Kosher Hot Dogs, Pastrami and More.......

[Daniel Rogov]

Life in Israel is not always easy. After all, this is one of the few countries in the world in which you cannot find a decent hot pastrami sandwich, where the hot dogs can be good but are never great, and where most people never even heard of an egg cream.

From time to time, however, life gets better and today, among other meetings, I sat for coffee with a friend from New York who is visiting the country. And what are friends for - he had brought back for me several packages of Hebrew National hot dogs and, along with that a container of Hebrew National's coarse deli mustard. And, as if to demonstrate his love for humanity (or was it pity?) a two pound slab of pastrami from the Carnegie Deli and a three pound slab of wild boar bacon.

The hot dogs were cooked this evening in the original Nathan's style -that is to say first brought to a boil in water and then finished on the grill, Dabbed generously with the mustard and consumed together with a butter-rich potato puree ......

Tomorrow morning it will be to Lechem Erez (the breads of Erez) for some Greek country-style bread and on that will be the pastrami, sliced of course, served hot on the sandwich together with homemade sauerkraut and a bit more of the deli mustard.

Damn the cholesterol and full speed ahead. Life is just fine!

Best
Rogov

[Charlie Dawg]

Daniel, don’t Russian stores have good hot dogs? They must.
Hebrew National is pretty lousy in my book.

[Shel T]

LOL Daniel, didn't realize you lead such a deprived life, next you're gonna tell us that you can't get a terrif bowl of Texas red and Coney Island chili...life wouldn't be worth living!
On the other hand, seems like an enormous opportunity for opening up a resto for all those in Israel with their tongues hanging out for just such goodies, so when's the opening!

[Daniel Rogov]

Daniel, don’t Russian stores have good hot dogs?

Charlie, Hi....

Many of the Russian stores have really excellent offerings of Russian, German, Austrian, South African and other sausages, some kosher, some not, those from finger thick to the size of a bull's penis but not a one of them offers what Americans call "kosher hot dogs"

As to Hebrew National - let us keep in mind that for many hot dogs such as those are not so much food for the stomach as for the soul, calling to mind what were surely earlier days and what we like to think may have even been "better days".

Best
Rogov

[Daniel Rogov]

On the other hand, seems like an enormous opportunity for opening up a resto for all those in Israel with their tongues hanging out for just such goodies, so when's the opening!

Shel, Hi....

As several old jokes have it: "I may be crazy but I'm not stupid". Under no circumstances would I ever consider opening any kind of restaurant or wine-related enterprise. And that may be taken as definitive, final, and absolute without even a 0.0000000001% of probability for variation.

Best and Smiling
Rogov

[Z Spigelman]

Hi Daniel.
Once a year, on a special occasion, we treat ourselves to the various sausages and deli at the Hess of Switzerland Glatt Kosher Restaurant in Yerushalayim. We find this to be the only "replacement" here in Israel for our old glatt kosher N.Y. deli.
Question: What kosher Israeli wine do you recommend for cold pickled beef tongue prepared without any gravy and not sweetened?
Thanks.
Zvi

[Daniel Rogov]

Zvi, Hi....

Agreed that the sausages of Hess are often superb, but those no matter how delicious are Swiss, German, Austrian and French at their source and as much as they can be enjoyed simply are not American style kosher hot-dogs.

As to a wine match- I'd suggest a dry Gewurztraminer or Johannisberg Riesling in the way of whites. Another good match would be a fino Sherry.

Best
Rogov

[Z Spigelman]

Thanks Daniel but can you please be more specific with your recommendation as I have no experience with a dry Gewurztraminer, Johannisberg Riesling or fino Sherry. Please remember - kosher only!
Thanks.
Zvi

[Daniel Rogov]

Zvi, Hi…..

Whoops…..forgot about the kashrut requirement. Of the Gewurztraminer and Johannisberg/White Rieslings that I would recommend only one is fully dry and that is the 2007 Hagafen White Riesling. Others that can do well, especially if served almost as well chilled as you would a Champagnem, are the following off-dry wines.

Golan Heights Winery, Gewurztraminer, Yarden, 2007
Tzora Vineyards, Gewurztraminer, Shoresh Blanc, 2007
Carmel, Johannisberg Riesling, Single Vineyard, Kayoumi 2006 or 2005
Carmel, Johannisberg Riesling, Regional, Upper Galilee, 2007

Best
Rogov

[Z Spigelman]

Thanks Daniel.
Is the HaGafen available here in Israel? If so, do you know of a store in Yerushalayim or Tel Aviv that carries it?
Thanks.
Zvi

[Daniel Rogov]

Zvi, Hi...


The Hagafen wines are in Israel albeit in limited quantities. The importer of the Hagafen wines is Mandel and they can be reached by telephone at 03-6044672.

Best
Rogov

[Z Spigelman]

Thanks Daniel.
I called Mendels this morning and they indeed stock this wine. I traveled 20 minutes to the store and the door was locked but the lights were on. After waiting 30 minutes (as I wanted to see their other wines), I gave up and went back to work.
When I finally succeeded to reach them by phone an hour later, they apologized and delivered the bottle. As we have been drinking only Israeli wine since making Aliya, I will return to Mendels in the near future to check things out (when I am already in their neighborhood).
Zvi

[Charlie Dawg]

Well, if kosher all american hot dog is a requaired then I at least would go with Natan's or Best's. Still hebrew national would not be on my plate.

[Avi Hein]

Being the abominable thing called a vegetarian, it's been years since I've had any hot dog, but, while it doesn't imitate the real thing (of course, being from Maryland, my nostalgia, admittedly, is for crab cakes and not egg creams), but there is a place in the food court at Malha mall in Jerusalem that claims to have Nathan's hot dogs. Well, at least it's licensing, but then again, it's also a shwarma/falafel joint and those foods just don't match.

[Michelle Nordell]

Oh you are really making me nostalgic. My father and uncle used to have a hot dog, ice cream and electronic games restaurant when I was in high school. It was called "The Cream Machine". You can imagine the jokes I heard.....

Anyway, I worked there and we served Vienna Beef hot dogs on the traditional poppy seed bun. I used to love these hot dogs. We also sold the Spicy Polish and the Knockwurst.