frankly speaking
Hoffman digs into Toyota Center's haute dogs and specialty franks
After some hard-hitting, deep-background investigation, I reported that Toyota Center chefs had concocted a Grilled Cheese Hot Dog at Houston Rockets games. Toyota Center has some of the best dogs in town, especially at the upscale, fancy Haute Dog cart on the main concourse, where they're offering an over-the-top Jalapeno Popper Dog for February.
Readers fired back questions about the hot dogs at Rockets games. So here you go: five fast questions for Anthony Flory, Toyota Center's executive sous chef and co-mad scientist behind the Grilled Cheese Dog.
Ken Hoffman: Are your specialty hot dogs all-beef?
Anthony Flory: It's all beef, from a local purveyor called 44 Farms.
KH: Where can fans find the Haute Dog cart?
AF: It's on the concourse by Section 108, directly adjacent to the big escalator and main entrance.
KH: How does Toyota Center cook its hot dogs?
AF: Most concession stands steam their hot dogs. However, the club hot dogs are grilled.
KH: When you're not working, do you enjoy going to games where you can just sit and watch the game like a regular fan?
AF: To be honest, people hate going to sporting events with me, because I spend the vast majority of time walking the arenas, eating and sampling everything, and checking their food and beverage operations. Maybe they're doing something different that could help me be more successful in my role here at Toyota Center.
My briefs
MSN News threw out a list, in random order, "30 Cities with the Worst Weather in America." Borrowing from Chris Jericho, "We just made the list!"
Says MSN, "Mornings reach a peak average humidity level of 90 percent in Texas' most populous city, compounding the discomfort of Houstonians on the 100 days each year when temperatures reach 90-plus degrees."
Says me: "We don't have sub-zero winters and we're not shivering in our cars, and stepping in slush and worrying about losing toes due to frostbite. So there! I'll take 90 degrees over -2 any day."
Keep walkin'
There's a lot of talk about parades in the news lately. If you don't like parades, and you happen to get caught in one, here's what to do, courtesy of late comic Mitch Hedberg:
"Walk in the opposite direction. The parade will be over twice as fast."
A better use for french fries
According to scientists in Japan, McDonald's french fries may hold the secret to curing baldness. They say a chemical in those delicious fries — dimethylpolysiloxane — has spurred the growth of hair on the backs of bald mice.
So guys, start rubbing fries on your head. There's no more need for ridiculous-looking combovers. You listening, CNN's David Axelrod? You're not fooling anyone.
Smackdown time!
Wrestlemania has hit the two-month pole. WWE's big event is scheduled for April 8 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The ticket window for WrestleMania Axxess, April 5-8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, is now open.
Superstars like Goldberg, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Asuka, Seth Rollins, and Charlotte Flair will be available for autographs and photos.
In addition, there will be live matches, memorabilia displays and other WWE attractions. VIP tickets are $125, and individual session tickets are $55. More information here.