Tale of the Pup ‘n’ Pump: Our...

Tale of the Pup ‘n’ Pump: Our recent meditations on dining firsts in L.A.--such as the chili size concocted by Ptomaine Tommys in the 1920s--inspired a couple of Downtown entrepreneurs to notify us of the unusual combination lunch that they have cooked up:

A vegetarian hot dog with a blood pressure test.

We think it’s a first, though in L.A. you never know.

Street vendors Carl Austin and Chandelle Lee sell their Vege-Dog (on wheat) for $1.65 and give a free blood pressure test alfresco--in a folding chair reserved for patients/diners.

The vendors’ slogan is: “Heal L.A.”

Lacking a powerful press agent, Austin and Lee sent us several testimonials, including one from a foreign-born customer who said: “I’ve never eaten a real hot dog, but this tastes real good.”

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Leftovers: Before we leave the dinner table, here are some other eateries who claimed milestones in L.A.:

* First parking valets: Lawry’s (founded: 1938).

* First serving of salad before dinner: Lawry’s.

* First veal Oscar: Scandia (1946-1989).

* First Moscow Mule drink: Cock ‘n’ Bull (1937-87) (contributed by Dr. Scott Schubach of West L.A.).

* First kosher pizza: Kosher Nostra (1975).

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Is that pizza pie on our face?We felt our blood pressure go up a bit when Gilda Hanson of Reseda wrote to scold us for saying that pizza--the unkosher variety--might have originated at a restaurant called Patsy D’Amore in Hollywood in the 1940s.

“I was eating pizza as far back as 1925 when my mom made homemade bread and always made a pizza for dinner with the bread dough in Buffalo, N.Y.,” Hanson wrote. “Her name was Rose Costello and she’d be 100 years old this October if she’d lived, but she only made it to 93.”

But wait! Our pizza claim only pertained to L.A.

We do believe, however, that Hanson’s letter revealed the key to her mother’s long life.

“Our pizza,” Hanson said, “always had anchovies.”

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Those Mighty Bucks: The Walt Disney Co.’s new hockey venture has produced some unexpected surprises, including a team with a propensity for brawling that belies its cute nickname.

Off the ice, the Mighty Ducks management has also shown it can be severe. A high school student attending a Ducks game the other night underwent a routine purse search, after which she was forced to surrender three lollipops, a couple of Tootsie Rolls and a piece of Jolly Rancher candy. Then she was allowed to take her $40 seat.

An arena spokesman explained that such treats can be used as projectiles and--oh, yes--the club doesn’t want to hurt the business of the concessionaires, either.

miscelLAny:

In case you’re wondering, the recipe for a Moscow Mule is 1 1/2 oz. vodka, 8 oz. ginger beer and the juice of half a lime. Pour into chilled mug. After sipping, wiggle your ears.