Hot Dogs

NORWOOD, N.J. - Gregory Papalexis, whose Sabrett hot dogs have become a part of the New York City experience, has died. He was 86. Papalexis was president, CEO and chairman of Englewood-based Marathon Enterprises, a supplier of hot dogs, buns, onion sauce and other products, and the owner of the Sabrett trademark. He died Friday in Rockleigh, N.J., according to the Barrett Funeral Home in Tenafly, N.J., which is handling arrangements. Sabrett hot dogs are sold nationwide.

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd and Gary Carter are the worst hot dogs in the major leagues, according to a survey conducted by the Toronto Globe and Mail. The newspaper polled 26 players - one from each team - and asked them to pick the best and worst in each league in several categories. Among the winners in the other categories were: DIRTIEST. Toronto's George Bell in the American League and Pete Rose in the National League. WORST MANAGER. Dick Williams of the Seattle Mariners ("He treats people like they're not people," one player said)

What better way to celebrate the day before the biggest cookout day of the year, than to, well, have a cookout? That's exactly what organizers of the fourth annual All-American Barbecue at Miles Park in Whitemarsh did for the children enrolled in the Parks and Recreation Summer Playground program. Although turnout was down because of holiday travel, more than 60 children ages 6 to 12 enjoyed hot dogs, played kickball and sported patriotic garb. "We thought of it as a way to tie into the Fourth of July with something special and a little different from the actual day they'll spend with family," said assistant director David Stewart, who, true to the mood of the day, was clad in an American-flag shirt.

Philadelphia has always been a cheesesteak city. Hoagie mecca, completely. Burger town, yes, and getting better all the time. Now, finally, with a wave of trendy and upscale offerings, building on a foundation of old-school staples, Philly can finally claim another point of pride: great hot dogs. We've got the city's most lauded chefs making their own links, multiple new hot dog stands experimenting with flavor combinations, and a proud representation of the "Texas Weiner" lineage.

Q: This past July 4th, I watched Nathan's hot dog eating contest on TV where the winner (for the sixth time), Joey Chestnut, ate an incredible 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes! How can someone eat that much? He's not even that big a guy. Can't someone's stomach explode from doing that? Does he need to vomit afterward? A: The stomach is a muscular sac, and like the urinary bladder, it can be stretched way beyond its normal capacity with a lot of willpower and determination. Normally, there's a sense of fullness where you "just can't eat another bite.

JOEY CHESTNUT is not the only person eating hot dogs in this country of ours. According to www.hot-dog.org (yes, there is such a website), Americans devoured 150 million on the Fourth of July.   But nobody devours them faster than Chestnut. The San Jose, Calif., resident accounted for the consumption of 68 of those 150 million doggies on Wednesday on the way to winning The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. Chestnut, a three-time Wing Bowl champ (2006-08)

It was a hot-dog-delicious, good day for Rita Schaeffer and two of her children, who enjoyed free gourmet beef franks yesterday during the Independence Picnic, which kicked off the Fourth of July weekend. Schaeffer, 43, and her children, ages 11 and 14, are living at the Salvation Army Eliza Shirley House, a shelter in North Philadelphia. Besides the free hot dogs, quality time with her family was on her mind. "We're just having fun and learning things while we're doing it," Schaeffer said.

EATING MACHINE Joey Chestnut chomped his way to a sixth straight victory at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Championship at Coney Island. The San Jose, Calif., resident and three-time champion of Sportsradio 94 WIP's Wing Bowl tied his 2009 record of 68 hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes. He remains the world's top-ranked competitive eater. Three local professional eaters — Royersford's Bob "Notorious B.O.B. " Shoudt, Drexel Hill's Micah "Wing Kong" Collins and Downingtown's Sean "Flash" Gordon — competed in the Major League Eating event but got nowhere near Chestnut's numbers.

Mothers and fathers came. So did daughters and sons. Aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews were there, too. They all came to take part in Lawnside Family Day. Under a spotted-blue afternoon sky, residents and family members ate barbecue, fried turkey and more than 2,000 hot dogs. Later, they listened to jazz and watched fireworks. Lawnside Family Day, held on June 24 this year, is a grand fair for this borough of nearly 3,000. It is also much more: The annual event, which dates back more than 40 years, is a borough reunion.

Mayor Rendell helps give out hot dogs to children outside the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank on behalf of Hatfield Quality Meats on its "Hot Dog Day. " The company yesterday donated 50,000 hot dogs to the food bank in the 300 block of West Berks Street.

After 105 years, it can be tough to pick out a birthday present. But officials at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland knew exactly what to get Frank Cuccia on Saturday. "The reason he says he's gotten to be 105 is because every day he would always eat a McDonald's hamburger," said Derick Glenn, special events coordinator at the home. So a Happy Meal it was. While the gift may have been small, there was still a big celebration for the World War II veteran, as the nursing home and local VFWs honored residents there for their service as part of National Nursing Home Week.

HOW INTENSELY do Lee and Docena Blyden love their wiener dogs? The Northeast Philadelphia couple bought an Xfinity Home wide-angle security camera so that when they're away from their house near Franklin Mills Mall, they can watch streaming video of Percy and Wendy on their smartphones. That's intense. The Blydens have a grown son and young grandchildren, so they are not substituting canines for kids to fill an emotional void. It's more like Wendy, 9, and Percy, 2, are a second set of grandkids - with shorter legs, longer ears and tails that don't quit.

What is it? The owners of Calypso (formerly of the Chestnut Hill Farmers Market) went mobile last year with Mini Trini, featuring a simple menu of delicacies from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Real street: Owner Iman Marcano said their most popular item is the traditional street food called double. "The same way you buy hot dogs on the street, [double is] what people are selling on the corners in Trinidad," Marcano said. A double is fried dough (bara) filled with curried chickpeas (chana)

It was a Sunday in the park for children in West Philadelphia, a day of free cotton candy, popcorn, hot dogs, and pony rides. Five barbers gave dozens of boys free haircuts, and the girls got complimentary manicures and jewelry-making lessons to craft their own bracelets. About 300 youngsters who came to Malcolm X Park at 51st and Pine Streets received complimentary school backpacks filled with notebooks, pencils, glue sticks, folders, and paints - everything they might need for the first day of classes.

Q: This past July 4th, I watched Nathan's hot dog eating contest on TV where the winner (for the sixth time), Joey Chestnut, ate an incredible 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes! How can someone eat that much? He's not even that big a guy. Can't someone's stomach explode from doing that? Does he need to vomit afterward? A: The stomach is a muscular sac, and like the urinary bladder, it can be stretched way beyond its normal capacity with a lot of willpower and determination. Normally, there's a sense of fullness where you "just can't eat another bite.

JOEY CHESTNUT is not the only person eating hot dogs in this country of ours. According to www.hot-dog.org (yes, there is such a website), Americans devoured 150 million on the Fourth of July.   But nobody devours them faster than Chestnut. The San Jose, Calif., resident accounted for the consumption of 68 of those 150 million doggies on Wednesday on the way to winning The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. Chestnut, a three-time Wing Bowl champ (2006-08)

EATING MACHINE Joey Chestnut chomped his way to a sixth straight victory at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Championship at Coney Island. The San Jose, Calif., resident and three-time champion of Sportsradio 94 WIP's Wing Bowl tied his 2009 record of 68 hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes. He remains the world's top-ranked competitive eater. Three local professional eaters — Royersford's Bob "Notorious B.O.B. " Shoudt, Drexel Hill's Micah "Wing Kong" Collins and Downingtown's Sean "Flash" Gordon — competed in the Major League Eating event but got nowhere near Chestnut's numbers.

The elusive wolf-dog of Pennypack Park has been caught, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has confirmed. The early-morning capture was made with the help of hot dogs and foothold traps. No thanks to foxes, which kept eating the bait. The animal is believed to be a wolf-Alaskan malamute mix that was purchased as a pet in Florida and escaped when its owners were visiting Philadelphia in March. It seemed docile enough, sometimes just lying in a clearing off the 8600 block of Algon Avenue, at the edge of the Northeast Philadelphia park.