Valerie Bertinelli and Her Boyfriend Flirt Over Hot Dogs and Dad Jokes: 'I'm the Real Wiener'

Bertinelli's boyfriend Mike Goodnough shared a glimpse of the pair’s date at a hot dog stand in New Jersey

Valerie Bertinelli found herself a “real wiener!”

The former Food Network star engaged in some funny banter on Threads with her boyfriend Mike Goodnough after the two went on a date to a hot dog stand in New Jersey.

Goodnough, who goes by Hoarse Whisperer on social media, shared a glimpse of the pair’s day at Rutt’s Hut, a walk-up restaurant in Clifton, N.J. He also shared a photo of Bertinelli in the background with two huge hot dogs in the foreground.

“I only have eyes for @wolfiesmom but the camera couldn’t help but stare at these two chili dogs,” he said of the photo, which mostly blurred out Bertinelli’s face.

“I think it just appreciates fine art… because those chili dogs were masterpieces,” he wrote. “Rutt’s Hut (ruttshut) in Clifton, NJ. A true landmark of hot dog artistry.”

Related: Valerie Bertinelli’s Boyfriend Shares a Look at Their Adorable Day Date amid Bertinelli's Break from Social Media

The Hot in Cleveland star then shared a cheeky response in a Threads post.

“Let’s be frank, honey. You were totally smitten 🤤 and relished those 2 puppies,” she quipped. “I suppose it could’ve been wurst but I do know that out of all the hotdogs in the world, you pickle me 😁”

The couple’s flirty exchange over hot dogs didn’t end there.

“Madam, please step away from the Dad Joke Machine. You haven’t been checked out on that equipment,” Goodnough wrote. “Seriously though, even when I’m a brat, you aren’t chili to me. I know I’m the real wiener here.”

This is Bertinelli’s first real return to social media since announcing she was taking a break online in May following her Indulge cookbook tour. (She has reposted a few of Goodnough's posts.)

Related: Valerie Bertinelli Is Taking a Social Media Break Because She’s ‘Overwhelmed and Mentally/Emotionally Exhausted’

“The last six or so weeks have been…a LOT,” Bertinelli wrote on Instagram at the time.

“And while I am incredibly grateful for all your support for my book and everyone I’ve had the good fortune to meet, this here introvert in extrovert’s clothing is in need of a mental health break,” she explained.

In his own post on May 30, Goodnough gave a little update on the pair’s bicoastal relationship while Bertinelli was still enjoying a break from social media.

“The problem with long-distance relationships is, well, you know… the distance. Hard to be far when you just want to be close,” he wrote.

He continued, “On the bright side, it makes the time together that much more valuable.”

The East Coast writer posted a photo of the former Food Network star, who lives in Los Angeles, grinning ear-to-ear while standing next to the Hudson River. The New York City skyline is peaking out in the background and in the caption, he also explained that this was his “view of the city from my side.”

The West and East Coast partners first connected online. They had messaged on Instagram a few years before they began dating and following their initial messages, “every few months he would DM me,” Bertinelli said. It wasn’t until January 2024 when things began to heat up after they spoke on the phone for the first time.

“It was strictly platonic but there was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar,” the cookbook author told PEOPLE in April. “A comfort level. He felt like a kindred spirit.”

Two months after they first began having long phone conversations, the two met up in New York City in March for a date in Central Park. It was during this time that Bertinelli felt “at home” with Goodnough, she recalled. “This is where I belong, in this man’s arms,” she said.

Since then, the couple has established a “three-week rule” to ensure they continue to see each other often.

“We never go longer than that without seeing each other,” the actress explained. “After all, it’s about finding the joy in life and sharing it.”

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