Eleven. While they work in a pinch, overall they’re about as appealing as pink slime in my Taco Bell Beefy 5-Layer Burrito.) So I began driving home to Jefferson County, WV to get a chili and cheese dog from Dairy Queen – every weekend.

We’d just bought a house in the area and it was a good excuse to kill two birds with one stone. We could bring a truckload of boxes and grab dinner at the same time. During the last week of moving my husband and I learned that we were expecting our first child. We were impossibly unprepared aside from things like stocking up on hot dogs, cans of Hormel chili - sans beans of course, and shredded cheese as a result of cutting back on frivolous expenses, like trips to fast food restaurants. Don't worry, I was still satisfying my craving.

Like other favorites from my youth – Little Debbie cakes, Hungry Man dinners, and 3 Musketeers candy bars – my fast food restaurant of choice made some menu decisions that found me visiting more out of a sense of loyalty than anything else. Over the past 15 years, my visits had dwindled to less than once per month, and for someone like me who truly enjoys a chili and cheese dog, that’s kind of pathetic.

Now, you might be wondering why I couldn’t just fix them at home. Anyone familiar with my kitchen misadventures can attest to the fact that I set a pan of water on fire. That’s right. Adele can just sing about setting fire to the rain, but I really did! I don’t recommend trying it at home, because between the fire, the water, and the stuff that sprays out from the extinguisher, it makes one heck of a mess for someone to clean up. But, I digress.

When Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli opened their doors in 2010, I was tickled pink because I really enjoyed ice cream and they offer some downright delicious flavors. I first visited in July of that year and later that same week went back with my entire family. My husband was a huge fan of the lemon meringue, while our boys indulged in flavors like white house cherry and birthday cake. As for me, butter pecan was my first choice but I never tried a flavor of ice cream at Skipper’s that I didn’t like.

One night after having dinner at “the other place” where we’d just eaten our fill of chili dogs and French fries, my husband and I left in favor of eating ice cream at Skipper’s for dessert. I sadly remarked, “I wish that Skipper’s sold hot dogs.” Once we arrived at Skipper’s, I sighed in regret to the teenager working the counter who smiled and nodded. I reluctantly let the matter drop but it was a nagging thought in the back of my mind.

On August 1, 2011 I posted on Facebook asking people to like my status if they would order a hot dog from Skipper’s. Over the next week, four other people agreed with me. It wasn’t much, but it was a start! As I’d recently learned that I was allergic to chocolate and had to avoid even trace amounts, hand dipped ice cream was one of the things I had to give up. It was sheer torture watching my boys enjoy one of my favorite treats while I settled for a bag of potato chips and an iced tea. Then, opportunity struck.

(For the record, the "like" on the last comment was from Skipper's themselves.)

Imagine my delight when on April 30^th of this year, Skipper’s changed its Facebook status to, “Coming this Friday, Skipper’s will debut our newest menu items. You’ve been clamoring for them (well, many of you have), so we’re obliging. More to come….” I immediately called a friend and made plans to go to Skipper’s for lunch. Meanwhile they taunted with new status updates that hinted that the new menu item could perhaps be a hot dog…maybe. And then finally on May 3^rd, this happened:

As you can see I was pretty darned excited. The next day my, friend and I parked a few spaces down from the front door of Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli. I’m fairly sure that in my excitement, I literally skipped as I entered the establishment. It was like a dream come true. The sign by the register offered a special – 2 dogs and a drink for one very reasonable price. Count me in! After ordering we chose a booth and a few minutes later a well-mannered young man delivered our meals right to the table. Carefully lifting back the foil, I exclaimed my delight at finally having a hot dog at Skipper’s.

As I looked around, I saw many other patrons enjoying them as well and knew that I wasn’t alone. The hot dogs were cooked to perfection and the flavor was simply delicious. These weren’t just any hot dogs; they were Nathan’s Famous Frankfurters! While visiting NYC during Spring Break 2011, my family watched the workers install the “Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest” sign over the well-known landmark. Skipper’s came through and delivered a menu item that will guarantee many return visits from me.

Thank you to the employees and friends of Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli, for the time, patience, and work that went into adding this new menu item. While I can’t speak for others, I sincerely appreciate it. The next time my boys taunt me about enjoying their ice cream, I won’t care because I’ll have ordered a hot dog instead. I have no doubt that the chili dogs will measure up to if not surpass the high level of quality that we’ve come to associate with the Skipper’s Downtown Dips and Deli name.