dawggone delicious

Chili dogs have always had a special place in my heart (and arteries, no doubt).

To me, they're the best parts of my childhood: picnics, 4th of July celebrations, and those special nights when my parents weren't up to cooking "real" food. Basically, they're summer, family and happiness covered in pickle relish and cheese.

But, admittedly, the idea of getting a hot dog at a restaurant or fast food joint is just ... wrong. The coneys at Sonic give me unlady-like trouble, and Wienerschnitzel is just disgusting.

Frankie's Dawg House, though, doesn't fall into that category. I mean, these aren't just chili dogs. These are dawgs. Franks. Genuine all-beef missiles loaded with deliciousness of Hiroshima proportions.

The menu boasts 14 gourmet "dawgs," each customizable to your liking with any of their intriguing toppings, and the best smoked boudin I've ever tasted. Hands down.

This is The "Situation." And isn't it just exactly that? I mean look at it! This frank, loaded with mac-n-cheese and bacon, was my first experience, and it set a pretty high standard.

That standard has been easily met with each of my subsequent culinary expeditions there. The Chuck Norris, naturally, packs a punch, with the frank wrapped in bacon and topped with chili, cheese, grilled onions and jalapenos.

Most recently, I tried one week's special: The Seattle Dawg. It was simply a hot dog with cream cheese and pico de gallo. Weird, right? Yeah, it was weird. But it was jaw-droppingly delicious (made apparent by the fact that I gobbled it up before I could even retrieve my camera).

Thankfully, the eatery has recently come under new ownership (the previous giving it a pretty bad rap), and that new owner just so happens to be the husband of my favorite sadist.

Stuart Ourso (at right, with employee Stefan) does it right. He believes in investing in people, and with that simple guideline, has completely transformed Frankie's Dawg House.

He trains his employees well and treats them incomparably well. They, in turn, deliver the best service I've ever experienced. And they genuinely seem happy to be where they are.

And why not? They're basically in hot dawg heaven.

Currently located off of Perkins near the overpass (with plans to open more locations soon), Frankie's caters parties with hot dogs and snoballs, plays host to your (small) event in their outdoor patio, and jumps at the chance to partner with philanthropies. Like I said, he invests in people.

What dawg would you most like to try?

unmentionable product reviews

After having seen the Dove Dry Spray commercials, I have to admit that I was pretty excited about the aerosol deodorant.

I know. I'm easily excited.

The team at Influenster sent me the dry spray to try out. (Technically, I tried out the Degree Dry Spray. But, since both brands live under the Unilever house ... tomato tomatoe.)

The shower curtain is from Pottery Barn three years ago. But, Target has a similar option for less than half of what I paid.

I decided to try it out for two weeks to really give it a fair chance at shaping my opinions. I only needed one day.

*Disclaimer: The rest of this blog post is pretty TMI. So ... you know ... come back later if you don't like hearing about armpits.

Now, I've never been a heavy underarm sweater, so I really didn't consider myself to be a good test audience for this. But, when my underarms felt damp by noon every day, I realized that the normal activity of my glands didn't matter too much.

Let's completely ignore the fact that you're spraying heavily scented chemicals near your face/in your breathing supply with every application, and focus solely on the fact that wearing this was honestly worse than the days I forget to apply deodorant at all. (Don't judge me. It happens to you, too.) I hate to think of the people working out within three feet of me on CrossFit days. Those poor noses will never be the same.

So, packaging, you claim it's a 48 hour antiperspirant? I call BS. All-in-all, I'll be "sticking" with my normal solid. (Geddit? Because solid deo is a stick?)

Now, one product that is quickly becoming a permanent fixture on my bathroom shelf is the Serious Serum.

My girl Erica at Zanella's (I've mentioned them before.) asked me to try out this "Ingrown Hair Eliminator" because I always always always have redness. Not just right after a wax. Always.

I've been using the serum religiously for about two months (applying a pea-sized amount to the "areas" after my daily shower), and my redness/bumps have definitely become less frequent and much less noticeable, annoying, and, well, itchy.

Honest point-of-interest: Though the overwhelming redness and bumps have decreased significantly, I have had a few large-ish ingrown hair problem spots, which I haven't really seen since high school. But, I'm holding out hope that continuing to use this regularly will help with those, as well.

About the serum:

The best AHA Ingrown Hair eliminator and Skin Exfoliant you’ll ever use. Seriously. Serious Serum is the perfect blend of 6% lactic acid, 3% glycolic acid, and 1% salicylic acid, which will leave your skin silky smooth and fabulous anywhere you apply it.

Serious Serum was developed for post waxing use to alleviate ingrown hairs, blast breakouts, and minimize redness. However, we happily discovered that the combination of facial grade AHAs and green tea, aloe vera, and chamomile work perfectly to smooth bumpy, rough skin everywhere!

Bonus points that it's even good for sensitive skin! If you have issues with ingrown hairs and bumps/redness, ensuring your skin never looks as good as those damn bikini models', give the serum a go. You can pick it up at Zanella's after your next torture session ... I mean wax.

Have you tried out any new products that you love or hate? Do us a favor and let us know in the comments!