* Today Is- National Hot Dog Day!

Not sure as to how you guys will be celebrating this very special day…

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats got plans- gonna grill some Hebrew National Hot Dogs on our backyard bbq- then house them in soft warm buns- then top the dogs with some deli mustard and warm sauerkraut!

All things being equal, the finished “dogs” should look just like this…

While we’re talking hot dogs – You guys who put ketchup on your dogs, don’t know dick about hot dogs!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

from nationalholidayscalendar.com

Hot Dog Day

The hot dog is a food that conjures up magical summer days at the ballpark or at an amusement park. There is nothing quite like the firm snap of its casing, it’s delicious meaty smell or its savory taste. And this is especially true in the United States where it is one of the most iconic American foods ever – right up there with apple pie and the cheeseburger! This food is also celebrated with its own holiday. A holiday which is known as National Hot Dog Day and is celebrated annually in July during National Hot Dog Month, as set by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. So cook up your hot dogs in your favorite manner and celebrate this holiday right.

When is National Hot Dog Day?
This year (2018) July 18 (Wednesday)
Next year (2019) July 17 (Wednesday)
Last year (2017) July 19 (Wednesday)

History of the Hot Dog & National Hot Dog Day
While it’s unclear exactly when the hot dog was invented, many people attribute it to sausages developed during the 13th century in Germany. These sausages were then most likely brought by German immigrants immigrating into the U.S during the 19th century. It is believed that as early as the 1860s, street food vendors were selling hot dogs in buns in New York City. Hot dogs were also sold by a street vendor in St. Louis, Missouri named Antonoine Feuchtwanger.

In 1893, the owner of the St. Louis Browns (now the St. Louis Cardinals) Chris Von de Ahe brought baseball and hot dogs together when he started selling them during games and also at the amusement park he owned. That same year, hot dogs were introduced at the Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. They became an instant hit.

Many people believe that the term “hot dog” began appearing towards the end of the 19th century. During this time, German immigrants not only brought sausages to America but they also brought dachshund dogs, so the term hot dog may just be a joke about German’s thin dogs that got casually transferred to the sausages. This was probably reinforced by the fact that many Germans called these dogs “little sausages.”

Today, there are a variety of ways to serve the hot dog – with many regional variances in the United States. Some of the more popular hot dogs include the New York Dog, the Chicago Dog, the Fenway Frank, the Coney Dog, the Rockie Dog, the Sonoran Dog, Michigan Coney Island Dog, Texas Dog, the Philadelphia Dog, Cleveland Polish Boy, Alaskan Reindeer hot dog, Seattle Cream Cheese Dog, Cincinnati Coney and the West Virginia Dog, among others.

National Hot Dog day was created by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to highlight the humble hot dog during National Hot Dog Month. Which is why they set the date for it every year. In 2016, it was held on July 14th and in 2017, on July 19th in 2017.

Red-Hot Hot Dog Facts

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers are a summertime staple in the U.S.
9 billion hot dogs are sold annually in the U.S.
Americans eat 155 million hot dogs on the 4th of July each year
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, 7 billion hot dogs are consumed in the U.S
26 million hot dogs a year are eaten at U.S baseball stadiums
In 2014, 7-Eleven sold over 60 million hot dogs
in 2017, 7-Eleven sold over 100 million hot dogs
Mustard is the most popular condiment for hot dogs
Ketchup and chili come in as the 2nd and 3rd most popular condiments
Celebrating National Hot Dog Day

Celebrating National Hot Dog Day is pretty simple. All you have to do is cook your favorite hot dog in your favorite manner. Do you like pork, beef, chicken, tofu or turkey dogs? Do you want to boil it, bake it, grill it, microwave it or saute it? Do you want to add condiments with it? Maybe you don’t even want it in a hot dog bun. Perhaps you want to cut up your hot dogs and add them to your spaghetti or add them to some pork and beans or even chili. These are all things you are going to have to decide on this holiday. But no matter which hot dog you choose or which method to cook them, you can be sure that they are going to taste delicious and that this holiday is going to be a huge success.

* Doo Wop Reunion XIX.

Just announced…

This is a top-notch oldies-lineup!

Details:

Fri, Mar 15 at 7:30 PM @ Ruth Eckerd Hall

Guys, slick back your hair; Girls, put on your poodle skirts – Let’s cruise back in time to relive the greatest music as Doo Wop returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for Doo Wop Reunion XIX featuring the long-awaited appearance of special guest Kenny Vance & The Planotones!

This all-star lineup of legendary musicians from the 1950s and 60s features:
Kenny Vance and The Planotones
“Looking For an Echo”
The Duprees
“You Belong To Me” “My Own True Love” “Have You Heard”
The Crests featuring Tommy Mara
“Sixteen Candles” “The Angels Listened In”
Jay Siegel’s Tokens
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” “Portrait of My Love”

Tickets are *$140, $95, $60, and $45.
*$140 Pre-show Party Package includes a premium seat, access to party lounge including high-end appetizers, dessert & coffee, plus one beer, wine or soda, beginning 2 hours prior to show time. Artist does not appear at party.

Tickets: rutheckerdhall.com

Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL 33759

Declaration of Independence, 1776
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence. By declaring themselves an independent nation, the American colonists were able to confirm an official alliance with the Government of France and obtain Frdench assistance in the war against Great Britain.

The Declaration of Independence
Throughout the 1760s and early 1770s, the North American colonists found themselves increasingly at odds with British imperial policies regarding taxation and frontier policy. When repeated protests failed to influence British policies, and instead resulted in the closing of the port of Boston and the declaration of martial law in Massachusetts, the colonial governments sent delegates to a Continental Congress to coordinate a colonial boycott of British goods. When fighting broke out between American colonists and British forces in Massachusetts, the Continental Congress worked with local groups, originally intended to enforce the boycott, to coordinate resistance against the British. British officials throughout the colonies increasingly found their authority challenged by informal local governments, although loyalist sentiment remained strong in some areas.

Despite these changes, colonial leaders hoped to reconcile with the British Government, and all but the most radical members of Congress were unwilling to declare independence. However, in late 1775, Benjamin Franklin, then a member of the Secret Committee of Correspondence, hinted to French agents and other European sympathizers that the colonies were increasingly leaning towards seeking independence. While perhaps true, Franklin also hoped to convince the French to supply the colonists with aid. Independence would be necessary, however, before French officials would consider the possibility of an alliance.

Throughout the winter of 1775–1776, the members of the Continental Congress came to view reconciliation with Britain as unlikely, and independence the only course of action available to them. When on December 22, 1775, the British Parliament prohibited trade with the colonies, Congress responded in April of 1776 by opening colonial ports—this was a major step towards severing ties with Britain. The colonists were aided by the January publication of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, which advocated the colonies’ independence and was widely distributed throughout the colonies. By February of 1776, colonial leaders were discussing the possibility of forming foreign alliances and began to draft the Model Treaty that would serve as a basis for the 1778 alliance with France. Leaders for the cause of independence wanted to make certain that they had sufficient congressional support before they would bring the issue to the vote. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion in Congress to declare independence. Other members of Congress were amenable but thought some colonies not quite ready. However, Congress did form a committee to draft a declaration of independence and assigned this duty to Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Paine
Benjamin Franklin and John Adams reviewed Jefferson’s draft. They preserved its original form, but struck passages likely to meet with controversy or skepticism, most notably passages blaming King George III for the transatlantic slave trade and those blaming the British people rather than their government. The committee presented the final draft before Congress on June 28, 1776, and Congress adopted the final text of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

The British Government did its best to dismiss the Declaration as a trivial document issued by disgruntled colonists. British officials commissioned propagandists to highlight the declaration’s flaws and to rebut the colonists’ complaints. The Declaration divided British domestic opposition, as some American sympathizers thought the Declaration had gone too far, but in British-ruled Ireland it had many supporters.

The Declaration’s most important diplomatic effect was to allow for recognition of the United States by friendly foreign governments. The Sultan of Morocco mentioned American ships in a consular document in 1777, but Congress had to wait until the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France for a formal recognition of U.S. independence. The Netherlands acknowledged U.S. independence in 1782. Although Spain joined the war against Great Britain in 1779, it did not recognize U.S. independence until the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Under the terms of the treaty, which ended the War of the American Revolution, Great Britain officially acknowledged the United States as a sovereign and independent nation.

* Chuck E. Cheese’s Introduces All You Can Play Gaming.

Just finished reading the below story on qsrmagazine.com.

As the former (23 years ago) CEO and majority stockholder of a Florida based Discovery Zone franchise (similar business as Chuck E. Cheese’s) it’s interesting to me as -to how in recent years Chuck E. Cheese’s has taken a number of steps to revitalize its children’s oriented business! Trust me I’m no genius, but 23 years ago- I saw very ominous black clouds forming over the children’s play-business and orchestrated a sale of the Florida franchise to Blockbuster Entertainment- resulting in a handsome profit for all of our shareholders!

Jeff Eats wishes the folks at Chuck E. Cheese’s the best of luck. That said, in my mind, the only difference between the Titanic and Chuck E. Cheese’s is that the Titanic had a live band!

__________________________________________________________

Chuck E. Cheese’s Introduces All You Can Play Gaming

Guests can play any game, any day of the week, as many times as they want.

FAST FOOD JULY 2018 BY DANNY KLEIN Share on FacebookTweetShare on LinkedInForward

FLICKR: ALEJANDRO CORTES
Chuck E. Cheese’s is trying out unlimited gaming.
Chuck E. Cheese’s is switching up the “eatertainment” game with an “All You Can Play” experience at company-run locations nationwide. Instead of tokens, guests will now be able to buy time to play all games, any day of the week.

It starts at $9 for 30 minutes. “At Chuck E. Cheese’s, we believe in the power of play,” Ashley Zickefoose, chief marketing and concept officer of CEC Entertainment Inc., said in a statement. “All You Can Play provides a rewarding way to infuse more play into everyday by limiting the restrictions caused by budgets and busy schedules.”

CHUCK E. CHEESE’S
Typically, tokens can cost 20 cents each for 150, or 25 cents apiece for 40. The chain introduced a card-based system, Play Pass, in 2016, which allowed users to buy cards with prepaid points and keep track of tickets. And while games typically cost different amounts of tokens, the All You Can Play model allows users to play any game during their allotted time period. They can also pause the purchase up to two times, in case they want to grab a meal, use the bathroom, or just take a break. Both options will remain in place for now.

Of the 608 units, 519 are company run by CEC, the company owned by Apollo Global Management LLC. The firm also runs 147 Peter Piper Pizza units and purchased Qdoba from Jack in the Box in mid-March for about $305 million in cash.

Chuck E. Cheese has had a busy year innovations-wise as it looks to reignite sales. Comps fell 5.1 percent in the first quarter. The brand launched nationwide delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEATs in late May at more than 345 restaurants. The company also unveiled a More Cheese Rewards program this past year and a gaming app “Chuck E. Cheese’s Racing World.”

Last August, the company introduced a fresh design featuring an open kitchen, updated exterior, and a Birthday Zone with different party sections. Read more about the redesign here.

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 7/15/18- Tippi’s Pizza)

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

18″ PLAIN CHEESE PIZZA
$14.95

Tippi’s Pizza
5778 Okeechobee Road
West Palm Beach
(561) 681-9224
Latest Review: 6/25/17

If you guys care to check- you will find that Jeff Eats- “plugged” Tippi’s Pizza on 6/19/12, 3/29/15 and 6/25/17…

Off the chart delicious- New York Style Slices!

***** Art’s Sandwich Shop, 1018 South Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida 32805, (407) 425-7814.

Got a real good sandwich joint for you guys to checkout- Art’s Sandwich Shop in Orlando.

Simple tale to tell- the joint has been around for something like 43 years, order/pickup at the counter, drive thru, menu of salads/hot & cold subs & sandwiches/hamburgers/hot dogs, handful of sides & other stuff, inside table seating, open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm/closed Saturday-Sunday.

Long story short, a couple of days ago- Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats discovered Art’s Sandwich Shop for lunch- and I gotta tell you guys that the joint’s reasonably priced food was absolutely delicious!

Now, I’m not sure on this- but I’m kinda thinking that Art’s Sandwich Shop hasn’t remodeled itself since it first opened- trust me when I tell you, that its “worn look” definitely added a certain charm to Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats’ eating experience!

Anyway- like I said 6 seconds ago, reasonably priced delicious food!

Let me wrap Art’s Sandwich Shop up for you guys by saying, staying in business for- something like 43 years ain’t exactly a walk in the park…

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats really enjoyed Art’s Sandwich Shop- for menu/info checkout artscatering.net.

This article first appeared on 6/7/18. I just checked the Boca Black Box- box office (bocablackbox.com) and goldstar.com (discount tickets) and there are some really good seats left for tonight- Friday, July 13th, 2018 (8pm) & tomorrow- Saturday, July 14th, 2018 (8pm) shows.

Posted on June 7th, 2018

*Ventriloquist Willie Tyler & Lester.

Just announced…

The legendary “duo” makes a rare public appearance…

Friday, July 13th, 2018 (8pm) & Saturday, July 14th, 2018 (8pm)

Boca Black Box
8221 Glades Road Suite #10,
Boca Raton, Florida 33434
Box Office: 483.9036
Tickets: bocablackbox.com check goldstar.com for discount tickets

from bocablackbox.com

“Saw me open and count my rings.” That’s the answer Willie Tyler’s little buddy, Lester, gives when asked how old he is. Willie began to see Ventriloquists like Paul Winchell, on TV .He started performing in Detroit, Michigan at the age of ten. While still in grade school he took a correspondence Ventriloquist course from a Popular Mechanics magazine Ad. Between school and delivering newspapers, Willie would find time to perform in variety shows and talent contests. This is where he developed his craft. After four years in the U.S. Air Force Willie returned to Detroit and a few years later signed with the Motown Record Corporation. For the next eight years he and Lester toured with all the Motown greats Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Little Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and The Four Tops, just a few of the up and coming musical artists back in the day. Lester says he was a member of the Group- The Four Tops when they were called THE FOUR TOPS AND A STICK! Their TV credits are impressive. They include appearances on the Tonight Show (NBC) ABC Weekend Specials, “Pacific Blue” (USA Network) “In The House.” (NBC) The Jimmy Kimmel Show (ABC)” and their very successful appearance on The Late Show Starring David Letterman.(CBS) They have also been seen in numerous TV commercials: McDonalds and Maxwell House Coffee to name a few. Lester is a humorous little fellow and he sings pretty good too! Although he was born in the woods and worked his way out. Once you have seen him in action you will never forget this little “chip off the old block!

This contest started on 7/9/18. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $20 Shake Shack Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $20 Shake Shack Gift Card to give to one of you guys!

The game- the first 30 “reader-comments” received – will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $20 Gift Card is good at any Shake Shack location (shakeshack.com for locations, menu, info).

***** Dave’s NY Deli South, 5750 Southwest 75th Court, Gainesville, Florida 32608, (352) 363-6061.

Got a terrific hole in the wall- New York Style deli/sub joint for you guys to checkout- Dave’s NY Deli South in Gainesville.

Real simple concept at work here- breakfast/lunch/dinner, order/pickup at the counter, handful of tables inside/ two tables outside, open Monday-Saturday 8am-9pm/ closed Sunday.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats discovered Dave’s NY Deli South about a week ago- and I’m telling you guys, this joint’s stuff is off the chart good!

Let me wrap Dave’s NY Deli South up by telling you guys that this joint blew Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats away!

Dave’s NY Deli South is an absolute must try!

For menu/info check davesdeli.com.

***** Augie’s Bistro, 711 West Indiantown Road, Jupiter, Florida 33458, (561) 745-0058.

Got a real good hole in the wall- all day breakfast/lunch/dinner diner for you guys to checkout- Augie’s Bistro in Jupiter.

Simple concept at work there…5 4-top tables/6 counter seats, reasonably priced eclectic menu, open Monday-Saturday 7am-9pm/Sunday 7am-1pm,

Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and another couple recently did lunch at Augie’s Bistro and as they say on America’s Got Talent- Augie’s Bistro “got 4 yeses.” While we’re on the subject of AGT, I don’t know about you guys- but I just don’t don’t like that Heidi Klum!

Anyway…

Let me wrap Augie’s Bistro up for you guys by saying- when you can get 4-65+ year old transplanted to Florida Jewish Brooklynites to agree that 6 out of 6 dishes were all delicious- you got a joint that you gotta try-out for your yourself!