Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, and Nathan Handwerker walk into a bar…

I had some of my very good friends over to the house last night to take a look at the hot-dog cart. Rowdy and The Cowgirls are either currently working or at one time been in the food service industry, so I knew I could get some valuable feedback on the GrillaRay’s project.

Originally I thought I would just give everyone the 50-cent tour, and then pop the tops off a few beers. A funny thing happens when those beers are Samuel Adams Boston Lagers – a freakin’ party erupted!

Someone lit the burners on the hot-dog cart’s grill. Fresh buns started steaming. Sliced onions were sizzling. Franks, brats, and sausages were flying. Rowdy whipped up a batch of his secret tomato onion horseradish sauce he's been perfecting. I think it can definitely compete with Sabrett’s New York onion sauce.

We all had a great time trying out the different dogs and condiment combinations. Before the night was over, many of us had to loosen a belt notch or two. Everyone agreed that a tropical fruit salsa would be a perfect thematic fit, and a great hot-dog for the Grilla Ray’s original. The jury is still out on some of the details, but I think we’re on the right track. There’s more HDRD in the Grilla Ray’s Test Kitchen ahead.

Click on the picture of the mango salsa for a close-up view.

PS - Legend has it that Cantor and Durante encouraged Handwerker to open his own hot-dog stand in 1916 where Nathan's Famous still stands today in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Coney Island.