Offbeat Eats

Anyone that knows me knows that I love hot dogs. I’ve made it a point to seek out iconic hot dogs at places such as Blackie’s in CT, Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit, various Chicago spots, Ted’s in Buffalo (and Arizona), as well as any number of additional places. One noticeable omission in my reviews has been Pink’s in Los Angeles. I’ve been here before, but not in many years. But, with a late night flight arrival, I had an opportunity to visit on the way out to Edwards AFB.

Ted’s Hot Dogs is a relatively minor hot dog chain with locations around the greater Buffalo, NY area…. and one location waaaay over here in Tempe, AZ. The chain itself goes back to the 1920s, and apparently the son of the original Ted family relocated to Arizona in the early 1980s and opened a location here. I’d say that most Valley denizens are thankful, since Ted’s has been consistently topping the “Best Hot Dog” lists of all the local publications since they opened (they’ve got an entire wall plastered with New Times awards, for example). And I have to say the awards are well-deserved, I’ve been coming here since they opened (well, the visits are pretty sparse now that I’m no longer an area resident…), and I really like the hot dogs here…

One of the great things about hot dogs is that they really do have a fair bit of regional variation. I’ve had “rippers” from Rutt’s Hut in New Jersey. I’ve had Coney Islands in Detroit (not to be confused with a Nathan’s hot dog from the actual Coney Island). I’ve had Rochester whites. Rochester red hots. Carolina slaw dogs. The list goes on. One of my favorite varieties, however, is the Chicago-style Hot Dog. Not content to just have an hot dog on a bun, Chicagoans demand that pretty much every aspect of the hot dog is pimped. The hot dog itself must be all-beef (preferably Vienna brand). The bun should have poppy seeds on it. The preferred condiments are chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, livid-green relish, celery salt, a pickle, and just enough “sport peppers” lined up to match the length of the hot dog. It’s known as “draggin’ it through the garden,” and, quite frankly, I like the result, even if it does bury the hot dog a little bit.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I have an odd fascination with hot dogs. The name “hot dog” really spans a huge amount of territory, ranging from cheap generic hot dogs (which really don’t do anything for me), to all sorts of regional specialties like the Chicago Dog and the Coney Island dog. Coney Island dogs, in particular, have always fascinated me since (a) they seem to mostly be clustered in areas that aren’t New York’s Coney Island (although there are many “Coney Islands”, coney is just a name for “rabbit”), and (b) there is something oddly compelling about both the hot dog itself and the places that serve it. George’s Coney Island in Worcestor, MA is definitely one of these places…

I’m always a bit amazed by regional names for things. In most areas, a hot dog with chili is simply a “chili dog”. In Detroit or Worcestor, MA, it’s a “coney dog.” In Northeast New York State, it’s a “dog with Michigan sauce.” And, in southwestern NY, it’s a “Texas Hot.” (Yeah, yeah, purists will explain to me the difference between coney sauce and chili, but the point remains that’s it’s essentially the same thing.) In any case, I stumbled on one of the better examples of a New York “Texas Hot” hot dog stand in Corning, NY…

(Closed) Since I live in Grantham, if I feel the need to duck out for a quick bite, it’s often easier to drive down to Newport, NH than the Upper Valley proper, since (a) it’s closer (9 miles vs 16 miles), and (b) there are actually some interesting places to eat in Newport. Indeed, among other places, it sports a good (and reasonably authentic) Mexican place (the oddly-named Lil’ Red Baron, which for some items I prefer it to Gusanoz), a pretty good tavern (Eagle Tavern), and a drive-in complete with carhops. I’ll focus on the last one for this review (since I ate there today).