Trying A Chicago Style Hot Dog At Tony's

How does one eat a Chicago hot dog? The answer at Tony's is; with a fork and knife.

Last Friday Robert and I wanted to continue the hot dog tour. We settled on Tony's since it is close to both of our offices and we wanted to spend a little less time than we have on some of the trips. Also this was the one previous place I reported on when he didn't go with me. See Tony's


On this visit I decided to order a "Chicago Style Hot Dog". I have seen some information about these recently and decided I needed to have one sometime just for the experience. This hot dog is like nothing I've ever had before. They typically come with the following toppings:

• Bright Green Sweet Pickle Relish
  
• Mustard
• Onion
• Fresh Tomato (But no ketchup)
• Fresh Cucumber
• A Large Dill Pickle Spear
• Celery Salt
• A Hot Pepper
  
• Fancy Bun
  

Here's a link to a site that can read more on the subject. Tony's Chicago dog is a jumbo and comes with most of the ingredients listed above. It comes loaded into a standard hot dog bun making it overloaded. I suppose the fancy buns used in Chicago can hold it all but the Hoover Alabama version didn't begin to hold it.

After eating it I must admit that it is pretty good, but definitely different from any hot dog I have ever had before. I think I like Southern hot dogs better. Tony's does offer a "Junk Yard Dog" that is a little more to my liking. It comes with slaw, kraut, special meat sauce, onions, cheese, and probably some other ingredients a little closer to what we are accustomed to. It also must be eaten with a fork and a knife.
Robert ordered our usual order of a hot dog, a chili dog, chips (Golden Flake) and a drink. He pronounced their hot dogs to be as good as any we have had so far. He didn't comment on the chili dog but I remember it also as being good when I had one before.

A Report from NYC

A friend who has taken a real interest in our hot dog tour is Keith, who has accompanied Robert and I on several visits. I have encouraged him to make a contribution for the blog sometime, but with little success. He told us a couple of weeks ago about a short business trip he would be taking to New York City. He talked about wanting to try hot dogs at Nathans, from a street vendor, and visiting Coney Island as well. Of course we dream of more than we can do on short trips; but he did email us a report which follows. Maybe he will elaborate on this when he returns.

"Spent the last few days in NYC - ate hot dogs from Central Park Street vendor, Grays Papaya (local favorite, recommended by tour bus host who grew up in Harlem/Bronx, and the taxi driver), and from Fat Annies Truck Stop (FATS). Attached is a picture of the one from FATS. Did not make it to a Nathans place, although they sold them and Papa Johns Pizza in the local Subway (brand name, not the train you can ride) restaurants - I decided to hold off till I can make it back to Coney Island sometime in the future. Maybe I can do a writeup from the NYC dogs."
"I'm in Chicago now, but leaning towards pizza instead of dogs."

"None of the ones I have tasted here are as good as Sam's, Jimmy's, Lyric or Sol's."

Returning to Lyric

The last couple of weeks we haven't made it to any new stops on the Birmingham hot dog tour. Even so, there has still been some activity to write about. A little over a week ago we had two daughters and families with us for several days. They have been following the tour and expressed a desire to visit one of the hot dog places. I knew right away where we would go. Of the places we have visited so far there have been several that I would consider very good; but my favorite so far has been Lyric. The food is good and is complimented by a pleasing clean up-to-date decor as well as being in the heart of downtown.

Six of us set off, two daughters, one son-in-law, two grand sons and I went for a downtown hot dog adventure (in 100 degree weather)! The two boys are the same two who ate hot dogs with me at the Varsity just a couple of months ago; but since then the 4 year old announced that he doesn't like hot dogs. We all had various kinds of hot dogs with the exception of one who had a cheese burger.

I took the occasion of this return visit to try some other items on the menu. When Robert and I had been there a few weeks ago Keith had gone with us. He has always liked "special dogs" and had commented on the unexpected flavors he had found in his special dog, something he liked. This time I decided to give the special dog a try along with a favorite I seldom order... a corn dog! I must say I enjoyed them both more than I can say. There is nothing quite like a corn dog fresh from the fryer with lots of mustard and ketchup. I also found the special dog to be the best one I have ever eaten. I am not usually a fan of these but have found one I really like.

It was interesting to see my son-in-law eat his FIRST ever chili dog. He ordered the jumbo dog which along with fries filled him up. He thoroughly enjoyed this classic hot dog presentation. The grand sons had a cheeseburger for one and a mustard hot dog for the other accompanied by fries and lemonade. My daughters each had a regular hot dog that they ordered their own way.

Everybody seemed to enjoy the time and the food. I sure enjoyed sharing the pleasures of the hot dog tour with them.

Mr. Sol's Neighborhood

This week we paid a visit to the neighborhood where we grew up. Yes, there is a hot dog stand in Norwood. This was a fascinating journey for Robert and I on many levels. Sol's Hot Dogs on 12th Avenue North at 30th Street is just 3 blocks away from where we spent our early years. Our family moved away from Norwood in 1966 when our house was purchased to make way for I-20/59. Through the years there have been many changes in the neighborhood.


One good change was when Sol's Hot Dogs opened about 5 years after we moved away. Sol's has been there for 39 years and has a loyal following. A not-so-good change in the neighborhood is the appearance of many burglar bars on the store windows. When we drove into Norwood to visit Sol's there was a definite feeling that we had entered "the hood". We quickly learned to put those feelings aside. I would encourage the reader to try Sol's, especially if the neighborhood is one you might not get into very often.

Sol's is a good hot dog stand serving their own unique dogs. The hot dogs are served hot with generous servings of the desired toppings and/or sauce. Their special sauce is unique; it has a slightly sweet flavor somewhat like Gus's downtown but different. The chili on the chili dogs is real chili with a good flavor. All in all our lunch was very good.

When we were ordering Robert asked the guy at the cash register if he was Sol. We found out he is Sol's step-son, Johnny. After a few more questions Johnnie introduced us to his mother, Mrs. Sol (Donna Zarzur) who sat with us as we ate our lunch. We learned a great deal from her. Sol is getting up in the years and is not as active in the business as he once was; so Sol's is managed by Johnnie today. We learned that they have a key employee, Melvina, commanding the cooking area daily; she has been there for 28 years. She is a valued employee that they would never want to do without.

This is just part of the menu which includes foot-long versions of all the dogs as well as other sandwiches and a variety of specials.

Despite the uninviting burglar bars, we were told that in 39 years there has only been one robbery at Sol's. We observed a congenial mix of people dining there. Donna told us of their loyal customer base who continue to come back. This was confirmed when we met the guy at the next table. He grew up, like us, just a few blocks from Sol's and is now a CPA living in Atlanta. He took the opportunity of working in Birmingham a for few days to eat lunch at Sol's again.

How did we end up meeting other customers? We like to photograph the food before we start eating; but totally forgot when Donna sat down and joined us. We had finished but still wanted some pictures; so we asked some of the other diners if we could shoot their food. Guess you have to admit we have guts. Below we have a slaw dog, part of a hamburger and some fries that a new friend let me photograph.
One last note; they are having an anniversary celebration next week starting on Monday August 2nd. If you read this in time stop in and join the fun and special offers. They have put a lot of planning into the celebration.

A Second Visit to Klingler's

Just two days ago we visited Klingler's on the Hot Dog Tour. Late that night I posted the previous entry; then last night my wife read the last few entries on the blog. Apparently when she read about our visit this past Friday she started thinking about Klingler's. So I wasn't really surprised when today after church she suggested going to lunch at Klingler's. We both enjoy eating there when we can.

They do a brisk business on Sundays due to many who like to come for their "Special Sunday Brunch". Mrs. Klingler was surprised to see us just two days after the tour visit. She greeted us warmly and thanked me for the good remarks about that visit. We also shared a laugh that I had commented about the attention we attracted.

Since I had just had the sausage platter two days ago, this time I looked to other entries on the menu. Take a look at their menus on their web site: Klingler's. There is no shortage of good choices, many of which are served with a side of their hot German potato salad, marinated slaw, or both. The sides and breads served at Klingler's are outstanding.





Now as for the Hot Dog Tour, I did observe that it's not just the guys who enjoy the sausage platters. An older gray-headed lady came in alone and sat at the table next to us. She is obviously a regular customer since she knew what she was going to order before she even looked at the menu. She immediately ordered the Bohemian Sausage Platter and seemed to really enjoy her diner.

Klingler's - "German Hot Dogs"

This week we set off with a third member for our party. Neither my brother nor I had a real strong inclination as to where we should go, so we started out with our guest, Fred, and hoped he would make the call as to where we would have lunch. He did point us in a direction but in the end I made the last minute decision to go to Klingler's in Vestavia.

Klingler's is an authentic German cafe/restaurant right here in Birmingham. OK, it's not a hot dog stand, yet they offer what I consider the ultimate gourmet hot dog. Their menu has on the "lunch" page a box labeled "Sausage Platters". This is where to go when dining at Klingler's. Prior to this visit I have ordered the Bohemian double smoked sausage platter which I recommended to my companions. My brother, Robert, took my advice and ordered this while Fred and I both ordered the "Schlact Platter" to get one each of three different sausages. After trying them all, my advice is; go with the Bohemian double smoked sausage which has a good smoked flavor and an extra crisp skin. This should be a filling meal for anyone, even with the biggest appetite; especially if one orders the platter with two sausages. Then there is always a big selection of tempting deserts avaliable at Klingler's. Actually on this visit Robert was eyeing the "turtle cheese cake" before we ate and was disappointed to be too full to have some at the end of the meal.



The sausage platter comes with German sauerkruat, potato salad and mustard. There is also a piece of German bread giving the diner the ability to make a sandwich with the sausages and have a "hot dog" if so inclined. Maybe you want a sandwich and maybe you don't, nevertheless, the sausage platters at Klingler's are definitely worth a special trip.

No question, that's a lot of meat. I was able to take a "go box" with enough for dinner. Below is the Bohemian platter that Robert ordered. This is sufficient for most normal people.

Robert was first to make a judgment on our lunch when he said; "This is really good." I must agree that the sausage platters at Klingler's are indeed good and are definitely worth a special trip.

An interesting note here; we attracted a little attention when we photographed the menu and our food. The result was that we actually had a visit to our table by Mrs Klingler who asked if we were enjoying our meal. I have been to this restaurant on numerous occasions but have never before had Mrs. Klingler stop by my table. I suppose one could use this observation at other restaurants to attract some extra attention and service. No.... I'd never do that.

Notice my preference for the "Bohemian double smoked sausage platter". Somehow this isn't an accident. Yes, I like the smoked flavor and the extra crunchy consistency this brings to the skin of the sausage, but there is another connection here. My name is Karl, spelled with a "K", and both Robert and I can claim a Bohemian heritage. All four grand parents of our mother were immigrants to the U.S. from an area previously known as Bohemia, now part of The Czech Republic. Even though we didn't live in an ethnic community we grew up with an awareness of this heritage.

One last note. Once many years ago a young German girl live with us for a while. We learned from her how to make German potato salad using her mother's recipe. That recipe was a little different from the one used by Klingler's yet very similar in many ways. I will end this posting by encouraging all of our "many" readers to try Klingler's sausage platters. You will not be disappointed!

Klingler's dining room.

Max's - An Unexpected Visit

A special welcome to Charlie S. who said he would be reading the blog.

This past week we responded to an ad that was unexpected by us. Actually neither the brother nor I received this ad-via-email, but a close friend forwarded it to me knowing of my interest in hot dogs. The ad (reproduced below) told of their participation in "National Hot Dog Month" and how they are making a special offer this month. The customer can "see double" by ordering one hot dog and getting two for the same price.

So this week we visited Max's Delicatessen located at the Colonnade. Max's is definately not a hot dog stand but since they are embracing "National Hot Dog Month" that was enough reason to go. Also it didn't hurt that it was an easy drive from our work.

We looked at the menu and confirmed with the waitress that the hot dogs at Max's are all of the Jumbo size, so given the special offer we ordered one (with a free second included) chili cheese dog. It comes with a side of fries. We added a second order of fries and our drinks, so by the end of the meal had been well fed. Max's is an up-scale deli that presents itself as a New York style eatery, yet somehow seems more like Mountain Brook than Manhattan. There are various New York photos on the walls as well as other illusions to New York. New York is fine but I like the south and Mountain Brook, while it can be expensive, can also be comfortable. Fortunately there weren't any screaming insane Yankees, and the servers seemed to understand that they were there to serve rather than simply collect tips.

Some of the things we liked were:
* The chili cheese dog (JUMBO) was good!
* We were able to dip our fries in ketchup and steak sauce.










* The menu includes several different varieties of hot dogs that look very interesting. We are both considering a return visit during "National Hot Dog Month".

This an up-scale deli with prices based accordingly. This makes the prices a little higher than we usually see on our hot dog tour.

There was a couple, of the geezer persuasion, who were seated at the next table. The woman felt she needed to tell us we were "cowards", I assume because we didn't each order the two for one deal. This actually helped with the whole New York atmosphere. We, like cultured southerners, totally ignored the comment and enjoyed ourselves unlike New Yorkers who would probably have engaged in a verbal duel.

My advice regarding Max's; give it a try. Maybe a hot dog lover can get his fix while his companions eat their deli fare.

Chris Z's

This past week we went to Chris Z's on southside. The location is on University Blvd (aka 8th Avenue South) in the Lakeview District. I seem to remember that once upon a time this was a Sneaky Pete's; but I think that was prior to Chris buying it. The first impression was the large number of trucks in the parking lot; this is a good sign. The next thing I noticed, after the last stop, was Coca-Cola and Golden Flake chips, another good sign.

We ordered and sat down to wait for our order. The walls at Chris Z's are covered completely with various pictures and posters with a large portion based on college sports. This close to the UAB campus, UAB has equal coverage with Alabama and Auburn.

When we picked up our orders we found the hot dogs and chili dogs to be good. Oddly this was the first time on the hot dog tour that my brother and I were adding salt to our hot dogs. This wasn't a big need but did enhance the flavor a little. The chili was good and did indeed taste like chili; and both dogs were served hot in a good bun. We asked Chris about the bun and were told that he steams them but is careful to not over do it thus keeping them from getting too moist. The entire experience demonstrated the attention and care of an owner who takes pride in his product.

Now the interesting part. Before leaving we stopped to talk with Chris a few minutes. When we told him we were in the process of visiting every hot dog place in Birmingham his face lit up. He said enthusiastically; "I wish I could go with you." This guy loves the food industry and especially hot dogs. We came to discover he worked for years at Sam's in Homewood before getting a place of his own. He is also the owner of Jimmy's which he bought when Jimmy Graphos retired. He told us he had started working in the food industry at age 14. He eventually worked for six years as a CPA but returned to the food industry where his heart is. This guy loves what he is doing!

One last thought; he has a dream of seeing a hot dog festival in Birmingham. He can envision having all the hot doggers getting together in one location, each serving his own style of hot dogs. This would presumably be accompanied by entertainment of some sort. I must admit this sounds good; I would go.

Marilyn's

Marilyn's is just a little off the beaten track for most people. I went looking for it a couple of weeks before eating there and had a hard time finding it. The location is on the east side of 18th Street between 7th Avenue North and Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd. (previously known as 8th Avenue North). This location is an easy 1/2 block walk from two large buildings, the Alabama Power headquarters and the Bellsouth building. Marilyn's decor seems to feature multiple televisions, strange paneling, the name Pepsi and the Pepsi logo. There was a steady stream of customers, most of whom sat and ate at one of the tables.

This week we had a pleasant experience at Marilyn's. This was the best deal we have found so far. The hot dogs and chili dogs are good. There was nothing to make them stand out in the memory but they are good. My brother asked Marilyn how they cook their hot dogs, to which she replied; "we thow 'em on the grill". We were in agreement that they could have been a little hotter when served. I suspect they had been grilled and were being kept warm on part of the grill. While we were eating this week we discussed some preferences for hot dog presentation and realized we are not in total agreement. More about that subject later.

We both noticed two things missing from their menu; Golden Flake chips and Coca Cola products. We did agree that we missed seeing Golden Flake chips offered since it is our home town chip. We like to support the local economy when given the opportunity. Bottom line, try 'em if you can find 'em.

Where is the tour going?

Each week my brother and I choose the places we visit. There have been occasions when one of us needed to go a particular direction for a business or personal errand; but most weeks we just choose another place from our list. We started out wanting to visit "hot dog stands" but soon had to figure out whether we should include other places where hot dogs are served. We settled on the somewhat subjective standard of including any stand, restaurant or cart that either takes pride in their hot dogs or clearly holds themselves out to the public as serving hot dogs. Thus we will soon visit a smoothie place in Five Points South that has a large "Kosher Hot Dogs" sign in the window. Many of these places are not "stands" and might not even have an area to stand and eat. We initially have tended to go to the downtown area more than anywhere else but plan to visit all around the city. This week we were again downtown to eat at Marilyn's.

Lyric Hot Dogs

This week we decided to go downtown again. This time to Lyric Hot Dogs, one of the long time hot dog stands downtown. Lyric is a great place! It's a hot dog stand that first opened in 1957 and has grown with the times. Lyric is an interesting place to visit, if for no other reason because of the design. This place has been updated with a retro look which includes lots of neon, vinyl booths and stools and the feel of a 50s soda fountain. This sure fits for a business founded in the 50s.

We were joined this week by this blogs first (and only) official follower, so there were three of us. We anticipated having a hard time finding a parking place near Lyric but there was no problem with that. Lyric is located on 3rd Avenue North near 18th Street and we found plenty of empty parking spaces right on 18th. For the author this is a little sad because I remember the vibrancy of downtown Birmingham not too many years ago, but hey... the changes make it easier to get to Lyric today.

My brother and I each made our usual order of a chili dog and hot dog all the way with chips and a drink. Our companion ordered a chili dog and a special dog, both without kraut, a bag of "pickle chips" and a drink. I am hoping he will write his own contribution to the blog addressing "special dogs". I previously wrote about how special dogs are not my favorite, but today made me think twice about that. His special dog had a meat sauce that didn't have the gray soupy appearance that I've seen before. He remarked that a special dog just needs to be special but not the same at every presentation. He remarked that he was surprised and pleased by the special dog he was served on this occasion.

Here we have lined up a special dog, chili dog and hot dog.

Our orders of a hot dog and chili dog were good. Not exceptional, but good. The chili was better than most we have encountered so far. The whole order was good even though not surprising. We can all do very well without SOME surprises in our lives. We discussed the chili on the dogs and agreed that we thought it was canned chili with additional spices added. It had been simmering long enough to be thick and not the least bit runny which makes for good hot dog chili, yet we could also imagine eating a bowl of this chili (maybe a little thinner in consistency.)

The avid reader of this blog (is there one?) will remember the "dining room" At Gus's; well Lyric has not one but TWO little counters in the front windows where two customers can sit and eat. I really wanted to eat in one of these "private dining rooms", but alas, there were three of us making this impossible. Maybe I can return soon and sit there!

The only possible negative comment regarding this visit would be that our table was less than clean. BUT, for a hot dog stand/restaurant I am coming to accept that this is to be expected at lunch time. I will try to restrain from commenting on this in the future when writing about traditional hot dog stands. The small operation doesn't have the staff to be continually cleaning like they do at the Varsity.

This place might become my favorite hot dog stand. I am considering a return visit soon just to try the special dog and a corn dog. Bottom line.... Try them out, you will not be disappointed.

OK, One more bottom line regarding Lyric. They are located in the Lyric Building at the corner of 3rd Avenue No, and 18th St. (Nobody has renamed either street yet). This building is the location of the OLD Lyric Theater which was originally a vaudeville house. It is now owned by Birmingham Landmarks, the same organization that restored the Alabama Theater and Carver Theater. This is a unique Birmingham location that might someday be restored. I hope so and look forward to that day.

Mr. P's

Our next visit was to Mr. P's Deli in Bluff Park. Of course Mr P's isn't a hot dog stand but they do have a reputation for serving great hot dogs. That was enough for me, so when my brother suggested that we hit Mr. P's this week I was ready to go.

This place is another unique establishment. We hung around long enough to talk to the proprietor, Mr. P. (Pilleteri) and learned a little history. He grew up in a family that ran a neighborhood grocery store just west of downtown Birmingham. He graduated from college and decided to open his own neighborhood grocery store during the decade when most of these places were closing. His chosen area to serve was the somewhat remote Bluff Park area south of Birmingham. As time progressed he realized that he needed to change to survive. He first added roast beef sandwiches to meet the requests for something ready to eat. Through the years as freezers died he replaced them with more area for patrons to eat. He also refined his inventory to serve his customers by adding specialty meats, a variety of wines and more deli items.

The result is a place that has the feel of an old neighborhood grocery store that grew with the times. There is definitely the sense of being in a neighborhood establishment. This is something that the chain restaurants would love to duplicate... but never will.

Hot dogs were why we were there so as hard as it was when we looked at the menu we restricted our orders to the realm of hot dogs. We had both heard of Mr. P's for years but had never been there; and the menu has many tempting offerings. We each ordered a hot dog "all the way" and a chili dog (mine was a chili cheese dog). We added to that a bag of Zapps potato chips and a drink. The brother discovered Zapps "Spicy Creole Tomato Spiked with Tabasco" flavor chips and ended up eating two bags (minus a few that I had).

We learned that the hot dogs are from a commercial restaurant supply company. They are made of beef & pork and are labeled as "8 per pound" as opposed to the usual "10 per pound". I guess these would be called "jumbo" at many places. They are firm and tasty and fresh cooked in a microwave oven when ordered. The chili on the chili dogs is the same chili that can be ordered by the bowl, fresh made with their ground sirloin. The onions are thin sliced almost having the appearance of kraut. The buns seem to be freshly steamed. All this makes a very good hot dog. We were not sorry that we had limited ourselves to hot dogs.

I want to photograph our hot dogs on these visits but keep forgetting. This time I did remember before everything was all consumed. The above is a hot dog after just one bite has been removed.

Time for some subjective comments. I hate to offer any criticism to a dining experience that was as good as this was, but I must say our table was dirty, very dirty, and we had to clean it ourselves. Mr. P's is known not only for their meats and deli but also for their spices and seasonings sold in local grocery stores. My personal preference for the chili would be to have it a little more spicy. I found myself trying different additions; first salt, then other seasoning from the table. I did like the big firm hot dogs. They are the perfect size, a little smaller than Mikes "Chicago Hot Dogs" but quite hearty. They will even gladly package these for sale from the meat counter.

After this first visit to Mr. P's I hope to return again. The location is not particularly convenient for me; but I think it is worth the trip.

Full Moon Bar-B-Que - What's A Moon Dog?

What in the world is a moon dog? The Moon dog is the hot dog on the menu at Full Moon Bar B Q in Birmingham. I will admit that ordering a hot dog at a good Bar B Q restaurant is really strange. I was first introduced to the moon dog by Brenda who worked with me for many years. If it wasn't for her I still would never have tried a moon dog. She thought I would like it and she was right!

The moon dog is a hot dog done on the grill that has been topped with Full Moon's superb Bar B Q sauce and an abundant amount of their chow-chow. It could almost be called a Bar B Q hot dog; it is really good! I am one who likes to add a little red pepper or Tabasco sauce to a hot dog, but that isn't necessary with the moon dog which is pretty spicy as served.

The obvious problem here for my brother and I is that we both REALLY like good Bar B Q and it is difficult to beat the Bar B Q at Full Moon. So, why would you order a hot dog rather than more Bar B Q? What can I say... let's just blame Brenda. What did we order? Since they don't offer a chili dog we didn't really need to order 2 dogs each, so we ordered a moon dog for each of us and a JUMBO bar B Q sandwich (that we split). Though available we skipped the usual hot dog side of chips and ordered some fries. That way we got our hot dogs as well as Bar B Q, a little of two great worlds. It made a great lunch for us both. (Should we start a Bar B Q tour next? I don't even want to think about it right now.)

This was my brother's first introduction to the moon dog. His reaction was positive.

Here's a practical suggestion; if you are ever getting take-outs from Full Moon just add a moon dog to the order and eat it before you get home or wherever you are going with the take-out. You might even go out of your way to make this happen... really help everybody out by doing the pickup.

We had lunch at Full Moon, but I returned late in the day to take a few pictures just after sunset when the light has that magical quality. I was standing outside taking a couple of pictures of the neon signs in the windows when I noticed a group at a table waving at me through the window. I went inside and asked if they wanted their picture "took". They were all smiles and said yes. The guy in the red shirt looks something like a young man who worked with me a couple of years ago, so much so that through the window I thought it might be him. So I went in to talk with them.

I told them why I was there and about the hot dog blog. When I asked if any of them had ordered a moon dog or had ever had one I was told that they hadn't. Then one of them asked me; "Have you ever been to Sam's?" We agreed that Sam has great hot dogs, maybe the best in Birmingham.

So my subjective comments:

• It's hard to order a hot dog at a Bar B Q restaurant when you can smell the bar B Q!
• But maybe it should be done on occasion.
• The Moon Dog is not your usual hot dog but is very good and certainly worth getting creative in figuring out when to order.
• Brenda was right as usual!
• It looks like we need to visit Sam's soon.
  

Tony's

I tried to contact my brother regarding our somewhat regular Wednesday lunch together, but had no success. I guess he was still on vacation. So left on my own I persuaded one of my associates to go with me to Tony's Hot Dogs.
Tony's is on Highway 31 in the Hoover/Helena area, just north of Valleydale Road. I've had takeout from there but never actually been there myself. How can that be? I am spoiled rotten by the women in my office who will pick up a take-out lunch for me almost every day. One in particular, who has a letter for a name first introduced me to Tony's "Junk Yard Dog".

The Junk Yard Dog is quite a creation. It is best eaten on a plate with a knife and fork. The Junk Yard Dog is a jumbo hot dog with every addition available added. It has toppings like cheese, chili, slaw, kraut, "specialsauce", and who knows what else. It is good, better than you might think, but it does overflow the bun.

On this first official visit to Tony's I ordered, can you guess, a chili dog and a hot dog - all the way, chips and a drink. The experience was pleasing. The dogs remind me of the downtown hot dog stands since they have a similar sauce and construction. Tony's is clearly a suburban hot dog place. I can't even call it a hot dog stand since no one actually stands to eat their hot dogs. There is ample seating for the flow of customers we observed. The customers (with few exceptions) arrive by vehicle rather than walking from a nearby businesses. Tony's is located in a strip shopping center along a very busy highway.

I wanted to meet Tony but discovered that Tony is no longer associated with the business. There seems to be a pattern here.... hot dog places have a name but the guy who's name is on it is long gone. The guy in charge, I presume the current owner, was too busy with some maintenance issues (on the floor) so I didn't get to meet him.

Overall I would say that Tony's is a pretty good place. It beats a thirty minute drive into downtown Birmingham for a hot dog. The dogs are much like what one would expect at a downtown hot dog stand.

Disappointments:

• They were OUT OF regular potato chips. (they like to sell fries and onion rings).
• It would be nice if they tried a little harder to clean up the tables after customers finish and leave. When we were there were several empty tables but none of them were clean. (take a lesson from the Varsity!!)
  

In their favor:

• A pretty good hot dog as well as offering a "Junk Yard Dog".
• They even offer a corn dog. (I have a wonderful recollection of corn dogs from my earlier years, but I won't tell it now.)
  
• seating, such as it is, which allows a little more time at lunch. (But what's with that crazy booth with the backrests that are bent into a reclining position?)
  

Now a word about this nameless associate who went with me. This guy has an incredible history with the Birmingham hot dog stands. He has grown to be a little out of touch the last few years, but has a huge knowledge of the old timers. We had a rich discussion about the Greeks who dominated the downtown hot dog stands for years. I hope to persuade him to write an occasional guest entry.

Let me encourage the reader to click the link on the left of this page to view the video about the Birmingham hot dog stands. This video. "Hot-dog-opolis" was done by the University of Mississippi as part of an effort to document some of the cultural history of the south. It is fascinating for anyone who has any interest in Birmingham and it's restaurants. There is even an appearance of the one and only original Sneaky Pete.

East of Downtown

There is a pretty good hot dog place way out from the eastern side of Birmingham. One needs to be willing to invest two and a half hours to get there; but after traveling 150 miles (one way) he can arrive at the Varsity Drive In. The Varsity is billed as the world’s largest drive in, a claim I have no reason to question. Their menu doesn’t contain much variety, but there is enough variety for me. My usual order is a couple of chili cheese dogs, onion rings and a drink. On this visit I had the usual which I thoroughly enjoyed. The occasion was a day when I was meeting a son-in-law and two grandsons for a visit to a special exhibition. This was the first visit to the Varsity for two grandsons (7 and 4 years old). Their orders were “naked hot dogs" (to which they added either ketchup or mustard, but not both) fries and lemonade. They seemed to enjoy their meals as they were in the clean plate club. The 7 year old even needed a second hot dog.

Some subjective observations:

• I like eating at the Varsity. I like the atmosphere and the food and know of no other place like it. I consider it a treat when on occasion I am close enough to make a stop; but I don’t think it's worth a special trip just to eat at the Varsity.
• The plan at the Varsity is to get people in and served, to keep things moving. The servers at the counter are quick to ask; "What'll you have?"; but they will allow one time to ponder the menu. It is easy to feel rushed but I've found there is no problem with standing back from the counter to consider the options.
  
• The people who work there are polite and helpful. It would be very easy for a place like this to be very dirty; but they do a good job of keeping things clean.
  
• The chili on the chili dogs is better than the average chili dog chili I have encountered and does taste like chili. My brother wanted to apply our new standard for chili and asked me; Would I want a bowl of it with crackers?" I must confess that I enjoyed the chili dogs so much I didn't think much about the chili itself. The chili dogs and chili cheese dogs are great products so the chili must be good.
• Any possible criticism of The Varsity is offset, in my mind, by their unique offering of the “frozen orange” to finish off a meal.

This is the first stop on the hot dog tour where I have found a special counter for gift and memorabilia items. Jimmy’s does sell tee shirts on occasions (they were out of most sizes when we visited), but there isn’t a separate counter for buying these items. I invested in a bright orange “frozen orange” cap which I plan to wear with pride.

A final thought; I think someone should build a Varsity location in Auburn and Tuscaloosa as well as other SEC cities.