If you had to pick, what would you say is the most American dish? For many people, it would be the classic HOT DOG. Hot dogs have been a part of American life seemingly forever. German settlers brought their love of and knowledge of how to make sausages from combinations of pork and beef and spices. In the 1860’s, lots of Germans began selling sausages in rolls from carts in New York City. In 1871, Charles Feltman, a German baker, began selling hot dogs at Coney Island and may have invented the hot dog bun. The Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 led to the explosion of hot dog stands across the country, with many owned by Greek immigrants.
There are SO MANY great hot dog places but here are a few of my favorites:
- Tony Packo’s in Toledo, Ohio. Get the Hungarian Dog. This was the place Jamie Farr dreamed about in the television show MASH.
- Pink’s in Los Angeles – get the Pastrami Reuben Dog – killer sauerkraut
- Nathan’s Famous – the original at Coney Island, New York. The place where they hold the annual hot dog eating contest each July 4th
- Wrigley Field, Chicago – nothing is better at a baseball game than a stadium dog. Or ten!
- The Varsity in Atlanta – chili cheese dogs. Go Jackets!
- Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, Mount Pleasant, SC – maybe the best slaw dog anywhere
- Rutt’s Hut in Clifton, New Jersey – deep fried dog
- Lafayette Coney Island, the original location in Detroit on Lafayette Street. Since 1924. There’s no truth to the rumor I was there on opening day!
- Portillo’s in Chicago – only the Chicago Dog will do
- Superdawg Drive-in also in Chicago. Again, have the Chicago Dog!
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Each month we spotlight one of the “very best but now gone” places to eat. Today, we’ll share two greats but now gone hot dog places.
- Swanky Franks – was a terrific hot dog stand right off I-95 in Norwalk, CT. They were known for deep fried franks that gave them a distinct CRUNCH with every bite. Perfect with just mustard.
- Barker’s Hot Dogs – Atlanta, GA. First a hot dog cart in downtown Atlanta and then a restaurant in the Windy Hill area of Marietta, GA. Founded by my good friends Glenn and Vivian Robins. Glenn was from the Buffalo, NY area and used the very best hot dogs from Sahlen’s (smoked in Buffalo since 1869), grilled then over charcoal and served with an amazing relish/hot sauce. I have eaten hot dogs all over the country and these were simply THE BEST.
Gone but not forgotten.
THE LAGNIAPPE
A lagniappe is a Louisiana French Creole word meaning “a little something extra”. It can be a small gift included with a purchase or a special little food treat at a meal in a restaurant. Each month I will give you my gift of a lagniappe or a little something you may not have expected ON THE ROAD WITH RICK.
The classic CHICAGO DOG is an American institution. Here is the RECIPE:
- Vienna (and ONLY Vienna) All-Beef Hot Dog boiled
- Poppy seed bun steamed
- Yellow mustard
- Sweet green pickle relish
- Chopped onions
- 2 tomato wedges
- Dill pickle spear
- 2 sport peppers (small but, oh so powerful)
- Dash of celery salt
UNITED TASTES OF AMERICA
Our new podcast/vignette series, with my partner iHeart Podcasts, United Tastes of America, is off to a great start. We continue traveling to each of our 50 states to tell the culinary history of America by selecting one iconic dish from that state to spotlight.
Today, we take a sneak peek look at four more states – Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maryland.
Georgia is the Peach State, and our iconic dish is Peach Cobbler, prepared at the historic Mary Mac’s Tea Room in downtown Atlanta. Mary Mac’s started in 1945 and still uses the same cobbler recipe from that period.
Connecticut is known for pizza. And, for our money, the best of the best is the famous white clam pizza at the original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven. A truly American original food dish. And an amazing family story!
Massachusetts is the site of probably my favorite restaurant in the United States – Woodman’s of Essex. I “discovered” Woodman’s years ago after reading about it in the classic book ROADFOOD by Jane and Michael Stern. Several years ago, I flew early to Boston for a meeting just to be able to drive up to the Cape Ann area to eat again at Woodman’s. They invented fried clams at Woodman’s and still do those better than anyone. Another great American Dream story of the wonderful Woodman family and amazing seafood.
When you think about Maryland, you think about Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. When you think about blue crabs, you think about crab cakes. And when you think about crab cakes, you think about the famous jumbo crab cakes from Faidley’s in Baltimore. They still use the famous recipe created by the matriarch Nancy Devine. None better, anywhere.
I hope you are enjoying this monthly newsletter and encourage you to pass it along to anyone else who might enjoy it. Next month we will spotlight some of the great classic Meat and Three restaurants ON THE ROAD WITH RICK.