So today was National Hot Dog Day? I saw something about it on YELP first thing this morning (I think it was YELP - I was very groggy). and the first place they listed was Midwest Coney Connection on Richmond, a place I’d never heard of that serves Michigan style coneys from a small trailer.
I’ve been hearing of Michigan coneys for years and wondered if I was ever going to get to taste one.
I got a Flint style coney - “natural casing wiener with hamburger chili, onions and mustard on a steamed European style bun” and a Detroit style coney - “natural casing wiener with a wet chili, onions and mustard on a steamed European style bun” per the menu. I think that’s the Flint style on the left but some posters on YELP show the one with the darker chili as the Flint variety.
I definitely liked the one with the darker, bolder chili much better but the other one isn’t bad. They’re both very prone to drippage and droppage so you shouldn’t try to eat them while driving (or walking) or perhaps even just sitting in your car (there are chairs and tables coming but I wasn’t about to sit out in this heat).
This chili is nothing like chile con carne, it’s a Greek inspired meat sauce, similar to Cincinnati style chili; there’s no cumin or chile powder at all so some people may turn their noses up at it but I liked it.
The Better Made chips are a Michigan product; there area a couple of flavored varieties and also fries, a Michigan style steak and cheese sandwich and Texas Frito Pie. The chips are of the very thin persuasion and unfortunately were somewhat stale.
According to the Wiki, the wiener may (or possibly should be) a Koegel, made in Flint and the chili may (or should) be made with beef heart.
I passed on the Faygo sodas so I guess I won’t be getting a Michigan Merit Badge.
Now. Where can I find a Cincinnati Style coney in Houston???
Very cool, I had no idea that hot dogs were so regional!
I also heard this was the day for hot dogs, and was dismayed when my travels took me right by Good Dog on W. Alabama today, which I have heard such good things about. But I ate lunch at Mia’s Table and the only dog was on the children’s menu and so I got one for a child. She liked it okay, but she needs 10 or 15 years to develop her palate.
I have been to Sammie’s Wild Game Grill off Washington that specializes in dogs, can’t remember what I had then, but it was all pretty good.
I haven’t seen Cinncinati Chili here, but I also don’t think it would sell here! I do know you can buy Skyline at Kroger in the frozen food section or in the powdered spice mix section and make your own!
I’m planning a stop at Good Dog soon. Haven’t been in several years. Maybe also JCI. National Chili Dog Day is coming up and the one near me, in Stafford, is planning a big special. (Scroll down in the story. I used to be addicted to the chili cheese coneys and frito pie but hardly ever go anymore).
Ditto Sammie’s; love it.
I’ve made the Cincinnati Chili with the frozen product and also the canned, which Kroger had in the past anyway and I found to be a lot thinner/waterier - is that a word?. Didn’t know about the powdered mix. I will admit to liking the chili, sans the kidney beans and with a lot less cheese than is customarily applied, then baked or broiled to melt the cheese and sweeten the onions. I may try that on a hot dog. Hah!
Would really like to find a good Sonoran dog, too.
Classic Cheese Coney in the back - mustard, chili sauce, Kraft Cheese Whiz, onions. Yes, jc, I believe the wieners have shrunk. These are no where near as satisfying to me as they used to be.
In the front, one of their current line-up of ‘gourmet dogs’ - the Baja (Dog) - Hebrew National all beef dog, chipotle mayo, guacamole, pico, cilantro and fresh jalapenos on a toasted artisan bun.
I prefer a simply dressed dog; the chipotle mayo was unneeded, I never wudda kno’d there was cilantro on it if they hadn’t told me. The slices of fresh jalapeno are primarily for Instagram appeal AFAIC and I coulda done without them (substitute a hot sauce - there probably are some on the condiments bar - I didn’t think to check). The pico was lacking in any heat; I removed the jalapeno slices, which were very hot; I’m just not that big of a seeker of heat these days.
I have not been impressed with JCI’s gourmet dogs over the years. Ones I’ve had in the past have usually had the bun badly over-toasted (this one was past the threshold for my preference but no where near as bad as some I’ve gotten) and the sausages have been badly over-cooked, too.
This really wasn’t too bad. It still comes in behind the Sonoran dog they had on the menu for a short time but it beats everything else I’ve had. They’re now using Nolan Ryan all beef hot dogs for some of their ‘gourmet’ line-up; I think that’s a natural casing dog, which I would prefer. I may go back to try one of those but otherwise I’m through with JCI for another few years.
Y’all are killing me with all your urban acronyms today yo. I have a buddy that always orders the monster dog at lunch at Laurenzo’s, a wagyu beef chili dog. 1/3 lb. wiener.
Thanks for the shout out to the Michigan Coneys. Your explanation is totally accurate, right down to the Koegel encased franks, and the chili requiring beef hearts to call itself authentic.
Rochester, in upstate NY also is an outpost for our style Coney Dog. Back there, they’re called a Michigan Dog–or just a Michigan.
James Coney Island had 95 cent coneys last week. The Wifeacita had two and brought me two. Workout partner Marcy had four. Six foot four Father Tom had eight.
Is that a sin?
Some of the names may have been changed to protect the innocent.
One of my favorite greasy spoons here on Detroit’s eastside (now, sadly out of business), used to offer .99 Coney Islands’ on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I could get two dogs, a plate of french fries and a small Coca Cola for $5 and change. I’ll admit to hundreds of servings there over the years.
I had to ask them to cut back on the order size of the fries they pushed out at me. My appetite had, unfortunately shrunk from the golden decades of the '60s and '70s…
Nice to see Houston enjoying this Detroit delight.
It’s sold at Kroger so I don’t eat it preferring the meat at MY HEB.
Since you mention Nolan Ryan I don’t know if you caught the last two Astros playoff games but in the first row behind home plate were Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Craig Biggio and their lovely wives and in the second row was Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell and his lovely wife.
Game one had future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on the bump and on a pace for the Hall Jose Altuve on second and budding superstar Alex Bregman on third.
I had a Nolan Ryan hot dog the last time I was at Minute Maid Park and it was crap but I can’t blame it on the dog but rather prep/holding.
I did not. 2 baseball stories though. The summer I spent in Houston while my sister and mother went to my other sister ‘s wedding in Paris, (France, not Texas), my Uncle Frank took me to a Colt 45’s game against the Reds. Memorable because it was in the temporary stadium while the Astrodome was being built and because the game got called because of fog in about the 7th inning or so. You couldn’t see the outfielders!
…and when I was a binocular repairman in the mid 70’s, we had a container full of misaligned binoculars and they sent a repairman over from Japan.
We decided to treat him to baseball and bbq.
We got it to go to take in the stadium. He chose mutton! He didn’t care for that much but we got to watch Nolan Ryan pitch against the Royals and he was thrilled at that, even though he spoke 0 English.
Good times…
Are you sure it was atmospheric fog and not a giant swarm of mosquitos Colt stadium was known for?
I was at the last game in Colt Stadium in 1964 when I was eight and they let us run on the field when it was over.
I remember Bob Bruce won a franchise record 15 games beating Don Drysdale of the Dodgers, yes the same Dodgers the mighty Astros vanquished in the 2017 World Series.
I don’t remember the details of the game but thanks to the wonders of baseball reference.com the Colts won 1-0 in twelve innings, Bob Bruce pitched all 12 innings and Drysdale 10.
The Dome. I went to at least a hundred baseball plus that many football games back when it was affordable. They had the best hot ham or roast beef sandwiches behind the end zone/home plate. The Dome foam beer on draft was nasty but we drank it like water. One time the Oilers made a big play early in the game my friend stood up and dumped an entire beer on the lady in front of him. He felt like dirt and was rewarded with nasty looks for three hours.
I remember it distinctly because that’s the only National League game I saw till the Cubs at Wrigley which the aforementioned Sister and BIL took me in 1966. :)
