As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite parts of this experience is how involved my followers have become. Earlier this week I was tagged in a co-worker's Instagram story. Stephanie was in Chicago having a Chicago dog. She was “pleased.” I was pleased that through that post alone I was invited to experience that dog with her. When people ask me when this project is going to end or maybe even why am I still doing it – I tell them it’s because I am still receiving so much interaction from you all and that’s what makes it fun.

Within that interaction I receive – naturally - comes suggestions and recommendations of which dogs to try and where. Jocelyn, the only good friend I’ve kept from undergrad in Drexel (AND I was in a sorority), is a big hot dog enthusiast. Food has always been one of our great connectors and we’ve bonded over hot dogs long before I started this quest. Of course, when we had our bi-annual hang coming up in Wildwood – Joce had just the place she wanted to take me to.

August 3rd, I drove down to the Wild Woods to crash Jocelyn’s family vacation for a few hours. This has become a bit of a tradition in recent years. Joce, her boyfriend Henry and I took a walk to the boards to get lunch at the location she has been talking about. Grab-A-Wiener! Amazing. You know just exactly what you’re going to get here and how you’re going to get it.

This establishment is at once ostentatious and low-key – a dichotomy that can maybe only be achieved by boardwalk eateries. The menu boasts foot-long dogs with varied toppings, plus all the other classics – french fries, funnel cake, lemonade. I tried to pick a combo of toppings I hadn’t had yet, which proved difficult. I ended up with something called “Crazy Bus,” which I know is going to make a lot of you gag when I get into it. Henry and Joce ordered and split a chili cheese dog (smart), and we all had some fries.

The Crazy Bus is a footlong dog, served on a long hoagie roll. It comes with cheese whiz, raw white onion and – mayonnaise. I understand this is a divisive subject and I am sorry. I like the white stuff. I do; I am a fan. I don’t love it as much as I love mustard, but I’ve been known to slather my sandwiches with it and a hot dog – well, it’s a sandwich. So is a burger. However, I underestimated just how much mayo I was signing up for here.

12in is a lot of dog and thus a lot of mayonnaise. Add in the cheese whiz and it’s a wonder I was able to keep this footlong in the bun! I’m having trouble avoiding the innuendos, but this wiener was well-lubricated. After a while, all I could really focus on was how I could just feel all the fat from the mayo and the whiz sliding around in my wide-open trap. I couldn’t finish. Not because the dog itself was bad - I want to make that abundantly clear - but because I made the wrong choice. It happens.

I tried to push through, but ultimately could not finish my hot dog. To date, I think this is the only hot dog I haven’t finished. Not even halfway through, it and I agreed to an armistice of sorts. I was tired of fighting to keep the frank in place. I took a napkin and gently pushed off the onion, whiz, mayo river into the little paper tray the dog was served in. I took only a few more bites before my gut really raised the white flag.

A month later I got to enjoy a much less...saturated dog whilst ON the beach. The first and last I enjoyed this way the entire summer. In recent years, Labor Day weekend finds me and Ava - my best shore sis of 25 years - at the Deauville Inn in Strathmere. These “final days” of summer include posting up on the sliver of beach right in front of this bayside restaurant. There usually isn’t a ton of eating that takes place on these days. Most of the nutrients we receive come from the fresh squeezed OJ in our orange crushes. Ava is happy to stick with these all afternoon, while I - the more labile of the two - tend to abandon the crushes for at least one rum bucket. Dangerous.

The Deauville does drinks so well, it’s hard to remember that they do also offer food. Like - it’s a restaurant - and thank goodness because someone has got to sober up to make the 50 min drive back to AC.

After a crush + bucket combo I decided to peruse the menu for something to help soak up the alcohol. Ava usually goes for a giant Bavarian Pretzel with cheese dip. Classic; easy. Ava is not only my best beach friend for a lifetime over, but also my first vegetarian friend. She was doing it before it was cool. Literally, she has always been a vegetarian. She maybe had one drunken slip up ONE TIME, but we don’t talk about that, OK?! Anyway, I mention all of this because it is really fun when your vegetarian friend from forever points out to you the wagyu beef hot dog on the menu.

One of the best kinds of dogs is the one you weren’t expecting. Now I was excited and the wagyu of it all piqued my interest. So, I made my way to the “Sandbar” (which had what felt like 100 people packed in - 4 bodies deep all the way around on this holiday weekend) to place my order. This to date was the longest I’ve waited for a hot dog. I feel like ordering --> retrieving --> sitting down and eating took about 45 minutes to an hour. There was also time taken to locate mustard. Packets of which were suspiciously tucked into a corner on the far side of the bar. Trust that there was a bevy of ketchup bottles available though which is some crap.

Once I had everything I needed, I took my dog, which was beginning to sweat in its plastic clamshell, back down to my beach chair to enjoy. The dog was super beefy and very tasty. Is it a cultural sin to turn wagyu into a hot dog? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know this dog was very nice. I was starving though, so it could have been gull dog, and I would have been fine. Just sayin’ - spring for a wagyu dog should you come across one in your travels to see for yourself.

It also came packed with a bag of chips and a little cup of pasta salad to make it feel like a cute little lunch to my tipsy self. Altogether and minus the length of time it took me to get it, I would give this dog 5 squirts. Questionably and regrettably though, I do not have a picture of this 5-squirt package to share. We’ll chalk this fault up to my raddled state. Ava did happen to snap a pic of me with it and for that I am thankful.

Lastly, I want to mention yet another shore-dog establishment brought to my attention by Ava – The Cardinal in Atlantic City. The Cardinal is situated deep in Atlantic City, offers modern American cuisine and fancy cocktails. They also have a big outdoor space with seating and a jumbo screen where they will show sporting events. They usually pair the airing of these sporting events with a DOLLAR DOG menu throughout gametime. I’ve lamented before about the absence of dollar dogs from my life, so this had been on my list to check out for the entire summer.

Jim and I decided to pay them a visit to watch Game 1 of the Phils in the NLDS (sigh). The big screen was out of commission unfortunately, but we got seats right in front of the TV at the bar. This ended up being a better situation because we were super-well attended to for the entirety of the otherwise disappointing 9 innings.

There was a game day menu, and the wieners weren’t the only $1 special. They also had wings for $1 each, but when they ran out of chicken, they began offering their duck wings at the same price. The duck wings were exceptional, so this upgraded offering from the chef was really special. If I didn’t have to save room for dogs, I would have eaten those wings all night.

I ordered 2 $1 dogs, and we shared a plate of truffle fries. The dogs were grilled nicely, but a little skinny which put off the bun (untoasted, sadly) to dog ratio. Though for a dollar a piece, can I really complain? They were worlds better than the soggy, foil-wrapped sweat dogs we used to throw around Citizens Bank Park. Funny, when we ordered the dollar dogs the bartender (a Yankees fan - HA y’all are losers too, sorry) said as Phillies fans that we could only order the dollar dogs if we promised not to throw them. I rolled my eyes then and I’m rolling them now. You should roll yours as well.

The plate of dogs came with ketchup and mustard, but this mustard was of a honey variety which worked surprisingly well. I also found myself dipping the dogs in what was left of the ranch that came with the duck wings. Maybe the game was starting to make me unravel, but the ranch + honey mustard was hittin’ that evening.

There is also a possibility that I was trying to compensate for the amount of ketchup usage I was seeing taking place around me. Grown men carefully using their butter knives to cover the dollar dogs with that sweet and sour slop. Pitiful.

I would definitely visit The Cardinal again, if not for the duck wings and dollar dogs then certainly for the innovative cocktail list (they had an entire fall drinks menu which I’m so into) and the rest of Michael Brennan’s delicious looking menu I didn’t get to taste. With the outdoor space, variety of food/beverage options and the Irish Pub in its back yard a visit to The Cardinal AC can be a 24-hour affair – and that’s how AC should be done.

Keep the suggestions coming, everyone! I obviously will make time for them all eventually. It’s one of the things bringing me joy in this defoliated season and joy is an act of resistance.