Serge the Concierge

Milwaukee Brat and Gentle Elves, Hot Dogs as America, at American Museum of Natural History in 2002

Getting aboard my time machine, I realized that the Hot Dogs as America at National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC echoes a 2002 exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History titled Baseball as America which (I quote) "offered a selection of ten of the most tempting hot dogs from ballparks and cities around the country, in celebration of Baseball As America, the first major exhibition to examine the relationship between baseball and American culture" and that "hot dogs are as much a fixture of baseball stadiums as the bleachers, pennants, scoreboards, and organ music."

Besides the 3 choices offered at National Portrait Gallery, the 7 other Hot Dogs on the menu in 2002 were the New York Street Cart Dog, the Dodger Dog, the Rochester White Hot, the Milwaukee Brat, the Cincinnati Cheese Coney, the Texas Corn Dog and the museum's own creation, the Natural.

Based on names, my 2 favorites would be "the White Hot from Rochester's own Zweigle's Meats, made of pork, has a widespread following in western New York. It is neither cured nor smoked. The resulting dog is off-white in color with a spicy taste and smooth texture. Split and griddled, this dog is served on a toasted bun and topped with a hot sauce (a meat chili made from a secret Rochester recipe), chopped onions, and any one of a variety of mustards" and the Milwaukee Brat which as its name suggests is not a hot dog "but a bratwurst, the Milwaukee Brat represents this baseball town's favorite sausage. Made by Usinger's, one of the country's best sausage makers, the pork and beef brat is grilled and dipped in "Secret Stadium Sauce" and served on a crusty roll, topped with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard."

I give extra points to Usinger's for their Fritzie the Elf (above) who they say continues the "long-standing tradition in Germany has always had elves working at night to finish the work of the cobblers, bakers, coopers, sausage makers etc. When the craftsmen couldn't get their work finished..."

Elves have been the company's mascot since the 1950's...

Food, sport, regional taste, history and good stories...

Which one is your favorite?

What beer would you drink with it?

Related: Hot Dogs as America in DC from Fenway Frank and Chicago Red Hot to NY Deli Dog

3 Cities, 3 Hot Dogs, What Beers Would you Drink With It? Hot Dogs as America 2

What could be more American than having  a backyard barbecue on a summer week-end?

Of course Hot Dogs and Beer are part of the program.

As a follow up to my Hot Dogs as America story, I thought it would be fun to ask for everyone suggestions as to what beers you would drink with these 3 Hot Dogs, Fenway Frank, Chicago Red Hot and NY Deli Dog.

Send them in...

Hot Dogs as America in DC from Fenway Frank and Chicago Red Hot to NY Deli Dog

I was looking up details on an exhibit of a British Icon from the 60's and came up with a slice (a bun) of Americana.

Call it food as history if you will, the Courtyard Cafe at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC picked as its summer feature, Hot Dogs as America.

Here is what's it's all about:

"As a special tribute to America's favorite pastime and a warm up to Nationals Baseball Family Day, Saturday, July 18, the Courtyard Café will feature three authentic hot dogs from baseball cities across the country during the month of July from 11:30am–3pm daily. Specialty dogs are $5.95, a plain dog is $4.95."

• New York Deli Dog-- New York City's delicatessen tradition brings us this great natural-casing beef frank topped off with sauerkraut and deli mustard.


• Chicago Red Hot-- a jumbo Vienna Beef frank on a poppy seed bun, is "dragged through the garden," topped with mustard, relish, onion, tomato, dill pickle, peppers, and a dash of celery salt.


• Fenway Frank-- boiled and grilled Fenway-style, a beef hot dog served on a New England-style bun and covered with mustard and relish.

Will the Chicago Red Hot look and taste like those offered by Red Hot Chicago (picture below)?

Are they pairing them with New York, Boston and Chicago beers?

Another reason to visit DC this summer...

First Staircase Challenge-Defi des Escaliers, Unusual Race, June 28, Quebec City

Too bad I found out about the first edition of the Defi des Escaliers in Quebec City on the morning of June 28 after the race was over.

It is still worth mentioning for its unusual setting, staircases (escaliers in French) hence the name, Staircase Challenge-Defi des Escaliers.

Here is how it was run according to the program:

"In this 15 kilometers course, participants will take all the staircases that connect the Upper and the Lower town of Quebec City, alternately going up and down about 30 staircases for a total of more than 2 600 stairs.

This timed challenge is "against the clock", so all participants are starting 5 seconds away from each others."

For those wanting to pace themselves, the Staircase Walk was an untimed activity.

One of the flight of stairs that participants crossed is pictured above (from Defi des Escaliers site).

The event was organized by Courir a Quebec whose next big happening is the Marathon des Deux Rives on August 30th.

Quite a workout it seems!

Velo-City 2009, How Cycling Transforms Cities, Brussels, May 12-15

I don't know how far back you have to go but there was a time when you could find more bicycles than cars on the streets of many cities in the developed world.

It was still the case not that long ago in China.

Big cities around the world have started to bring back this light mode of transportation.

The biggest experiment so far must be Velib in Paris. Their site announces that 30 suburban cities around it are joining the program.

A few thousand sturdy bikes (picture above) have already been made available.

A conference aims to help expand this type of initiative to make towns and countries.

Named Velo-City, it takes place every other year. Previous one in 2007 was in Munich.

They describe the event as "generally considered to be the largest conference devoted to cycling in the world. Cycling is a good, healthy, quick and environmentally-friendly means of transport and the meetings being held during the Velo-city conference will promote cycling as both a fun and functional means of getting around."

It comes in many shades and flavors as their video below suggests.

Velo-city brings together policy makers, urban planners, bike companies, non governmental agencies and other non-profits to share ideas and hopefully implement a few.

From May 12 to May 15, Brussels is the host of Velo-city 2009.

On a fun note, for the traveler in you,  if you want a guided tour of the French capital on 2 wheels, Paris à vélo c'est sympa! does just that from April to October. Choose between Paris at Dawn, Unusual Paris or Heart of Paris or even from May to September, Nocturnal Paris.

Don't sweat it!

October 31st, Halloween on Skates in France with Pari Roller

Imagine thousands of Skaters rolling down the streets of Paris.
This is what happens thanks to Pari Roller every Friday evening around 9:30 pm for the past 9 years.

Friday Night Fever celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2008 and gets the Halloween treatment on October 31st as I learned from In Paris, Celebrating Halloween on Wheels by Natalie Huet (Globespotters, October 24).

I found this snapshot (below) of the 2007 Festivities in Pari Roller photo album.

Halloween is a recent import to France so your pick of costumes might be limited.

Fan of the sport, you might enjoy Longskate [longboard] in Paris if you read French, otherwise the pictures tell some of the story.

Previous Halloween 2008 Treat: Giant Sewer Rats, Severed Chocolate Fingers: Halloween Candy Collection at Hope and Greenwood, London

New Jersey 'info geek' Michael Angeles shares some Bike Riding Tech Tips

Michael Angeles, a fellow New Jerseyan, shares with us his use of Tech Tools in Mapping Bike Rides while preparing for a couple of bike events taking place in the fall.

For the Golfers amongst us, "The Groove" ('A driving range for the brain)

While browsing the website of favourite design and creative firm Coudal Partners based in Chicago, we discovered a Golf Product they are involved in called The Groove that they tag as a 'Driving Range for the Brain'.
Its aim is to help golfers improve their focus and coordination. The origin of the product lies with techniques used with stroke patients and people affected by ADHD.