Simones' Hot Dog Stand

Well, hot diggity dog!

Maine is unique in many ways, including the red snapper hot dogs. It sure seems that many from away think they are wicked awesome. Two Maine restaurants made the list on the dailymeal.com's 'America's 50 Best Hot Dogs'!

Simones' Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston is part of my family history and a large part of the history in Lewiston. My grandfather started the restaurant in Lewiston in 1908 and it's still going strong 108 years later.

The holidays and family go hand in hand and when I saw on Facebook that Norm Karkos from WMTW had featured my families restaurant in a Hometown Maine segment, it brought back many childhood memories and made me smile and tear up at the same time.

Thrillist.com came up with their list of the 21 Best Hot Dog Joints in America. The hot dog is a true symbol of America. The hand-held treats are inexpensive and tasty. However, not all hot dogs are created equal, there are some out there, hidden among the stadiums and food carts of the world, that are fit for a king.

Simones' World Famous Hot Dogs has been a Lewiston, Maine institution since 1908. I want to point out that this restaurant is part of my family history. My father Nestor and his brother George had owned the restaurant for several years and the restaurant is currently owned by by cousin Jimmy Simones and his wife Linda.

Simones' Hot Dog Stand has been in my family for over 105 years. My Dad and his brother George had owned the restaurant for several years. My Dad sold his share of the business to his brother in the early 1970's when I was maybe 7 years old. My cousin Jimmy Simones is the current owner and the restaurant is a landmark in Lewiston.

With baseball season in full swing and warmer weather and backyard BBQ's on the way, there is nothing like a great hot dog. The Daily Meal.com searched high and low across our great nation for the search of the best hot dogs. Two Maine restaurants made their list of America's 35 Best Dogs!

Most of the customers at Simones' Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston, a popular campaign stop for Maine politicians, thought the announcement ofU.S. Representative Mike Michaud being gay isn't really much news.