Costco brings back elusive Caspers dogs

If there's anything I've learned in nearly 10 years of writing the Taste of the Town column, it's that readers love their hot dogs -- their specific brands of hot dogs. And with grilling season in full swing, it's only right that a local source for Caspers hot dogs has been found for Jennifer Esposito and others. Bob Swantek, Susan Raffa, Van Bohrer and Connie Hannon all said they're back in Costco stores, with Swantek speculating that they may be a seasonal item. ...

For Shelli Clark, who's looking for Chocolate Chex, Diane Williams said she saw it at Target at 8750 W. Charleston Blvd. ...

For Gail Amkin, Barb Lakkard e-mailed that Kraft Spaghetti Classics are available at www.amazon.com. ...

For Judy Vanderhorst, who's looking for Krusteaz Fat-Free Cornbread Mix, Pauline Ruhl e-mailed that she saw it at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 8060 W. Tropical Parkway. ...

For Richard Hopper, who's looking for a restaurant that serves beignets, Anita Lewes faxed that the Grand Lux Cafe at Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, makes some that are almost as good as those served at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans -- though a call elicited the information that they're served only from 11 a.m. on, not at breakfast, as Hopper wanted. ...

More on softshell crab: Dee Mitchell said she saw them at Albertsons at 5881 E. Charleston Blvd., and Ron Lutz of The Butcher Block, 7625 S. Rainbow Blvd., e-mailed that he carries them as well. ...

More on frozen green-lip mussels: Larry Serett said they're available at the 99 Ranch Market in Chinatown Plaza, 4255 Spring Mountain Road. ...

Reader requests: Serett is looking for canned pineapple juice from Hawaii that is not from concentrate. ...

Lakkard is looking for a local deli that sells its own olive salad for muffuletta sandwiches. ...

Ruhl is looking for Ore-Ida Vidalia O's onion rings. ...

John MacMillan is looking for Busch's Summer Sausage, and he and Helen Panegasser are looking for Krakus Polish Ham. ...

Leslie Livingston is looking for deli dried beef. ...

David Albert is looking for vanilla ice-cream sandwiches that aren't made with artificially flavored ice cream. ...

Chuck Schlachtun is looking for pork baby back ribs with small bones and very little fat, similar to a Danish brand he used to get frozen at Vons. ...

Mary Jane Sibella is looking for bottled Crystal Light, sold by the case. ...

Jerry Schull is looking for "good, plain" biscotti in the northwest part of the valley -- not Nonni, with "sugary flavors." ...

Seymour Slackman is looking for schmaltz herring in a plastic bag with brine, red smoked cod, whitefish chubs and butterfish chubs. ...

Karen Harris is looking for Trappey's blacked-eyed peas. ...

Carol Roden is looking for rosemary ham deli meat. ...

And Patty Moyer is looking for beef tomato chow mein like that made at White Cross Drugs at Decatur Boulevard and Alta Drive.

Readers?

Submit information to Heidi Knapp Rinella, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. You also can send faxes to 383-4676 or e-mail her at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Include your first and last names and, if e-mailing, put "Taste of the Town" in the subject line. Because of the volume of mail received, we can't respond to each request.