Frankly, I Relish a Visit to Sam's

An item worth notice around these parts is one that's near and dear to my heart --- and my cholesterol, too, for that matter. Sam's has closed, hopefully to reopen. I was in on the next-to-last day for my next-to-last hot dogs with chili sauce and onions, and it was just as noisy, raucous and smoke-filled as ever.

Sam's holds a special place for me because my grandfather, during the Depression, worked for a time as a chauffeur for Sam Pandel, the eponymous founder. From what I can gather, Sam's (originally known as The Superior Restaurant) was initially a place of higher aspirations than a hot-dog joint.

A few days after Christmas, Pat Cloonan reported in the News that Sam's had been sold by caterer Phil Haughey to a Monroeville realtor who may try to resurrect a bit of that former glory:

"He has solid training in more conventional restaurants, Red Lobster, Pizza Oven. That's where his training has been, (with) years of management training under his belt," Haughey said.

Brentley might even tweak a recipe served more than 10 million times over more than eight decades.

"He's very interested in getting the original Sam's hot dog sauce," Haughey said, referring to the restaurant's chili sauce, served with mustard and onions on a steamed bun.

According to Cloonan, Brentley might also switch from Kahn's hot dogs to Hebrew National --- a move Haughey advises against, but one which I would endorse. The Kahn's hot dogs don't have much "snap."

I thought Haughey did a fine job keeping Sam's open, and even added a bunch of things that I liked, such as homemade soup and pies and cakes. If he had a catering job lined up, and there was extra food, you could usually count on the "spoils" being served at Sam's as a special.

Brentley is also dropping the bar from Sam's --- it'll now be liquor-free. From a financial standpoint, I don't know if that makes sense, but it might attract more people with kids.

Personally, the best change Brentley could make would be to move Sam's to a location with some parking. There isn't any nearby now (sure, you can park on Fifth Avenue and walk over), and in 2006, that's a crucial problem. Plus, the current location --- wedged behind the old Ruben's Furniture building --- has seen better days, to put it nicely. And it wouldn't be the first time that Sam's has moved.

So, how about down by the marina? There's an empty storefront between the VFW and the Palisades (I think it used to be a florist, and most recently housed the Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, I seem to recall). It's visible from the Jerome Avenue Bridge (envision a big neon sign out front) and has parking across the street. It's also within convenient walking distance of the river.

I can almost see people strolling up Fifth Avenue in the summertime to Sam's for a hot dog and a cold beverage. I can see them stopping there for dinner before a dance at the Palisades ... or for coffee and pie afterward. It's hard enough to get people Downtown, but those dances seem to pack 'em in --- so once we've got 'em Downtown, why don't we keep 'em there?

I know --- I've got lots of ideas for everyone else's money but my own, don't I?

Anyway, whatever Mr. Brentley decides to do, I wish him lots of luck, and I look forward to getting a hot dog off the grill again.

Just please tell me he won't wash the grease off the grill. He wouldn't do that, would he?

...

Speaking of hot dog joints of local acclaim, Jim's Drive-In on Skyline Drive in West Mifflin has a spiffy new red neon sign. You can get up quite an argument in the Mon-Yough area by asking people which is better --- Sam's hot dog sauce or Jim's.

Well, I'm here to tell you they're not comparable. Sam's sauce has more flavor and texture. Jim's is smoother, but spicy and tangy. If you like a chili-based sauce, you go to Sam's, and if you like a spicy, tomatoey sauce, you go to Jim's. Personally, I like 'em both, and where I go for a hot dog depends on which I'm closest to when the urge strikes me.

I guess that settles that argument. (Uh, right!)