Programmed for Hot Dogs

What is all this hot dog nonsense all about anyways ????? A Hot Dog Program!?!

In 1997 PBS produced a very interesting, funny, and "appetizing" special on the best and favourite hot dog vendors found in the four corners of our great Country, "A Hot Dog Program" which aired the absolute best of Americana and nitrates !!!!.

After watching it together in Grand Rapids, the Boys immediately bolted to the nearest Hot Dog Stand in G.R., and after their third or fourth hot dog, as they were coming up for air, they committed to hit every one of the stands in the show. For over 20 years (?), here are the sad, calorie-laden exploits of Mike and Bone's strange quest for the perfect "tube steak" !!!

The Hot Dog Stands from the Hot Dog Program (In order of appearance on the Program):

1. _X_ Super Duper Weenie: Fairfield, Connecticut

2. _X_ The Varsity: Atlanta, Georgia

3. _X_ The Coney Island: Bailey, Colorado

4. _X_ The Papaya King: New York, New York

5. _X_ Gray's Papaya: New York, New York

6. _X_ Nathan's Famous: New York Coney Island

7. _X_ Bill's Drive-in: Evanston, Illinois

8. _*_ Demon Dogs: Chicago, Illinois

9. _X_ Portillo's: Chicago, Illinois

10. _X_ Cozy Dog Springfield, Illinois

11. _X_ Super Dawg: Chicago, Illinois

12._X_ Rutt's Hutt: Clifton, New Jersey

13. _*_ Slots-A-Fun/Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada

14. _X_ Nu Way Weiner, Macon, Georgia

15. _X_ Skin's Thrashers: Anderson, South Carolina

16. _*_ Franks Hot Dogs: Columbia, South Carolina

17. _X_ Pinks: Los Angeles, California

18. ___ Law Dog: Los Angeles, California

19. ___ M.A.'s Gourmet Dogs: Anchorage, Alaska

20. _X_ Essies' Original Hot Dog Shop: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2001 Paying Homage to the Holy of Hot Dog Holies - Nathan's Famous !!! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2004 Gray's Papaya @ 72nd Street and Broadway ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2004 Papaya King @ 83rd Street and 3rd Avenue ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2005 The Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2005 Nu Way Weiner in Macon, Georgia ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2006 SuperDawg on Milwaukee Blvd Chicago, Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2006 Cozy Drive In Springfield, Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2006 Pinks On Hollywood Blvd West Hollywood, California ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2007 The Original Hot Dog Stand, Pittsburgh PA ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2007 Rutt's Hutt, Clifton New Jersey ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2007 Franks Restaurant, Columbia South Carolina ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2008 Bill's Drive-In, Evanston Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2008 Portillo's Chicago, Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2008 Demon Dogs Chicago, Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2013 The Coney Island, Bailey Colorado ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2014 Super, Duper Weenie, Fairfield Connecticut ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2017 Skin's Thrashers, Anderson South Carolina ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Famous Hot Dog Stands enjoyed by the B,oys, with one Dishonourable Mention: The Bowery in Dallas Texas

1. _X_ Tony Packo's: Toledo, Ohio

2. _X_ The Bowery: Dallas, Texas

4._X_ Atomic Dawg: Berkley, Michigan

5. _X_ Deen Dogs: Aberdeen, Washington

2021 Deen Dogs, Aberdeen Washington ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A "Top 10 Hot Dog Stands" in Meechigan?!

One day in early 2016 Mike came across the following article from Serena Maria Daniels on OnlyInYourState.com. In These 10 Restaurants Serve The Best Coneys In Michigan Per the Author, the Coney Island is arguably the one food that defines Michigan’s regional cuisine. Arguably, because we’re a huge state and depending on where you live, the Coney is either the ultimate in comfort food, or it’s just a chili dog. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the loyalty for the Michigan Coney runs deep. In fact, there are very strict guidelines over what defines a legitimate Coney. Most would say the dog must come in natural casing, giving the eater a pronounced snap when they bite into it, though we’ve found that some spots don’t do casing. If you’re in Detroit, the bean-less beef chili that tops the dog is on the runnier and more tomato side, like a sauce. Elsewhere in Flint or Jackson, you’ll find that the chili is much drier, resembling ground beef. Diced onions and yellow mustard are the gold standards for a classic Coney topping. But travel to the west side of the state, in cities like Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Muskegon, and you’re bound to find some variations like shredded cheddar cheese, or toppings traditional to Chicago dogs, given their close proximity to the Windy City. Up North, well, we’ve heard from plenty of folks in the UP who say they just don’t do Coneys. Here, we introduce you to some classics, as well as some of those hybrids we mentioned. See for yourself.

1._X_One Stop Coney Shop, Grand Rapids

2._X_ Coney Island Hot Dogs, Kalamazoo

3. _X_ G&L, Muskegon

4._X_Virginia Coney Island, Jackson

5._X_Jackson Coney Island, Jackson

6._X_Starlite Diner and Coney Island, Flint

7._X_Angelo's Coney Island, Flint

8._X_American Coney Island, Detroit

9. _X_Lafayette Coney Island, Detroit

10._X_ Duly’s Coney Island, Detroit

Well, per Mike and Bone, Serena should probably stick with Tennis (Opps! wrong Serena!) because most of these Coney Islands with few exceptions were average at best !!!

Pat Bruno's Top 10 "Chicawgo" Hot Dog Stands List!

Pat Bruno a famous food critic in Chicago with over 30 years of local "Chicago Dog connoisseuring," assembled a list of his local favorites.

1._*_Demon Dogs, 944 Fullerton

2.__Golda's, Maywood

3.___Fluky's, 6821 N. Western

4.___Wolfy's, 2734 W. Peterson

5.___Gold Coast Dogs, 4000 W.Grand

6.___Poochies, Skokie

7.___Jimmy's Red Hots, 4000 W. Grand

8._X_Lu Lu's, 1000 S Leavitt

9.___Ira's Northbrook, Northbrook

10. Superdawg Drive-in 6363 N. Milwaukee

2006 SuperDawg on Milwaukee Blvd Chicago, Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2022 Lulu's Chicago Illinois ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________