dog day afternoon

last weekend the shop was slow…

…because like every weekend austin had to have a “thing”. be it a car race or a motorcycle rally or some kind of music festival rest assured if you’re coming to austin on any given weekend there’s SOMETHING big going on with shitty parking, lots of tourist appeal, a vallejo performance, and overpriced, but really good, food.

last weekend the culprit was fun fun fun fest, the “alternative” to ACL fest in september. cooler bands, occasional one-off reunions, and a more relaxed atmosphere tend to be the norm from what i’m told…i’ve worked at the shop since it started, so i always work weekends and, hence, always miss it.

one of the long-time food vendors there (who now apparently has a restaurant i feel the need to try) is frank’s sausages. and every year, in addition to their normal menu, they make a special one for the fest named after one of the headliners:

In 2012, it was the Run DMC (pineapple sauce, cole slaw and crumbled potato chips). Last year, Snoop Dogg got the hot dog treatment with frank topped with hemp cheese, malt liquor mustard, and edible 24k gold dust. That one was priced at the comical rate of $24.20.

That’s a lot of dough for a dog, but it paled in comparison to this year’s Top Dog. Frank created a Judas Priest Turbo Dog (a nod to the band’s 1986 album “Turbo”). The description? As simple as it was mysterious: “Feelin’ reckless? Roll the dice …” The cost? $250.

you’d figure nobody would roll the dice – but ONE person did. i don’t know if more than one had if they hook-up would have been the same, but what hot dog is worth $250? none of them – but this “combo meal” was: he got a plain mustard dog, a VIP card for unlimited dogs for the weekend, and five one hundred dollar bills!

now THAT is worth two fitty!