Road Tips

Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City

With the end of the 2011 Major League Baseball season today, it's always a melancholy time of the year for me. Summer is over, winter is closing in and, to me, there is nothing more lonely than a baseball field in the dead of winter. Oh, I know the playoffs and World Series are coming up, but for me baseball is over for the season. I may give a cursory glance at a playoff game on TV, but I don't like to watch the insipid network coverage of Major League Baseball. However, to get one last baseball fix in before it all ended, I had to go to Kansas City for some meetings last week and I was able to take a night out and go to Kauffman Stadium to see the Royals play the American League Central Champions Detroit Tigers.

People in Kansas City were optimistic before the season started that the young Royals ballclub was going to make a big splash this year. With one of the best minor league feeder systems in all of baseball, many observers felt that Kansas City could have a surprising year, but the majority of the baseball pundits felt the Royals were possibly a couple three years away from contending once again. Even with a quick start that saw them at and/or near the top of the division standings the first month of the season, the Royals faded quickly after losing at least five games in a row two times in the months of May and June. The Royals will end the season firmly entrenched in fourth place of the AL Central division.

With the anticipation of better days ahead for the Royals, Kansas City fans came out and supported the home team this season. Nearly 110,000 more people went through the gates of Kauffman Stadium this past season versus the 2010 season. And with the renovation of the stadium three seasons ago, it's much more of a fan-friendly environment - definitely on par or even above most major league baseball stadiums.

I had not been to the renovated stadium during my recent travels to Kansas City. I think the last time I was there was 2008 when I went to a game with a local dealer. At the time, renovation work was fully underway and was completed in time for the start of the 2009 season. I'd been asked by a handful of Kansas City area people during my travels over the last couple of years if I'd been out to the "new stadium". I had to chuckle thinking that Kauffman Stadium has been around since 1973 when it was originally known as Royals Stadium. Although it wasn't really new, people in Kansas City felt it was new to them.

Since I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking around to look at the renovated stadium, I got a standing room only ticket for the game against the Tigers. According to the chart at the ticket window, standing room only tickets run $10 bucks. But the lady at the ticket window said they only had $11 dollar standing room only tickets that evening. I was too dumbstruck to ask, "Hey, what's the deal?", until I found out later that depending upon the night and who is in town to play the Royals standing room only tickets can run between $10 and $15 bucks. Actually, $11 bucks to attend a Major League Baseball game isn't too bad.

Upon entering the stadium, the first thing that struck me was how wide the concourses were compared to the pre-renovated Kauffman Stadium. Before the concourse under the grandstand was - maybe - 25 feet wide and when you tried to pack 30,000+ people into the place AND have the concession stands in the concourse, as well, it created bottlenecks and traffic jams of the most ungodly proportion. With the renovation, the concession stands were moved back about 20 feet giving people a wide walk way to and from their seats.

The renovated stadium also offered a 360 degree concourse completely around the stadium - something the "old" stadium didn't have. They added seats, a sports bar, family amenities and renovated their famous fountains and put in a new scoreboard in center field. This new area also allowed fans to stand just behind the fountains and watch the action from the outfield - something I sort of like to do. The outfield concourse also features a "Walk of Fame" with bronze statues of the three Royals whose numbers have been retired - George Brett, Frank White and Dick Howser - along with a statue of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman who brought baseball back to Kansas City in 1969 and for whom the stadium is named after.

Troubling to me, however, was the family fun area just past the outfield concourse area. It had a carousel, a video game room, playground equipment and a miniature golf course. Call me a traditionalist - or a fun-hater for kids - but I don't think I'd take my kids to a ballpark to ride a carousel, play video games or have a round of miniature golf.

However, one area of in the outfield just beyond the left field concourse was a small baseball field called the "Little K". It had an artificial surface and allowed for young kids to come onto the field and hit a few balls thrown to them by a worker. I thought this was a better thing for kids to do at a ballpark than ride a carousel or play miniature golf. Actually, this little kid (pictured bottom left), who probably wasn't much past the age of 3, was hitting the ball really well. He had an amazing swing for as little as he was. I was trying to set up my video camera on my phone to catch him in action, but he was done before I could get a quick video.

Also along the left field concourse at Kauffman Stadium is the new Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. Not only did it have exhibits and displays from the 42 years the Royals have been in existence, but it also had displays for the Kansas City Monarchs of the old Negro Baseball League, as well as some for the old Kansas City Athletics.

There was a theater that had a short video presentation on the history of baseball in Kansas City, a number of kiosks and wall-displays of former Kansas City greats who played for the Monarchs or Royals over the years. It also had historical timelines of baseball history in Kansas City, features on Royals Cy Young and Gold Glove Award winners, and a timeline of Ewing Kauffman's efforts to not only bring baseball back to Kansas City, but on his efforts to build a new stadium for his Royals.

In a room with a large video display showing highlights of the 1985 World Series is the world championship trophy that the Royals won. I know this is really gonna rankle those of you who are huge St. Louis Cardinals fans because of the horrible call in Game Six that literally stole the World Series away from the Cards. But, to me, who is a fan of baseball, it was pretty neat to see up close.

Also in the Royals Hall of Fame was a display of 3,154 baseballs shaped into a huge number 5 for George Brett. The baseballs signified the number of hits Brett had in his 21 year career with the Royals. The bat that Brett used and the ball that he hit for his 3000 Major League hit late in the 1992 season are also on display embedded within the number 5. The Royals Hall of Fame had a guy standing near the display and he kept saying, "Please do not touch the baseballs. They are suspended on metal rods and we don't want the balls to get dirty." And almost as soon as he said that, some 30-something rube went over and tried to grab one of the balls. I just stood there, dumbfounded. I sort of looked at the guy who tried to grab one of the balls, then I glanced at the Hall of Fame worker and sort of pointed at the guy. The worker sort of shook his head and said, "I could scream 'Do not touch the baseballs' at the top of my lungs and people would still want to touch them."

I said, "Maybe you ought to just say nothing and when someone reaches out to touch a ball, yell "Hey! Get away from the baseballs!" He sort of chuckled over that.

One of the growing trends among major league baseball stadiums are in-house sports bars/lounges that serve food. Just beyond the right field wall is Rivals Sports Bar, the Kauffman Stadium sports bar that is open to the public. With a baseball theme and over two dozen televisions turned the Royals game it was actually a pretty cool place to hang out during the game. There was a little patio with waitress service next to it that overlooked the field just behind the fountains in right field.

Above right is the custom made 360 degree circular bar at Rivals. It allowed for people to stand at the bar and easily watch the action through the floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the field. Even though there was a pretty good crowd there that evening (just shy of 27,000 people came out - about 2/3rds the capacity of Kauffman Stadium), I heard one guy remark that this was the least amount of people he'd ever seen in Rivals.

Of course, the game had to be played and I always like to get the first pitch of any Major League ball game that I attend. Here is the first pitch that evening from Kansas City's Luis Mendoza to the Tigers' Austin Jackson. In the starting line-up that evening for the Royals were five guys (out of ten - including the designated hitter) who started their seasons in Omaha for the Royals AAA team. Three of those guys were playing for the Royals when I was there earlier this season (to see my entry on my visit to Werner Park in Omaha, click here). As I said, the Royals have one of the best minor league systems - if not THE best minor league systems - in all of Major League Baseball. So there's cause for optimism among the Royals faithful for years to come.

I ventured up to the upper deck of the stadium to take a look around. They have two open areas that are sponsored by Proctor and Gamble that will allow people to stand and watch the game. There are designated standing room only areas along the outfield concourse areas, but I stood in a number of areas during this game and I wasn't hassled in the least. In fact, I had very helpful ushers ask me if I needed help finding my seat. When I told them I just wanted to stand to watch the game, they left me alone or, better yet, told me to enjoy myself. I found the staff at the renovated Kauffman Stadium to be overly friendly and helpful.

And, of course, if you're a regular reader of Road Tips you know that I have a scoreboard fetish when it comes to Major League ballparks. This is the Royals' CrownVision scoreboard that is a marked improvement over their old scoreboard. The CrownVision scoreboard is 106 feet high by 85 feet wide. It was designed, built and installed by Daktronics, a Brookings, SD-based manufacturer of high-end sports scoreboards and video screens. It has 1800 lines of high definition resolution and features line-ups for both the offense and defense, stats for the batter, inning-by-inning scoring and the count and outs. The scoreboard will then shift to a huge video display to show instant replays in high definition. Although it isn't the neatest scoreboard I've found in the Major Leagues, it was still pretty cool.

Beer and hot dogs are a staple for me at any ball game, major league or minor league. I always have to try the hot dogs at any given stadium. I got one of the Royals' hot dogs from a concession stand for $4.75 and a 22 oz. Bud Light for $9.00. The hot dog was overcooked and a little dried out from the warming drawer they kept them in. I would have graded the hot dog a C because the taste wasn't actually all that bad. But I would have preferred a sizzling hot dog directly off the grill. The beer, however, was very cold. And I like cold beer at a ball game.

Walking around later in the game, I happened upon a hot dog stand out along the left field concourse. I sort of went up to the place - called the Dugout Dog House - and took a look at the various styles of hot dogs they had to offer. They had Chicago-style hot dogs with the tomatoes, pickle relish, sport peppers and the works, the Royal Bacon hot dog with bleu cheese and real bacon bits and chopped red onions, the Island Dog with smoked ham, pineapple slices, mandarin orange chunks, with cole slaw and teriyaki sauce, and the El Diablo Dog with chili, pepper cheese, and jalapeno peppers. I was contemplating getting the El Diablo until the guy in front of me turned and said, "Man, the All-Star dog is the best. They put pulled pork on top of a dog, cover it in barbecue sauce, then put on pickles and cole slaw. Damn, is it good!"

The thought of any type of a tomato-based product on a hot dog or a brat almost turns my stomach. About the only tomato-based sauce I like on a brat or hot dog is the Secret Stadium Sauce at Miller Park in Milwaukee. But this guy talked so passionately about the All-Star dog that I had to give it a try.

The Dugout Dog House has either regular or foot long flat-grilled all beef hot dogs. The grill cook rolls the hot dogs to give them an even char on the outer casing. Just as I like 'em - hot off the grill. I followed the guy's lead in front of me and ordered a regular All-Star dog.

The grill cook pulled a plump all-beef hot dog off the grill, put it in the bun and then proceeded to slather it with copious amounts of pulled barbecue pork, topped with an equally large amount of cole slaw (pictured below left). Then he topped it off with dill pickle slices and a large squirt of barbecue sauce. I got a 16 oz. bottle of Bud Light to go along with it (although they did have a number of very good beers to choose from). The total cost for beer and specialty dog was $14.25. Ouch!

But from the first bite I have to say it was worth the price. The bun was moist and light, the top of which was piled on with the cole slaw, pulled pork and barbecue sauce. Once you got past that, the grilled hot dog was rich and flavorful. It was so much better than the nearly lifeless hot dog I got earlier in the evening. This was just an outstanding combination of taste sensations. In fact, it was one of the all-time top hot dogs I've ever had in my life. Remember, I'm not big on a lot of tomato-based product on a hot dog, but having the pulled pork with the barbecue sauce on top was out of this world.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I went back later in the evening to get another one. However, this time it wasn't as good. They were getting ready to close up for the night after the 7th inning and the bun wasn't as moist and light as the first one, the hot dog wasn't quite as crisp as the first one. But the pulled pork and the cole slaw/barbecue sauce toppings were still wonderful.

I left soon afterward as the Royals ended up winning the game by a score of 10-2. The "new" Kauffman Stadium is a great place to watch a ballgame and the amenities - including a truly outstanding hot dog from the Dugout Dog House - are major league worthy. But, it's going to be another six months before I get fired up to hear the crack of the ball hitting the bat, along with warmer temperatures, sizzling hot dogs and ice cold beer. Winter bums me out, but knowing that baseball isn't that far off is what keeps me warm. And a trip back to Kauffman Stadium next year is a must for me. Especially for an All-Star dog.

George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe - Sioux City, IA

One of the very first entries I had on Road Tips (it will be six years this fall!) was a little ditty on one of my favorite places to visit when I go to Sioux City (which, unfortunately, doesn't happen all that often) - George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe. George's has been around since I first started to go visit dealers in Sioux City 25 years ago this month. Always on the lookout for a good chili dog, I found George Demetroulis' little shop tucked back into a small strip mall along busy Hamilton Ave. on the west side of Sioux City (see map). It had been a long time since I'd been to Sioux City to see the guys at Pflanz Electronics, so I decided to stop in to get some chili dogs at George's. The place is so near and dear to my heart that I wanted to do a write up on George's that was better than the original one I did about five years ago.

When I first found this little hot dog place, it wasn't called George's No. 1 - it was called Milwaukee Wiener House No. 2 - an extension of the Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1, a long time fixture in downtown Sioux City. The original Milwaukee Wiener House opened in 1918 when a couple brothers from Greece, the Dione's, brought the "Coney Dog" concept to Sioux City. (The same year, another Sioux City icon - Coney Island - opened their hot dog restaurant. It's still in existence today.) In 1930, another Greek immigrant, Gus Avlichos, bought the place and ran it for another 30 years before selling the place to Tom Eliades and Gus Demetroulis.

About ten years later, Gus convinced his younger brother, George, and his wife, Mary, to move to Sioux City to help out in the Milwaukee Wiener House. When they opened up their second location over on Hamilton Avenue, George and Mary went over there to run the place - hence, the name "Milwaukee Wiener House No.2".

In 1989, Gus Demetroulis retired from the business and George and Mary ended up buying their location for themselves. And that's how the "George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe" got its name.

George's is open from 10 to 5, six days a week. During working hours you'll find George and Mary behind the counter making hot dogs for the steady flow of people who come in for their chili dogs. The hot dogs are cooked on a flat grill at George's (I've been told this cooking technique exemplifies "Michigan-style Coney Dogs") and are stacked up for quick serving on the side of the grill. The hot dogs are also smaller than most hot dogs that you'll find at most other hot dog places or at the grocery store. George always grills a handful that are a little more crispy than the others for those - like my father-in-law - who like that burnt taste on their hot dogs.

The menu at George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe is pretty basic. "Regular dogs" are the main item, a hot dog topped with chili, mustard and onions. Shredded cheese is also available on request. Or you just go in and say that you want a hot dog with everything and that's the same as a Regular Dog. And they also feature a Hawaiian Dog that is a chili dog topped with pineapple (I don't know if I'd like that, even though I do like pineapple). And George also has something called the Hot Dog Supreme that is topped with chili, mustard, onions, relish, pickles, sauerkraut, ketchup and jalapenos.

Being that he is Greek, George also features gyros and with homemade tzatziki that Mary makes on her own. Mary also makes her own baklava. I've had a piece and it's damn good.

I got into George's around 1:00 p.m., just after the lunch rush. Three of the booths were filled with people - there's only about a dozen booths in George's. Along the south wall of the place are a number of historical pictures from around the Sioux City area. A large portrait of George is centered among all the pictures on the wall.

Mary greeted me and I ordered three with everything. Because the hot dogs are smaller than others, three are pretty easy to eat. She asked if I wanted them a little crisp and I said, "Yeah, sure. I'll do it that way."

George's chili is a Greek style chili - very similar to Cincinnati-style chili where they don't use chili beans and all-spice is the more prevalent taste than chili powder. It's not overly thick, but does have an abundance of ground beef in the chili. George's chili is not very spicy and easily covers the hot dog in the bun.

And compared to other hot dog joints, George has a specific way that he chops his fresh onions. George likes the onions to have a little "crunch" to the bite and he doesn't chop them so fine that they get mushy.

Getting down to the hot dog through the chili, onions and mustard, each bite yields a little "snap" from the casing. There's something that is appealing to me about a flat top-grilled hot dog over one that is boiled or steamed. The hot dogs remain juicy and flavorful when they're cooked on a flat grill, even when George puts a little char on the outside of the dog. This is just about as good as a chili dog can get.

While I wasn't able to close the deal on this visit, I really hope to be able to do more business with Pflanz Electronics so I can get back up to Sioux City and visit George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe more than just once every couple three years. George and Mary make some of the best chili dogs I've ever had.

 

Mulgrew's - East Dubuque, IL

When I first started Road Tips over five years ago, I still hadn't figured out the concept or the format of the blog.  Most of my early entries were of unique and favorite places of mine where I hardly did any research on the place, nor was it necessarily a place that I had recently visited.  Over the past year, I did finally get a camera phone that allowed me to take pictures of places I visited rather than having a large camera to haul around.  One of the first places I wrote about was Mulgrew's in East Dubuque, IL.  I decided after a recent visit to Mulgrew's that I needed to do an entry that gave Road Tips readers a little more of an in-depth look at the place.

East Dubuque was once a hot bed of vice and sin starting back in the days of Prohibition.  Actually, until very recently, East Dubuque was notorious for the number of strip clubs and late night bars that stood up and down Sinsinawa Street - a.k.a. "Sin Street".  For years and years, bachelor parties, frat boys and thrill seekers visited the likes of Schnee's, Isabella Queen, The Cave, The Arena and The Coliseum, all of which featured girls dancing in the nude.  After the guys had their fun at the strip clubs, they'd end up the evening polishing off foot-long chili dogs at Mulgrew's right up to 5 a.m. 

A few years ago, city leaders pushed up the closing time for bars to 3:30 a.m.  Then three years ago, the city banned all adult entertainment clubs in East Dubuque and pushed up closing time at the bars to 3 a.m.  In a couple of years, bars in East Dubuque will have to close at 2 a.m. - the same time as the taverns across the river in Iowa and up the road in Wisconsin.  The early morning closing times meant booming business for the strip clubs and bars in East Dubuque.   Now that the strip clubs have been closed and the bars are beginning to close early, a number of the bar owners in East Dubuque are beginning to feel like the salad days are over. 

One of those bar owners, Dalene (Toots) Temperley is the owner of Mulgrew's Tavern and Liquor Store on Sinsinawa Street.  She is the fourth generation of the Mulgrew family to run the business which was opened as a grocery store in 1921 by her great-grandfather William "Old Bill" Mulgrew.   When Prohibition ended in 1933, "Old Bill" and his son, Bill, Jr., brought in the first legal liquor to be sold in East Dubuque.  The Mulgrew's added a bar and grill that sold packaged liquor on the north side of their grocery store soon after.

Mulgrew's Bar and Grill was sort of a fancy place for a number of years - the bartenders wore jackets, waitresses wore matching outfits.  I understand it was one of the finer places to dine in the Dubuque area for a number of years.

Bill Mulgrew, Jr. passed the bar and liquor store onto his son, Dallas, who ran it up to his death in 2004.   During that time, Mulgrew's became sort of famous for their foot-long chili dogs - a late night staple for those who had partied well into the night at one of the strip clubs in East Dubuque, or those who had come across the bridge from Dubuque when the bars in Iowa closed down.   I was told on a "good" evening, Mulgrew's would sell 250 to 300 chili dogs - most of those served after 1 a.m.

 

I was coming home from Madison and decided to stop in for a chili dog and a cold beer early one afternoon recently.  There were days when parking was tough find up and down Sinsinawa Street in front of Mulgrew's (see map), but this day there was plenty of parking along the street. 

 

Mulgrew's hasn't changed much from the first time I visited the place nearly 25 years ago when I was brought to have my first chili dog after a training meeting I had with the guys from the old Audio Room store in Dubuque.  These guys couldn't quit talking about how good these chili dogs were.  We ended up at Mulgrew's around 9:30 at night and the four of us had "snow dogs" - Mulgrew's foot-long chili dogs loaded with onions on top.  One of the guys, I'll never forget him - Jim Sullivan - had FIVE that night!  Jim was not a small guy and I was a lot smaller at that time than I am now, but I was able to do three that evening.  I about died on the spot.  But they were so good - the chili doesn't have any beans in it and it's not very spicy.  The hot dogs are steamed and placed in warm water to keep them warm until serving.  Mulgrew's also features a spicy homemade mustard that you can put on top.  But I just like a few onions (not quite as many as a "snow dog") and yellow mustard on mine. 

 

 
The menu at Mulgrew's is pretty basic compared to what they used to serve years ago.  While the chili dogs are the draw, they also feature burgers, soups, sandwiches and fried chicken.  The menu at Mulgrew's is hung on the wall by the booths opposite the bar. 

I took a seat at the bar and there was only one other guy in the place down the way from me.  Dalene Temperley was talking with the patron about how the city of East Dubuque was imposing more restrictions on business for the tavern owners.  I heard her say, "It's not the same East Dubuque that I remember." 

The bartender came down and I had a very simple order for her - a chili dog with onions and a cold Old Style.  They used to sell Old Style on tap and they'd serve it in a mug that they'd pull out of the freezer.  The frosty schooner of beer was one of the highlights of the meal.  Today, Mulgrew's just serves Old Style in bottles.  Although, I may have been able to order up a frosty mug, but I didn't ask.  It didn't matter.

She made up the chili dog in front of me. The buns are always fresh, the hot dogs have a nice flavor to them and the chili is, well...   I used to joke - and guess I still do - that if I found out that urine was the secret ingredient in Mulgrew's chili, I'd still eat their chili dogs.  There's just something about the combination of the chili, hot dog, bun, onions and mustard that makes a Mulgrew's foot-long chili dog outstanding.  Just like the decor at Mulgrew's, the chili dog hasn't changed since my first one that fateful evening in 1986. 

 

I made small talk with the bartender after I finished my chili dog and I said, "So, things have changed around East Dubuque, huh?"

She said, "Yep, the city is tryin' to drive us all out of business.  They say that East Dubuque isn't family friendly enough." 

I asked if they're still busy after 1 a.m. and she said that they were, but not as much as they used to be.  Once the strip clubs closed and we had to start closin' earlier, we began to see our overall business dip.  We used to be packed for lunches.  I think we've served about a dozen people today so far."

With that a guy came in and sat near me.  He was greeted by the bartender who said, "I haven't seen you for awhile." 

He said, "I know.  It's been too long for me to go without a chili dog." 

Mulgrew's isn't fancy and, quite frankly, I've never had anything other than a chili dog during my many visits over the years.  But the chili dogs are king at Mulgrew's and other than the cold beer, there's not much more of a draw at the place.  And that doesn't make it bad, it is what it is.  I'm just hoping that Mulgrew's survives so that Dalene Temperley can pass the business on to her daughter some day.

The Varsity - Atlanta

One of the most famous restaurants in Atlanta - or throughout the South, for that matter - is the hallowed Varsity which has been in business for over 80 years.  The original location near Georgia Tech University (see map) has been called the "World's Largest Drive-In" and has served world leaders, celebrities, and average Joe's the most Americana of Americana foods - hot dogs and cheeseburgers.  I've wanted to go to The Varsity for years and while I was in Atlanta recently I was able to corral a couple of my colleagues for a visit.

The history of The Varsity began in 1928 when Frank Gordy opened the restaurant with his savings of nearly $2000 dollars that he'd accrued from profits from his Yellow Jacket restaurant that was situated at the corner of Luckie and Hemphill near what is now the world headquarters for Coca-Cola and Georgia Tech.  Gordy bought a plot of land just to the east of Georgia Tech and built The Varsity, complete with a white picket fence out front.  Almost from Day One, The Varsity offered curbside service to people who drove up in cars. 

At one point, The Varsity was open to men only.  If you brought your wife or girlfriend to The Varsity for something to eat, the women would have to stand outside while the men went in and ordered.  The men would bring the food out to the women and they'd eat outside.   I've found during trips to Atlanta and Savannah over the past couple of years that sexual segregation in restaurants was a common practice for years in the South.   

Gordy updated the restaurant in the 1940's and added more drive-in services to the place.  His car hops were part waiters, part performers.  His most famous car hop, John Raiford - a.k.a. "Flossie Mae" - sang the menu to customers for 50 years.  Actor/comedian Nipsey Russell was the 46th car hop employed by Gordy.  

Over the years, The Varsity has grown with six different expansions.  It was the first drive-in with a covered roof and the first with a parking garage.  Today, it's situated on two acres and has two levels of parking and dining.  Gordy died in 1983, but his daughter, Nancy Simms, and her son, Gordon Muir, run The Varsity today. 

The original Varsity has spawned other restaurants around Atlanta and Georgia.  The second Varsity opened in 1932 in Athens, GA, near the University of Georgia.  Today, there are six Varsity locations, but the original location remains near and dear to the hearts of thousands who have enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers over the years.   

Now, it helps to know that The Varsity has their own ordering language to help the process of getting hundreds of people in and out at any point of the day.  (The Varsity claims that on home football dates for Georgia Tech they serve up to 30,000 people.)  So an order of a "heavy weight all the way, a glorified steak sideways, ring one and strings with a squirt one and a joe-ree" will garner you a hot dog with extra chili and onions, a cheeseburger with tomatoes, lettuce and mayo with onions on the side, an order of onion rings, an order of fries with a Varsity orange drink and a cup of coffee with cream.  But you can easily order either a hot dog with onions and a cheeseburger with tomatoes, lettuce and mayo and they'll understand you just fine. 

It was a rainy afternoon when we pulled into The Varsity.  My colleague Chris had been talking about going to The Varsity since our visit to Atlanta for CEDIA last year.  Most of the guys in our company turn up their nose when it comes to experiencing such culinary elegance such as hot dogs, but we were able to convince our other colleague Jon to come with us.  We had hoped to have car hop service, but I actually wanted to go inside to have a look around.  We parked in the upper lot on the north side of the restaurant and went in.

 
It was later in the afternoon - after 4 p.m. - when we were there, so the lines were not very bad.  The stainless steal counter was very long - about 125 feet by my estimation.  The menu at The Varsity is located on the wall above the counter.  When a counter clerk is ready to take your order they'll yell out an old traditional greeting, "What'll ya have, what'll ya have, what'll ya have?!!"  It's best to know what you want before you get up to the front of the line.  They really want to keep the line moving. 

I knew we were going out for a large dinner later in the evening, but I wanted to try at least a couple hot dogs.  They didn't appear to be big, so I didn't think I'd have any problem downing a couple without spoiling my appetite later on.  I ordered a chili dog and a plain dog.  Chris also ordered a couple of hot dogs while Jon broke ranks and got a "glorified steak and a ring one".  He didn't order it that way, but he did get the cheeseburger with the veggies and a side of onion rings. 

 

We didn't wait long before our order was brought out to us on a tray and we found a place in one of the dining rooms that are part of The Varsity.  Quite honestly, the hot dogs were pretty basic.  I didn't find the chili on the chili dog to be all that remarkable and the hot dogs, themselves, were sort of dull and lacked the plumpness and "snap" I've come to love from Chicago-style Vienna Beef hot dogs.  But we were at The Varsity and that's really all that mattered.

Jon said that his cheeseburger was "good, surprisingly good".  He said it was one of the better cheeseburgers he'd had in quite sometime.  He did offer both Chris and I an onion ring and they, too, were just OK.  I couldn't really tell if they were homemade - I'm guessing they were.  But like the hot dogs, the onion rings were pretty average.

It's obvious it's not the hot dogs that keeps bringing people back to The Varsity.  It's the history, heritage and traditions that gives The Varsity the charm and staying power.  While I probably wouldn't go out of my way to try The Varsity again - except, maybe, to try a burger.  But I'm really glad I went.  But with CEDIA moving to Indianapolis for the next couple of years, I doubt if I'll be back anytime soon.  The Varsity is one of the most famous restaurants in the South and is one of those places you should at least try when you go to Atlanta. 

 

Cozy Dog Drive In - Springfield, IL

The Cozy Dog Drive In is an institution in Springfield, IL.  Located along a busy stretch of South Sixth St. on what was the famous Route 66 (see map), Cozy Dog Drive In has been serving up their famous cornmeal batter-encased "Cozy Dogs" served on a stick since founder Ed Waldmire, Jr. began selling them at the Lake Springfield Beach House in 1946.  The rest, as they say, is culinary history in Springfield. 

Actually, Waldmire and a friend, Don Strand, came up with the concept a few years before to encase the hot dogs with a batter - sort of like a corn dog - but which allowed for quick deep frying of the "cozy dog".  Strand, a bakery student with Waldmire before Waldmire entered the Air Force, came up with the batter concoction.   Strand sent some of the batter to Waldmire at his air base in Amarillo, and with the help of the kitchen at the local U.S.O.,  he experimented with the deep-fried, battered hot dogs on a stick.  They were an instant hit with the servicemen who visited the U.S.O.  After Waldmire was discharged after World War II, he brought the "cozy dogs" back to Springfield.  After he began selling them at the beach house, he then sold them at the Illinois State Fair later that summer.  

Waldmire opened his first restaurant in downtown Springfield soon after that.  A second location soon followed.  In 1949, Waldmire built the Cozy Dog Drive In next door to what is the present day location for the Cozy Dog Drive In.  Waldmire's son, Ed III, also known as "Buz", and his wife, Sue, took over the business in the mid-70's after Ed Waldmire, Jr. retired.  Buz and Sue eventually divorced about 10 years ago and Sue bought out Buz's interest in the business.  She and her sons, Josh, Nick, Tony and Eddie run the business today. 

Now, if the name Waldmire is somewhat familiar to some people, it could be that you may have heard of Bob Waldmire.  Bob Waldmire is Ed, Jr's son and is somewhat famous for his surrealistic drawings of informational maps along Route 66.  A self-professed "60's Hippie", Bob Waldmire traveled back and forth on the old Route 66 taking the time to draw the people, places and points of interest along "The Mother Road."  Ironically, Bob Waldmire became a vegetarian and hasn't eaten a Cozy Dog for years. 

 

 

 

Sadly, Bob Waldmire recently passed away from cancer.  At the end of his life he was living in an old converted school bus on the family farm outside of nearby Rochester, IL.  The school bus was environmentally friendly with solar panels for electricity and was equipped with a solar oven.  Waldmire's legacy lives on with his pictures on display at Cozy Inn and at other various sites along Route 66.  His 1972 orange Volkswagen van that he used to live in when he would go on his trips up and down the highway will be on display in a museum in Tulsa.

From my original trip to Joe Rogers Chili Parlor in Springfield a few months ago, a Road Tips reader, Steve Z., said that I really needed to go to Cozy Dog Drive In and try their chili dogs.  "I'd be interested to hear if you like them better than (Joe Rogers)", he wrote after my blog entry.  I was heading home from St. Louis one morning recently and decided to stop into the Cozy Dog Drive In to see what they were like.  

From the first time you walk into Cozy Dog Drive In, you're immediately transported back to the 60's with their kitschy style of decorations around the place.  If I hadn't found out that this building was built in 1996, I would have guess this was the original Cozy Dog Drive In from back in the late 40's.  It just sort of had that feel to the place.  

You order your food at the front counter and order off the menu that is located on the wall above one of the grills.  In addition to their famous Cozy Dogs, the Cozy Dog Drive In also serves breakfast, burgers and tenderloins.  But I was there for the chili dogs.  I stepped up to the register and ordered a chili dog and a chili cheese dog.  Or, excuse me - in Springfield they spell it "chilli".

After getting scads of orders for Cozy Dogs, the lady at the counter seemed sort of incredulous that I wanted a chilli dog.  "You want a chilli dog AND a chilli cheese dog?"  I told her that was correct.  She turned back to one of the line cooks and said, "OK, this guy wants a chilli dog AND a chilli cheese dog."  The way she said it, I was fully prepared for everyone in the restaurant from the line cooks to the people seated at the tables and booths to suddenly stop, look up and see who this idiot was who was ordering chilli dogs.  I'm sorry, I just don't care for what is basically a corn dog. 

For larger orders that take more time, you can go sit at one of the many tables and booths throughout the place.  My order didn't take long, less than 60 seconds, so I just stood near the counter and waited.  There's a condiment area next to the pop machine.  I didn't figure that out until after I sat down in a booth. 

The chilli dogs aren't overly big, but that didn't matter to me.  From my first bite, I knew that Joe Rogers had Cozy Dog Drive In beat in terms of the taste of their chilli.  Cozy Dog Drive In chilli dogs were a little more bland tasting, the chilli was more thick and it just didn't have the pizazz I got from Joe Rogers chilli dogs.  Plus there's only one type of temperature for chilli at Cozy Dog Drive In, as to where you can get five or six different degrees of spiciness at Joe Rogers.  

It didn't take me long to down the two chilli dogs.  They were served in a small basket with wax paper at the bottom.  I didn't see a place where you could drop off the baskets and throw away your refuse.  I kept looking around the place until I saw a couple take their baskets and empty pop glasses to an area back by the kitchen where there was a large trash can and a window where to set the basket.  I didn't want to make any rookie mistakes on my visit to Cozy Dog Drive In.

Will I be back to the Cozy Dog Drive In?  Ah, if it was for a chilli dog, I'd go to Joe Rogers first.  But there is a lot of interesting things to see at Cozy Dog Drive In and I think I'd like to go back at a time when it wasn't so busy just to take a closer look at some of the memorabilia including many of Bob Waldmire's original drawings.  For history buffs who are into Route 66, Cozy Dog Drive In is a must stop. 

Crown Candy Kitchen - St. Louis

An old dealer friend of mine, Tony Leone, who used to run the now-defunct Sound Central in St. Louis is a big food guy, as I am.  One time a few years ago, he asked me, "Hey, do you like chili dogs?"  Well, who doesn't like a good chili dog?!  He was telling me about this old time ice cream parlor in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood called Crown Candy Kitchen that, he said, had great chili dogs.  He told me that I really needed to give them a try at some point.

 

 

 

 

 

I never really thought about it again until I saw a segment on "Man Vs. Food" on The Travel Channel where Adam Richman was trying to down 120 ounces of Crown Candy Kitchen's thick and rich malts (see right).  I thought, "Wait a minute!  That's the place Tony told me to try for chili dogs!"  So when I was in St. Louis recently, I made a point to go to Crown Candy Kitchen for a couple chili dogs.

Crown Candy Kitchen dates back to 1913 when friends Harry Karandzieff and Pete Jugaloff, two Greek immigrants, opened up the small confectionery shop.  The sleepy little shop persevered through two World Wars and The Great Depression.  In the early 50's, Harry's son, George, took over the little ice cream shop.  During George's ownership, Crown Candy Kitchen became one of the favorite destinations for St. Louisians looking for a good malt or milk shake.   Today, George's sons Andy, Mike and Tim run the business, with a little help from a group of fourth generation Karandzieff sons. 

Crown Candy Kitchen is located in an area known as Old North St. Louis (see map).  Now, I have to tell you, the area around Crown Candy Kitchen is decrepit and run down.  There were buildings where the bricks were missing out of the walls of buildings.  There were buildings with boarded up windows with graffiti on them.  I was a little leery of even parking on the street before I got to Crown Candy Kitchen. 

When I pulled up, I noticed that some of the buildings in the area were getting a makeover.  There was a little bit of vibrancy to the neighborhood directly around Crown Candy Kitchen.  A number of cars were parked on the street near the place and I had suddenly had no trepidation with going to get a couple chili dogs there. 

It was just after 1 p.m. when I got into Crown Candy Kitchen.  Understandably, the place was packed by a lunchtime crowd.  In addition to ice cream sundaes, malts and shakes, and homemade chocolate candy, Crown Candy Kitchen has a soup and sandwich menu.  I found one empty booth in the back corner and a waitress came along to see if I needed any time to look through the menu.  I found the chili dog on the menu - Wow!  It must be really good!  It was $7.50!  OK, let's give it a shot.

As I waited for my chili dog, I took a good look around Crown Candy Kitchen.  It is the quintessential old-style ice cream parlor.  There were old Coca-Cola ads and memorabilia, tons of candy jars, and a vintage jukebox greeted you as you came in.  The booths were not very comfortable, but they added to the charm of the place.  There were people coming and going throughout the time I was there.  It was one busy place.  And it was really kind of neat.

The waitress brought out a couple small bags of oyster crackers, telling me that my chili dog would be out momentarily.  I opened one of the bags and had a couple crackers.  They were horribly stale.  Ugh!

My chili dog made it to my table.  It was served in a bowl and you needed a fork to eat it.  That's OK.  I'll eat a chili dog any way it's served to me.  Of course, the chili was the key component in the meal.  And it was... OK.  Nothing special, nothing to get all excited about.  The chili was sort of thick and bland.  The grilled beef hot dog was... OK.  It tasted fine, but I have to say - I've had much better chili and chili dogs.  It was like the chili had been sitting simmering on the stove for a few days.  I'm not certain that - no, let me rephrase that.  The chili dog was NOT worth $7.50.  I've gotten three chili dogs at some places for less than $7.50.  And they were much better than the one at Crown Candy Kitchen.

I'm sort of glad I went by myself and didn't meet Tony at Crown Candy Kitchen for a chili dog.  I was highly disappointed with it.  I'm sure since he grew up in St. Louis and probably had their chili dogs for years he thought they were great.  Oh, I'm not saying that Crown Candy Kitchen was bad - it is still a must visit if you're in the St. Louis area.  It's a very neat place and I'm sure their ice cream, malts and candies are excellent.  I know I'll have to take Cindy there for a shake the next time we're in town together.  But as far as their chili dogs go, I'd give Crown Candy Kitchen two stars for taste and one star for value.

Joe Rogers Chili Parlor - Springfield, IL

Recently, I stopped for a bite of a chili dog at the venerable Joe Rogers Chili Parlor, which has roots in Springfield, IL back to 1945.  I was turned on to Joe Rogers Chili Parlor by Steve Z., a Chicago-area reader of Road Tips, who also suggested I also try the Cozy Dog Inn   in Springfield.  While the Cozy Dog Inn specializes in corn dogs - which I don't like at all - I was sort of intrigued by Joe Rogers.  On a trip back from St. Louis earlier this year, I decided to look for Joe Rogers Chili Parlor and have a chili dog or two.

Joe Rogers started making chili when he was a young man and was finally talked into opening a little diner where people could try his chili just after the war ended in 1945.  Intially in a small building with only 11 counter seats that he called The Den, Joe Rogers had the first of what turned out to be a number of chili (or chilli - as they spell it in Springfield) parlors that sprang up in the coming years around Springfield.  (To see a timeline history of chili - or chilli, if you will - parlors in Springfield, click here.)

In 1973, Joe Rogers passed away and his daughter, Marianne McKay, bought the business from her mother.  By this time there were two Joe Rogers "Den" locations in Springfield.  They had moved to a larger location near the original "Den" and opened another location on the east side of the city.  In 1985, Marianne McKay sold the restaurants to a family who had opened a psuedo-franchised "Den" in Champaign, IL.  Over the next 10 to 12 years, they had some difficulty in keeping the restaurants open and finally shut their doors in the last "Den" in 1995.  Two years later, armed with her father's chili recipe, Marianne McKay opened up Joe Rogers Original Recipe Chili Parlor in its present day location (see map).  For over 60 years, politicians, lobbyists and just plain folk from around Springfield have enjoyed Joe Rogers' chili. 

Joe Rogers chili consists of five different grades of temperatures - mild, medium, medium-hot, hot and something that was originaly called "Firebrand", but is now now as the J.R. or Joe Rogers Special chili.  As it was years ago, if a customer where able to finish a full bowl of the J.R. Special chili, their names would be prominently displayed on a poster in the restaurant.  I'm sure the special chili has loads of habenaro chili peppers in it.  I like spicy chili, but I don't like to have it burn my face or cause third degree burns to my stomach.  Still, I would interested in giving it a taste at some point.  Maybe not a whole bowl, but a taste.

 

 

It was around 11:30 a.m. when I pulled into Springfield.  I drove through town before I finally came upon Joe Rogers on a one way northbound street.  Actually, I passed it and had to traverse around blocks and through parking lots to get back to the restaurant.  I went in and sat at the counter (right) and took a look up at the very simple menu they had on the wall.   Interestingly, they also served something called the Denburger, which was their interpretation of a Maid-Rite loose-meat hamburger.  And you could get it four ways - plain, with cheese, with chili and with chili and cheese.  A number of people were ordering Denburgers while I was there.  

I ordered up two chili dogs - medium-hot.  I also thought I'd try a small bowl of chili topped with cheese.  The ladies behind the counter make up the chili dogs and dish up the chili right in front of you.  My 50's-something waitress sat my chili dogs and chili bowl down in front of me.

Now, I'm always leery of what someone calls medium-hot.  I can usually take very spicy food, but my idea of medium-hot is different from the next person's.  I would have to say that Joe Rogers medium-hot would be categorized as medium, in my book.  It was good, had a nice little bite to the aftertaste, and the hot dogs had that nice "snap" that I like when you bite into them.  However, I think the cheddar cheese detracted from the taste of the chili.  I wish I'd just gotten the chili plain.

Also on the Joe Rogers menu is a tamale and chili.  Although I didn't see anyone order that, I thought that would be an interesting taste.  Joe Rogers chili has a nice chili powder taste to it and some other spices that I couldn't quite put a finger on.  But it was very enjoyable.

I'm glad I got into Joe Rogers when I did because it wasn't long after I sat down and ordered my food that the line began to stretch out the door with people ready to place their order at the counter.  There were a number of "to-go" orders placed while I was there, ordered by people in work clothes and in three-piece suits, alike.  Joe Rogers doesn't take checks or charge cards - it's 100% cash all the way.  

I have to say that Joe Rogers Chili Parlor was very good, a nice surprise, if you will.  I'm always on the lookout for places like this, sort of a nice slice of Americana in the Midwest.  I understand there's a few other chili - oops! - Chilli parlors that are still in business in Springfield.  I may have to try them sometime, as well.  But they're going to have a tough time surpassing the taste sensation that makes Joe Rogers chili what it's been for over 60 years.

Big Mouth's - Champaign, IL

I stopped off to see a dealer in Champaign, IL on my way to Indianapolis recently.  It was late in the day and I offered to take one of the guys out for dinner.  He declined, saying that he had to go look at furniture with his wife.  He said, "Believe me, I'd rather go out with you."

Then he said, "Hey!  You're a big burger nut.  There's this place here in town that opened up last year called Big Mouth's.  You really ought to go check it out." 

Big Mouth's is a small Chicago-style hot dog place that happens to serve burgers, as well.  It began in November of 2006 in Normal, IL by two former Illinois State University students, Nick Lavorato (right) and Matt Martin.  They wanted to bring the taste of Chicago-style hot dogs and char-grilled burgers to Chicago area students going to college in downstate Illinois and across the Midwest.  They're looking to expand into Madison, WI and West Lafayette, IN in the coming months. 

The concept is pretty simple - they came up with a fun little place that caters to the daytime lunch crowd and to the late night partiers coming out of the bars.  Big Mouth's is open until 3 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings to accommodate the hungry bar patrons at closing time. 

They opened their second location in Champaign in the heart of the University of Illinois' Campustown area (see map).  They stuck with the same decor theme as the original location in Normal - orange walls, some picnic tables and regular chair and tables.  Big Mouth's doesn't serve beer, which is OK.  They also serve their Chicago-style dogs either char-grilled or steamed.  If I had to choose between the two, I'd still take a steamed Chicago dog over a grilled one. 

I got into the Big Mouth's in Champaign around 7:00 p.m.  It was a rainy evening and I was able to find some parking on the street around the block from the location.  The front door of the place was literally torn off and I didn't know it.  I grabbed for the handle and it fell into my shoulder.  OK, not a pleasant beginning for my first visit.  I asked one of the guys at the counter what was up with the door and he said, "Oh, man!  Is it broken again?  Well, we'll have to try to fix it." 

The menu is affixed to the wall and you order at the counter.  They call out your name for pick up when the order comes up.  But the names they've given their signature "Big Mouth Menu" items show that Lavorato and Martin have watched a lot of the same movies and television programs that I have over the years.

Their "Big Mouth Menu" includes the "Sonny Corleone" (James Caan's character from "The Godfather") which is two char-grilled Chicago dogs.  The "Al Czervic" (Rodney Dangerfield's character in "Caddyshack") which consists of two grilled Polish sausages.  The "Fred Sanford" (Redd Foxx's character from "Sanford and Son") that is a double cheeseburger.  The "Johnny Drama" (named after Kevin Dillon's character on HBO's "Entourage") which is a double chicken sandwich.  And there's the "Jackie Burkhart" (named after Mila Kunis' character on "That 70's Show") that's a double veggie burger.   Each Big Mouth Meal comes with an order of french fries, a 32 oz. pop and a fried Twinkie.  Now, I've never had a fried Twinkie, but I understand at 2:15 in the morning they're pretty tasty.

Big Mouth's in Champaign also had "The Farley", an homage to the late comedian Chris Farley that consists of two one-pound char-grilled hamburger patties topped with french fries, mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions.  Now, that would be interesting to see.

Even though the "Fred Sanford" was tempting, I just got the regular char-grilled cheeseburger and a pop.  I got grilled onions on it and passed on the mayo. 

Since I was the only one in the place at the time, I took a look around at some of the artwork on the walls.  I understand Lavorato and a friend of his went to great lengths to find some of the kitschy items they hung on the walls.

After about 15 minutes, I got my cheeseburger.  I have to say it was very good.  Very messy, but very good.  Unlike some cheddar cheese burgers I've gotten in the recent past, the cheese didn't overpower or detract from the taste of the burger.  The grilled onions also were very good.  I normally don't get grilled onions as they seem to give me heartburn, but these were a very tasty compliment to the burger.  And my stomach wasn't upset. 

While Big Mouth's may not be the best burger I've ever tried, it's a good one.  I may have to try a burger and a Chicago dog sometime when I'm really hungry in Normal or Champaign.  Their motto says it all "Big Meals for Big Mouths".  Unless you really try, you'll never leave Big Mouth's hungry.    

(Update - Big Mouth's closed in the summer of 2011.  I have no story as to what happened to the place, other than it closed.)

Nick's Chili Parlor - Indianapolis

Since 1974, Nick's Chili Parlor in Indianapolis has been serving up some of the best chili dogs in the city.  Located near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (see map), Nick's has garnered a number of awards over the years for having the best chili dog/hot dog in the Indy area.

While opening up a new dealer in the Indianapolis area recently, I was talking to one of the sales guys at the dealership.  We got to talking about "road food" and some of the fun things to find on the road.  He mentioned that he used to live in Cincinnati and I told him I had an affinity for Cincinnati-style chili dogs.  He told me that he thought Nick's had the best chili dogs in either Cincinnati or Indianapolis.  He said, "Before you leave town today, you really need to stop by and give one a try.  Then call me and let me know what you think." 

Nick's began over 30 years ago when Nick Ferris (right) and his father, who both had been in the wholesale food business, recognized a need for a good ol' fashioned chili parlor in Indianapolis.  They opened up the restaurant and began serving their chili from a recipe Nick worked with and perfected.  They also serve a number of other items from their menu including burgers, chicken sandwiches and an Indiana staple - the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, which they call "The Bun Buster".    

Although Nick's Chili Parlor borders a not-so-nice area of Indy, the big building with a big parking lot came up on my left as I was heading down Lafayette Rd.  I pulled in and went inside to order.  There, I saw a sign that said Nick's was "The Home of the 'Not Yet World Famous' Chili".  I thought it was pretty clever, since a lot of chili places call their chili "World Famous".   

I ordered two chili dogs, one with cheese and one without.  I got a small drink and took my chili dogs back to a counter along a window and sat down to give 'em a try. 

Nick's chili is not like Cincinnati-style chili where they have a hint of chocolate and cinnamon in the mix.  It's more of a conventional chili, but not too spicy and with no beans.  It didn't seem to have the hearty chili powder flavor to it, either.  But with the hot dogs, which were meaty and had a nice "snap" to them when you bit into them, it was a great combination.

But like Cincinnati-style chili dogs, adding the shredded mild cheddar cheese to them really detracted from the taste of the chili and hot dog.  I definitely liked the one without cheese much better.  And I wasn't full afterwards - the hot dogs at Nick's aren't that big.  But for a late afternoon snack (4:30 p.m.), it was enough to keep me satiated for the ride back home.    

There used to be a place in downtown Indianapolis called Hard Times Cafe, an old fashioned chili joint chain from out east.  They served four different types of chili - Cincinnati-style, Texas-style, Terlingua-style (which is more spicy than regular Texas-style), and Vegetarian.  Hard Times was one of those place that called their chili "World Famous."  I'm sure his chili "Not Yet World Famous" was a poke by Nick toward Hard Times.   

Hard Times had a good chili dog - a huge 1/4 pound hot dog smothered with your choice of chili.  It was good, but I think I like Nick's better.  Although I'm sort of sad that Hard Times is gone, I'm glad I found Nick's.  Even with some of the other Cincinnati chains in the greater Indianapolis area, I'll go back to Nick's if I need a chili dog fix when I'm in Indy.         

Gray's Papaya - New York

Ever since I first saw Gray's Papaya in the motion picture "Fool's Rush In", I wanted to try their hot dogs.  While I was in New York recently, I got the chance to do just that.

Now, New York hot dogs are different from Chicago style dogs in that they are usually grilled on a metal grill, and they don't offer all the toppings that you get with a Chicago dog.  They're much smaller than most Chicago hot dogs, as well. 

The first Gray's Papaya began in 1973 when Nicholas Gray, a Wall Street stockbroker, opened his first location at 72nd St. and Broadway (see map).  Over the years, he opened a second location in Midtown at 37th St. and Eighth Ave. (see map); and another location in Greenwich Village at 8th St. and Sixth Ave. (see map).  Gray's Papaya is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  It's a popular late night place and they also serve some breakfast items, as well. 

Gray's Papaya is a either viewed as a clone or a rip-off of Papaya King, a New York hot dog institution that opened in 1932.  Where the Papaya comes into play in the names of the two is from the fruit drinks they sell in addition to the hot dogs, or as Nicholas Gray calls 'em, "frankfurters". 

Gray's Papaya and Papaya King have sprouted a number of other similar "Papaya" hot dog places in New York, including Mike's Papaya, Papaya Dog, and Frank's Papaya.  But from what I heard from talking to some union guys working at the convention center during set up, plus from what I've read, Gray's Papaya had the best hot dogs in the city.

The AES Convention had finished and we broke down our displays and were waiting for the shipping crates that hold our products to show up.  I decided to take off to go to Gray's Papaya which was about a 10 minute walk from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

The area around the Midtown location of Gray's Papaya is a little dicey, a few homeless people walking about, but I felt safe enough.  It was a nice evening for the walk between the convention center and Gray's, so I didn't care much about the street scene. 

I went in and and the place was bustling for about 5:45 in the evening.  I took a look at the rather slim menu on the wall.  There were "frankfurters" and that was about it.  They had a "Recession Special" that consisted of two hot dogs and a small drink for $3.50.  For years, the Recession Special was $2.75, but Gray's was forced to raise it to $3.50 last year.  Their hot dogs were $.95 each before they had to go up to $1.25 at the same time. 

OK, what the hell.  I'll take the Recession Special and a small Papaya drink.  I may as well live like the New Yorkers.  I got mine with mustard and onions.  With no place to sit in the colorful restaurant, I ate the dogs standing up at a counter by the window.

I have to say the Gray's Papaya hot dogs were very similar in taste and texture to George's Hot Dog Shoppe in Sioux City, IA.  And just like George's, Gray's cooks the hot dogs on a metal grill, rolling them manually to cook evenly.  They had a good flavor with a little "snap" when I bit into them.  Eating them with the fruity Papaya drink was interesting, it was more like drinking a very sweet pineapple juice.  Can't say I really liked the drink all that much, though.

As I said before, the Gray's Papaya dogs weren't large, which was a perfect snack.   We were going to eat New York pizza after we got everything crated up back at the convention center and we figured that would be well after 9 p.m. 

OK, Gray's Papaya was good, not great.  I'll probably go back again, but I would like to try Papaya King, as well, to see if Gray's claim that his frankfurters are the best in town really holds up.    

(Update - I found out on a trip to New York in the fall of 2011 that this particular Gray's Papaya location is now closed.  The other two Gray's Papaya locations - the one at 6th Ave. and 8th St. in lower Manhattan; and the one on the Upper West Side at Broadway and 72nd St. - are still open.)

Hebrew National

The people at Consumer Reports recently rated the best hot dogs of 23 different well-known brand names.  Their top-rated hot dog were the all beef wieners from Hebrew National.  I don't know if the Hebrew National hot dogs are the best, but they are very good.

I've wanted to conduct my own hot dog taste test at some point in time - boiling each hot dog in water with beef broth and placing each in a Sara Lee Gourmet Hot Dog Buns for uniformity.  I have access to about eight or nine different types of specialty hot dogs that I've picked up in my travels and I'm not certain my body could take the punishment.  Although I love hot dogs, I don't eat them as much as I used to.  And at my age, it's probably a good thing. 

Still, I don't quite know if Hebrew National hot dogs warrant the crown of the best hot dogs in America.  They are pretty tasty for hot dogs, but I've always been a little leery of Consumer Reports rankings.  So, I take their hot dog rankings with a grain of salt.

Hebrew National was founded in 1905 by Romanian immigrant Isadore Pines.  The full name of the company was Hebrew National Kosher Sausage Factory, Inc. and the Pines family made their kosher sausages, hot dogs and meats in lower Manhattan.  They supplied the meat to countless Jewish delicatessens through out New York City.  Over the years, the Pines family changed the way they did business to cater more to the suburban family by packaging meats and selling them in meat cases in grocery stores. 

In 1968, the Pines family sold their company to Riviana Foods, which was taken over by Colgate-Palmolive in 1976.   

In 1980, Isadore Pines' grandson - Isidore "Skip" Pines - bought Hebrew National back from Colgate-Palmolive and took the company to a more healthy path, both financially and in terms of more healthy recipes for the way the make their hot dogs.  He pushed the company to make the Hebrew National hot dogs the original way with no artificial flavorings or colorization, and with no by-products or fillers, effectively minimizing the "modern way" of how most hot dogs were made at the time. 

Pines looked to acquire other food businesses and manufacturers, and in doing so, he changed the name of the company to National Foods.  He moved the operation from New York City to Indianapolis in the late 80's, establishing a non-kosher line of meats called National Deli.  That move soon proved to be the downfall of the company.  Eventually, Pines was forced to sell the company to food giant Con-Agra.  The Hebrew National brand name survived and now the hot dogs are made at a Con-Agra plant in Michigan.

When boiled in water, the Hebrew National hot dogs have a big, beefy taste, but not the salty aftertaste you'll find in a number of other hot dogs in most grocery stores meat cases.  (I usually stay away from the ones that have a lot of sodium in them.  Most of the gourmet hot dogs I've gotten have minimal amounts of sodium.)   

The Hebrew National hot dog is not very big - it's rather skinny compared to the hot dogs like the ones from Vienna Beef, Usinger's or Fairbury Meat's Tom Boy hot dogs.  They fit perfectly in most hot dog buns with plenty of room to spare for condiments. 

Although they have great flavor, I don't care much for the smallish nature of the Hebrew National hot dogs.  They're just not that substantial of a hot dog and sort of get lost in the bun.

Since they're owned by Con-Agra, you can find Hebrew National hot dogs at most grocery stores in the Midwest.  They're also the hot dog of choice at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the Omaha Royals, the AAA affiliate for the Kansas City Royals; and also the home of the College World Series. 

It's that time of year when families or friends are grilling on the deck and if you're looking for some hot dogs to grill, pick up a pack of Hebrew National dogs and see what you think.  They're good, but in my opinion, there's better ones out there.         

Paradise Pup - Des Plaines, IL

Now, one wouldn't think that with a name like Paradise Pup you'd be able to find one of the best burgers in the Chicagoland region.  But I think you'd be pleasantly surprised, because this is truly the case.

Paradise Pup is a little hole in the wall roadside stand along River Road in Des Plaines, IL, not far from O'Hare International Airport (see map).  Two brothers, George and Tony Manos, were backyard chefs who made some pretty good char-broiled burgers, hot dogs and sausages.  Their friends encouraged them to open a restaurant featuring the food items they made for friends and family on the weekends. 

They found the little roadside stand in 1984, fixed it up and opened soon thereafter.  Soon, people began to flock to the little shack to have the Char-burgers and Char-dogs the Manos brothers served up six days a week - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last year, the Chicago Tribune held a contest to find the best burgers in Chicagoland.  34 judges ate burgers from over 100 burger joints over a five to six week period.  Paradise Pup was rated the fifth best burger in Chicago.  That's pretty impressive.   

I went there on a Saturday recently and by the time I got there at 11:20 a.m., there was already a long line snaking out of the little building, with a healthy number of people already dining on food on the outdoor picnic tables.  The parking lot directly behind Paradise Pup was full, as well.  I was able to get the last parking spot and I got in line to order.   

The inside of the place isn't all that big, but they do offer about 8 to 10 bar stool seats to sit on to eat at a ledge when the weather isn't nice to sit outside.  A number of people were getting their orders to go.  Given that it was packed outside and since it was a nice day, I decided to do the same.

Five guys were working in concert behind the counter.  I could tell by the pictures in old newspaper articles on the wall the Manos Brothers were two of the five working.  One of the brothers, Tony, I believe, took my order.  I got a cheddar Char-burger, medium, with everything but mayonnaise.  And for good measure, I got a Paradise Pup - not the Char-dog (a Chicago dog broiled on the grill), but a good ol' fashioned Chicago style dog.  I had to see if their Chicago style dog measured up to the many I've had across the town over the years.

The bill came to around $7.25 for the burger and the hot dog.  You pay when you order and Paradise Pup does not take credit cards.   

As I was waiting, I was looking at a couple of the articles on the wall from over the years.  It turns out they used to cook their food over mesquite, but don't do that any longer.  And the cheddar cheese they use is Merkts - a crock-based cheddar cheese from Wisconsin.  Remembering my experience with the cheddar cheese burgers from Kopp's in Milwaukee, I sort of wished I hadn't gotten cheese on the first burger I was going to try from Paradise Pup. 

I also found out they're somewhat famous for their milkshakes.  A number of people were getting shakes with their order.  They had a cherry shake that seemed to be their signature milkshake.   

Paradise Pup's food is made to order, so fully expect to wait a good 10 to 15 minutes, especially during peak hours, for your order.  When I got my sack with my burger and hot dog, I thanked the Manos brother and he looked me in the eye and said, "Oh, no, man.  Thank YOU!" 

Now, I like that.  Too many times I'll tell someone "Thanks" at a restaurant and they'll say, "Uh, huh", or "OK".  You'd be surprised at how many people don't say, "Thank you" back after first thanking them.  It's like they're not appreciative of the business. 

I took off and drove down the road a bit, looking for a little park to pull over into and enjoy the food.  I finally found a place about two miles away from Paradise Pup and I pulled under a shade tree and dug into the sack.

I tried the hot dog first.  It wasn't all that big, so it was a good appetizer for the main burger course.  And it was good.  Just a typical steamed Chicago style hot dog with all the fixin's on top.  Then I grabbed the burger, wrapped in foil.

I opened it up and the burger was just engulfed in cheddar cheese.  I feared the taste of the cheese would significantly overpower the taste of the burger.  However, I quickly found this would not be the case. 

The bun was moist and tender, the char-broiled meat was very flavorful (maybe almost TOO much of a char-broiled taste to it), and the cheddar cheese didn't detract from the overall taste of the burger.  In short, I was very impressed by it.  I'm not overly partial to charcoal tasting burgers, but this one was done very well. 

I can see why people will stand in line for upwards of 30 minutes just to order a burger from Paradise Pup.  It's one of the better burgers I've ever had.  And just not only in Chicago - but in my Midwest travels, as well.  I will be back to Paradise Pup.

Portillo's

"I'll take an Italian beef, both kinds of peppers, mozzarella and dipped; and I'll take a hot dog, everything." 

That's my order, word for word each time I stop at Portillo's with tons of locations all over the Chicagoland region.  Each time I go into Chicago I have to make one stop at Portillo's.  There's a lot of great hot dog places and Italian beef restaurants, but - in my opinion - none of them do both as good as Portillo's.

Portillo's started in 1963 when 30 year old Dick Portillo (left) set up his "Dog House" - a trailer that didn't have heat, a bathroom or running water.  Portillo set up his trailer on a street corner in Villa Park and worked there part time while holding down a full time job. 

Four years later, the success of the Dog House (right) was so good that he abandoned the trailer (and his full time job) and opened a free standing restaurant at the same corner (see map) and renamed it "Portillo's".  There are now 31 Portillo's in the Chicago area, with two more coming in early 2007.  And there's one in the Los Angeles area in suburban Buena Park (see map).   

Portillo's are famous for their hot dogs first and their Italian beef sandwiches second.  But they also sell charbroiled burgers (of which I've yet to try, but want to at some point), grilled chicken sandwiches and sausage sandwiches.  Click here to see their full menu.

The Italian beef is sliced thin, then placed in the "gravy" - which is basically au jus sauce seasoned with Italian spices.  Keeping the beef in the warm au jus helps make it even more tender.  They place the Italian beef on a six inch cut piece of Italian bread and then you go from there. 

I have mine topped with a slice of mozzarella cheese; and both cooked sweet peppers and giardiniera - the concoction of hot peppers and vegetables that make Chicago style Italian sandwiches what they are.  And for good measure, I have the sandwich dipped in the au jus which makes it messy, but adds great flavor to the sandwich.

The hot dogs are all beef Vienna brand weiners.  They are typical Chicago style dogs - hot dogs on a poppy seed bun, topped with chopped onions, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, tomato wedges, sport peppers and a pickle spear.  I don't know if they're better than any other Chicago style hot dog I've ever had, but they certainly don't suck.

And combined - the Portillo's Italian beef sandwich and the Portillo's hot dog are a good way to sample two staples of the culinary history of Chicago.

The Portillo restaurants each have a theme that depicts the early to mid 20th century history of Chicago.  They have a 20's "Prohibition" theme, a 30's theme, a 50's theme (right) and a 60's theme.  The original location in Villa Park has a "nostalgia" theme to it.  There's authentic memorabilia from those time periods throughout the restaurants and each restaurant will play music of that specific period.  Some of the collections are actually pretty interesting.

Portillo's also offers party-packs of food.  Their "beef pack meal" consists of 2 1/2 pounds of Portillo's beef, along with cole slaw, potato salad, bread and both hot and sweet peppers.  It's actually a pretty good deal at a shade under $45 bucks. 

Within 9 of the Portillos locations is a separate restaurant - Barnelli's Pasta Bowl.  Barnelli's menu is wide ranging, serving pasta, salads, sandwiches and even ribs.   It's kind of a neat concept, actually.  If one person in the family wants pasta and the others want burgers or beef sandwiches, you can satisfy the tastes of everyone in the family. 

But I've never ventured over to the Barnelli's side of the place because it's really nothing more than fast food Italian style.  And I stay away from food like that like the plague.

Portillo's Restaurant Group also has two other restaurants - Key Wester, a seafood, Cuban/Caribbean, Italian themed restaurant in suburban Naperville (see map); and Luigi's House, an Italian restaurant down the road from the Key Wester in Aurora (see map).  I haven't tried either one.  Actually, they look like the kind of place that would bring in tourists.  And with a number of malls and shopping areas nearby, I'm sure tourists and shoppers are exactly what they cater to.   

I've been asked by a few people over the year the best place to try a Chicago style hot dog and Chicago style Italian beef.  I tell people to go to Portillo's and kill two birds with one stone.  It's one of my all-time guilty pleasures. 

(Note - The Urbanspoon link below is for the Downers Grove Portillo's location.  However, I've eaten at the majority of Chicagoland Portillo's locations and they are all consistently outstanding with both their Italian Beef sandwiches and their hot dogs.)

Tiefenthaler No Mess Chili Dogs

A special shout out to my friend, Chuck Ellis, who is the meat department manager at one of the Hy-Vee Food Stores in Omaha. 

I saw Chuck just after the Iowa/Wisconsin football game recently in Iowa City and we were talking about this and that.  He had the grill fired up and was getting ready to throw some hot dogs on.  I asked if they were going to be the Tom Boy dogs that he turned me on to before.  He said, "No, these are No Mess Chili Dogs."

I said, "No mess chili dogs?  What?"

He showed me a package of the Tiefenthaler No Mess Chili Dogs - hot dogs that had the cheese and chili flavoring added to them during the manufacturing process.  He said, "They're from some small meat locker in western Iowa." 

Chuck said, "Here, I have an extra pack.  Take 'em with you and try 'em out.  I think you'll like 'em." 

So I did and a couple weeks ago I got them out of the fridge and made up a couple.  As a chili dog connoisseur, I was very skeptical.  My skepticism went away after the first couple of bites  They were unbelievably very good!  They really did taste like chili and cheese dogs, without the mess! 

I got to looking into the Tiefenthaler meat locker in Holstein, Iowa in NW Iowa, about 35 miles east of Sioux City (see map).  Actually, it's called the Holstein Food Locker Service.  It's owned by John and Shelley Tiefenthaler who bought the business in the early 90's after John had worked there since he got out of high school in the early 80's.  They sell their packaged meats under the name of Tiefenthaler Quality Meats.

The story has it that Shelley Tiefenthaler dreamt about the No Mess Chili Dog concept one night and then encouraged her husband to work on it the next morning.  It took about seven months for John Tiefenthaler to come up with the right mix of ground beef, seasonings, chili beans and cheddar cheese to make the first true No Mess Chili Dog.

The No Mess Chili Dog made it's debut at the Iowa State Fair in 2005 as a "No Mess Chili Dog on a Stick".  (There's more things you can eat on a stick at the Iowa State Fair than you can shake a stick at.)  Soon after, the awards began to come in for the Tiefenthaler's No Mess Chili Dog.  The Iowa Meat Processor's Association awarded No Mess Chili Dog the top honor for  the "New Innovative Beef Product" category.  And in a national competition of meat packers and processors, it was named the Reserve Grand Champion for new and innovative products.

I'm not kidding you, the No Mess Chili Dog is very good.  The only problem is that they're not available in Eastern Iowa.   Hy-Vee food stores in Western Iowa and in the Omaha area carry them, but Chuck told me he could get the order code for the No Mess Chili Dogs and the local Hy-Vee's in the Quad Cities order them up for me on a special order basis.

Now, I know the idea of eating a hot dog repulses some people, but if you get a chance to find the Tiefenthaler No Mess Chili Dogs, pick up a pack and see for yourself.  It's pretty remarkable. 

Gene and Jude's Red Hot Stand - River Grove, IL

One of the more storied hot dog stands in Chicago is Gene and Jude's Red Hot Stand in suburban River Grove (see map).

Gene and Jude's began in 1952 when partners Gene Mormino and Julius "Jude" DeSantis opened the doors.  Jude DeSantis' son, Fred, took over the place in the 70's and his son, Matt, took over for him when Fred died in 2002. 

Where a lot of hot dog stands in the Chicago area will also sell burgers and Italian beef sandwiches, it's basically just hot dogs.  Well, that and, for some reason, tamales.  Oh, and hand cut french fries.  In fact, the fries are the good, greasy kind that complement the hot dogs tremendously.

I went in one afternoon when they weren't too busy.  You order at the far left end of the counter and move to the right to pay and then pick up the food. 

The inside of Gene and Jude's is very basic.  No tables, no chairs.  There is a ledge along the front window where you can stand and eat your dogs and fries.  But that's it.  No outdoor seating, nothing. 

I got a double dog - two grilled hot dogs in a bun topped with onions, mustard, pickle relish and hot peppers.  And an order of fries with a Coke.  And don't ask for ketchup - even for the fries.  They don't have it.

And it was good.  I liked the grilled taste to the hot dogs.  They were crisp and juicy.  And the fries were great.  It was a killer crappy food experience.   

One of the great things about Gene and Jude's is that they're open late - until 1 p.m. or later on some nights, depending upon how busy they are.  In doing some research on Gene and Jude's, I found some forums where people said that they've gone in there after 3 a.m. to get hot dogs.

Gene and Jude's is no frills, a short menu and good food.  Concentrate on one thing and do it right.  And they do it right.  It's a trippy little place.  Visit it if you can.   

Gold Coast Dogs - Chicago

Airports are nothing but glorified bus stops with bad food.  But every once in a while you stumble across a good little place that you have to go back to when you fly in or out of an airport.  And at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago one of those places is Gold Coast Dogs. 

Gold Coast Dogs has been in business since 1985 when Irv and Thelma Potekin scraped together their last few dollars to open a hot dog restaurant on North Wabash.  They wanted the restaurant to serve the highest quality food with great service for a fast food joint.  They named their hot dog place after the ritzy "Gold Coast" neighborhood of Chicago just north of the downtown area.  After awhile, their reputation began to get out and today they have 13 Gold Coast Dog locations across the Chicago area. 

The Gold Coast hot dogs are a little different than most of the others in the Chicago area.  Not only do they steam the all-beef weiner, but they also offer a char-broiled hot dog with the same toppings as a typical Chicago hot dog.  It has a distinctive taste to it - one that I kind of like.

Gold Coast Dogs also offer burgers and Italian beef sandwiches, although I've only tried the hot dogs when I go to the one at O'Hare.  Actually, I get one steamed and one charred.  The taste of the two are sort of 180 degrees away from each other, but they're both very good. 

If I'm flying American Airlines through Chicago, I try to stop and get a couple hot dogs at Gold Coast Dogs in the Halsted Street Food Court in Terminal 3.  It's sort of tough to find, but it's worth going a little out of your way for a great Chicago hot dog. 

Update - Gold Coast Dogs closed their O'Hare main terminal location much to my unhappiness.  However, they still have a location open in the International Terminal (Terminal 5) at O'Hare and at Midway Airport.  But since I usually don't fly through Midway - ever - I'll have to go to one of their other free standing locations when I want a Gold Coast hot dog.)

George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe - Sioux City

Every time I go to Sioux City, I have to stop into George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe (see map).  George's is a chili dog experience extraordinaire.  I've been going there since back in the mid-80's when it was known as Milwaukee Wiener House #2. 

George's is owned by George Demetroulis, a very friendly little Greek guy with a thick accent. George and his brother, Gus, (who co-owned Milwaukee Wiener House #1 in downtown Sioux City) were in business together at one point and time.  In the 90's, Gus retired and the partner's sons took over the downtown hot dog shoppe.  George then went out on his own. 

In 1999, I hadn't been to Sioux City for about 8 years and I had to go get a chili dog.  I then saw that it was now called George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe.  George probably wanted it to be No. 1 in hopes of having a No. 2 some time down the road.  To my knowledge, he just has one location.

George's hot dogs are all beef and he grilles them on a flat griddle grill, about 50 at time.  They aren't all that big, so you can easily eat a couple of 'em at a sitting. 

His chili is a bean-less chili that reminds me of Cincinnati-style chili - heavy on the all-spice, and not very spicy hot.  Since Cincinnati-style chili comes from Greek immigrants, I'm certain that George's chili is nearly the same. 

When you order the chili dogs from George's, everything means chili, mustard and onions.  The perfect chili dog. 

George's has booths throughout the place.  I like to sit at the booth just under a sketch of George, circa 1990.  Other than that, the ambiance lends itself to a place to get in and get out, although a number of Greek's in the Sioux City area tend to gravitate to the place in the afternoon after the lunch rush for coffee and baklava.

George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe is only open until 5 p.m. and it's a "must stop" each time I go to Sioux City.   But I do need to go to the Milwaukee Wiener House in the downtown area to check them out again.  I haven't been there since George split from them.  But I'm guessing that George's and Milwaukee Wiener House are interchangeable.    

Coney Island - La Crosse, WI

One of the better hot dog places I've eaten at over the years is the Coney Island in La Crosse, WI.  It's been in existence since 1922 when Greek immigrants Tom Sideras and Jim Kappellas opened on S. 4th Street in downtown La Crosse.  They continue to serve hot dogs in the original location today.

Tom Sideras died in 1962, and Jim Kappellas' son, Tom, bought the business in 1963.  Jim Kappellas officially retired at that time, but continued to help his son in the business up until his death in 1975. 

Over the years, Coney Island expanded to four locations and three of Tom Kappellas children manage three of the four locations around the La Crosse area. 

The Coney Island dogs are pretty thin and cooked on a flat stove top grill (very similar to George's in Sioux City).  The chili dogs are good, but the chili, in my opinion, is a little bland.  And it doesn't matter if you order a hot dog with or without chili - it costs the same. 

Over the years, Coney Island has added french fries (served in a cup), sandwiches (hot ham and cheese, grilled chicken) and gyros to the menu.  A guy told me when I was eating there one time that the place was better before they had the sandwiches.  I still thought the hot dogs were pretty good on their own. 

Still, with the history behind Coney Island in La Crosse, you have to stop in and get one (or two - they're small!) when you're in town. 

Superdawg - Chicago

The world famous Superdawg drive-in at the corner of Devon and Milwaukee in the far northwest side of Chicago has been serving up hot dogs - no, wait - "Superdawgs" since 1948.

Superdawg was started by Maurie Berman, a World War II veteran who was studying to be an accountant at Northwestern University, and his wife, Florence, who had married Maurie a year prior.  Maurie and "Flaurie" wanted to have a summer business, something to occupy their time during the summer vacation season.

Maurie designed a little building and put two distinctive hot dogs on the top of the place.  He called it "Superdawg" as there was a proliferation of cartoon "superheroes" at that time.  Superdawg opened in May of 1948 with car hops going out to the cars to take orders. 

It wasn't until the early to mid-50's when two way communications for order taking had been invented and Maurie immediately installed a system at Superdawg.  Calling his two way system "Car Hop on a Wire", Superdawg began to grow tremendously.  What had started out as a part time thing to pass the summer months for Maurie (who had long since passed his CPA exam) and Flaurie, turned into a thriving year round business.

The trademark greeting of "Hiya!  Thanks for stopping!" is the first thing you hear from the Superdawg people when you hit the order button.  Each Superdawg comes in a box with an order of Superfries that aren't bad, but the hot dog is pretty damn good.  They serve the Superdawg "Chicago style" (of course) but instead of a red tomato wedge, they have a small green tomato wedge.  It's a nice twist on the traditional Chicago hot dog. 

You can still eat in your car, or you can go in and eat in a somewhat cozy dining area in the building.  It's still fun to order up a hot dog and fries and have it in your car.

Maurie, Flaurie and their children have been serving Superdawg's (made with secret preparations) for over 50 years.  It's not a hot dog, it's not a wiener, it's not a frankfurter, it's not a red hot. 

It's a Superdawg, and make no mistake about that.

Real Chili - Milwaukee

Real Chili in downtown Milwaukee (see map) is the closest thing to Cincinnati-style chili available outside of Cincinnati, and not part of a chain that originated in Cincinnati.  Actually, I was told once by someone at Real Chili that their style of chili is a cousin to what is known as "Green Bay Style Chili".  That style began in 1916 by a Lituanian immigrant by the name of John Issac who opened up Chili John's in Green Bay.  It's still going strong, but I've yet to eat there.

There's not much to Real Chili - the decor is decidedly from the 60's and hasn't been updated in 40 years.  There's a lunch counter, booths and tables in the place.  Their chili can be served plain or up to the five way chili (with spaghetti and cheese) that is famous in Cincinnati.  Only Real Chili's chili doesn't have the sweet all-spice and cocoa taste to it.  It's more of a traditional Midwestern chili, flavorful with a touch of vinegar.

The chili dogs at Real Chili are top notch.  Once again, I don't like to put cheese on the chili dogs as it detracts from the overall taste, but a little bit of fresh shredded cheddar is not too bad on these.

Real Chili is unique in that you don't see many chili places like it in larger downtown areas any longer.  And because of its location - and the fact that it's open late - Real Chili is a popular late night stop for college students and young adults out bar-hopping.  In fact, the first time I ate at Real Chili was with Cindy around 12:30 a.m. when we'd been down at Summerfest all day long.  Oh boy - chili dogs just before bed!

There's also a Real Chili over by Marquette University (see map).  It's been a popular hang out for a number of years.  I have yet to go there, opting to eat at the original Real Chili 20 blocks to the east each time I have a chili dog hankering in Milwaukee.

Real Chili - it certainly is!

The Perfectly Cooked Hot Dog

It kind of struck me as sort of strange - in a weird funny way - when I went to a chili party at a friend's house and the hostess didn't know how to cook hot dogs.  She's over 40 and didn't know how long to cook 'em on the stove.  She'd boiled the hot dogs for over 20 minutes and they'd split and lost all their juices and color.  They were pretty bad.

Then I found that in this day and age of microwave ovens and the like, a lot of people didn't know how to properly make a boiled hot dog on the stove top. 

After years of making hot dogs either on the grill, or in the microwave, or on the stove, I've found the best tasting hot dogs are the ones where the natural juices are still inside the casing after they cooked.  Too many times on the grill the hot dog will split and lose a lot of its juiciness while they're cooking.  In a microwave, you have to slit the hot dog before you cook it or it will explode in there.  But cooking in water on the stove top is the best way to keep the natural juice flavor from coming out.

Actually, I like to add something to the water - a beef bouillon cube.  Here's how I cook a couple hot dogs:

Pour 1 quart water into 2 quart pan

Add beef bouillon cube and turn heat to high and bring to boil

When water comes to boil, add two hot dogs.  Continue to boil for 5 minutes.

Pull from water after five minutes and eat 'em! 

It's that easy.  The beef flavored water gives the hot dogs an even better taste as it clings to the casing. 

Try it next time you make hot dogs.  Just don't cook the life out of them.

Tom Boy's

I was first turned on to Fairbury Meats "Tom Boys" by my friend Chuck Ellis at a football tailgate in Iowa City.  Chuck is the meat manager of the Hy-Vee store on 132nd St. in Omaha and he brought a couple packs out to cook on the grill after a game one time.  I had one and thought, "Man, these are GREAT!" 

Chuck told me that Fairbury Meats was a small company located in Fairbury, NE, south and west of Lincoln, near the Kansas border.  They make a number of meat products in the plant, but they're kind of famous for their hot dogs.  They make a red-dyed hot dog that is served at University of Nebraska football games.  That's what Chuck had, the red ones. 

During one of my travels to Omaha, I stopped off at Chuck's store and picked up a couple dozen of the hot dogs.  They're just great hot dogs.  All beef, no filler, tasty, juicy.  One of the best hot dogs I've ever tasted.  The problem is that I don't get out to Omaha all the often any longer and they're only available in the Hy-Vee's in Nebraska.  Chuck gave me a control order number to use one time to order here locally from a Hy-Vee, but I just haven't gotten around to doing that. 

But I'm now out of Tom Boys since my last trip to Omaha last summer and I think I have to order some up since I don't anticipate being in Omaha anytime soon. 

My friend, Craig Evert, who grew up in Nebraska, seconded my love for Fairbury's Tom Boys.  In fact, he sent me this picture of fine dining with a couple Tom Boys (it's the same picture for the opening blog in this category).  It really doesn't get any better than this.

Cincinnati Chili Dogs

Cincinnati style chili is different from other chili in that it doesn't have beans, it's a little more sweet than other types of chili, and it adds spices such as cinnamon and allspice with a dash of cocoa to the mix.  And it doesn't have any hot and spicy taste to it.  It could be described as "Greek style" chili because a lot of the origins of Cincinnati style chili come from the city's Greek immigrant community.  It's a different, yet acceptable taste when compared to Texas Style chili or Willy Chili.

Of course, there's a number of places in Cincinnati that have minor variances of the local style of chili.  And the way they serve it is also quite unique to Cincinnati.  Most places serve the chili as 3-way chili - spaghetti, topped with chili, topped with copious amounts of cheddar cheese.  Or you can go to 4-way chili by adding either red beans or onions.  Or go all the way to 5-way chili - adding both the beans and onions.

I'm sorry - chili and spaghetti just doesn't sound appealing to me.  But it's a staple in the diets of many people in Cincinnati. 

However, what I do like in Cincinnati are their Cincinnati style chili dogs.  Actually, the hot dogs and the buns they serve the hot dogs on are almost miniature in size.  Three healthy bites and they're gone, so it's easy to eat three of them at one sitting. 

Cincinnati style chili dogs, or "coneys", are topped with chili, mustard and onions.  You can add cheddar cheese to them, but I think the cheese really detracts from the taste of the chili dog. 

I've been to the three "big" places in Cincinnati to get chili dogs and I think I have a better idea as to who is the best. 

My third place finisher is Gold Star Chili.  Not that it's bad, I think it's good.  I just like the chili at my second place finisher Skyline Chili a little bit better.  Skyline Chili has been around for about 15 years longer than Gold Star has, and they have more locations in and around Cincinnati than Gold Star. 

Actually, it's like an arms race between Gold Star and Skyline - they're both putting up places right and left.  I think Gold Star has something like 100 total locations, Skyline may have about 120.  But Skyline is also available throughout Ohio and Kentucky, up in Indianapolis, up in Michigan, and now down in Florida. 

I found the Skyline chili to have just a little bit more of an agreeable taste than Gold Star.  The spice taste sensations were more abundant in the Skyline chili.  That may not mean that more people like it that way, but I did.  And I found the chili dogs at Skyline were a little more flavorful - both with the chili and the hot dog, itself. 

But my favorite place in Cincinnati for chili dogs is not a chain, but a single store location - Camp Washington Chili.  Camp Washington is a family run place that is styled after a 50's era diner.  The waitresses are friendly and sassy and make you feel welcome.  I like their chili the best of all the three "big guys", and they have the best chili dogs of all three.  When I go to or through Cincinnati, I always have to get off of I-75 at Hopple and go west about a quarter of a mile to Colerain and Camp Washington is there on the corner.  They're open all through the week, but closed on Sunday's. 

When in Cincinnati, I heartily recommend getting a couple chili dogs at Camp Washington. 

Mulgrew's - East Dubuque, IL

Mulgrew's in East Dubuque, IL (see map)is one of those places that you have to visit at least once in your life.  Located on the infamous Sinsinawa Street in East Dubuque - infamous in that there are at least three strip bars located on the street - Mulgrew's has drawn thousands of late night visitors from both sides of the Mississippi for their chili dogs.

Mulgrew's is nothing more than a dingy bar with an attached liquor store.  They do have a sandwich menu but the top seller are their foot long chili dogs.  The hot dogs are steamed in a pot of water that, I understand, probably hasn't been changed since Christ was in high school.  If I found that they cooked 'em in urine, I'd still eat 'em. 

The chili has no beans and is understated in it's spiciness.  You can order a chili dog as a "Snow Dog" - tons of onions on top.  They also have shredded cheese they can put on top, but I think the cheese detracts from the taste.

One night, years ago, I did a sales meeting for a store up in Dubuque, then took the guys across the river to Mulgrew's for chili dogs.  One of the guys, Jim Sullivan - who was not a small guy - ate FIVE "snow dogs" that night.  I tried to keep up with him.  I had three, but without the slug of onions on top.  I thought I was going to die afterwards. 

Nearly every time I go through Dubuque, I have to stop and get a Mulgrew's chili dog and a cold Old Style to wash it down.  It's heaven on earth, buddy...