By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

Never mind all that Oscar Mayer bologna, in Kissimmee there is a new way to spell hot dog — it’s Willy’s.
Willy’s “the Midwest’s finest hot dogs” is now open in downtown Kissimmee at the City Centre.
“Willy” is Bill Thornton, a Milwuakee native, was in the meatpacking business for 30 years, including managing a large food service company.


 

“This was the dream,” Thornton said, actually operating his own hot dog business.
Willy’s has been open for about a month and had an official grand opening last weekend.

The family-run business includes his wife Chris, and daughters Melissa and Katie.
“Business has been good so far. We are blessed,” Thornton said.

“I’ve been a hot dog fan since I was a kid,” he said, so what started out as a hobby,  as in cooking hot dogs for friends, naturally evolved to being the proprietor of his own shop.
For Thornton, like most Midwesterners, the hot dog of choice is Chicago style (as opposed to the New York hot dog). New York hot dogs are fried or grilled.

“Ours are steamed,” he said.

The Willy’s menu is fairly simple with about a dozen different hot dogs.
The “Midwest Classics” include:

The Chicago style hot dog (mustard, onions, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt) $2.75.

The Old School (Italian beef sandwich with cheese and spicy giardniera) $3.95.
Maxwell Street Polish (grilled onions, mustard and sport peppers) $3.65.
Wisconsin’s Best (brat-wurst and sauerkraut) $3.65.
Willy’s Signature Dogs include:
The Naked Dog (hot dog on a bun, you choose the “fixin’s”) $2.65.
The Slaw Dog (hot dog covered in coleslaw) $2.95.
The Big Dog (one-quarter pound Vienna dog) $3.50.
The Poo Dog (hot dog wrapped in bacon and cheese) $2.95.
The Messy Dog (hot dog with chili and cheese) $2.95.
The Chihuahua (hot dog with cheese and jalapeno peppers) $2.95.
The Godfather (Italian beef with a hot dog) $3.50.

Willy’s also has extra toppings available, fountain drinks and root beer and black cow (Coca-Cola) floats.

Thornton said all of the shop’s ingredients come from Chicago.
His favorite hog has to be the traditional Chicago style.
“When you bite into it, you taste everything,” he said.
Willy’s is open daily. Call 407-201-7916 for more information.
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Buffalo Wings & Rings kept the heat on for the third consecutive year by winning the Hottest Sauce in St. Cloud competition for the third year in a row.
The Wing Wars competition is part of the annual St. Cloud Life event, hosted by the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce March 6. St. Cloud Life  featured family-friendly exhibits, live music and health and wellness seminars, and “tastes” of local restaurants. Exclusive restaurant category competitions occur for wings, desserts and beer, and are judged by the more than 3,000 St. Cloud residents in attendance.

“At Buffalo Wings & Rings, we pride ourselves on our exclusive ‘saucing system’,”  Erin Snider, master training manager in St. Cloud said. “We’re the only ‘wing joint’ that offers such a broad array of options, so being the consistent sauce winner in this category just solidifies that we are indeed doing things right in the eyes of our guests.”
The restaurant has nine sauces with  five customizable levels of heat – that is 45 different sauce combinations.
“Our five temperature grades of sauce are very popular with our guests,” Snider says. “Our Atomic truly packs a punch not found elsewhere!”
Buffalo Wings & Rings St. Cloud is  at 2911 Canoe Creek Road. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.  For more information, call 407-891-9464.  

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The Vine and Dine food and wine series is back at the Rosen Centre at the Everglades Restaurant.
The special event for the March 26 dinner is Mardi Gras and Vine inspired by New Orleans cuisine.  Chef Fred Vlachos has created a menu that will open with Lousiana oysters with absinthe mignotte on bloody Mary granita.
The second course is crawfish etouffee, followed by a Bourbon Street hurricane sorbet.
The main course is blackened filet of beef garnished with a lobster po’boy served with andouille sausage spoon bread.

The evening ends with Bananas Foster accompanied by beignets and chicory coffee.
Each course will be paired with a French wine selection from the restaurant’s cellar.
Cost of the dinner is $65 which includes complimentary valet parking.
Upcoming dinner events include Hollywood Vine, May 28, a menu inspired by classic films.
For reservations call 407-996-8650.