chetzels

So I just read a blog post in which the author claimed to have only missed one semi weekly post since the beginning of his blog over a year ago.  Since the beginning of my blog, I have missed...okay, who's keeping track really?  I'm averaging one post per week--ish, so we'll go with that.  Anyhow...

It's baseball season!  Even if you're not a sports fan, there is still reason to celebrate--chetzel dogs at Hammons Field!  A frankfurter served on a warm soft pretzel bun and covered in nacho cheese.  It's my favorite stadium food item and the best reason I can think of to go to a Springfield Cardinals' baseball game.  For years I had to wait until opening day to get my chetzel fix and not-so-silently wondered, why is nobody else figuring out that everything is better served on a pretzel?
Then finally, Sonic heard me.  Last spring the drive-in introduced their line of pretzel dogs--plain with mustard or topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and sauteed onions.  What was a girl to do except have a chetzel dog taste off?  Let me tell ya, not disappointed.  Hammons' chetzel was bigger, I prefer it's nacho sauce and eating it means your at a baseball game.  However, Sonic's dog was cheaper, more readily available and I loved the added flavor kick of the bacon and onions.  (Chetzel tip--avoid the plain with mustard.  It will only make you wish you had picked the cheddar, bacon, onion dog.)
After Sonic's pretzel success, numerous other fast food chains jumped on the pretzel bun train.  Wendy's pretzel bacon cheeseburger was a winner and their encore performance with a crispy chicken pretzel sandwich was equally thrilling. Then Chili's introduced two sandwiches to their lunch combo menu--I prefer the BLT to the chicken avocado.  And now you can even buy pretzel buns in the grocery store and create your own chetzel dog, chetzel burger, or chetzel whatever at home.
Just when I thought I was in chetzel heaven, Wendy's went and discontinued their pretzel bun menu.  What?!?  Don't tell me the pretzel craze was just a fad!!
Have no fear.  Wendy's may be out, but Steak and Shake has more than made up for it.  They have created the greatest pretzel burger (if not THE greatest burger period) in the history of burgers.  The pepperoni pizza burger.  Two beef patties smothered in marinara sauce and covered in melted mozzarella and provelone cheese, topped with pepperoni and served on a buttered and lightly garlic salted pretzel bun.  Delicious.  I recommend splurging the 29 cents and adding Parmesan garlic seasoning to your fries and of course complementing it with a chocolate milk shake.

I heard from an inside source that the pepperoni pizza burger may be available for a limited time only, so grab one while you can and do your part to keep it on the menu!  And let me know if there are any other chetzels out there I need to try.