b y meg fraser
Saugy’s It’s not exactly a hot dog, but it is the taste of Rhode Island. Saugy’s is the name of the product and the company, which has been around since 1869 - and no, that’s not a misprint. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Saugy’s, due in large part to the fact that my father will eat nothing else. If you’re at a backyard barbeque at the Fraser homestead, it’s saugies all the way. “It’s been handed down from family to family, generation to generation,” said current owner Mary O’Brien, a descendent of the founders. It’s a natural casing dog and is famous for the snap sound it makes when you dig in. There’s nothing else quite like it, and O’Brien is proud of that. “They like the snap, the flavor and the tradition,” she says of her customers. Enough to make them crave it from miles away. Saugy’s gets orders for shipments from all over the place, including Hawaii, Florida, Montana - and even Iraq. If you need some advice on how to eat it, O’Brien says skip the meat sauce. For her, it’s best grilled, with Grey Poupon, onion and, of course, celery salt.
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Little Rhody
When a company has been in the business for over a century, it’s hard not to take them seriously. Little Rhody, which is based out of Johnston, provides dogs to restaurants and companies all over the place, and serves them up in their own cafe as well. “We’ve been making our fine tasting hot dogs for 102 years,” said owner Ed Robarsky, whose great grandparents started the company. The way he sees it, hot dogs are more than just what’s for dinner. “It’s a whole tradition in Rhode Island, between wiener restaurants and cookouts,” he said. Little Rhody Brand offers other menu selections, but don’t miss the dogs. And, if you’re extra hungry, we’d recommend the “mile long” hot dog, which, at nine inches, is sure to fill you up. As for what Robarsky takes on his dog, he’s not picky. “I can do it any way - any combination,” he said.
July 2010