Weekly Shout Out – Saint Franks, Andy Shauf, Turtle Express

Greetings pretty ponies!

First of all, we apologize that our hiatus from web wrangling went on much longer than anticipated.  We won’t bore you with the particulars, suffice to say, work/family obligations took precedent. Believe us when we say that if we had our druthers, we’d be out Horsing Around 24/7 but, sometimes, a man (or, in this case, a chicken, horse, guerilla fashionista or unicorn) has got to do what a man has got to do. There is no point being maudlin.  Suffice to say, we are elated to be back. We have missed you, dear readers!

W.S.O. is our weekly paean to things we love, and, lucky for us, there has been a lot going on (and a whole lot to come) in our fair berg that we feel warm and fuzzy about.

First of all, Saint Franks, a new watering hole/cum eatery (and brainchild of the folks who brought us Wheelies Motorcycle Cafe) have opened for business. Franks objective is to bring pride back to the humble hot dog. As of this writing, we have sampled three of their hot dog creations, The Saint Frank, The Dogwood Chicken Club, and the Mac and Cheese Dog. While all had their merits, our favourite was the Mac and Cheese. Topped with a smoky poblano sauce, and a gargantuan mound of ooey gooey mac and cheese, this is one wondrous weenie. The secret to eating the overstuffed creation is this: using you fork, tamp the macaroni down in to the bun, the cheesy sauce will ooze tantalizingly around your frank.  Next time, I am going to ask them to add a squirt of spicy sriracha mayo and I’ll officially be in hot dog heaven.  We downed our dogs with frothy pints of Hoyne Dark Matter and a side of tater tots (yes, there are tater tots!).  Saint Frank’s is refreshingly affordable, the happy hour special of a hotdog and beer, rings in at just $10.  Service is friendly and the vibe is relaxed. If you sit at the back of the bar, you can play Space Invaders while you imbibe.  We think the owners are living up to their mantra, Saint Franks is a dog gone, hot dog haven (witness the sausage splendour here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGfzYy9BpSL/?taken-by=horsingaroundvictoria ).

Moving on from our weenie warblings, on the fashion front, intrepid style correspondent and fashionista, Midge Mod, spied this foxy tank top at Turtle Express in Fan Tan Alley- https://www.instagram.com/p/BIGWneQgy5I/?taken-by=horsingaroundvictoria.  Wear it on its own with a pair of denim cutoffs or layer it over a cami or long sleeved top and you can take it from the beach, to brunch.  For those that prefer a little more coverage, the same style is available in a soft-knit T shirt.

Now, we at H.A. H.Q. may have our differences, but one thing we have in common is that we always have music on our minds (or on the stereo, or i-pod or, well, you get the picture!).  Our latest listen, one we cannot seem to get enough of, is the new album by pop wunderkind Andy Shauf.   We discovered Shauf when he opened for Case, Lang, Veirs at Victoria Jazz Fest (don’t get us started on  how legendary that concert was!).  Shauf’s new album, The Party, was recently described by the Independent as “baroque-pop with echoes of Seventies smarties like Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Steely Dan, though rather more empathetic than them.”  We are smitten with Shauf’s potent blend of intricate narratives and catchy, retro-inspired riffs. Shauf has recently been shortlisted for the coveted Polaris Prize.   Check out the video for the track The Worst In You here: http://www.anti.com/videos/the-worst-in-you/

Well, there you have it folks, a few things that are making us happy this week.  We hope you are having a lovely summer.   W.S. O. will be back Sunday, July 24th with three Bs – burgers, bao buns and, B.. (shh, the 3rd B is a secret, you’ll have to stay tuned~).

Have you been to Saint Frank’s yet? If so, let us know what you think.  Visit our Facebook, twitter, or Instagram page and comment. As always, we  love hearing from you.

Until, next time, pretty ponies.

xoxo

Monty, Midge, Pete and the whole gang at H.A. H.Q.