Cloudy with a chance of hot dogs . . .
Undeterred by the rain, the fog and other things, Yo La Tengo took to the Eisenhower Interstate System over the weekend in search of food. Our first stop was at Kauffman’s in Bethel PA, to the best of our knowledge the nation’s premier one-stop BBQ chicken and mini-golf emporium. The weatherman cooperated long enough for us to play 18 holes (modesty forbids me from saying I won) and then it was time for dinner. And then it was time to get back on the road.
Saturday morning presented us with a dilemma: tour manager Joe Puleo was picking up sandwiches from Katzinger’s, but we wouldn’t be seeing him till late. Closer to what was passing for home, Ritzy Lunch is open Monday-Friday only. Luckily Roadfood pointed us to O’Betty’s Red Hot! Dogs & Sausages in Athens OH. Committed carnivores, no one could bring themselves to order the vegetarian option, though we were tempted.
Heading back to Hoboken, we had the good luck to pull off the road at a random exit where we encountered Yocco’s 100 — “The Hot Dog King.” It being band policy to partake of any and all hot dog royalty, our hands were tied.
As we ate at neither the Fun Barn nor the Nelsonville Music Festival, we must leave those two establishments, each estimable in its own right, out of this scene report.