Our friends at the Brewers brought us lunch today. It was only two items, but being a total of four feet of hot dog, it left us pretty full.
The "Giant Slugger" is a two-foot hot dog that weighs two pounds, nine ounces. It's made of Klement's meat, an amazingly dense pretzel bun from Miller Bakery, plus chili, cheese, caramelized onions and optional jalapeños. Our team just about finished two.
At $26, it's actually a heck of a value, since you'll want to split the long dog among friends. Consider that a regular jumbo hot dog costs $5.50, and this should easily feed four. It should be noted, however, that patrons in both St. Louis and Texas have finished the hot dog, solo, in as little at 9 minutes, 15 seconds. But they didn't have the awesome pretzel bun.
Sales started out a little slowly, says chef Grant Newhouse, who prepared the hot dogs on location today. But after the Brewers' media blitz, they sold about 50 on Saturday and 40 on Sunday. Technically only available during July (Hot Dog Appreciation Month), Newhouse says if sales keep up, the Brewers might make the Giant Slugger available all season long.
Personally, I ate three big chunks of the hot dog (two more than necessary, really), and even though I don't consider myself a "hot dog guy," it was pretty good. The delicate dance of the flavors – the caramelized onions, especially – made it really good, and obviously, really filling.
Before I slip into a food coma, I'll tell you that the hot dog is available on the Loge Level at Miller Park at a portable stand outside section 215 and on the Field Level at the Plaza Grill outside of section 110.
You just might want to grab a "briefcase" of hot dog today.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
