A Speed's Confession

[gyppielou]

I didn't get it. Of course this was a couple of years ago, with the original Speed training the new Speed. With only a handful of people in front of me, it took more than a half hour to order my dog. And I simply wasn't wowed with all the theatrics and tender loving care of the preperation. I witnessed the love, but I didn't taste the love.

Yet this landmark hotdog stand continues to get national recognition.

So I solemnly promise to give it another shot.

[lergnom]

I'm late to this thread but the enjoyment and perception of food depends on you and how you perceive the ambience, the presentation, etc. Speed's is a hot dog. It can't be transcendent, so that's kind of an odd perspective to bring. If you have fond, perhaps deeply rooted memories of Gray's Papaya or some other place, then you can't separate those feelings from the memory and perception of the hot dog. If to you, the cart, the odd wasteland-like feeling of Newmarket Square, the process of Speed's is meaningful, then the hot dog tastes better and meets your expectations more.

[Bob Dobalina]

I think it's possible to find a Speed's dog transcendent whether you ate it in a sensory-deprivation chamber or under a Bodhi tree. ;)

[Blumie]

"...the enjoyment and perception of food depends on you and how you perceive the ambience, the presentation, etc."

I agree completely with this statement, and believe that most 'hounds -- and most people in general -- underestimate the impact of externalities on one's enjoyment of food. That said, I disagree with everything else in lergnom's post! It sounds to me like s/he's never had a Speed's. Not that everyone who has a Speed's must conclude that it's transcendent -- I love Speed's but don't think it's transcendent -- but the comparison to Gray's Papaya is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

[StriperGuy]

Uhhh, actually it's a hot dog to hot dog comparison.

[chickendhansak]

Surely the styles are too different, just as in the burger debates, to compare them fairly to one another.

[StriperGuy]

Holey moley, two hot dogs, I prefer one of the two.

I like Speed's just fine, but if there were a Gray's next to Speed's I would probably always have Gray's and never Speed's.

[Wursthof]

Or a giant emulsified sausage to hot dog comparison.

I'd be on the Gray's side of the fence with you on that decision.

Now if someone took a Karl's frankfurter and griddled that and put it on a griddled bun and topped it with New York System(Olneyville) style meat sauce with properly diced onions and celery salt then I would only be in that line.

But nobody does, so I make them at home.

[MC Slim JB]

I had one in the last two weeks that was loaded, I mean loaded with toppings; I wished I had a bib on. It's one of the reasons that a substantial roll is critical here.

I will defend anyone's right to be underwhelmed by anything, no matter how often raved about here. There are no heretics on Chowhound.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[finlero]

Ditto/ditto/ditto.

P.S. Ditto.

[gyppielou]

Note to self: Take a pickup truck with a bench to sit on and a bench for a table and a big sun umbrella and a bib and moist towelettes and possibly some plastic cutlery and a thermos of a refreshing beverage - and give it another shot.

[jgg13]

Glad to see the topping thing isn't an intentional trend, perhaps it was just an off day. IMO it was the least favorite dog there I've had, but my newbie friends both really dug it. It actually might have been good for them, as another newbie friend who had gone the week before declared it to be 'too sweet', so the lack of the sauce & chili made it a lot more savory.

[MC Slim JB]

That "relish" definitely adds a lot of sweetness: it's a mix of piccalilli and cranberry chutney.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[jgg13]

yeah, the sweetness is something that I really like, but I could see how the whole combo could be too much for some folks. I always figured it was the special sauce that was adding it though, good to know.

FWIW, I think the person making the dogs was a non-usual (for me) woman, not the woman that's often in there. Maybe I'm wrong on that ... but if so, that might explain the difference. Greg was doing something else in the truck.

[OLDCHEF]

old speeds was part of the thrill of a speed dog but 30 min lunch likes the new deal.if you are in newmarket give mm ribs a try very nice people killer wings and collards ask for wings crisp yum.

[MC Slim JB]

Must agree that M+M is completely rocking and very close to Newmarket in their latest parking spot. Especially love the chicken, though the brisket, trotters, and ribs are also worthy. (N.B. It's skillful charcoal grilling, not true slow-smoke BBQ.) Worth noting that they're only open Wed to Sat/early Sun; opening time is 11am every day; successive closing times are 6p, 8p, 10p, and 3a.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[jgg13]

I didn't realize they were near newmarket these days. how far off on foot are they?

[MC Slim JB]

"Close" is relative if you're walking. It's on Hampden St at the corner of Norfolk Ave, two long blocks south of Melnea Cass (one block from where Melnea hits Mass Ave). It's easy to miss. you turn off Hampden onto Norfolk, and the immediately left into a corner lot surrounded by a chain-link fence, near a big sand pit with one of those giant hanging funnel things that fill dumptrucks with sand.

There's no good crow-flies way to get there to/from Newmarket: it's probably 3/4 mile on foot.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[BostonZest]

Did you discern a raisin in there somewhere?

[MC Slim JB]

Can't say I've identified raisins in Speed's "relish", but can't say there aren't any in there, either.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[gourmaniac]

I have found a raisin once and thought this the secret to the sauce.

[yumyum]

I think it's Branston Pickle, not chutney, and that would explain the raisin.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

I've never noticed a raisin, but I'm fairly convinced that one of the sauce ingredients is grape jelly.

[yumyum]

It's too sweet for me. I try to have one a year just to keep my chow credentials up to date, but I don't want more than that one.

[BobB]

I'm not big on sweet dog toppings. What are your thoughts on ordering it with just chili and onions?

[Bob Dobalina]

I like my dogs with mustard, relish, onions and (dry) sauerkraut. My first Speed's dog I ordered with just mustard and onions and then subsequent with the sweet toppings - for this dog, the sweet is almost necessary.

[yumyum]

I heard of a guy who did that once, but no one has heard from him since. I think for this dog, you want it all the way. The sweet isn't like honey, it's just in that relishy direction that isn't my bag baby.

[Bob MacAdoo]

No relish for me, thanks. I go savory all the way. Even though the mustard and apple brine add sweetness.

[emilief]

Interesting. I went yesterday with a friend. WE were the only people there during the 1/2 hour we were there. WE ordered dogs with everything. Thought they were very good, but not transcendant. Also, no discernable chili on the dogs and very messy to eat. I have to confess that there is another place where I love the dogs more (Flo's in Maine) small, snappy, steamed very hot with special sauce and celery salt. But completely different than Speed's giant ones. I would go back for sure, but would not make a special trip again.
BTW - my mood might have been altered by the fact that Mapquest gave me the worst set of directions and it took me 1 1/2 hours to find it when it took only 25 minutes to get home when I had figured out where I was!!!

[gyppielou]

I thought I would be bannished within the first reply.

Guilty second admission. i'm not that big of a fan of Flo's either.....shock, horror, yes,,,,,I know. Had it their way with the mayokindatthing sauce, i think...

I am a huge fan of the chili dog at the lobster shack in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit though and would never visit the area without having one. I've had dozens of their chili dogs over the years and only one flo's and one speeds.

Hope I don't get bannished for blasphemy!

[StriperGuy]

I like Speed's just fine, but I'd trade it in a second for Gray's Papaya in NYC.

[Blumie]

Trade Speed's for a Gray's Papaya? Even if one thinks that Speed's is overhyped on this board, a Gray's Papaya dog, although a good dog, is not THAT special (of course it is only $1.25)! My trade would be for a Red Hot Lovers' dog in Ann Arbor, Michigan!

[Bob Dobalina]

Yeah, Flo's? Never got that at all...it's a steamed hot dog. What's the big deal?

Now a Tomlinson's dog from Bridgeport, CT or from Duchess...now you're talking.

[StriperGuy]

I respectfully disagree. For me, Gray's it the sine qua non of hot dogs.

[the modern serf]

well, youd have to trade four gray's to get the mass of one speed's, right?

[StriperGuy]

2 or 3.

[Wursthof]

Exactly why I don't and am probably the only person who doesn't consider speeds a hot dog...it's a tube of bologna(well that is a bit of an exaggeration). I'd probably like speeds more if I went there actually wanting that much emulsified meat on a bun.

[jgg13]

It's interesting you mention the 'no discernable chili" ... the last time I went (few weeks ago) it was *seriously* lacking the toppings compared to what I've had in the past (particularly the chili). You could really taste the dog itself more, but I prefer the old amount of toppings. This was the first time I've had a speeds dog where I could clearly see the dog through the toppings.