Big Fish, Small Pond

Yes, red hot dogs are a Maine thing and honestly, I have never seen them outside of Maine. Years and years ago, when I was a kid, I seem to remember that the same banned red food coloring that was once used in M&Ms was used to give these hot dogs their bright red coloring. You'll sometimes hear them called "cancer dogs" by locals. This of course isn't true anymore (about red hot dogs or red M&Ms, and it might have just been an urban legend to being with). All I'm sure of is that they are darned good eating. The red dog is slightly longer and definitely thinner than a Kosher dog and the casing has a nice "snap" to it which is unlike the softer casing of say, a Fenway frank, and to me is a little spicier than other dogs.

So, as I was driving down Lisbon Street the other day, I happened to notice Simones (pronounced Sim-O-ness) World Famous Hot Dogs on Chestnut Street, which jarred the memory that someone had mentioned that it was a place worth checking out. Today I went and was made very happy.

First let me say that hot dogs aren't something I eat every day. They are usually confined to consumption at baseball games. I do however make exceptions when they are good. And the Simones dogs are definitely good.

The dogs I got at Simones were placed in soft Country Kitchen hot dog buns (Country Kitchen, another Maine institution, is actually more or less right next door), slathered in ketchup and mustard, which is the way I like 'em, and wrapped in wax paper. These little guys were quite tasty. As to the decor of the place? Well it doesn't really matter, but it's diner set-up with a long dining counter that stretches from one end to the other. The menu features (of course) hot dogs, and many other lunch and even breakfast items. A definite "good lunch place" vibe permeated the place.


Overall : 5 out of 5 Dogs (Rockin'!)

Simones World Famous Hot Dogs
99 Chestnut St., Lewiston
207-782-8431
Open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

You can read another take on the place here.