If you ever go to Fairmont (WV)...

...you better walk right, to paraphrase the old song "Midnight Special." To be specific, you better walk right down to 300 Washington Street, home of Yann's Hot Dog Stand.

Admittedly, hot dogs in particular and food in general aren't usually a topic at Goat Rope. But I've been crisscrossing West Virginia lately trying to drum up support for creating a Future Fund from mineral severance taxes that would generate a long term stream of wealth for solving tomorrow's problems.

But even if you're trying to save the world, you gotta eat somewhere. And a campaign like this has been a great way for El Cabrero to sample the real taste of West Virginia.

On a recent trip to Marion County, that somewhere was Yann's, which is not just a hot dog stand but the undisputed kingdom of its proprietor, who reserves the right to serve hot dogs his way, which includes a nice spicy sauce a little on the hot side. By local tradition, said dogs are best eaten with chocolate milk to take a little of the edge off.

The dogs were great. And you take em like you find em. I pity the fool who asks for ketchup on a hot dog.

So if you're ever up that way, check it out and take what you're given. If memory serves, it's just a quick right turn from the courthouse down by the bridge. And speaking of the courthouse, inside it's the most beautiful one I've found in WV so far (and I've seen quite a few lately).

Note: I understand the hours at Yann's pretty much correspond to when the owner feels like being there.

HOW CAN YOU MEASURE LOCAL RACISM? Would you believe Google?

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