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With Jacob deGrom going to Texas, the New York Mets found themselves with a massive hole in their starting rotation to plug and did just that on Monday when word broke that Justin Verlander was leaving Houston for New York.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Mets had agreed to a two-year, $86 million deal with a “vesting third-year option” to bring the soon to be 40-year-old ace to Queens.

That’s obviously a massive commitment to a pitcher entering his 40s, but Verlander is coming off another Cy Young winning season in which he led the majors with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHIP. The three-time Cy Young award winner (and 2011 AL MVP) will join Max Scherzer at the top of the Mets rotation that will continue to boast two of baseball’s best starters, even after seeing deGrom walk. The question, of course, will be whether Verlander’s health will hold up after Tommy John surgery cost him the 2021 season, but he certainly didn’t show signs of losing anything in his first year back in 2022.

After falling short in the Wild Card, the Mets clearly had ideas on how to upgrade their roster and Verlander is the first big piece, but few expect New York to be done making significant acquisitions.

It’s tough to beat Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and drink combo. It’s probably the best deal in fast food, all things considered. On its own, it’s also a pretty damn good hot dog (and notably large, compared to the frank you’d get at a game). It’s truly a meal in which you only need one to be full.

That said, how does that iconic hot dog stand up to UPROXX’s favorite grocery store brand dog? Are the size and price (and nostalgia) driving our flavor receptors to love it more? Or is really as good as a high-end brand of specially-made sausage from the hipster paradise of Portland, Oregon? That’s what this taste test aims to answer.

For this hot dog battle, I’ve pitted Costco’s classic Kirkland Signature dog against our favorite grocery store sausage, Olympia Provisions Frankfurter. To keep this as balanced as possible, I’m cooking these dogs in dirty hot dog water (like Costco would), serving them both dressed and plain, and putting them on a steamed Chicago bun from S. Rosen’s. For the dressed dogs, I’m using Stone Delicious IPA Dijon Mustard (which is a nice and spicy mustard with a little seed to it) with SuckerPunch Classic Dill Pickle Chips. It’s straightforward but tasty AF.

The rest is kind of a no-brainer. I’m looking for texture, snap, seasoning, and overall feel of each dog. Moreover, I’m looking for what truly delivers a classic hot dog experience. And since Olympia Provisions Frankfurter is modeled after German sausages, I also had my sons (who have spent their entire lives in Germany until recently) and my wife (who spent 14 years living in Berlin) sample these too and give their opinions. I figured their palates are about as dialed into German-style sausages as anyone else living in America right now.

Let’s dive in!

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Part 1: The Tasting and Ranking

2. Taste 1 — Costco

Tasting Notes (undressed):

From the jump, this is a classic hot dog. There’s a mild snap, it’s meaty, and it’s moist. There’s almost zero mealiness to the sausage. It’s well-spiced with a hint of nutmeg and maybe some very mild white pepper next to a whisper of chili pepper.

It is very salty though. It’s not a deal-breaker, but you need something to cut through the savoriness. One or two bites in and the saltiness almost overwhelms the whole thing, which is why this is ranked second.

Tasting Notes (dressed):

There we go. The spicy mustard and sharp vinegar of the pickle really cut through the saltiness of the sausage. It’s very needed to make this enjoyable. I kind of wish there was ketchup involved to add a hint of sweetness to the big savory notes, but alas here we are.

The spice does hold up nicely to the toppings and you still get a nice and meaty sense of big hot dog energy.

Other Notes:

The family’s consensus was that this tastes like a classic American hot dog. It’s meaty, delicious, and filling (when dressed) but a little salty.

1. Taste 2 — Olympia Provisions

Tasting Notes (undressed):

This was all about the spices and meat involved in the dog’s makeup. There’s a real sense of a merguez sausage with cumin, chili pepper, and lamb gaminess. I like that … but … this doesn’t taste anything like a classic hot dog, especially without toppings.

All of that said, there’s an excellent snap to the casing, the sausage filling has a mild mealiness, and the overall taste is very European but not specifically so. In fact, it feels more French-Algerian than, say, German thanks to that spice profile and use of lamb. That said, this was perfectly spiced and seasoned with just the right touches of savory and sharpness to balance the gamey meatiness.

Tasting Notes (dressed):

The mustard worked really well with this sausage, but the pickles less so. The mustard added an acidic spiciness that cut through the bigger dark spicy notes of the sausage while the pickle kind of took away from it. It did add a nice textural element, but that wasn’t enough to warrant the pickle being there.

Overall, this is such a well-constructed sausage that it just needs a little mustard to help it pop even more.

Other Notes:

The family consensus was that this tasted nothing like a classic hot dog (or a German one, though the form was correct). They landed on more Mediterranean/Northern African notes as well. In fact, it reminded them of a sausage I used to buy from a Turkish butcher, which is pretty spot on. That said, they did say this tasted really good, just not in a hot dog format.

“It didn’t need the bun” was the main throughline of their review — which is about as European as you can get.

Part 2: Final Thoughts

Olympia Provisions make a better sausage and it’s not even close. They win this tasting for that alone. But it has to be said, if you’re looking for a classic hot dog experience with that quintessential “big hot dog energy,” then you have to go with Costco’s dog.

My recommendation is to enjoy the Olympia Provisions Frankfurter like a true German — on a plate with mustard on the side for dipping. And if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing and meaty dog that you can slather in any topping, Costco is the play. But you’ll need a lot of ketchup and mustard because them’s some salty dogs.

Towards the end of last week, Caroline Polachek teased that she had a new song, “Welcome To My Island,” dropping today (December 5). Well, today is… today, and the new song is here. With it, though, also comes an album announce. Polachek is releasing Desire, I Want To Turn Into You next Valentine’s Day, February 14.

The song, which she co-wrote with Olivia Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro, actually came about during the Pang sessions and is the oldest song on the new album. In a new Rolling Stone feature, Polachek explained it didn’t make that LP because it represented a “brash and bratty and funny and chaotic and manic” new character.

Polachek also explained the meaning of the album title, saying, “One, it can be read as being about the ‘you.’ We all know that feeling of falling in love, of wanting to obsessively learn from and become that person. But on the other hand, maybe desire is the thing you want to turn into itself.”

Of the album, she noted, “I want to push back against ephemerality.” She also said of working with the project’s primary collaborator Danny L Harle, “I realized very quickly that all I needed for the album was just me and him.”

There’s no revealed tracklist yet, but previous singles “Bunny Is A Rider,” “Billions,” and “Sunset” will be on the album.

Listen to “Welcome To My Island” above.

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is out 2/14/2023 via Perpetual Novice. Pre-order it here.

Aubrey Plaza is not only famous, she’s a famous woman, so she’s probably read some truly weird things about herself on the internet. This might explain why she’s not on Twitter. But in a video for GQ, “Aubrey Plaza Replies to Fans on the Internet,” the tWiStEd The White Lotus actress revealed the “creepiest shit” she’s ever read online.

In response to a photo on Instagram where she’s wearing a witch hat, one of her followers wrote, “How many witch hats do you own? I hope it’s a lot,” followed by the smile emoji. “All right, that’s the creepiest sh*t I’ve ever read,” Plaza said. “What do you care how many hats I own?” But if you must know, “I own a lot of them,” she added, “in all different kinds of colors and levels of power.” She’s a perfect fit for Coven of Chaos.

You can watch the video above.

Plaza also recently spoke to Deadline about what it was like filming The White Lotus. “It was incredible. We were shooting in Sicily for four months, living in a luxury hotel and staying in this gorgeous town. You walk outside and look at the ocean from these cliffs. It’s breathtaking,” she said. “You’ve got the backdrop of Mt. Etna volcano that can erupt at any second. Damn, that just kind of infuses the whole scene with this wild energy.”

Will the sexual tension on The White Lotus erupt in the finale? Probably!

It seems the potential for bigger ratings wasn’t enough to keep GMA co-hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes on the air after their affair went public.

After news broke last week that Robach and Holmes were romantically involved despite both being married to different people, fans of the daytime news program wondered whether ABC would bench them, permanently. Insiders at the network claimed top execs like ABC News President Kim Godwin had zero problems with Robach’s and Holmes’ rumored affair — even positing that the cheating scandal would be ratings gold for the show — but it sounds like Godwin might have been overruled on the matter.

Early this morning, news broke that Robach and Holmes were being put on temporary leave while “the news division weighs the effect their recent disclosure of a romantic relationship might have on the program and the company.” The announcement came as a bit of a shock considering both Holmes and Robach were back on the air last week, joking for the cameras per usual. According to Variety, decision-makers at the network worried the issue had turned into “an internal and external disruption,” and “wanted to do what’s best for the organization.”

Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos are filling in for Robach and Holmes, who have yet to comment on the decision.

(Via Variety)

The golden boys of the GOP are fighting again.

After claiming he wouldn’t shy away in an exchange of fisticuffs with Kanye West, Elon Musk is now going after fellow free-speech crusader Donald Trump. The former bros have been feuding a bit since Musk invited Trump back to Twitter, but over the weekend, Musk dragged the twice-impeached president for suggesting the Constitution should be terminated so that he can be declared Commander-in-Chief once more.

On Saturday, Trump took to Truth Social to propose certain articles of the Constitution should be overturned in favor of his election denial claims.

“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”

Trump’s Constitution burning callout came after Musk released the “Twitter Files,” which turned out to be a big nothing burger in terms of “shedding light” on how Twitter handled the Hunter Biden laptop scandal in 2020. But even though Musk failed to deliver on that front, the whole exercise spurred Trump to wage war against our country’s founding document for his own gain, something the Tesla tyrant seemed so appalled by that he just had to tweet about it.

“The Constitution is greater than any President. End of story,” Musk responded to a Fox News post.

Strong words from a guy who loves to reference the First Amendment without actually understanding its meaning. No word yet on if Trump has seen the tweet, but we imagine the ketchup bottles of Mar-a-Lago are terrified right about now.

(Via The Hill)

DJ Khaled’s known for pulling some pretty out-there stunts, but it’s all in service to his shtick of doing the things “they” said he can’t or shouldn’t do. A few weeks ago at a Miami Heat game, he rested his new Air Jordan sneakers on a silk pillow as a way of drawing attention to them (possibly as a way to distract from his recent disastrous dunk attempt). No post is too shameful to share, not even one about Drake’s unusual, restroom-related birthday gift for him. That’s part of his charm — or a reason to hate him, depending on where you stand.

His latest oddball flex is getting his hair cut in the middle of the desert, just because he can. In a video he posted on Instagram, his barber lines him up as he waves the camera around show off his surroundings. He delivers his new signature motto, “God did,” before signing off.

Say what you want about Khaled, the Grammys’ second-most-nominated rap artist, he certainly finds imaginative ways to spend his money. He also seems to share his videos not to belittle his followers but to encourage them to reach similar heights. Who knows what he might do next?

Madonna celebrated the 30th anniversary of her groundbreaking book Sex in Miami last week. Last night (December 4), the pop icon released photos from a party at Art Basel where she was joined by Rauw Alejandro and Diplo.

After being out of print for years, Sex was re-issued last week by Saint Laurent Rive Droite. During Art Basel, the luxury brand launched the Sex By Madonna art exhibit where iconic images from the book were put on display. On Thursday night, Madonna was the guest of honor at a party thrown at the exhibit.

Last night, Madonna uploaded photos from the party. She was seen partying with Diplo and Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro. Her NSFW caption captured the spirit of her book Sex.

“S.E.X was great this week,” Madonna wrote in the post. “Thank you all for c*mming.”

In his Instagram stories, Alejandro wrote, “Love you Madonna.” Maybe a collaboration could be in the works between the two artists: Alejandro has previously recorded hits with pop stars like Selena Gomez, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Alicia Keys. Madonna first dabbled in Latin sounds with “La Isla Bonita” from her 1986 album True Blue. In recent years, she recorded two songs with Colombian singer Maluma. In September, Madonna released a dembow remix of “Hung Up” featuring Dominican artist Tokischa.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

ASAP Rocky could have dropped “Sh*ttin Me” around the 2018 edition of Tyler, The Creator’s annual Camp Flog Gnaw, or any year between then and now, like fans wanted. Be glad he didn’t rush it. The much-hyped track belongs on the Need For Speed Unbound video game soundtrack, but the official video asserts that the song is distinctly Rocky’s — cleverly closing the loop if you look closely enough.

Rocky was back on the festival circuit this summer, performing a very short headlining set at Rolling Loud in New York City on September 24 during which he clumsily flailed in a mosh pit. Tyler, The Creator memed the moment on his Instagram and a birthday cake. Rocky didn’t appreciate the trolling at first, but he’s reclaiming the narrative.

The Grin Machine-directed “Sh*ttin Me” video recreates the failed Rolling Loud mosh pit as Rocky melodically raps to end the first verse, “Mosh it out, I need a new towel / Jump in the crowd, hold me / I fight in the crowd, that’s two hunnid thou’ / The world is mine now.” He spits the chorus — “Sh*ttin’ me? Gotta be kiddin’ me” — while trapped on the ground by all the fans jamming their brightly lit phones in his face to record a moment he’d rather forget.

The Grin Machine-directed video also nods toward Weekend At Bernie’s and Wolf Of Wall Street. The music becomes muted, and Rocky is contorted on the ground alone in an empty room, but he still can’t get up. His friends appear and check his pulse, and his lifeless body is carried throughout the streets. People are still taking every opportunity to record it all. By the end, he’s been replaced by a printed-out 3D ASAP Rocky, and the clamoring crowds don’t even notice the difference.

Watch all the bold statements unfold in “Sh*ttin Me” above.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Latto, GloRilla, and Gangsta Boo bless the end of the year with an all-star collaboration as Nas and 21 Savage did the same. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters. Also find our Uproxx HQ Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly with the best new music, at the end of this post.

Latto — “FTCU” Feat. GloRilla and Gangsta Boo

During a time of year when releases worth anticipating are sparse, Latto has come through with “FTCU.” The tune flips Three 6 Mafia’s “Tear Da Club Up,” and appropriately enough, Mafia member Gangsta Boo hops on the track, as does GloRilla, for a rollicking night out.

Nas — “One Mic, One Gun” Feat. 21 Savage

A few weeks ago, it looked like 21 Savage and Nas had beef after some eyebrow-raising comments from Savage. Now it looks perhaps like that whole thing was a way to get eyes on them, because now that they have our attention, they’ve dropped a new collab. Uproxx’s Danielle Chelosky says of “One Mic, One Gun,” “It’s a skittish, relentlessly catchy track, watching the two talented rappers switching verses and embarking on flows about their own determination and success in a genre that poses a lot of challenges.”

Metro Boomin and ASAP Rocky — “Feel The Fiyaaaah” Feat. Takeoff

Former Migos member Takeoff of course passed away recently, and as the hip-hop world continues to mourn his passing and celebrate his life, the rapper has made his first posthumous appearance. It comes via Metro Boomin’s new album Heroes & Villains, on the ASAP Rocky joint effort “Feel The Fiyaaaah.”

RM — “들꽃놀이”

As BTS begins its hiatus, the group’s members are paying attention to their solo careers. The latest to do so is RM, who just dropped a fresh solo album, Indigo. With that, he also dropped a single for “Wild Flower,” which Uproxx’s Lai Frances calls “bone-chilling.”

Cordae — “Feel It In The Air”

Cordae started 2022 with new music via the album From A Bird’s Eye View, and now he’s closing out the year with new material, too. That came to pass last week with “Feel It In The Air,” on which he makes it clear he has issues with the business: “F*ck this industry I’m currently a part of, everybody is fake / Ulterior motives, they’ll lie in your face.”

IDK — “Coal”

There’s still time for artists to get a Christmas song out there for holiday playlist consideration, and last week, IDK came through with “Coal.” The tune is a nostalgic and light-spirited look back at IDK’s experiences with Christmas as a kid: “Mama looked at me and glanced / Trying hard not to laugh / I was five years old / And too young to understand / That if a fat white man came down the chimney / It would jam.”

ASAP Rocky — “Sh*ttin Me”

Rocky is all over the new Need For Speed Unbound game and that includes the soundtrack, which finally yielded “Sh*ttin Me,” which has been a long time coming; Rocky debuted the song at 2018’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival. This may actually be his second-best audio contribution to the game, though, just behind the custom car horn he voiced.

Babyface Ray — “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy” Feat. Lil Durk

Big year for Babyface Ray! Like the aforementioned Cordae, Ray began 2022 with new album (the debut album Face) and wrapped things up last week with Mob. The latest LP features a joint track with Lil Durk, a quick-hitting number that doesn’t hang around long but makes an impression in its short runtime.

Coi Leray — “Players”

Coi Leray is one of rap’s most exciting fresh faces, but she went old-school on “Players.” The tune is built on a sample of the Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five classic “The Message” and sees Leray rapping, “If he broke, then you gotta let him know / You could have anybody, eeny, miny, moe / ‘Cause when you a boss, you could do what you want / ‘Cause girls is players, too.”

Metallica — “Lux Æterna”

2022 was an unexpectedly major year for Metallica, as a key placement in Stranger Things brought a lot of new fans to the long-running metal group. Now, they’re perfectly capitalizing with a new album, 72 Seasons. That drops in 2023 but lead single “Lux Æterna” is here now and it’s the kind of intense rocker that longtime fans will love and that should make newer followers stick around to see what’s next.