Dinner and a Movie: Sac's and Miracle

Dinner and a Movie: Sac's Tasty Hotdogs and Miracle

Gourmet Gracie and Movie Magic

This classic spot with a vintage vibe opened in 1976 with one goal: Serve the best hot dogs in Northern California. “We don’t serve fast food, we serve good food.”

Many believe that dogs were first sold as “dachshund sausages” by a German immigrant with a food cart in 1860s New York. Coney Island made frankfurters famous in 1870 with the “Coney Dog.” In 1890, a St. Louis vendor offered his customers gloves to sample his sausages. When he ran out of gloves, he used buns to serve the dogs. Along the way, hot dogs became synonymous with beer and baseball. Hot dogs have history! And, maybe a little culture as well.

Sac’s is serious about sausage. Their 100% beef dogs, made from a private recipe, are delivered twice a week. An Oakland bakery delivers freshly baked buns daily. The menu at Sac’s has….well…hot dogs! Cheese dogs, kraut dogs, Cajun dogs, chili dogs and of course, the Super Chili Cheese Dogs — all scrumptious. A good place to start is with the “Original Tasty Dog,” an unadulterated hot dog with, simply, mustard, relish, onion and tomato. Get the cheesy chili right on your dog, or enjoy it on the side. Everything is fresh and made on the premises — they have no freezer.

Welcoming and efficient staff, easy parking, limited seating inside/outside. Sac’s is a favorite hang out for local high school alum and a destination for hot dog lovers all over the Bay Area.

Miracle

2004, 136 minutes, PG, Amazon Prime

The United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team beat the highly favored Soviet professionals for the Olympic Gold in 1980. Theirs is a journey of extraordinary determination. Their plan to attack versus simply defend against their intimidating opponents is contrary to tradition. Almost two decades later, their victory still exhilarates and assures us that miracles are always possible. This is a true story about loyalty, perseverance, commitment and heart.

Who are YOU playing for? One of the profound training scenes in the movie gives the answer…we are not playing for ourselves, or for our coach, or for our alma mater…we are playing for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This was a turning point in the story when the players became a team with a common goal.

Coach Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, has an ax to grind. He’d been a player who was removed from his 1960 Olympic team just before they went on to win a medal. Bucking the traditional system, Brooks, a former college coach, selects each Olympic team member based on passion and desire. His style is brash and unique, he takes no prisoners, makes no friends, but his stalwart philosophy carries them through. Egos are smashed, full blown patriotism takes over while personal triumphs are celebrated.

The scenes on the ice are authentic and inspiring. Kurt Russell shows multi-layered emotion and grit. Even knowing the ending, the tale takes us over and we’re sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation. Dubbed “Miracle on Ice,” this nostalgic and heartwarming story is just the ticket for Fourth of July celebrations in 2022.

Movie Magic gives this an enthusiastic 4 ½ moons.