May 27, 2009
By Maggie Heyn Richardson
Hot dogs are one thing. Hot dogs smothered in chili are something else. I grew up on chilidogs -- both from the Varsity in Atlanta and from a pharmacy/restaurant in my hometown, and the combo of low-budget flavors still pull at my heart and my make mouth water. In Baton Rouge, we have amazing Chicago-style dogs at Al’s Chicago Dog and Polish (670 O’Neal Lane), replete with the piquant, diverse flavors that typify these regional dogs. But it’s hard to find the chili dogs of my childhood here, like the “scrambled dogs” served at the lunch counter of Dinglewood Pharmacy in Columbus, Ga., which involved a neon pink wiener stuffed in a bun covered with thin, soupy chili. Or the dogs at the Varsity in which the no-bean, finely ground chili is applied to bun almost like a spread. Both were wondrous, sumptuous, trashy lunches I miss terribly.
In the absence of that, I experiment with my own chili dogs, but here’s where fine ingredients disappoint. It seems the better quality the chili, the worse the chili dog. I can produce a hearty pot of rich, savory chili made from scratch with best ingredients, and while I’ll toss it on a hot dog, it can’t compete with the stuff of tradition.
Maggie Heyn Richardson’s food writing has appeared in EatingWell Magazine, Taste of the South Magazine and on the public radio program, On Point. She is a regular 225 contributor.
Comments
Posted by uuhsmama on May 27 at 4:18 p.m.
Maggie,
If you are ever in Greensboro, NC you HAVE to try Yum Yum's. It's been there for over 50 years and it is still as popular as ever. Check out these reviews and articles below. A hot dog all the way is still about a buck-sixty and you can enjoy it with a Cheerwine or a Coke in the little glass bottle, followed by a huge scoop of super-delicious ice cream.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yum-yum-better-ice-cream-greensboro
http://local.yahoo.com/info-13072064-yum-yum-better-ice-cream-greensboro
http://greensboring.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=326
Posted by Being_Stupid on May 28 at 10:02 p.m.
I like them dogs you get at Circle K or Race Trak.
Posted by beta98 on June 25 at 4:25 p.m.
I have to agree, I have yet to find a great chili dog in BR and have had problems making my own. When I lived in Pasadena, CA there was this great place called Soda Jerks that not only made you coca - cola from their own special recipe but had the best chili dogs I have every tasted. They used a dense, dark, finely ground meat chili that they had to skim the grease off before dipping and pouring over the dog, yet somehow it wasn't greasy when you ate it. My theory is the bun absorbed any excess. Just thinking about it is making my stomach growl. I have heard they closed a couple of years ago which was a shock as they had been there for years and always kept a crowd, even at late night. If I can ever figure out that recipe I will be in chili dog bliss!
Post a comment
(225 magazine reserves the right to remove any comments from this site we deem offensive, malicious or otherwise inappropriate.)