In the past fifteen months I have spent a lot of time in support of activities and attractions in Darlington County. From the Southern 500 to the Egg Scramble in Lamar I have tried to assist, contribute and be a part of all things Darlington County. Now the time has come to put aside all these mundane activities and focus all my efforts on answering the most relevant burning question of the 21st century in this area. Where is the best darn hotdog in Darlington County?
I take up this cause with the full understanding that, no matter what the answer, there will be those that dissent and those that will cast aspersions on my efforts. However, undaunted, I begin my task in earnest and with a pure and unbiased heart. It is also a great way to take accommodations tax money and turn it in to hospitality tax money so everyone benefits; including my appetite that becomes frenzied at the idea of all those wonderful dogs.
This project is not one that I undertake without having given a great deal of forethought and planning. In fact one may surmise after reading this tome that I actually became Tourism Director in order to satisfy my desire for dogs, dogs, and more dogs. That accusation is not without some merit.
Be that as it may, to determine where the best dog lies is an accomplishable goal but involves some detail. For instance I have determined there should be three divisions of evaluation:
1) Best chain restaurant dog,
2) Best service station dog,
3) Best locally owned restaurant dog.
The criteria for determining if your establishments qualifies for entry in to the contest is as follows:
1) The dog must exist as a menu item other than just on the children’s menu (if it’s only the children’s menu you aren’t truly serious about your dogs).
2) It cannot be a turkey, chicken, soy or (God forbid) tofu dog. It must be beef, pork or other.
3) It cannot be a sausage dog. Much like the old Ford El Camino, which can’t decide if it’s a truck or a car, the sausage dog is likewise conflicted.
In my next installment I will discuss the criteria for judging the candidates and perhaps share some preliminary thoughts on the candidates themselves. In the meantime I would love your thoughts on what you’ve read so far and candidates you have in mind (God grant me an endless list for evaluation).
