Fan’s of the amazing hot dogs from Larry Joe’s New England Firepit in Mendon MA will want to tune in to the Phantom Gourmet TV show today at 11AM to see Larry Joe featured. (myTV38, WSBK CBS BOSTON, channel 606 on RCN cable)
Larry Joe’s New England FirePit
23 Cape Rd
Mendon, MA 01756
(508) 735-9006
This is as close as you can get to the legendary and dearly departed Boston Speed dog, which the Wall Street Journal once called “America’s Top Dog”.
The original Speed, Ezra Anderson, is now in his 90’s and retired, and his successor Gregg sadly passed away in 2013. But Larry Joe worked with Speed when he was thinking about expanding (and apparently helped train Gregg), so he has the bona fides to do a “White House” dog right (so called because it is based on the recipe reputedly served to the King and Queen of England when they visited FDR’s White House!).
Ask to try a “Traditional” frankfurter done up a la the original Speed dog with mustard, BBQ sauce, chili, relish, onions. But I actually think a “Western” sage & black pepper sausage, with BBQ sauce, relish, and just a little bit of hot pepper salad (spicy!) is even better, and the hickory smoke really comes through.
Is it as good as Boston Speed’s was? Who can say? I haven’t had one of those in ~5 years, and Larry Joe’s recipe is similar but still different. But it is definitely worth the 40 minutes drive west from Waltham.
