My grandmother would on occasion make her version of Coney
Islands. In reality they had more of a
Tex-Mex heritage rather than a Michigan heritage, and the only real relation to
a Coney Island was the hot dog in the bun.
If one has ever been to Michigan, one has most likely been
exposed to the hot dog called ‘Coney Island.’
There are as many versions of this classic dog as there are versions of
chili in Texas, but just like chili, there are two basic approaches. In Texas, the chili is either red or
green. In Michigan, the Coney Island is
either dry or wet.
My grandmother would stick a boiled weenie (aka wiener,
frankfurter, sausage) in a bun, add some hot mustard and pickles (jalapenos)
along the side, and top it with chow-chow, chili, grated cheese, and big chunks
of yellow onion. She would place eight
of these into a baking dish like enchiladas side by side and slide the dish
into a hot oven for a few minutes until the cheese was bubbly and brown. Oh were these good! But they weren’t Coney Islands.
I had business meetings in Michigan one fall, and in the
city of Flint I was introduced to the wet Coney Island. I didn’t know at that time the difference
between the wet and dry versions, nor did I know the rivalries and loyalties
each incurs, I just went with some of the store employees to lunch.
When I looked at the two dogs I was served, I thought,
“Okay, it’s sort of like my grandmother’s version.” However, I was wrong.
This was nothing like hers. The
smooth slightly thickened sauce was reminiscent of chili, but it didn’t taste
like chili. It was definitely its own
thing, and it was good. In fact it was
so good, I stuffed myself stupid on these things, and I paid the resulting
price in the days before Beano.
I couldn’t leave these dogs alone. I was in Flint for four days, and I must have consumed close to
thirty Coney Islands. When it came time
to rent a car, drive to a store in Detroit, and leave behind the Coney Islands,
I made certain to have a box in the front seat of my car with another dozen
within easy reach. I was convinced I
couldn’t live without having a Coney Island as a traveling companion.
Then I arrived in Detroit.
My first night was spent alone in my hotel room wishing I had maintained
better control of my appetite for the past few days. The next morning I had a simple breakfast of hotel room coffee
and the last two Coney Islands in my possession, and I was almost glad they
were gone.
The morning meeting with the store manager and his staff
went well, and about 1:00 the manager announced the lunch he had ordered was
waiting for us in a nearby room. When
we opened the door to the room, the first thing I saw was a huge tray piled
high with Coney Islands. Yeah!!! But they weren’t the same. These were the dry version preferred in
Detroit. The sauce had a similar taste,
but the texture was coarse and dry rather than wet and smooth. It was similar to a loose meat burger, but
the taste was all Coney Island.
Once again, I couldn’t stop myself. Everyone in the room watched as I packed
away four or five of these things. And
since there was a dozen or so left over, I wrapped them up for dinner and a
late night snack.
Again I spent a few days living on Coney Islands, and I even
put a few in my suitcase to take on the plane when I flew back to my office in
Denver. When I checked my luggage at
the airport, the Skycap commented that this must have been my first trip to
Detroit. He was very familiar with the
smell of Coney Islands emanating from luggage.
Back home in Texas I told my grandmother about the Coney
Islands I had tasted in Michigan (I didn’t tell her how many I had tasted), and
she said that is where her idea for them came from. One of her sisters had traveled there sometime in the thirty’s
and had worked for a time in a restaurant where these dogs were the top selling
item on the menu. Back in Texas they
had tried to copy the idea, and her baked chilidogs were the result.
I thought I could do the same thing. At least my grandmother’s chili dogs were on
the right track. Mine, well, a bun and
a wiener were about the only thing in common with the Coney Island. Toasted buns are a given—usually. An all beef wiener is also a
given—sometimes. And so is mustard
and/or ketchup—most of the time. After
that, all bets are off.
Gooney Islands
Suggested toppings:
French fries with cream gravy.
Salsa.
Guacamole.
Salsa and Guacamole.
A big cheese enchilada (my favorite).
Velveeta cheese.
Lots of Velveeta cheese.
Melted. Or not.
Fried onions, mushrooms, and peppers (hot or sweet).
Baked beans.
Sour Cream.
Sauerkraut.
Red chili.
Green chili.
Kimchee.
Hollandaise sauce.
Mac and Cheese.
Spaghetti sauce—with or without spaghetti
Any combination of the above.
Name your own.