Natick man’s quest is to dog it every day for a month

Quixotic frankfurter tour spotlights region’s variety

July 28, 2011|By Tayrn Plumb, Globe Correspondent

An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but Rob Merlino is going to leave that for another month.

Without regard for his fat or salt intake, the 47-year-old father of five from Natick is celebrating National Hot Dog Month by chowing down one frank a day, every day, throughout July.

In a seemingly unquenchable quest for the iconic utensil-free food, he’s been touring grills, shacks, trucks, trailers, streetside carts, and box-car diners throughout the region, choosing between grilled, steamed, fried, and boiled hot dogs for what he is planning to be 31 lunches in a row.

“Everybody’s making a big deal out of it, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a lot of hot dogs,’ ’’ said Merlino, who shifted from mortgages to mustard about a decade ago, and operated his own hot dog truck for six years. “But the guy who won the Nathan’s contest ate twice as much as I’ll eat in a month, in about 15 minutes,’’ he noted, referring to champion chowhound Joey Chestnut. (Earlier this month, Chestnut consumed 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York for the fifth year in a row, according to the company’s website.)

Bruce Farago, owner of Jeannie’s Weenies in Holliston, tends to agree.

“I have some people that eat them every day. Some people eat four a day,’’ he said. “They seem to be fine.’’

Merlino visited Farago’s seasonal shack along Route 16 on July 19. From his small vending cart under the shade of a giant beach umbrella, Farago served him a steamed Old Neighborhood natural-casing dog and bun.

Other local purveyors of the fatty summertime favorite are impressed by Merlino’s relentless dedication.

“We couldn’t eat a hot dog a day,’’ said Lisa Volpe-Hachey, co-owner of Snappy Dogs in downtown Hopkinton, which Merlino visited on July 8. “But we’re happy he is.’’

When asked just why he is, Merlino can’t precisely articulate an answer. The quest morphed out of his website, www.thehotdogtruck.com, on which the former vendor features local hot dog joints. It’s also a way to explore New England, one dog at a time, as well as pay a mustard-and-onions-slathered homage to the often underestimated local industry, he said.

“People say New England’s not hot dog country, but there’s a real rich tradition of hot dogs in New England and the Boston area,’’ said Merlino, who, despite having recently dropped 36 pounds, isn’t too concerned about weight gain - he’ll pick up his diet and exercise routine again Monday, when the new month starts.

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