Latest news with #Rastelli
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grilling this summer? Round hot dog patties are the latest BBQ craze — and they're on sale
Here's a debate I have with my friends every summer: Is a hot dog a sandwich? No? Well, does your answer change if the hot dog is in the shape of a hamburger patty and served on a bun? Yes, it's a thing and it's destined to be the talk of your Memorial Day barbecue. Rastelli's hot dog patties are essentially flat frankfurters, and they're either genius or gross — depending on who you ask. If you want to try these "Frankenburgers" for yourself (and I highly suggest you do), they're currently on sale at QVC leading up to the holiday weekend. Sure, they're a little pricier than your average hot dog, but you can get a 12-pack or 24-pack at QVC for 20% off. Right now, the 12-pack is on sale for $44, while the 24-pack is down to $70, as part of the retailer's National BBQ Month sale. Oh yeah, and shipping is free. New to QVC? Score an extra $15 off your first $35 order with code HELLO15. And if you don't want to pay it all in one go, take advantage of QVC's Easy Pay offer and have your items ship right away, while you pay for them in interest-free monthly installments. Rastelli's, a New Jersey-based butcher, launched its famous hot dog patties a few years ago. It claims that the flatter surface is better at holding condiments and the outer, scalloped ridges allow for more caramelization on the grill — all of which is true. I can't tell you how many times I've piled on the hot dog toppings only for half of them to fall out of the bun by the time I'm done eating. But with a burger bun, it's a lot easier to hold your sandwich (er, hot dog?) together. 'We set out to improve the hot dog,' Rastelli's told Fox News in 2021 when these babies first went viral. 'Like many people, our customers were accustomed to slicing their hot dog down the middle before grilling to increase surface area for caramelization and flavor — so when the really busy moms and dads asked if we had any pre-sliced hot dogs, we started thinking.' Now, you may want to compare the hot dog patties to bologna, which is essentially thinly sliced hot dog meat. But these hot dog rounds are made with beef and all-white meat chicken breast, and they're free from added hormones, steroids, nitrates, nitrites, artificial preservatives, MSG, trans fats and gluten, the brand says. The hot dogs come fully cooked, but vacuum-sealed in packs of four and frozen with a bit of dry ice. You can toss them on the grill or air-fry them at 400°F for six minutes. However, if you want to try them, you should move quickly. Last summer, they sold out! Hot dog rounds are the perfect cookout dish for freaking out your family and friends — and then impressing them upon their first bite. One reviewer even called them the "best hot dog ever." "They taste like the old-fashioned dogs from my youth! Flavorful, without the overly salty taste of today's grocery store dogs," a five-star reviewer wrote. This home chef agreed: "The quality of the meat is amazing. The unique patty shape makes it easy to serve either with burger buns or rye bread (my favorite). Don't be fooled by the shape. These are 100% hot dogs." Some super fans have been buying them on repeat. Said one: "We've ordered these round dogs several times and they're delicious! They are dense and chewy, but it's a nice texture. They are very tasty and juicy, too. We plan to keep ordering these because we love them and enjoy eating them on a freshly baked brioche round bun." "This is the way to my hubby's heart!" exclaimed a happy purchaser. "He thinks these are just the best thing ever. I bought them once and he loved them, so when we ran out, I purchased more for him. I love them as well." You'll also save money on hot dog buns since the goods don't need their own bread holders. "No longer do you have to have two different buns for your hamburger and hot dog cookouts. Great taste," commented a buyer. Just a heads up, not everyone's a fan. But of course, it all comes down to your personal preferences. "We were curious, so we had to try the round hot dogs out. ... The quality was good — we just missed the snap of the Vienna-style hot dog casing and the center of the round dog was a little too thick for what we wanted with a grilled hot dog. Fun idea, but not for us," said a reviewer. Another shopper from last summer said, "I thought it would be fun to try. Turns out we prefer sausage-shaped dogs." Not into hot dogs? It's okay! You can round out your summer barbecue with other fan-favorite foods from QVC — think ribs, burgers, desserts and more. They're all on sale! The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
CBC
29-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Halifax launching shared e-bike, scooter pilot
Anyone visiting or living in Halifax will be able to grab an electric bicycle or scooter this spring as part of the city's first regulated micromobility pilot — featuring new technology to prevent users from riding on the sidewalk. The Halifax Regional Municipality chose Bird Canada as the sole provider of the two-year pilot in February, and a city spokesperson said the program aims to launch in May. Bird will start with 300 e-scooters and 300 e-bikes in the first phase, but that could grow to an entire fleet of about 1,000 of the lightweight vehicles depending on demand. Pat Graham, general manager of Bird Canada, said users will only be able to park or pick up the scooters and bikes at designated stations. Graham said they can also set slow zones where scooters are set to a lower speed limit than usual, or no-ride areas where the device will safely come to a stop. "We can see when people ride on the sidewalk. So one, they should be brought to a stop, but two … we will send a warning," Graham said Friday. "It'll be a little bit different than I think in the past, where you could end your ride kind of wherever you'd like." Each bike or scooter will have an attached helmet, but Graham said Bird will also offer helmet giveaways so people can have their own. Scooters are currently treated like bicycles under the Motor Vehicle Act and must travel in bike lanes, most multi-use paths or the roadway. Riding on sidewalks is already illegal but has been hard to enforce. With the Bird system, riders are continually charged if they abandon the scooter outside a designated station, which can become "quite expensive," Graham said. After an initial warning outlining any improper behaviour, he said a second incident leads to a fine, and a third strike gets a user banned from the service. Their Bird app will also include a sobriety test feature that can be turned on at night, often around 10 or 11 p.m., which includes puzzles and a road safety quiz riders have to pass. "Obviously drinking and riding is heavily discouraged from our perspective and we don't want anyone doing that," Graham said. The bikes and scooters will be set up near bus stops, bus terminals and ferry terminals so people can combine a trip with transit. Graham said they are now planning out exactly where the parking stations will be. "We're filling in transportation gaps, whether it's from an under-served community based on routes, or just timing," Graham said. The service will start in the urban core of Halifax and Dartmouth, and will eventually spread throughout suburban and rural areas of the region. But the city's existing companies now can't offer shared scooters on city roads. Max Rastelli, owner of HFX e-Scooters, said his own bid fit all the technical criteria for the pilot tender and was shortlisted. Rastelli said he hoped Halifax would select two operators, which was a possibility in the tender, but he was ultimately not chosen. In the future, Rastelli said he'd like Halifax to put more emphasis on supporting smaller local businesses in the procurement process. Now he will only offer scooters on the Halifax waterfront, which is not city property. "That's what's going to significantly change our business, and it will impact revenues big time," Rastelli said. He is now exploring expanding shared scooter services to Sydney and other municipalities around the province. CBC reached out to MoVe Scooters, another current local operator, but did not receive a response. When asked about Bird's reaction to displacing existing operators, Graham said the decision lies with Halifax and they are "incredibly grateful" to be selected. But Graham said they will be needing experienced staff for the Halifax pilot, and are "actively" reaching out to other operators to see if they would join the Bird team. Halifax first city in Atlantic region to use Bird Pricing is still being finalized, but Graham said the standard rate is $1 to unlock a bike or scooter and then $0.35 per minute for a ride. They will also offer discounted day, week or monthly passes for commuters who expect to ride multiple times a day, like $10 for 60 minutes of riding. A monthly Bird pass would be similarly priced to a monthly Halifax Transit pass, Graham said. "Not everyone can afford their own e-bike. They're pretty expensive," Graham said. "So to have the ability to use this form of transportation in a more equitable way for … lower-income groups is incredibly important to allow them to access their city in the same way that others have the opportunity to already." Bird is set up in nearly 30 municipalities across the country, including Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. Halifax is its first location in Atlantic Canada.
