Road Tips

The Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers - Fountain Valley, CA

I was flying out to Southern California last year and I had a short layover (with a long walk between gates) at Denver International Airport.  As I was flying between the Quad Cities and Denver a buddy of mine from the Denver area had left me a voice mail because a company who had been interested in hiring me contacted him after I told them to give my friend a call as I was happy with my current position. (Where were these calls when I was looking for work a couple years ago?)   He just wanted to know if this was a legitimate deal and I apologized and said that I probably should have let him know they were going to call him.  He asked me where I was and I told him that, quite actually, I was out at DIA heading to Orange County.  "Oh, man," he said in almost a jealous tone.  "You've got to go to Tommy's when you're out there."  I wasn't familiar with Tommy's and he said, "Oh, man.  Their chili cheese dogs, their chili cheeseburger, they're the best, man."  It turned out that after calling on a potential account in Orange County I passed a Tommy's.  I ended up going around the block and headed back to the Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers in Fountain Valley, CA.  (see map) 

Tom Koufax was the son of Greek immigrants who ended up in Southern California before the outbreak of World War II.  Koufax dabbled in a number of businesses before he saw a number of hot dog places were popping up around Southern California after the war.  Hoping the cash in the post-war prosperity, he opened Tommy's Hamburgers at the corner of W. Beverly and N. Rampart Blvds. just west of downtown Los Angeles.  Business was slow at first for the little walk-up stand relying mainly on "word-of-mouth" advertising.  By the mid-50's, Tommy's had garnered enough of a buzz that long lines began to form before they would open for their chili dogs, chili cheese fries and chili-topped burgers.  

Pictured right - the "original" Original Tommy's Hamburgers stand in Los Angeles.   Photo courtesy Historic Places L.A. 

By the 60's, Tommy's had outgrown its original location and Tom Koufax bought the entire northeast corner of Beverly and Rampart to put in a food storage facility as well as a second serving window.  But it became evident to Koufax that he needed to expand his business as Los Angeles was quickly becoming a megapolis with thousands of people moving into the San Fernando Valley on an annual basis.

In 1971 while celebrating 25 years in business, Tom Koufax opened his second location in the North Hills neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.  A year later, a third Tommy's Hamburgers opened in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of north Los Angeles between Pasadena and Glendale.  Expansion continued the next year as the fourth Tommy's opened in Burbank, and in 1974, the fifth Tommy's opened in Tujunga, CA on the far northeast side of the San Fernando Valley.  Today, there are 32 Tommy's locations with 29 spread across Southern California and 3 more in Las Vegas.  

Pictured left - Tom Koufax, Sr. (left) and an employee at the original Tommy's location. Photo courtesy Original Tommy's web site. 

Tommy's success spawned a number of imitators and it became evident that the company needed to trademark and copyright their name and product.  In the 80's, Tommy's Hamburgers became known as the Original Tommy's Hamburgers with the tag "World Famous" as they were getting press and visitors from publications around the world as being the quintessential Southern California fast food restaurant.  Tour groups from Asia and Europe would go to an Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers just to experience the food and atmosphere.

In the 1960's, Tom Koufax, Jr. joined his father at the original location working the grills and learning the business.  Tom Koufax, Jr. eventually walked away from the business and had no affiliation with Tommy's Hamburgers later on.  Upon Tom Koufax, Sr.'s death in 1992, the business was split among family members with Tom Koufax, Jr. retaining 10% of the restaurant.  Dawna Bernal, the daughter of Tom Jr's sister Dianne, was installed as C.E.O. of the Original Tommy's.  Tom Koufax's son-in-law is the chief financial officer and Koufax family members are on the board of directors for the Original Tommy's Hamburgers.  

However, Tom Koufax, Jr. decided to market his own chili that was a similar - yet different - chili recipe as the Original Tommy's chili.  He used a logo similar to the Original Tommy's for his chili - Tommy Jr.'s Original Chili - and started selling the product on-line in 2008.  He was sent a "cease-and-desist" letter at the end of 2008, and when he continued to sell his chili on-line he was hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit in 2009.  Tom, Jr. eventually moved his operation to Las Vegas where he, his wife and a business partner continued to sell his chili on-line and fought the lawsuit - all while Tom, Jr. was undergoing cancer treatment.  The suit was soon settled after Tom Koufax, Jr. agreed to stop using the name Tommy Jr.'s Original Chili.

Over the years, more Tommy's knock-offs have appeared across Southern California.  The Koufax family began legal proceedings against many of those Tommy's wanna-be's that had similar concepts and similar names to Tommy's - Tomy's Hamburgers, Tommy's No. 5 Chiliburgers, Tommy's Famous Drive-thru, Tomboy's Famous Chili Hamburgers and Tom's Original Super Burger.  By 2019, there were nearly 70 different Tommy's knock-offs around Southern California - 3 times the number of Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers locations.  But the Koufax family was through with trying to litigate against the imposters taking the stance that the most sincere form of flattery is imitation.  They've focused on strengthening the Original Tommy's image, logo and message to differentiate themselves from the others who have popped up on the coattails of the Original Tommy's success.  

It turns out that the Fountain Valley location was the sixth Original Tommy's restaurant to open.  This location opened in 1980 and was a counter-service only with a drive-thru lane.  However, they've since added seating in form of 9 booths in a small dining area.  Old photos of Tommy's original restaurant hung on the walls of the dining area.  

It was around 1:30 when I got into the Original Tommy's and I parked in the lot outside the building just off Magnolia Street just north of the corner it shares with Warner Ave.  I went inside and went to the counter.  Since no one else was in line, I was able to take my time looking at the menu on a wall board behind the counter.  But compared to a number of other fast food/fast casual places, Tommy's didn't have much to offer other than chili cheese burgers, chili cheese dogs, chili cheese tamales, chili cheese fries and a breakfast burrito.   

I figured I'd get a chili dog because I love good chili dogs.  But I was sort of up in the air as to what else I was going to get.  I'm sure that it would be way too much food, but I figured that I could get a couple things and not eat everything in front of me.  

I normally don't like chili cheese burgers and I almost got the chili cheese tamale along with a chili cheese dog.  But against my better judgment I went with the chili cheese burger - just one patty.  (They also have double and triple chili cheese burgers at the Original Tommy's.)  Besides, Tommy's chili cheese burgers are "world famous".  I had to at least give one a try while I was there. 

The chili cheese dog was topped with onions, dill pickles, and a sliced tomato.  I had to get back up and grab multiple napkins and a plastic fork and knife to dig into the chili cheese dog as it was a complete mess.  The chili cheese burger has similar toppings on it.  Why it did, I don't quite know as dill pickles and chili aren't in my book of combinations.  

The chili was the overriding feature of both the chili cheese dog and the chili cheese burger.  In fact, I couldn't taste any of the hot dog or the burger patty when I bit into each.  The chili was, well, interesting.  It was a Greek-style chili - similar to Cincinnati-style chili - but more thick and somewhat pasty in consistency.   It was definitely an acquired taste and I'm not certain I really liked it.  I ate all of the chili cheese dog and maybe about half of the burger.  

And, of course, the chili laid in my stomach like a gut bomb.  I was planning on going out that evening for some Italian food at a restaurant not far from my hotel, but it turned out that I just stayed in that night and didn't have dinner.  Tommy's chili was just too much for me.  

I talked to my buddy who turned me on to Tommy's about a month after I had been there.  I told him, "Man, I don't know about Tommy's.  That was a gut bomb, big time."  

He was sort of crestfallen to hear my critique of the place.  "Oh, man," he said dejectedly over the phone.  "I figured a guy like you would like Tommy's.  Man, I have to go to Tommy's every time I go to Southern California."  

Well, all I can say is that I gave it a shot.  And I didn't care for it.  But there are thousands of people in Southern California who love Tommy's chili cheese dogs and chili cheese burgers and the Original Tommy's longevity and growth attest to that.  The chili laid heavy in my stomach, I didn't care for the consistency of the chili, and I found the taste to be somewhat dull.  I found Tommy's.  I tried Tommy's.  And the Original Tommy's is definitely an acquired taste.  

Tail o' The Pup - West Hollywood, CA

While out in L.A. earlier this summer, I drove by an iconic hot dog stand and took note of where it was.  One day when I had a lull in the action in the middle part of the afternoon, I went back to the Tail O' the Pup to give it a try.  

For years, the Tail O' the Pup was one of the most popular and cherished food destinations in Los Angeles.  It was featured in television shows, movies and music videos, and attracted entertainers, locals and tourists to its distinctive hot dog-and-bun shaped stand.  Stars such as Jay Leno, Betty White, Billy Crystal and Sigourney Weaver were  regulars at Tail O' the Pup.  It's no wonder that Tail O' the Pup has such a star-studded lineage - it was actually founded by a pair of famous ballroom dancers back in the mid-1940's.  

Frank Veloz and Yolanda Casazza were a husband and wife dance team who were known professionally as Veloz and Yolanda.  The couple became huge stars in the 1930's performing on Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, in films and putting on shows in ballrooms across the nation.  The couple permanently moved to Southern California in the late 30's and realized that they needed to invest some of their entertainment money into something more stable.  Yolanda gave birth to their first child in 1940 and the couple decided to start a restaurant to keep money flow going if they were between dancing jobs.  

At that time, many of the restaurants in Los Angeles had theme designs in their architecture.  Root beer stands were shaped like barrels, orange juice stands were shaped like oranges, and the famous restaurant - the Brown Derby - was shaped like a hat.  Hot dog stands were big across America in the 30's and 40's and Frank and Yolanda decided to open their own hot dog stand.

The couple commissioned streamline moderne architect Milton Black to come up with a unique style of a hot dog stand.  Black was already famous in designing some of the top homes in the Los Angeles area prior to World War II.  Black came up with the iconic 18-foot-long stand and all Frank and Yolanda had to do was to have someone build the bun and hot dog structure  find a spot for the new venture.  

Then World War II started and Frank and Yolanda put their hot dog stand on hold.  However, after the war ended, the couple resurrected their wish to put the hot dog stand on a street corner and open for business.  They had the hot dog structure built and found a spot at the corner of Beverly Blvd. and La Cienega in Beverly Hills.  The structure was too small to cook in, so they built a kitchen building behind the hot dog structure.  Just down the street from their location was another iconic L.A. restaurant, the Tail O' the Cock.  Frank and Yolanda decided to name their restaurant Tail O' the Pup as a word play on both the neighboring restaurant and the hot dog nickname.  

Frank and Yolanda opened Tail O' the Pup in 1946 with a star-studded opening featuring Hollywood stars and searchlights similar to a Hollywood film opening.  The couple ran the stand until the mid-50's when they went through an acrimonious divorce.  The stand was sold and changed hands a couple times before a man by the name of Eddie Blake bought the place in 1976.  Blake played up the popularity of the iconic hot dog stand and began to attract entertainers to his little stand.  Tourists would come to see if anyone famous would show up for one of Tail O' the Pup's famous hot dogs.  

In the mid-80's, urban development came calling and the Tail O' the Pup faced demolition in order to put up a luxury hotel.  An outcry amongst many in the Hollywood community saved the iconic stand and it was moved to a new location on San Vicente Blvd.  Eddie Blake's son Dennis took over the day-to-day operation of the restaurant and continued in business until 2005 when nearby Cedars-Sinai Hospital needed the land for expansion.  Dennis Blake tried to find a new location, but real estate had skyrocketed and he couldn't find a spot to even lease to put the hot dog stand on.  The Blake family put the hot dog structure into storage hoping to find a spot to start up again.  

Unfortunately, that never happened.  In 2017, Eddie Blake's grandson Jay Miller inherited the structure.  After unsuccessfully trying to pair up with another restaurant to bring back Tail O' the Pup, Miller donated the structure to the Valley Relics Museum, a pop culture museum dedicated to collecting, restoring and preserving relics of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.  

In 2018, the 1933 Group - a trio of investors whose primary goal was to restore and renew structures - bought the Tail O' the Pup structure from the museum with hopes to resurrect the business once again.  The group - Bobby Green, Dimitri Komarov and Dmitry Liberman - sought out former employees of Tail O' the Pup and researched cooking methods, procedures that were in place, and what made people come back time and time again for the hot dogs.  In the meantime, the group had the iconic hot dog and bun painstakingly restored to its original state.  

The 1933 Group secured a property at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and La Cienega Blvd. about a mile north of the original 1946 location.  The building was once a former recording studio/rehearsal space (more on that later) and they built on a two story frame structure on the front for outside seating.   With another star-studded crowd on hand, the new Tail O' the Pup reopened on July 20, 2022, which happened to be National Hot Dog Day.  

It was after 2 p.m. when I pulled up to Tail O' the Pup along Santa Monica Blvd.  (see map)  I was able to find a parking spot just up the street in a metered space.  Since it was after the lunch rush, I was able to get right up to the counter inside the big-assed hot dog.  

The menu at Tail O' the Pup featured a number of hot dogs with various toppings along with corn dogs, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken strips, and even a vegetable drink and a skinless hot dog with bacon flavored cheese for dogs!  

All the hot dogs at Tail O' the Pup are 100% hormone-free beef wieners that are smoked over maple wood.  The original hot dog at Tail O' the Pup - the 1946 Pup -  is a split frank that was grilled and served on a toasted bun with chopped onions and mustard.  The Piggy Pup had chopped bacon on it, the Jalapeño Pup had sliced jalapeños and a jalapeño spread, and the Chicago Pup was basically a Chicago-style hot dog with green relish, onions, mustard, chopped tomatoes, sport peppers and a dill pickle on a poppy-seeded bun.  They also had beer on the menu and I made sure to get one of those to go along with the meal.  

I made my choice for what I wanted to eat and was instructed to go inside the building behind the ordering counter to get my food.  It was a bright and colorful room with a pick-up counter and a kitchen area behind that.  The walls in the dining area full of booths had a number of historical pictures of Tail O' the Pup and some of the people who used to work or dine there.  Music from the 1940's and 50's featuring Guy Lombardo, Frank Sinatra, The Andrew Sisters, and Ella Fitzgerald was playing in the background.  

I ended up getting the Chili Pup with chopped onions and mustard, and the 1976 Pup - basically a steamed hot dog that as introduced in 1976 when Eddie Blake took over the business.  Usually, the 1976 Pup comes with ketchup and mustard.  And I'm one who thinks it's a major sin to put ketchup on a hot dog (although my wife likes to eat them that way).  I asked the guy at the counter if I could switch out the ketchup for chopped onions and he said that would be no problem.  

I decided to sit outside just before the entrance to the inside part of Tail O' the Pup.  It was sort of a cool and cloudy day, so sitting in the warm sun was not an option.  The padded chairs were comfortable and the tables were sturdy.  Actually, I marveled at how clean everything was.  

The 1976 Pup had a nice snap to the casing and the steamed bun had a good taste.  It was a basic hot dog, but it was good.  The Chili Pup was better.  The chili had a nice texture and was a bit spicy.  It was a nice complement to the hot dog.  

The chili dog was messy and after I finished I needed to go to the restroom to get cleaned up for my next meeting in about an hour.  However, when I went inside to use the restroom, they had it closed off for cleaning.  One of the guys behind the pick-up counter told me that they had a bathroom upstairs by the outside dining area that I could use.

I went up to the second story of the outside dining area and there was a nice little cozy space with a canvas tent over the tables and chairs.  I turned to go use the restroom and I saw a plaque on the outside wall of the building that immediately caught my eye.  I went in to clean up and then came back out to read the plaque.

                 
The plaque basically said that for two years the building served as a rehearsal space for The Doors, the legendary L.A. band from the late 60's into the early 70's.  The band used the building in 1970 and 1971 and decided to record their last album "L.A. Woman" in the building.  The recording board was set up in the upper floor and cables were run downstairs where microphones and instruments were set up.  Since the building wasn't really sound reinforced for a recording studio, it gave the album sort of a live sound quality.  The album was released in the spring of 1971, 2 1/2 months before Jim Morrison's untimely death in Paris at the age of 27.  It was one of those moments where I went, "Huh!  Well, that's kind of cool!"  

The only downside of my visit to Tail O' the Pup was that it was - I felt - extremely expensive.  $8.95 for a basic hot dog, $9.95 for a chili dog.  $8.00 for a basic plastic cup of beer.  With tip and tax - don't know why I needed to tip since it was basically counter service - it was over $30 bucks.  That's Major League Baseball ballpark prices.  Nevertheless, I had to try Tail O' the Pup just once.  The hot dogs were good, but really nothing special.  It was great that they were able to resurrect an iconic Los Angeles restaurant, but the sticker shock of the meal I got was one that gave me pause.  Nice to go to Tail O' the Pup once, but I won't need to go again.  

The Flying Elbow - Marshalltown, IA

Traveling around Iowa for a number of years, I've always wanted to find some of the better burger places around the state.  In 2010, the Iowa Beef Industry Council has staged its "Best Burger in Iowa" contest.  I've had the pleasure of visiting many of the winners over the years (click here to see the entries) and while most have been pretty good, a couple three I've scratched my head and wondered how in the hell that particular burger got the "Best Burger in Iowa" award.  I recently had a chance to go to the 2022 winner of the Best Burger contest - The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown, IA.  But let me first tell you how this unique burger and beer joint with a pro wrestling theme came to pass.

Garrett Goodman was a Marshall County native who graduated from East Marshall High School in Le Grand, IA in 2004.  Goodman dabbled in a little bit of this and that after he got out of high school.  He's a musician whose music and voice have been heard on advertisements across the state of Iowa, he was an IT manager at Emerson/Fisher Controls in Marshalltown, and he worked along side his step-father in a restaurant kitchen.  It was while working in a kitchen at a small steakhouse in Laurel, IA where he found that he loved working in a restaurant the most.  

After accepting a voluntary severance from Emerson/Fisher Control in 2016, Goodman went into the restaurant business for himself starting up what turned out to be a very popular professional wrestling-themed food truck which mainly focused on unique styles of gourmet hot dogs but also served basic burgers.  Like most food truck vendors, Goodman hoped to open his own brick-and-mortar business and that time came in May of 2018 when he opened the first incarnation of The Flying Elbow in downtown Marshalltown.

Pictured right - Garrett Goodman.  Photo courtesy Marshalltown Times-Republican.

Two months to the day after The Flying Elbow opened, downtown Marshalltown was hit by a devastating tornado that tore the roof off the restaurant's structure allowing a torrent of rainwater to come in and basically destroy everything.  With his dream of operating a restaurant smacked down for the time being, Goodman helped with the relief efforts in the aftermath of the tornado by handing out free hot dogs from his resurrected food truck.  

Goodman continued out of his food truck until the pandemic hit.  Then five months into the pandemic, a derecho that raced across Iowa one August day caused as much damage as the devastating tornado two years prior.  Goodman's dreams were suddenly body slammed, but as Goodman "bridged" long enough to keep him from getting pinned, it allowed him to get his second wind and go in a different direction.

It was a chance invitation by a couple friends who owned a bowling alley/arcade/event space that put Goodman back into the restaurant business while he was looking for a new place to take the place of his now-demolished original Flying Elbow.  At Wayward Social in Marshalltown, Goodman oversaw a kitchen that made pizzas, wings, sandwiches and burgers.  It was at Wayward Social where Goodman first started to make his now signature smashed burgers.  

A local real estate agent came to Goodman with a spot on Marshalltown's 13th Street corridor, an area with bars, restaurants and shops on the city's northwest side.  Goodman jumped at the chance and opened a new and improved Flying Elbow in September of 2021 complete with its World Wrestling Entertainment design and motif.  

Gourmet hot dogs were still the focus at The Flying Elbow, but when business slowed down considerably in the winter months Goodman and his co-workers sat down to figure out someway to help grow the business.  They had joked on a couple of occasions that maybe they should add burgers to the menu.  Goodman knew how to make a good smashed burger from his time at Wayward Social, so one day he came in with new menus, handed them out to the staff and basically said, "We're gonna start doing flat-grilled burgers."  The staff was incredulous as they thought he was joking, but Goodman was serious about the pivot to burgers while keeping the gourmet hot dogs on the menu.

Goodman came up with a blend of ground chuck, brisket, short rib and Wagyu beef - a combination that Goodman believes is the only of its kind for a burger joint in Iowa - and added a new style of bun that wasn't too thick, but held together with all the various toppings on The Flying Elbow's burgers.  It wasn't long before word got out The Flying Elbow had a great burger and it caught the attention of the Iowa Beef Industry Council after the burger joint garnered enough votes just 3 months after starting to make their burgers to be named a finalist for the Best Burger in Iowa contest in 2022.  A month later, a panel of judges called The Flying Elbow's burgers to be the best in Iowa.  Sort of remarkable for a restaurant who had just been making burgers for less than 5 months!

Business doubled overnight after the announcement.  Goodman said that in 2022 alone the restaurant made over 65,000 burgers.  It looked like his decision to add burgers turned out to be the right one!

As a young boy, Goodman remembered the family significance of barbecuing and smoking meats on Sundays.  He had a small smoker at The Flying Elbow where he would smoke pork shoulders and experimented with making some barbecue specialties to sell alongside the burgers and hot dogs.  In late 2022, Goodman got more serious about his barbecue upgrading his small smoker to a 300-gallon wood fired smoker where he can smoke his pork shoulders the traditional way - low and slow over a combination of oak and cherry wood.  

Once again, Goodman struck lightning and earlier this year The Flying Elbow was crowned as having the best pulled pork sandwich in the state of Iowa by the Iowa Pork Producers Association.  So, in the space of 10 months, The Flying Elbow has the best burger and the best pulled pork sandwich in the state of Iowa!  Now, THAT, is truly a remarkable feat by any measure!

I was back in the Newton area seeing some friends and family a couple months ago when I announced to a buddy of mine that I was planning on going up to Marshalltown (about a half-hour drive north of Newton) to check out The Flying Elbow.  He wasn't familiar with the place, but after I told him that it had won the 2022 Best Burger in Iowa contest, he was up for a road trip.  With some detours caused by road work between Newton and Marshalltown giving us more of a 45 minute trip to get to the burger and beer joint, it was just after 1 p.m. when we pulled up in front of The Flying Elbow.  (see map)  

The first thing you see when you get inside the door at The Flying Elbow is a small bar with a selection of craft beers on tap and a selection of liquor on shelves on either side of the spigots.  Interestingly, there were a number of model characters of pro wrestlers from over the years.  My buddy was a big pro wrestling fan and he recognized a few of the figurines on the shelves above the liquor.  One of the televisions behind the bar was tuned to a classic professional wrestling match that featured WWE superstar Ric Flair.  

The dining area at The Flying Elbow is a short narrow space with a line-up of windows allowing a lot of natural light to come in and brighten the area.  There was a small eating bar along the wall and a smattering of wooden tables throughout the restaurant.  By my estimation, The Flying Elbow could hold up to about 24 to 28 people.   

The menu was located on a board above the window that looked into the kitchen.  A regular menu was available at the walk-up counter where you order your food.  Burgers, sandwiches and, of course, hot dogs were the main items on the menu. 

While at the ordering counter, I was able to catch a glimpse of the well-seasoned flat-top gas grill at The Flying Elbow.  There was a big guy who was the burger chef that day and I remarked to my buddy that it looked like he wouldn't have any problem smashing the burgers on the grill.  

Some of the specialty burgers on the menu included the "Nacho Man" burger that was topped with cheddar cheese, guacamole, jalapeños, salsa, nacho Doritos, sour cream, and finished with a nacho cheese sauce.  That burger, alone, would have been a 10-napkin burger.  The "Mr. Mac'Man Burger" had cheddar cheese, mac and cheese, green onions and sprinkled with Cheetos dust.   And the "Texas Rattlesnake Burger" featured pepper jack cheese, The Flying Elbow's housemade chili, chili/cheese Fritos, fried jalapeños, sour cream, and finished with red and green onions.  

Their featured sandwich that day was a smoked pulled pork on jalapeño cheddar corn bread with shaved ham, havarti cheese, Chico's BBQ sauce, and and finished with pickled red onions and dill pickles.  That sounded scrumptious.  And for fun, I looked at the 3:16 Chili Dog which featured The Flying Elbow's housemade chili with a choice of three different toppings including cheese, sour cream, chili-cheese Fritos, and nacho cheese sauce.  I would have probably just gotten the regular Coney-style with the chili dog topped with onions and yellow mustard.  

My buddy made me a deal - since I drove he said he would pay for our burgers while I would get the beers.  Fair enough, I thought.  As he ordered up our burgers, I went to the bar and got a Big Grove Easy Eddy that they had on tap.  My buddy wanted something light and I ordered up a Backpocket Gold Coin blonde ale for him.  The Flying Elbow also has a number of Iowa craft beers in cans to choose from.  

I had my buddy order up the Real American burger with two patties for me.  I thought about the Brisco burger that was served on Texas toast and topped with Swiss and American cheese, bacon and Roma tomato slices.  But I thought for my first burger at The Flying Elbow, I just wanted a basic burger to be able to enjoy the flavor of the beef.  I got a side of fries to go along with the burger which was topped with American cheese on both patties, along with grilled onions, dill pickles, ketchup and yellow mustard.  

My buddy got the "Vinnie" burger - two beef patties topped American cheese, and finished with shredded lettuce, grilled onions and dill pickles.  Thousand Island dressing usually comes on the burger, but he asked for it on the side.  He got a boat of The Flying Elbow's potato salad - one of the many sides that were available including smoked baked beans, fried cheese curds, creamy cole slaw and something they called "Vader Tots" which were housemade tots with a cherry-smoked ketchup.  

From the first bite, I knew this had to be an award winning burger.  The beef was so flavorful and juicy, the cheese just oozed off the top of the patties, and the sesame-seed bun was light and helped with the overall taste of the burger.  It was an outstanding burger.

My buddy was amazed with his burger.  "Wow," he exclaimed about three bites into his "Vinnie" burger.  "I'm glad you talked me into to coming up here with you!"  

There were a lot of fries in my boat and I offered some up to my buddy.  They were perfectly cooked with a crispy outer shell and a nice spongy interior.  He said that he wouldn't be able to eat all of his potato salad and I had a couple bites to try it out.  It, too, was very good with a great original taste.  

The Flying Elbow was more than worthy of garnering the Best Burger in Iowa award for 2022.  I've tried nearly every winner of the contest and I might have to say that the burger at The Flying Elbow is the best of them all.  The Real American double cheeseburger that I had had an outstanding taste quality.  The bun was light enough not to overpowering the quality beef taste, but was heavy duty enough to withstand the oozing American cheese and the juices from the beef patties.  My buddy was more than happy and somewhat surprised at how good his burger was.  (He's since gone back to The Flying Elbow at least one time since our initial visit.)  If you have the chance to get to Marshalltown at any point, do not leave town without trying The Flying Elbow and one of their award winning burgers.  (And their award winning pulled pork sandwich!)  

Portillo's - Davenport, IA

Over the past year, I have been able to maintain my significant weight loss - although I haven't hit my overall goal, yet.  But I'm keeping it in sight.  But the momentum to keep the weight off has been seriously challenged by the opening of the first Portillo's location in Iowa about a five minute drive from my house.  Now, I've joked (well, worried, more likely) that if they ever opened a Portillo's in the Quad Cities that I'd balloon to over 400 pounds because I love the Chicago-based chain so much for their jumbo hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches.  When they opened in June of this year, my wife and I purposely stayed away from the place as it was a zoo to get in and out of the parking lot for the first few months they were open.  However, on a recent Sunday night where I didn't feel like cooking, my wife and I made the short trek up to 53rd St. in Davenport to Portillo's.  (see map).  

I first wrote about Portillo's on Road Tips nearly 13 years ago.  (You can click here to see the post.)  It was long before I found a voice or a style-substance, or had a camera phone.  In my many trips to Chicago for business - and for pleasure - over the past 20 years, I've always had to stop at a Portillo's to satiate my jones for their food at least once during my visit.  It's far from healthy, but who said that great tasting food has to be healthy?  And while there may be other hot dog and/or Italian beef joints in Chicago that may be better in some eyes, I like the consistency and quality of the food at the Portillo's locations in Chicago. 

Dick Portillo grew up in poverty what would eventually become the Cabrini-Green projects of Chciago.  His father was an immigrant from Mexico, while his mother was an immigrant from Greece.  The family was so poor that his mother had to steal shoes from a nearby department store for one of her three children.  When young Richard Portillo was just five years old, the family was forced to sell his tricycle to help pay for food.  

Pictured right - Dick Portillo in front of a replica of the original "Dog House".  Photo courtesy Portillo's.

Although he was never tested as a child - probably because there wasn't such a test in the late 40's or early 50's - Portillo concluded later in life that he probably had ADHD.  He had trouble focusing in school, he preferred to get in fights rather than learn, and he was a very hyperactive child into his teens.  Barely graduating high school, a week later Portillo joined the U.S. Marines where he served a two-year stint.  

As a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, Portillo showed his entrepreneurial moxie by working with a friend to transport other Marines to and from Tijuana for a $20 fee.  One time, he ran a stop sign in Tijuana and hit another car.  Knowing that he was in trouble, Portillo high-tailed it to the border, but was stopped by Mexican border guards and arrested.  He tried to bribe the jailer with $50 bucks to release him and his impounded car, but eventually had to spend a day and a half in jail.  That probably wasn't a good feeling for a guy under the age of 21 to have to spend even 10 minutes in a Mexican jail.  

Upon getting out of the Marines, Portillo - who by then was married to his high school sweetheart, Sharon - went through a series of jobs - 14 of them over an 18-month period.  Not happy with any of the jobs he had taken, he saw a business opportunity to open his own hot dog stand.  He asked his wife if he could take the $1100 dollars they had in their savings that would go toward being a small wagon that he could turn into a hot dog stand.   But Sharon was not happy about it - the Portillo's were living in a cramped apartment and she had hoped the $1100 in savings would go toward the down payment on a house for their growing family of a baby boy and another on the way.  However, Sharon's mother encouraged her to let Dick follow his dreams and Sharon finally relented.

Pictured left - Sharon Portillo standing outside of the original "Dog House".  Photo courtesy Crain's Chicago Business

Dick turned to his older brother who was managing a handful of Brown's Chicken restaurants for an additional loan to help get his business off the ground.  With money from savings and a loan from his brother, Dick bought a small trailer - 6 foot by 12 foot - and outfitted it with a peaked roof, a small kitchen and signage.   It had no bathroom or running water.  He got permission to park the trailer in a parking lot of a discount store along North Ave. in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park.  He ran water via a hose from an outdoor water spigot attached to the building.   Knowing that he would literally be in the dog house with Sharon if this all-or-nothing venture didn't work out, it gave his new business "The Dog House" a significant double meaning.  

The only problem was that Portillo didn't know who to make hot dogs.  His hot dogs were overcooked and his steamed buns were dried out.  And he also nearly ran himself out of business on top of that because all the Coca-Cola's he served were coming out green.  It turned out that he had neglected to clean out the water holding tanks after they were installed in the trailer.  

He finally went to a well known hot dog shop nearby - the venerable Gene and Jude's which had been open for 17 years - where Portillo sort of hung out watching their cooking techniques and took note of how they steamed the buns.  (He even snuck into the back room to see what kind of condiments they were buying.)   After figuring out how to get the hang of things, the Dog House was up and running on full steam.  

By 1967, Portillo had decided that The Dog House needed an upgrade and he replaced the original trailer with a new one.  But by 1969, he felt it was time to step up to the plate.   Portillo had felt The Dog House pretty outlived its usefulness as a trailer and a name and he was ready to move to a permanent location.  The first Portillo's location opened later that year and they expanded the menu into burgers and Italian beef sandwiches.  A second location opened in a mall owned by a man who partnered with Portillo to help him expand his business.  

Other concepts followed - Barney's was a barbecue place that was developed by Portillo, and Barnelli's was an Italian-themed place that served pasta and salads.  Some of the Barney's and Barnelli's were stand alone places, but Portillo came up with the idea to combine the two in with Portillo's locations.  It turned out to be a hit with many families who liked the idea where Dad could get an Italian beef sandwich, Mom could get a salad, and the kids could get either a hot dog or a hamburger, all under one roof.  

Not all of Portillo's ideas were successes, however.  In the mid-1990's, he came up with the Key Wester Fish and Pasta House concept in Naples, Florida .  He tried to model it after the fast casual style of Portillo's, and he put a second location in Naperville, IL in 1996.  The restaurants had their ups and downs as patrons didn't like the concept as much as they liked Portillo's.  He closed the Key Wester in 2011.  

Over the years, Dick Portillo became a larger than life figure as the face of Portillo's.  He counted a number of local and national celebrities as friends including Chicago natives Joe Mantegna, Jim Belushi, and Vince Vaughn.  In fact, Mantegna was said to be the one who suggested Portillo put a restaurant in Southern California to answer the cravings former Chicagoans living there had by missing Portillo's.  The first Portillo's location outside of Illinois opened in Buena Park, CA in 2005.  It wasn't long after that Portillo's expanded to the Phoenix area, a second location in Southern California, into Milwaukee and into Northwest Indiana.  The most unique aspect of Portillo's business was that the company owned all the buildings and real estate that their restaurants stood on.  Dick Portillo was a modern day success story taking $1100 out of his family's savings and procuring a small loan from his brother to start his hot dog business in 1963 into one day becoming a multi-millionaire.  

In 2014, Portillo announced that he was interested in slowing down to enjoy life and that he would be selling his restaurants.  He wanted to expand more Portillo's across the nation, but at the age of 74, he just didn't feel like he had it in him to make the significant plunge with his plans.  A large number of suitors lined up for the chance to buy the now-over 40 Portillo's locations and Portillo weeded out many of them after interviewing their ideas for the future of his company.  Finally, he found a worthy buyer - Berkshire Partners of Boston - who he felt encompassed his vision of what he saw Portillo's being in 20 years as the company hoped to expand Portillo's at the rate of five to seven locations annually.  Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but industry analysts guesstimated that it may have been in the ballpark of $1 billion dollars.  

With Portillo stepping down after he sold the company to Berkshire Partners, the first CEO of the new Portillo's was a man by the name of Keith Kinsey.  Kinsey was a native of Moline, IL and attended the University of Illinois getting a degree in accounting.  Kinsey had previous executive experience with Chipotle and Noodles and Company before getting tabbed by Berkshire Partners as the new CEO of Portillo's in 2015.   Kinsey took a hands-on approach with Portillo's learning from the ground up working along side line workers at some of the Portillo's locations in the Chicagoland area.  And he seemed to work well with Portillo who would still show up at some of the grand openings of Portillo locations which were soon found in Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Florida.

Almost since Kinsey was hired, rumors abounded in the Quad Cities that a Portillo's would be coming soon to the area.  Kinsey did put a Portillo's in the Champaign-Urbana area near the University of Illinois campus, but it seemed like the plans of putting a Portillo's in the Quad Cities were taken off the table when Kinsey retired in 2018.  

Kinsey was replaced by Michael Osanloo, a Chicago area-native who remarked that probably the first place he drove to when he got his driver's license as a teen was to a Portillo's.  Osanloo had previously been at P.F. Chang's as their CEO after earlier stints working for Kraft Foods and Caesars Entertainment.  (My sister does some part-time work for P.F. Chang's corporate office and she said that Osanloo was a delightful man and she was sorry to see him leave the company.)

Well, it turned out that the Quad Cities had been on Portillo's expansion list for quite sometime and it wasn't long after Osanloo was named CEO that they officially announced in August of last year that a Portillo's would open in Davenport along the very busy 53rd Avenue corridor sometime in the Spring of 2019.  Actually, the news about Portillo's had come out a couple months earlier during a zoning board meeting for a plot of land across from the new Costco which had been bought by a developer which would be used for a number of businesses including a Portillo's.  

While a number of houses were demolished for the new Portillo's and other businesses, residents living near the new site complained that the area couldn't handle the traffic or rainwater run-off that was already evident from Costco opening earlier in 2018.  However, things got sorted out with the nearby neighborhood including a new drainage system with holding tanks that would gradually release rainwater into the storm sewers.  The Davenport Portillo's started a soft opening in late April and it officially opened for business with a grand opening on June 13th of this year.  

Each of the Chicago area Portillo's has a theme to them - some of them have a Prohibition-era theme with signage and pictures from the Roaring 20's.  Some of them have a 50's theme with the decor reminiscent of a 1950's era soda shop along with music from the early days of rock and roll playing in the background.  And you'll also find Portillo's with a 30's theme complete with gangster photos and memorabilia.  The one in Davenport is sort of theme-less.  Oh, it has some old signs that may have been in a car dealership or garage from the 1950's.  It features a painting that gives a nod to Iowa's Field of Dreams.  But most of the signage touts they type of food they sell at Portillo's.   

There's an outdoor seating area at the Davenport Portillo's.  It was a cool night and there weren't many people taking advantage of the patio.  There was also a smaller dining room off to the side of the main dining room that could probably be used as a party room, if needed.  

Just like the other Portillo's, it's counter service where you place your orders, get a number, then head down to a pick-up window where a person yells out whimsical rhymes with the number they're calling.  "Number 32, this one is for you!  Number 48, no more wait!"  The menu consists of, of course, hot dogs, Polish sausage, Italian beef sandwiches, Italian beef and Polish sausage combo sandwiches, grilled or breaded chicken sandwiches, burgers, salads, grilled tuna sandwiches, and a meatball sandwich.  

My wife wanted to try one of Portillo's salads and she got the grilled chicken Caesar's salad.  Served in a standard issue Portillo's plastic bowl (they don't have to wash many dishes at Portillo's), it consisted of five or six strips of grilled chicken on a bed of romaine lettuce topped with croutons, parmesan cheese and a Caesar's dressing.  Cucumber slices and a sliced hard-boiled egg was also mixed in with the salad.  My wife thought it was fine, nothing special.  But she's had the salad at Portillo's in the Chicago area before so she knew what she was getting into.

My standard order at Portillo's is this - "Jumbo hot dog with everything, yes to sport peppers.  An Italian beef with mozzarella with both kinds of peppers, dipped.  And a bottle of water."  I order it so often that I had no trouble sitting here and remembering my usual order.   A jumbo hot dog is just that - a 1/4 lob. Vienna Beef hot dog.  And everything is yellow mustard, chopped onions and tomatoes, with a fluorescent green relish.  A couple of spicy sport peppers and a dill pickle spear finishes off the hot dog which is served on a poppy-seed bun.  I usually take the pickle spear off when I eat the hot dog at Portillo's and nosh on it in between bites.  I didn't expect the hot dog at the Davenport Portillo's to be any different than the ones that are in Chicago.  It had that great "snap" with each bite with that wonderful beef flavor that comes out with all the toppings.  

On the Italian beef at Portillo's, the both kinds of peppers are mild marinated sweet pepper slices, while the other is good ol' Chicago-style giardiniera - sliced carrots, cauliflower, and celery with sliced sport peppers that are all pickled together.  It has a wonderful spicy kick to the taste.  Some native Chicagoans will say it's blasphemous to put cheese of any kind on an Italian beef sandwich, but I don't live in Chicago.  The meat is sliced thin and kept in a warm bath of broth until the sandwiches are made up.  The bread was the typical Portillo's soft Italian bread that is dipped in the meat broth making it more messy, but - oh! - so good.  Like the hot dog, the taste and quality of the Italian beef sandwich at the new Portillo's in Davenport was very similar - if not the same - as the ones I've had in the Chicago area for over 20 years.  It's always an eight napkin meal when I have a hot dog and an Italian beef sandwich at any Portillo's.  And this was no exception.

My wife was sort of proud of herself for ordering the chicken Caesar's salad and for not finishing it all so she could take some home and have it for lunch the next day.  And she said, "I think I'd like a piece of their chocolate cake."  I asked if I could have a bite - I really didn't need any more food after the Italian beef sandwich and hot dog - and she said I could.  That is, if I went up and ordered it for her.  

Portillo's is famous for their chocolate cake and, quite honestly, this was the first time I'd ever tried it.  It's a fluffy two-layered cake made with, reportedly, mayo in the mixture.  The frosting is a lovely thick and rich tasting chocolate spread that is as sinful as is it good.  I realized about half-way through eating the cake that I had forgotten to get a picture of the slice we were served, so I grabbed this one off of Portillo's web site.  It's a big slice of cake and even we had trouble finishing it between the two of us.  

Since they've opened in the Quad Cities, I've been able to hold off going to Portillo's only a couple times now.  Actually, I'm sort of happy and somewhat proud of myself that I haven't been tempted into going to Portillo's any more than I have, or I would probably be well on my way to gaining back all - if not more - of the weight I was able to lose previously.  The one thing that I like about Portillo's is that the food is exactly the same at every one I've been to.  I know some will say that's boring, and with over 50 locations in seven states they are probably classified as a chain - something that I try to steer clear of when I'm on the road.  But it's tough to beat the food at a Portillo's and the one in Davenport is definitely no exception.   

Chili John's - Green Bay, WI

I don't quite remember how I happened to find out about Chili John's, a chili parlor that has been in business for over 100 years in the Green Bay area.  I thought that if a chili place can stay in business that long, they probably had some pretty solid chili.  I went into Chili John's to try a couple chili dogs on a recent visit to Green Bay. 

John Isaac was a Lithuanian immigrant who ended up in Green Bay in 1879.  A few years later he started to work as a cook at a bar in Green Bay and began to serve up what he called his Southwestern chili.  The chili was similar to what we call Cincinnati-style chili with spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and allspice mixed in the chili along with chocolate.

The chili became very popular with the citizens of Green Bay and John Isaac was convinced to open his own place.  In 1913, he found a small building next to the Main St. Bridge in downtown Green Bay and put a sign on the front of the place that simply read "Chili".  People who continued to enjoy John Isaac's chili dubbed him as "Chili John" and the name stuck and eventually became the name of his little stand.  Chili John's was open six days a week - they were closed on Friday's because of the Vatican's edict on "meatless Friday's" and a large number of Green Bay's residents were conservative Catholics. 

As time went on, the business outgrew its space not once, not twice, but three times.  Each time, John Isaac relocated his chili shop along Main Street in downtown Green Bay.  The third incarnation of Chili John's featured the longest counter in town. 

Pictured right - "Chili" John Issac

In the mid-40's, John Isaac's health began to fail and he passed away in 1947 just before the business was to move to a new location.  His wife continued to own the business, but her daughter, Lillian, was the one who ran the place.  Lillian became the sole owner of Chili John's upon her mother's death in the early 60's and the first thing she implemented was a new day off - Sunday.  With the Catholic Church's loosening of the "meatless Friday" restrictions, Lillian decided to close on Sunday's to give the employees at least one day off on the weekends.  

Lillian continued to run the business until she decided around 1970 that she wanted to step away from the place.  She immediately asked her brother, Ernie - who had moved to California to start his own Chili John's in 1946 (the Chili John's in Burbank is still there today) - and her five sisters if anyone would like to take over the business.  Her sister, Dorothy Hoehne, and her husband, Harry, ran a seasonal hamburger stand in Egg Harbor, WI called Harry's Hamburger Stand.  Harry Hoehne was a school teacher at a local Catholic high school and he thought that he and his wife could take over Chili John's and not have it interfere with his teaching duties.  The Hoehne's took over Chili John's in the early 70's and their son, Dan, began to work in the place soon after.  Dan Hoehne is still involved as the owner of Chili John's which is now located in a small strip mall near the corners of S. Military Ave. and W. Mason St. in Green Bay.  (see map)

I got into Chili John's just before the noon time rush one weekday after I had just left one of my dealers just down the road.  The interior of the place looked, well, like a chili parlor.  Antique-style parlor lights hung from the ceiling.  Parlor chairs and tables were placed along the walls.  They had a long counter on the opposite side of the dining area.  The counter is where I parked myself and I was given a menu when I sat down. 

The chili served at Chili John's is the exact same recipe that John Isaac came up with over 100 years ago.  The recipe has been passed down through the family and possibly less than a dozen people have ever known the exact recipe.  The meaty beef chili is served with or without beans, and in four levels of spiciness - mild, medium, hot, and extra hot.  You can get the chili served on top of spaghetti - ala Cincinnati-style with oyster crackers - and you can get the chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and/or chopped onions.

I saw on the menu that they were touting their "famous chili dog" - a 1/4" pound all-beef hot dog covered with my choice of chili, shredded cheddar and chopped onions.  I ordered up one of those thinking that if I wanted another one I could order it up after finishing the first one.

A dill pickle came with the hot dog and I got the chili without beans and "medium".  It had a little bit of spiciness and I'm guessing that hot would have been possibly a little too much.  The chili was tasty - I like a good Cincinnati-style chili from time to time - and the chopped red onions and the cheddar cheese went well with the chili.  The chili left a greasy residue on my fingers where I had to use multiple napkins while I ate it. 

But the hot dog - blaaah!  It was completely overcooked.  The skin was hard and shriveled making it tough to bite into.  The hot dog was absolutely horrible.  And that's too bad because the chili was very good.  Had the hot dog been cooked properly, it would have been a very good chili dog.  No, I didn't get a second one. 

So, the chili at Chili John's I thought was pretty good.  For a Cincinnati-style chili, it rivaled some of the better places I've tried in Cincinnati over the years.  But the hot dog that was part of the chili dog was absolutely overcooked, tough and horrid.  I honestly can't think that they cook their hot dogs that way all the time because the taste and texture of the hot dog detracted from the wonderful taste of the chili.  I may go back to Chili John's at some point to see if the first chili dog I had there was an anomaly.  But I probably won't go out of my way to do so. 

Franky's Red Hots - Addison, IL

I stay in the western Chicago suburb of Addison from time to time - especially when I can't get into my favorite hotel near O'Hare Airport.  It turned out that I stayed a couple nights at a hotel along Lake Street in Addison on recent trip to Chicago.  For years, I've been intrigued by a place along Lake Street near the hotel that is in a strip mall that faces the street called Franky's Red Hots.  One rainy evening, I decided to stop in and give them a try.  (see map) 

Frank Espano is the Franky behind the name.  The Franky's on Lake Street opened in 1989 specializing not only in Chicago-style hot dogs, but Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich, pizza, ribs and gyros.  In April of 2014, Franky's opened a second location in St. Charles, IL along E. Main Street, about a half mile west of the Charlestowne Mall.  (see map)

Franky's dining area is large, open and well-lit.  It features booths as well as tables with chairs.  It's nothing fancy, but it's comfortable enough.  On a rainy night, there were a lot of people coming in to get "to-go" orders including a surprising number of pizzas that I saw go out the door.  

You place your order at the counter and they'll call out your name when your order is ready.  The menu board is above the counter and it's extensive enough that if you can't find something to eat at Franky's, you're probably not hungry.  As I said, they're best known for their Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef, but in addition to pizza, gyros and ribs they also feature burgers, chicken sandwiches, pork chop sandwiches, chicken wings, Italian sausage sandwiches, chicken tenders, salads and pasta dishes.  

I wanted to try both an Italian beef sandwich and a hot dog at Franky's.  Their Italian beef sandwiches are 8" in length and come wrapped in aluminum foil.  It came with a slice of mozzarella cheese on top.  I made the rookie mistake at Franky's for not asking for spicy giardiniera peppers on my sandwich, but that was fine on this visit.  The beef was very moist and juicy with a great Italian-beef taste.  The hoagie bun was a bit chewy like it had been sitting in a warming bin a little too long, but it was still fine.  

The hot dog came with the full complement of Chicago-style fixings - onion, green relish, mustard, tomato, dill pickle spear and the spicy sport peppers.  It, too, was wrapped in aluminum foil making the bun a little chewy.  The hot dog lacked the snap of a good Vienna Beef Chicago-style hot dog, but it was still good for what it was.  

For a place that has to go head-to-head with some more well-known Chicago Italian beef and hot dog places, Franky's does a fine job keeping up with the competition.  They seem to have found their little niche in the western suburbs and continue to do what they do pretty well.  The hot dog and the Italian beef sandwich were both good, not great, but good enough.  I wouldn't have any qualms about going back to Franky's in the future.  

Great American Ball Park - Cincinnati

And since today is the last day of the 2015 Major League Baseball regular season, I thought I'd talk about one of our favorite ball parks that we recently visited on our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains - Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, home of the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds didn't have too good of a season this year and were playing a game against another lowly division opponent, the Milwaukee Brewers.  But it was still Major League Baseball and we got two great seats - cheap - on StubHub for a Sunday afternoon game.  

Because it was going to be a warm day, I opted to get seats along the first base line, but under the second deck that would keep us out of the wicked hot sun on a somewhat humid early September day.  We'd been to Great American on a couple of previous occasions and found that we really like the ball park.  When we were planning our vacation trip we decided to go through Cincinnati, spend a couple nights there and go to a ball game. 

The stadium opened when the Reds played their first games in the place in 2003.  It replaced the venerable Riverfront Stadium which - when it was built in the late 60's - was one of the nicer ballparks in professional baseball.  But the coliseum-style of ballparks that were prevalent in places like St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati fell out of favor with fans and baseball purists and there was a rush to build new ball parks in each of those cities - ball parks that brought back the old style feeling of open spaces in an urban setting.  

I always try to get the first pitch of any ball game that I attend.  Below left - here's the Reds rookie right hander Michael Lorenzen delivering the first pitch to Milwaukee shortstop Scooter Gennent.  It was 90 degrees that afternoon at first pitch and many people were smart like us and were up underneath the overhangs or down the first base line to stay out of the blazing sun.  

I have a fetish about scoreboards and the one at Great American Ball Park is one of the better ones I've seen in the major leagues.  Just before the All-Star Game that Cincinnati hosted in July, the team put up a second, but smaller, scoreboard in right field.  Some people complained that it now blocked views of the Ohio River located a couple hundred yards beyond the stadium's right field wall.  

There weren't a lot of people at the ball park that day and we got up to do some exploring.  Just up the concourse from our seats was Bootleggers, a new drinking establishment inside Great American Ball Park that was fashioned after a longtime popular cafe/bar in Cincinnati, down to the tin roof ceiling and the Prohibition-era lighting.  It was air-conditioned in there so a number of people were bellied up to the bar or to a table to enjoy a beer and watch the game on television.  

They had a number of local brews on tap at Bootleggers including a Moerlein Northern Liberties IPA that we had tried earlier in the day across the street from the stadium.  We grabbed a couple of those to take with us as we did a lap around the stadium. 

As sort of a tradition that started on our first visit to Cincinnati over ten years ago, I had to stop by the Skyline Chili stand along the right field concourse to get a couple of their coney dogs.  I like Cincinnati chili that it is made to be thin with no beans and uses various spices such as cinnamon, allspice and cloves for the distinctive taste.   You can read more about Cincinnati-style chili dogs and the various places around the city you can get them by clicking here.     

They pile grated cheddar cheese on top of the small chili dogs at all the Skyline Chili locations.  I don't really care for the cheese all that much and usually order them without cheese when I go to a Skyline Chili place, but the cheese came with the chili dogs at the Great American Ball Park.  The cheese had coagulated into a somewhat gooey mess with the warm chili covering the hot dogs by the time we started in on them.  It was a multiple napkin meal.  But even with the loads of cheese covering the coney dogs, they were still great.  

From there, we spent some time along the railing in the right field concourse next to the Sun Deck (or Moon Deck, if it's a night game) bleacher seats.  Below left if a view of the ball park looking to the north along the right field line with the Great American Tower in the background of the stadium.  Great American Insurance - part of the American Financial Group - is the naming sponsor for the ball park.  

On our way back down the third base side concourse we came upon an updated feature at Great American Ball Park - the Brewery District bar.  This bar along the concourse is 85 feet long and features over 20 regional and local craft brews including beers from SweetWater in Atlanta, Bell's from Michigan and Deschutes from Oregon.  I sort of got a kick out of seeing all these regional and local craft brews tappers and then sticking out like a beacon was a Bud Light tap.  It just didn't look like it fit in with the other beers.  Like I said when we were in San Diego at Petco Park, why in the world would anyone drink a mainstream beer when they had all these great choices of beers?  

We settled back into our seats for the remainder of the game.   After Milwaukee's Ryan Braun homered in the top of the 8th to narrow the score to 5-3 in favor of the Reds, Cincinnati plated a run in the bottom of the inning to build a three-run cushion for their All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman in the top of the ninth inning.  Chapman routinely throws at or about 100 miles an hour and I took a picture of every pitch he threw until he actually did hit 100 mph on the stadium's speed gun.  This was the pitch to Brewers pinch hitter Hernan Perez where he finally hit 100 mph.  My new Samsung Galaxy S6 took this picture and if you click on the picture you can actually see the 100 mile an hour fastball as it travels to the plate.  A couple three pitches later, Chapman struck out Perez swinging to end the game and preserve a 6-3 Reds victory.  

They said there were over 28,000 people in the stands that day, but we were pretty incredulous that there were half that amount in the stadium.  Still, it was a great day to see the game and, as always, we really enjoyed our visit to Great American Ball Park.  The baseball fans in Cincinnati are knowledgeable and passionate about the Reds, even though they were basically playing out the string the last six weeks of the season.  And the ball park has all the amenities and comfort that a modern baseball stadium can provide.  It continues to be one of my all-time favorite ball parks to visit.

Dixon's Famous Chili - Independence, MO

I had an appointment to call on a dealer in Independence, MO earlier this summer and I got into town a little early to try a place that I'd wanted to go to for a long time - Dixon's Famous Chili.  Always up for a good chili dog, I went there for lunch before heading to my appointment.  

For a place that has been open for 96 years, Dixon's definitely has a lot of history behind it.  It all started when Vergne Dixon set up a cart in downtown Kansas City in the early 1910's vending chili to workers during the day.  In 1919, Dixon started his first Dixon's Chili Parlor in downtown Kansas City.  It was a small place with only six stools.  Most of his employees were down-on-their-luck men who Vergne Dixon gave a chance to better themselves.  Dixon's Chili Parlor was known for their fast service and good food, but Vergne Dixon also had some other rules - no ketchup was allowed in the chili parlor (some customers would sneak bottles of ketchup into the place), no newspapers were allowed (he wanted customers to get in, eat, and get out making room for other customers), and no telephone was on the premises.  

One of Vergne's best customers was a young budding politician by the name of Harry Truman.  Truman would frequent Dixon's Chili Parlor when he was a county judge in the 20's, and after he became a U.S. Senator in the early 30's he'd still come back for chili at Dixon's.  When Truman was President of the United States, he once visited Dixon's with a throng of Secret Service agents following him.  Dixon's enjoyed some national press with the visit and soon thereafter Vergne Dixon changed the name of his chili parlor to Dixon's Famous Chili.  

With advancing age and failing health, Vergne Dixon turned his chili joint over to his nephew, Leonard Totta.  Totta expanded Dixon's Famous Chili through franchises over the next few years.  The original location in downtown Kansas City closed in 1969, and by the mid-70's there were 16 different Dixon's Famous Chili locations in Missouri, Kansas and even up in Minnesota. 

Interestingly, after he took over Leonard Totta rescinded the "no ketchup" policy at Dixon's Famous Chili as the menu expanded.  However there was a 10 cent "fine" for people wanting to use ketchup on their chili at Dixon's.  I've never really heard of ketchup on chili, but evidently it must have been a requested condiment on chili in Kansas City.  

In 1985, Leonard Totta's daughter, Terri Smith, took over the ownership of Dixon's Famous Chili and today she is helped in the business by her son, Stephen.  There is now only one Dixon's Famous Chili location in Kansas City - the one on East U.S. Highway 40 just east of the corner of Blue Ridge Blvd. in Independence.  (see map)

The inside of Dixon's Famous Chili looks like it hasn't changed much since it first opened in the mid-60's.  A white and red parquet floor has yellowed over the years, the tables and chairs are comfy and functional, and there's a number of pictures on the wall showing Dixon's over the years including a large portrait of Harry Truman looking down on the patrons.  

There's a lunch counter with the grill area just behind it.  Stephen Smith was back there running the kitchen area and prepping orders.  I took a seat at a table near the counter and was greeted by a lady who dropped off a glass of water.  The menu was on the table and it featured - of course - chili.  You can order chili three ways - Juicy (with natural meat juices), Soupy (with chili bean broth) or Dry (which is just plain chili).  From there, you order toppings such as onions, ketchup (it's 15 cents if you want ketchup on your chili), sour cream, cheese, pickles or a jalapeño relish - all with an upcharge above the price of the chili.  

Dixon's also features "Chili Plates" where you can have your chili on top of tamales or spaghetti, or where you can get your chili with beans or with just meat.  Dixon's Famous Chili also features burgers, tacos, burritos and the main reason I was there - chili dogs.  

They have a regular size chili dog and a foot long version which is what I got.  The foot long hot dog is skinny, sliced in half long-ways, and grilled.  I had them put cheese and onions on top for an extra charge.

First of all, they have a lot of beans in their chili on their chili dogs.  I took one look at this hodge-podge of chili, hot dog, beans, cheese and onions and thought there would be no way I'd be able to finish this.  One the table was some yellow mustard, but it was some sort of a homemade concoction.  It was sort of a cross between a spicy mustard and regular yellow mustard.  I determined that I liked the taste of the mustard on the chili dog.  

But it was a gut-bomb, but in a very good way.  I liked the taste of the chili, although there were a lot of beans in it.  For a big-assed messy chili dog it was good and fun to eat.  No, I couldn't finish the whole thing, but I made a serious dent in it.  Having been in business for nearly 100 years is a testament to the quality of the Dixon's chili and the generations of Kansas Citians who have grown up with it.    

The Wienery - Minneapolis

I'm always intrigued what restaurants in places I travel to try to pass as foods that are famous in other cities.  New York pizza, Memphis barbecue and Chicago pizza are three things that come to mind.  Another is Chicago-style hot dogs with Vienna Beef hot dogs, topped with sweet relish, onions, mustard, tomatoes, celery salt and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun. There's a place in Minneapolis called the Wienery that serves Chicago-style hot dogs that I've wanted to try for some time.  On a recent trip up to the Twin Cities, I stopped by the Wienery to give them a shot. 

The Wienery is located in what is called the West Bank (a.k.a. Cedar-Riverside) area of Minneapolis, a neighborhood that is home to a number of Somali ex-patriots.  Businesses that cater to Somalis dot either side of the street up and down Cedar Ave. giving the neighborhood its "Little Somalia" nickname.  Along that stretch of South Cedar Avenue, the Wienery has been in the same place for 31 years.  Before that, the spot was called Edna's, named after the portly woman who ran the small cafe in the shadows of the University of Minnesota and not far from Augsburg College.  In 1983, Edna sold the business to Al and Jean Wohl who turned the little cafe into a Chicago-style hot dog joint.  Four years later, Jerry Petermeir - a classically-trained chef who was bored with serving high-end meals to only a handful of people on a nightly basis - bought the Wienery and discovered he liked to "sling hash" more than prepare meals that are works of art.  

The heavy-bearded Petermeir - who preferred Hawaiian shirts to chefs coats - brought a trained chef's mindset to the little dive.  He came up with a number of hot dogs with different toppings, he used only "aged" potatoes for his French fries, and he changed his deep-fryer cooking oil daily.  He ran the business for 12 years before selling the business to Ariq Johnson and Jay Olson, a couple of 20-something dudes who were longtime customers.  

Things didn't work out for Johnson and Olson and they ended up selling the Wienery less than a year later to Pat Starr in a deal that was brokered by longtime West Bank neighborhood entrepreneur Peter Dodge.  Starr dove head first into the restaurant and added breakfast - served any time - to the menu at the Wienery.  Two years after he bought the place, Starr married his wife, KJ, and the marriage has produced three boys.  Starr got her law degree in 2008, and in addition to being the co-owner of the Wienery she's a program evaluator for the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor.   

Pictured right - Pat Starr

It was after 1 p.m. when I finished up a visit with a dealer near the downtown area of Minneapolis and found myself parking across the street from the Wienery. (see map)  The historic Cedar Theater - now known as the Cedar Cultural Center - is just down the street from the Wienery.  The non-profit "Cedar" hosts a number of concerts and community events each year.

The Wienery is not large.  It has about 8 stools at the counter and about a dozen seats around tables.  It's rather tight in the place.  The decor is, well, sort of trippy.  Artwork and pictures hang on the wall behind the counter while a large blue marlin hangs on the wall opposite the counter.  I understand that a customer brought it in a few years ago for Starr to put on the wall.

The kitchen is open and you can see back into the prep area.  They have a small flat-top grill where they cook burgers and bacon.  The burgers are flattened on the grill to give them that crispy taste.  When I saw the cook making a couple burgers on the grill, I immediately decided that I would be back at some point to get a cheeseburger.

Their burger menu is interesting with one called the Selamu burger - chopped garlic and hot serrano peppers are mixed in with the beef and fried up on the flat-top grill.  They also have grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, and Pat Starr's take on the Chicago staple - the Italian combo with pan-seared Italian beef with housemade au jus topped with a spicy Italian sausage link.   

But on this visit, I was there for a hot dog.  Or two.  They use Vienna Beef hot dogs and Italian sausage at the Wienery, the gold star of hot dogs and Italian sausage from Chicago.  And they have a number of interesting toppings that you can put on both hot dogs and Italian sausages - the Mexicali has onions, cheese, baked beans and sport peppers; the Briny has sauerkraut, dill pickle spear and giardiniera; the Upsetter has bacon, egg and cheese on top; and the Manhattan is just a straight chili dog made with the Wienery's homemade chili.

I ended up ordering a Chicago dog and for good measure I decided to try something they call the Drive In dog - a hot dog topped with cheese, chili and cole slaw.  My server at the counter asked me if I wanted anything else.  Had I known the fries were so good, I probably would have tried some of those.  But I figure I can get them when I come back for a burger at some point.  

It seemed to take a long time to get my food - over 15 minutes from the time that I ordered to the time it was sat in front of me.  A group of guys seated behind me had come in moments before I came in, as did a couple and a man who I followed into the place who sat next to me at the counter who appeared to be a regular as he ordered as soon as he sat down.  With just one cook and everything made to order, it was understandable.

But the wait was worth it.  While the Chicago dog wasn't as big as what I'm used to getting when I go to Portillo's (click here to see my entry on Portillo's), it had that signature "snap" to the bite.  The sport peppers were a little more mild than I'm used to, but the chopped onions and relish were fresh and flavorful.  The pickle spear was small and didn't have that forward dill taste that I prefer.  But the poppy seed bun was fresh and chewy.  It was a good facsimile of a Chicago-style hot dog.

The Drive-In dog was interesting.  It had a glob of cole slaw on top.  The chili was reminiscent of Cincinnati-style chili with no beans.  The cheese was sort of a headscratcher for me - it was dark and had the consistency of peanut butter.  I couldn't quite place what type of cheese it was, but it was fine in taste.  The Drive-In dog was good, but I would have rather had the Manhattan dog with just chili and onions.   

The Wienery is not fancy, but the food is good and interesting.  It looks a little dirty on the inside, but it's not.  It's more junky and kitschy with all the stuff lying around and on the walls.  But that's the charm of the place.  The neighborhood is transitional, but I felt safe.  The Wienery is nothing more than a little hole in the wall with interesting hot dogs and burgers.  Don't think you're slumming when you go there - the food is actually a step-up from most fast food or fast-casual restaurants.  It's a fun place and I can't wait to get back to get a burger at some point. 

Coney Island - Galesburg, IL

Driving home on a recent trip, I had to stop in Galesburg, IL to get some gas.  The station that I normally stop at just off the Interstate had closed down, forcing me to drive further into Galesburg toward their downtown area.  As I was pumping gas into the car, I remembered a post from the Slakingfool blog site about a little hot dog place in Galesburg that I've always wanted to try. (Click here to see his entry.)  I looked up the name on my smart phone - Coney Island - and got the address.  Three minutes later, I was pulling up in front of Coney Island on South Cherry Street.  (see map)

Brothers Paul and George Nickolopolous grew up in Greece before moving to the U.S. just after the turn of the 20th century.  Upon entering the U.S. at Ellis Island, their name was changed to Nicholses. Ending up in Galesburg, IL they opened a little hot dog shop in a building that had once been a vaudeville showplace - Gaiety Hall.  The floor slanted toward the stage and they had to fill in the base to level off the floor before they could open.  The brothers started a tradition of selling grilled all-pork hot dogs topped with their beef coney sauce - basically a Greek-style chili.  They initially sold their chili dogs for 5 cents each.  (Today, a Coney Island coney dog is just over $2 bucks.)

The Nicholses eventually sold their business and there's not been many owners since them.  There was a Ken who owned it when it was called Ken's Coney Island.  The Dixon family owned it when it was called Dixon's Coney Island.  The place had fallen into disrepair by the early 1990's and Dave and Erin Buckmaster bought the place, cleaned it up, and made some renovations.  Dave Buckmaster tragically passed away and Erin sold it to Bill Forrester in 1999.  Forrester opened up a second Coney Island location in north Galesburg not long after taking over.  That location eventually closed in 2007.  

In 2004, Jesus Valdez and his mother, Maria, bought the original Coney Island from Forrester.  Maria owns the Fashion Cleaners business next to Coney Island and she still comes in during the lunch rush to help out her son.  

And Maria was there when I walked into Coney Island around 1:30 that afternoon.  Not much has changed since the business opened in 1921 and Maria told me that the grill they use is the same that the original owners - the Nicholses - used when they started up in business.  "A daughter of one of the previous owners came in the other day," Maria told me. "And she said, 'Oh, good!  You're still using that old gas grill top.  If you ever quit using that it would never be the same.' "  And they use the same chili recipe that the Nicholses brothers perfected over 90 years ago.  In fact, the Valdez's have the original copy of the recipe on a sheet of paper that has been signed by all the owners over the years.  Now, THAT has to be in a safety deposit box somewhere.  

 
The menu is located on the wall behind the front counter.  You place your order there and wait for the hot dogs to be made.  In addition to hot dogs and chili dogs, Coney Island also features Chicago-style hot dogs, and a plethora of other hot dog toppings including sauerkraut, cole slaw, bacon cheese, taco meat, and something called the Mud Puppy which I was told was a cheese and chili combination.  "Some people like the Mud Puppy with cole slaw," Maria told me.  Coney Island also features a barbecue pork sandwich, a chicken salad sandwich, an Italian beef sandwich and something they call a "Made Wrong" - their take on the loose meat burger from Maid-Rite.  

There's also a Veggie Dog on the menu.  Interestingly, former owners Dave and Erin Buckmaster were vegetarians and they found a vegetarian hot dog to sell and came up with a vegetarian coney sauce that didn't feature beef.  The Valdez's kept the Veggie Dog on the menu when they bought the place.  And not long after they bought Coney Island, the Valdez's put in a small ice cream counter and started selling cones, root beer floats and other ice cream treats.  

I ordered up a couple coney dogs with everything - that means it's topped with chili, yellow mustard and onions.  Maria made them up for me and placed them on a paper plate.  I made my way back to the old style counter with what looked like the original swivel stools in front of the counter.

The decor at Coney Island is a combination of history, kitsch and nostalgia.  They have about a dozen old school desks that was salvaged from the then recently closed Lombard College in the early 1930's.  There's dozens of old Coca-Cola signs and memorabilia on display, as well as old bottles and cans of Coke and other brands of soda pop that were actually bottled in Galesburg years ago.  Many of the items on display were put there by the Buckmasters when they owned the place in the mid-to-late 1990's.  

The chili dogs weren't big and three would have been fine with me on most occasions.  But after a big breakfast, I probably couldn't have eaten three.  The buns were steamed making them fresh and chewy.  The hot dogs had a nice little "snap" to the bite - the way hot dogs should be.  They had that great grilled taste - I almost enjoy a flat-grilled hot dog more than a steamed hot dog.  The coney sauce was very reminiscent of a Cincinnati-style chili with a hint of all spice in the taste.  The chili wasn't spicy in the least.  It reminded me of a chili dog from George's in Sioux City, IA - one of my all-time favorite chili dog places.  (Click here to see my entry on George's.)  This was a very good chili dog.  And I can't believe that I hadn't tried one up until that point.  

In 2011, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Coney Island, the mayor of Galesburg - in conjunction with the Galesburg Historical Society - presented the Valdez's with a plaque that was affixed to the front of their building proclaiming Coney Island as Galesburg's oldest restaurant.  It is a place where first dates took place, where students from nearby Knox College warded off hangovers, and where families have dined on coney dogs for generations.    

  Coney Island is a slice of Americana at its best. The nostalgic decor, the hot dogs grilled on the same flat top grill since the place opened, and using the same chili recipe for over 90 years.  It took the work of Dave and Erin Buckmaster to salvage the business 20 years ago and the Valdez family is carrying on the tradition.  Even if you don't like hot dogs or chili dogs, Coney Island is still a place that should be a destination when you're in Galesburg.  And if you like hot dogs or chili dogs, it's going to be tough to beat the ones they serve at Coney Island.

PattyPats - West Des Moines, IA

In northwest Iowa, there is a loose-meat sandwich called "taverns" that is different from other loose-meat sandwiches that I was brought up on.  The ground beef has some sort of an additive to help keep it from crumbling out of the bun (I've heard the additive can be anything from oatmeal, corn meal, tomato sauce or mustard).  I've tried the "taverns" at Bob's Drive-Inn in Le Mars, IA (click here to see my entry on Bob's), and the "Charley Boy" at the Miles Inn in Sioux City (click here to see my entry on Miles Inn).  Earlier this year, my neighbor, Murray, alerted me to a new place in West Des Moines that has brought "taverns" to Central Iowa - PattyPats.  On a trip through Des Moines recently, I stopped off at PattyPats to give the place a try. 

Everybody, it seems, has a homemade recipe for their taverns in Northwest Iowa and growing up in Le Mars, Pat Langel's family was no different.  His mom made her own taverns and he, no doubt, had many a tavern at Bob's Drive-Inn when he was younger.  

After graduating from the University of Iowa, Pat Langel went to work for Norman Hilton, the renown New York tailor who gave Ralph Lauren his start in business.  Langel's task was to find ways to cut the time it took the company to make a custom suit from 11 weeks to 4 weeks, a project that he was able to accomplish.  After 4 years with Norman Hilton, Langel made it to Des Moines in 1991 and opened his own tailor shop.  He later became a partner in Langel and Woods Clothiers - an upscale fine custom tailor in the Valley Junction area of West Des Moines.  

(Pictured right - Pat Langel.  Photo courtesy Des Moines Register.) 

Langel dabbled with cooking as a hobby, making taverns for his co-workers who universally liked them.  After 36 years of being a successful tailor, making suits for entertainers, captains of industry and world leaders (he counts rock star Huey Lewis and former President George H.W. Bush among his customers), Langel decided that he wanted to bring taverns to the good people of Central Iowa.  After perfecting the recipe and working on a menu, Langel opened PattyPats - named after his wife, Patty, and himself - in June of this year.   Langel is still involved with Langel and Woods and has hired a staff to help run the day-to-day operations of PattyPats.  But you'll also find him in there a good portion of the time.  

I found PattyPats in a strip mall along the north side of E.P. True Parkway near the intersection of where Valley West Drive/35th St. and Mills Civic Parkway meet up with E.P. True (see map).  Ample parking is available in front of the restaurant.  A small outside dining area is along the side of the building.  It was a little too chilly to be seated outside that particular day.  

As you go into PattyPats, there's a window in the entry way for pick-up orders or outside dining, but there's the main ordering window just around the corner in the dining room.  The menu is located on a board on the wall next to the counter.  

 
The dining area is not large, but it's well lit with natural light from the large front windows and fluorescent lighting.  About five or six tables with a like number of booths were in the dining area.  It wasn't long after the lunch rush and I was the only person in the place.  I didn't know if that was a good sign or not.   

Langel's "tavern" burger is called, surprise! - a PattyPat.  True to his Le Mars heritage, they also have the Patty Dog, a hot dog covered with the tavern meat.  They have a chili dog and something called the spicy coney dog.  In addition to the PattyPat and the hot dogs, PattyPats features Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs and sausages.  But I am just so spoiled by the Italian beef sandwiches and the Chicago dogs at Portillo's in the Chicago area that I know I'd be disappointed in the ones at PattyPats even if they were dynamite.  They also have a chicken sandwich and a pork tenderloin on the menu.  And as a nod to Bob's Drive-Inn in Le Mars, PattyPats also features ice cream.  

I ordered a PattyPat and a Patty Dog, rather than getting the chili dog.  The guy at the counter cheerfully took my order and said he'd bring it out to me in a bit.  Less than a couple minutes later, he brought out a cafeteria tray with the PattyPat and the Patty Dog wrapped in wax paper.  

When I unwrapped the PattyPat and the Patty Dog, I was momentarily stunned.  The meat was so finely ground that it looked more like a pâté than a ground beef sandwich.  It also had somewhat of a yellow tint to the meat.  I looked up at the pictures of both the PattyPat and Patty Dog that they had on the wall and the ground meat in those pictures were much more coarse and looked like beef.  I wasn't certain what the meat sitting in front of me looked like. 

 
When I looked closer at the Patty Dog, I had to stop for a moment and try and figure out if it really was ground beef or a heavy-style stone ground mustard on the hot dog.  The beef was so finely ground that it looked like a spread.  

I took a bite of the PattyPat, garnished with chopped onions and some sort of mustard (at least there looked like some yellow substance on the bottom of the bun).  The taste was definitely unique.  Taverns in Northwest Iowa are an acquired taste.  Had I not had a tavern before, I would have probably hated the taste and texture.  It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, either.  The tavern wasn't large and I made quick work of it.  Because of the additives to the ground beef, it was moist and held together without any of the meat crumbling onto the wax paper.  

The hot dog was next.  It, too, looked like it had some chopped onions and mustard on the bun.  The hot dog, itself, had a nice snap to the bite - the quality of a good hot dog.  However, coupled with the tavern meat, I couldn't get much of a taste of the hot dog.  

Later in the day, actually not long after I left PattyPats, I developed a case of stomach gas.  I burped up the PattyPat and the Patty Dog for a good four hours plus after I had them, re-tasting the ground beef with each belch.  I don't like it when the food lingers with you for that long.

All right, I tried PattyPats.  I guess I don't really know what to think.  As much as I like to support restaurants where someone is following a dream, I just hope they're able to make a go of PattyPats.   As I said, the meat is an acquired taste and it wasn't something that made me think, "Boy, I can't wait to have another one of these sometime!"  I also felt it was a little expensive ($3.25 each for the PattyPat and Patty Dog) for the portion of the serving.  The place was clean, the person I interacted with was very friendly, but the food was... Well, I really wanted to like it, but I'm not sure I cared for it.  But everyone is different and it could be that you may like PattyPats tavern-style burger and hot dog better than I did.  Give 'em a shot and see what you think.    

(Update - You're going to have to wait a few weeks if you want to try PattyPat's.  They're closed for the season until February 2014.  Thanks to Roger for the "heads-up"!)

(Update 2 - Citing that he was spreading himself too thin, Pat Langel announced that Patty Pat's was closed as of January of 2015.)

Jim's Coney Island - Des Moines

My neighbor, Murray, works for UPS and used to live in Des Moines a number of years ago.  He travels to UPS terminals in Eastern and Central Iowa and earlier this summer he was going up to Dubuque.  I said, "Oh, you've got to go to Mulgrew's in East Dubuque and get a chili dog."  (Click here to see my entry on Mulgrew's.)  After he went to Mulgrew's (and told me how much he loved the place), he said, "Have you ever gone to Jim's Coney Island on SW 9th in Des Moines?"  I wasn't familiar with Jim's, although I'd probably driven by the place numerous times over the years.  Even though I grew up in Central Iowa, but haven't lived in the Des Moines area for over 20 years, I'm still woefully short of Southside Des Moines restaurant knowledge.  On a recent trip to Des Moines, I made a point to stop at Jim's Coney Island for a chili dog or two.

Murray talked Jim's Coney Island up pretty big to me.  "They've got a chili cheeseburger that is just to die for," he told me over a couple beers in my garage a few weeks ago.  "The chili is an acquired taste.  Some people don't care for the chili, but I like it a lot.  I'd be interested in what you think of it."   I was looking forward to giving it a try.  

Given that Jim's Coney Island has been in business since May of 1971, I know I've driven past the place dozens of times in the past.  It's housed in a non-descript building at the corner of SW 9th and Wolcott in the Watrous Park neighborhood on the south side of Des Moines (see map).   It's been 42 years since Jim Frangos opened his eponymous Coney Island restaurant serving chili dogs, burgers, pork tenderloins and homemade onion rings.  

Jim's son, Eric, began to work in his family's restaurant at the age of 14.  Today, he and his wife, Tonya, run the business that features not only the chili dogs, but "Coney-style" cheeseburgers that my neighbor, Murray, is so fond of.  

After a meeting with one of my dealers in Des Moines, I made my way down SW 9th and found Jim's Coney Island on the right side of the street.  Even though it was after 2 p.m., there were a number of cars and trucks in the parking lot.  Jim's is a pretty popular lunch stop with laborers working in the area.  

I went inside and was greeted by a lady behind the counter.  There were a few booths in the large, well-lit area up front.  The menu was on a back-lit board above and behind the counter, just above a serving window from the kitchen.  I took a moment to look over the board before I stepped up to order. 

 
As I said, included on the menu were burgers, pork tenderloin sandwiches, sausages and chicken sandwiches.  They also had something called the "Big Bite" that was a combination of a chili dog and "Maid-Rite"-style loose beef.  (It's similar to the "Tavern Dog" at Bob's Drive-Inn in LeMars, IA.)  But I decided to get a couple chili dogs, which was against Murray's recommendation of getting a cheese burger "coney style" which is topped with Jim's homemade Greek style chili, in a basket that includes both fries AND onions rings with a side of cole slaw.  To me, that's a lot of food.  Plus, I'm not too big on chili on cheeseburgers.  They also have a bar at Jim's and I got a glass of beer to go with the chili.

I decided to sit in the bar area at Jim's.  It, too, is a clean, well lit area full of tables and booths.  Stuffed deer heads and trophy fish hang on the paneling which probably is the same as it was when Jim Frangos opened the place years ago.  The bar wasn't big, but it looked like the kind of place that would still be fun to sit at and have a couple beers with some chili dogs.   

 
The same lady who took my order came out with my two chili dogs served on a plastic tray on top of a paper with ads of local businesses.  Interestingly, the chili dogs were garnished with a small dill pickle spear.  That's a Des Moines chili dog signature.  I've had kosher dill spears on Chicago-style hot dogs, but the only place I've ever seen a dill pickle spear on a chili dog have been at Des Moines area chili dog joints.    

My first taste of the chili dog at Jim's Coney Island was sort of a mystery to me.  Murray told me the chili was an acquired taste and I found it to be somewhat bland at first bite.  However, a few moments later the spices and flavor broke through on the taste buds.  It had a bit of spicy bite to the aftertaste.  It was very subtle at first, but it heightened as I took more bites.  The chili dog buns were spongy and chewy, and the hot dogs had a nice snap to the bite.   I wasn't certain that I could have had fries, onion rings and slaw with the chili dogs, but I thought I could probably down three chili dogs in one setting.  

I reported back to Murray that I thought the chili dogs were pretty darned good.  I told him how the taste of the chili sneaked up on me and it had a pretty good flavor after a bit.  He said, "Man, you should have gotten the cheeseburger 'coney-style'.  The taste combinations are just unbelievable."  Ahhh... I don't know about that.  Chili goes on hot dogs, not beef, in my world.  

I was never a big fan of some of the other Coney Island-style restaurants around Des Moines - notably George the Chili King or Ted's Coney Island - and it's been years since I've been to either one of those places.  While I liked the chili dog at Jim's Coney Island, it wasn't one of the best I've ever had.  Now, I'm sure that it is an acquired taste and I'll probably like it better the next time I stop in since I'll know what to expect.  

Gopher Bar - St. Paul, MN

WARNING!!! - If foul language and political incorrectness upsets or disgusts you, do not read this entry! 

With that said, welcome to the Gopher Bar (click here for the link to their web site - WARNING - it is not politically correct, nor suitable for sensitive eyes) in downtown St. Paul where their logo sign tells you to "Sit Down, Shut Up and Wait Your F***ing Turn!"  It's the quintessential dive bar that just happens to sell some of the best coney dogs this side of Detroit.  I had heard about the place from someone who I call on in the Twin Cities and on a recent visit up to Minnesota, I made an effort to have lunch at the Gopher Bar.  

Before I went to the Gopher Bar, I read a number of user reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon about the place.  Some of the comments were, "I'll never go back!", or "The owner was so rude!".  But reading between the lines with other comments led me to believe that the majority of people who gave the place a bad rap didn't see the "forest for the trees", so to speak, in regard to the Gopher Bar.  I had to check this place out.

The man behind most of the controversial slogans and signs is 65-year-old George Kappas, the son of the original owner of the Gopher Bar, Andrew Kappas.  George is sort of known to speak his mind on issues that upset him.  To say that George is on the right of the political spectrum may be an understatement.  When St. Paul instituted a smoking ban in restaurants and public areas in 2008, George put a series of signs in his windows decrying the effect the ban was having on his business.  Many of the signs used four-lettered works and were deemed "inappropriate" by city leaders.  George eventually took them down, he evidently says what's on his mind.  

George's father, Andrew, opened the original Gopher Cafe in downtown St. Paul in 1931 after immigrating from Greece.  After living in New York, then Chicago, he came to St. Paul to open his little restaurant near where the Xcel Energy Center now stands.  After Prohibition ended in 1933, Andrew began to sell liquor on the premises and changed the name to Gopher Bar.

In the mid-40's, Andrew fell in love with one of his waitress, Phyllis, whom he eventually took as his wife and business partner.  That led to the birth of three children with George being the oldest.  

In 1955, the Gopher Bar had to move to make way for the old St. Paul Civic Center which was being built very near where the bar stood.  The Pappas' moved to the present day location of 7th St. and Wacauta Streets, about 7 blocks east of the original bar. (see map)   George took over running the bar from his father in 1968 and his mom helped out until she retired in 1990.  George and his wife, Cherie, who was a waitress at the Gopher Bar in the early 1980's, were married in 2005 and run the bar together.  

After finding the Gopher Bar, I was able to park on Wacauta Street on the side of the building.  Not quite knowing what to expect what I walked inside, I found a place that looked like a delightful dive bar.  Some people are immediately offended by the Confederate Flag, Sarah Palin bumper stickers, and signs that read, "No F***ing Credit Cards!" and "No! We Don't Have Any F***ing Coleslaw".  The Gopher Bar also has T-shirts for sale that has - what I've been told as - George's favorite saying, "Shut The F*** Up" on the front of them.  Being a pretty apolitical person and bringing out the inner crassness in my nature, I immediately loved the place.  

It was around 1:30 when I got into the Gopher Bar and a handful of people were having lunch in the place.  People of all sorts were in the place.  A table of people dressed in business attire were at a table having beers and in a deep discussion.  Three or four people were spaced down the bar - one of them was a lady who was reading a book.  I decided to pull up a stool at the bar and see what all they had on the menu.

Well, other than coney dogs, I found that they don't have much.  You can get the coney dogs with cheese or without.  They also have a number of appetizers, a soup of the day, a house salad and, interestingly enough, fish and chips.  When the bartender came over to take my order I said, "You know, I want to order one of your coney dogs."

She asked, "Do you want cheese on it?"  I declined.  "Any fries," she asked again.  Nope, just the coney dog. And since it was a great dive bar in Minnesota, I got a glass of Grain Belt Premium that they had on tap.  

It wasn't moments later that the coney dog showed up in front of me.  It wasn't big and sort of expensive for $3.50.  But it was piled high with Gopher Bar's homemade meat sauce (they don't call it a chili dog and you can't really call it chili what they put on top) and a generous portion of chopped white onions.  The toppings hid the grilled hot dog that was laying on a bun that had been shot with mustard before the hot dog went on.  The bartender dropped about 8 napkins off for me.  Even though there was a fork, I decided that I needed to eat this with my hands.

The bun was sort of surprisingly crunchy on the outside, sort of like a crust.  But the bun, itself, had a soft inside.  I couldn't tell much about the hot dog, itself, but the meat sauce was very interest.  It was ground beef in sort of a Greek spice/tomato-base concoction.  While it seemed to be similar to Cincinnati-style chili with the all-spice added, it had more of a subdued taste.  It was like a Sloppy Joe on a hot dog.  At first I wasn't certain that I liked it, but after a few more bites I decided that it was a different taste that was pretty damn good.   

I only had one since I'd had a large breakfast earlier in the day.  But I could have easily had two.  Finishing my coney dog and my beer, the bartender came over and said, "Anything else?"  When I said no, she said, "Wow! Talk about the ultimate dine and dash!"  I had been in there for less than 10 minutes.  My tab came to $4.75.  I gave her six bucks and told her to keep the change.  

The Gopher Bar may not be everyone's place to go, but I found it to be a delightful dive bar with good chili dogs.  I didn't get an attitude from anybody working there, nor was I offended by the signage and other items they had on the wall.  Maybe I'm one of those who gets what the Gopher Bar is all about.  It's far from fine dining and not the place to take the kids for chili dogs.  I'd go back to the Gopher Bar in a heartbeat.

Coney Island Wiener Stand - Fort Wayne, IN

While in Fort Wayne late last year, I was talking with one of the sales guys at Sweetwater, a large pro music equipment and instrument dealer who we do business with, about unique places to eat around Fort Wayne.  He was telling me of a little hot dog shop in downtown Fort Wayne that had been open for nearly 100 years - Coney Island Wiener Stand.  He raved about the chili dogs at the place. Since I love a good chili dog, I made a note of it. On a recent trip to the area to meet with a potential new dealer, I stopped at Coney Island and had lunch.

This history of Coney Island dates back to 1913 when it first opened its doors (some accounts have it opening in 1914).  A large contingent of Greek Macedonian immigrants had come to Fort Wayne to find a better life in the early 1900's. Many of them opened restaurants in the area.  Thanks to the 1904 Lousiana Purchase Exposition, commonly known as the St. Louis World's Fair, the wiener on a bun was suddenly one of the most popular items for Americans to eat. Three of those immigrants, Harry Dorikis, James Samaras and Stilos Papas came up with the idea to open a wiener grill in downtown Fort Wayne.

Three years later, one of the three orginal owners sold his portion of the business to Vasil Eschoff, a Macedonian immigrant who came to the United States without his family.  Vasil Eschoff worked at the restaurant for 14 years before he brought his family to the United States.  I understand that was a common practice among Greek Macedonians to come to America alone, then send for their family once they got established during the early 20th century. 

The remaining two original owners eventually sold their interest in Coney Island to Jack Geroff and Russell Litchin and moved back to Greece.  Eschoff and Litchin eventually bought out Geroff and continued to work in the restaurant each day over the next 30 plus years.   

In the late 50's, failing health forced Vasil Eschoff out of the business.  His son-in-law, Russ Choka (pictured at right), also a son of Macedonian immigrants, took over Eschoff's portion of Coney Island.  Choka had married Eschoff's daughter, Helen, a dozen years prior.  Two years later, Russell Litchin left the business and turned his portion over to his son, Chris.  

Russ Choka worked at Coney Island every day, seven days a week, for the next 40+ years.  There were stories of how he would open the restaurant in blizzards just because he had no reason not to be there.  Choka was the longtime face of Coney Island and his son, Michael, came into the business at a young age to help out.  Cancer took Michael's life in 1993 at the age of 42 and his sister, Kathy, and their brother, Ron, stepped in to help out.  Russ Choka was said to have a gruff exterior, but had a heart of gold.  He mentored a number of young kids during the years he worked behind the 16 seat counter at Coney Island.  Kathy Choka said that her dad was the only father figure that many of the Coney Island employees had in their lives.  

Sadly, in December of last year, Russ Choka was climbing the stairs at his house to go to bed one Friday evening and his heart gave out.  "This is the way he would want to go," Kathy Choka told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette after her father's death.  "He didn't suffer."  

Kathy Choka took over her father's part of the business and continues the tradition of Coney Island today.  "It's all about the continuity," Kathy Choka told the local newspaper. "The product is not going to change."

The hot dogs at Coney Island are grilled on a flat grill located by the front window that looks out onto West Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne (see map).  Between 1500 and 2000 hot dogs are cooked on the grill on a nearly daily basis at Coney Island.  They steam the buns at Coney Island and the bun steamer is just behind a glass partition next to the counter where there's a food preparation area.  

The restaurant, itself, is in a long narrow building with tables on one wall opposite the counter.  Old pictures of Fort Wayne from years ago along with some whimsical signage adorn the walls.  The stools at the counter look like they are the original ones from when the place first opened years ago.  Even there is a front door to the place, a number of people use the backdoor entrance to go through the small kitchen in the back to the dining area of the restaurant.  It's one of those things that only the locals know it's all right to do.

The menu at Coney Island is pretty basic.  Along with hot dogs, you can get burgers, chili, baked beans, homemade pie and chips.  Their baked beans must be pretty good as they had those available for carry-out in either a bowl-size or a pint-size container. I took a seat at the counter and knew I was going to get a couple Coney Hot Dogs - basically chili dogs. - with onions.  

A young girl came over to greet me and I ordered up two of the Coney Hot Dogs from her - with onions. I was hoping the ginger Altoids I had in my car would kick in before I had to meet with my prospective dealer later in the afternoon.  I got a glass of water to go along with the meal.

It didn't take long at all for a couple coney dogs to be placed in front of me.  The dogs and buns were long and narrow, not very big at all.  Three of these would have been fine with me.  It had a layer of their homemade Greek style chili with a ribbon of mustard underneath a copious amount of fresh onions.  From the first bite, I liked the taste immensely.  They reminded me of my long-time favorite hot dog shop in Sioux City, IA - George's No. 1 Hot Dog Shoppe.  The chili had no beans in it and had a wonderful and flavorful spice to it.  It wasn't a hot spicy taste, just a nice smooth complimentary taste that went will with the grilled taste of the hot dogs.  I do like a good flat-topped grilled hot dog.  It's tough to beat a good steamed hot dog, but the taste of the old grill at Coney Island was clearly evident on their hot dogs.  The steamed buns gave them a nice light and chewy taste. It was simply an outstanding hot dog.  

I did have my meeting at my prospective dealer later in the day and they did agree to carry some of our products.  I had to do an event at Sweetwater the next day and I had planned on telling the guy from there about my visit to Coney Island.  Shockingly, I found out that he had passed away from leukemia a month before.  Now each time I come back to Fort Wayne, I'll have to stop at Coney Island and have a couple three coney dogs in his memory.   It's plain to see why they've been in business for nearly 100 years.  Coney Island is one of those great little slices of Americana in the heartland of the U.S. 

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...