By Monty Siekerman
As the 1956 song says, “Hot dignity dog.” The Liberty National Bank gave out free hotdogs to those who enter the establishment on Monday.  Why? Because it’s National Hot Dog Month, if you hadn’t noticed.

Did you beat the world record held by Joey Chestnut who gobbled down 74 hotdogs and buns at Coney Island (appropriately) on July 4th (approximately because Americans ate 150 million wieners that day)? Hope you didn’t try it, this takes training, according to a story in Sports Illustrated.

Americans consume 7 bullion hotdogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Where is the best hotdog in Ohio, besides LNB? Leisure+Travel gives the nod to Betty’s Red Hot in Athens where you can pay up to $4.25 for a ‘dog, plus some toppings that add to the bill. Folks around here may dispute L+T honor, thinking that the other end of the state deserves the recognition: Tony Packo’s in Toledo, made famous by the TV series “Mash.” And, their fare has been eaten by many U.S. Presidents and movie stars who signed buns on display at the south Toledo (Birmingham) location.

The hotdog is thought of as the all-American food, but it was brought to this country from Frankfurt, Germany, hence the moniker “frankfurters.”

The most popular condiment is mustard, followed by ketchup and mayo. 7-Eleven sells the most at 100 million annually. Dodger Stadium sells the most of any ballpark. Wieners were the first food eaten on the moon. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. ate hot dogs on their 1969 journey.

There are many kinds of hotdogs, such as Chicago style, chili dog, Coney Island, cheese dog, kosher. What is your favorite?

Photo: Yum...Jim Shilling downs a hotdog at LNB. Fresh fruit and cookies were available, too.