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Jerry’s Wood Fired Dogs 2276 E 17th street santa ana, Ca 92705 714-245-0200 www.jerrysdogs.com Walking into Jerry’s, your mouth will instantly start to water as the air is filled with savory, smoky wood-fired goodness. All of their dogs are cooked on a grill over an open Redwood fire flame. I love the vibe in Jerry’s. It’s super casual but tasteful and good-timey. They serve ice-cold beer and have buckets of peanuts on every table. It’s the kind of place you could take a date or the entire family. Everyone is welcome. New Jerry’s locations have been popping up all over and you can now find them at John Wayne airport! They will be having their ten-year anniversary of their first location this August. Jerry’s Dogs are 100 percent beef and skinless, besides the signature dog, which hosts a natural casing for that classic snap. All of their hot dogs and sausages are made specifically for Jerry’s in their own recipe of perfection, created by Jerry himself. You can order up a favorite creation or you can move on down the line and create your own by topping it with any of the 30+ toppings they offer as well as a slew of tasty sauces. My personal favorite was the Cleveland stadium mustard, which is a tad spicy like a Dijon but more vinegary like yellow mustard, and it has a fresh taste to it like no mustard I have ever known. We thought it would be appropriate if we tried the OC Dog. The hot dog itself was amazing and you can really taste the wood-fired difference. It makes the flavors a little more cohesive. It was topped with crunchy lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, sliced avocado and a creamy ranch dressing. It was the perfect afternoon meal, like a salad and a hotdog had a baby. I loved it. While you’re there, be sure to order up some Hot Potato Chips, part French fry-part potato chip with just a little bit of spice. This creation is the perfect side to any one of their hot dogs.
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| GO! 2013 Issue
LinX 238 W. Chapman avenue orange, Ca 92866 714-744-doGs www.linxdogs.com
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LinX is the newest of the new hot dog establishments we found. They opened their doors in February 2013 to rave reviews from those frequenting the Orange Circle. LinX has it all. They nailed their marketing and aesthetics with a super trendy logo to match their industrial brick interior, artisanal light bulbs and stools that I debated stealing so I could have them in my apartment. Their franks and sausages are all locally sourced (from farmers who are practicing humane and sustainable farming), steamed in beer and griddled to perfection, all in natural casings. You can choose from a plump variety: Frankfurter, Knackwurst, Nuernberger Bratwurst, Smoked Cheddar Bratwurst, Sicilian, Spicy Polish Kielbasa, Free-Range Chicken Florentine and a Vegan option! Oh my! Chef Scott Brandon gathers their toppings from local farmers markets and changes the menu to reflect the seasonality of the desired ingredients. Something I really love about this place is that they pickle their own toppings, including tomatoes, radishes, pickles and a shelf lined with the newest items waiting to be tested. They are committed to quality and carry craft beers, cane sugar sodas and homemade sweet tea. While I tried several (and I do mean several dogs) at this spot, my personal favorite was the Beer Brat: Neurnberger bratwurst, bacon-apple kraut, beer mustard in a pretzel roll. The flavors all stood out but didn’t battle each other for center stage. The excitement doesn’t stop there. They also make over a dozen house-made sauces that include an exceptional array of flavor enhancers. Yes, the best. While you will have to go in and try them for yourself to truly understand what I mean, my favorite was the curry ketchup and the blue cheese-bacon aioli. Get an order of fries while you’re in there too. Game, match and set.