‘Coney Dog’

A True Detroit Experience at Coney Dog

June 20th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

At home on the Sunset Strip.

We Detroiters (or metro-Detroiters in my case) are adamantly defensive and passionate about our Detroit roots.  Ask one of the thousands of Detroit expats what they miss most about their homeland and they will give you answers ranging from the lakes to the sports to awesome summers.  But there is one thing just about all of us can agree upon: we miss coney.  In LA, we are about as far from Detroit as possible in the lower 48 and absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.  Just about every conversation I’ve had with a former Detroiter in the 3-plus years I’ve lived in LA has led to a “wouldn’t it be awesome if we opened a coney restaurant out here?” moment.  Yet, while all these conversations were taking place, a few people were making it happen. Continue Reading»

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A Taste of Home at Upper Deck

October 27th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

If you hail from the great state of Michigan, you know why I took a picture of this.

A couple weeks ago I headed to Phoenix with the girlfriend for a wedding.  But this wasn’t just any weekend, it happened to be the weekend of the Michigan-Michigan State game.  It’s usually a pretty big game, but with both teams undefeated (at the time), it was a game I couldn’t miss.  Fortunately, said girlfriend found an interesting bar for me to watch it at in Old Town Scottsdale.  It was called Upper Deck Sports Grille and was dedicated to Michigan and Michigan State fans.  You would think Phoenix would be big enough to host ex-Michiganders at more than one bar, but you would be wrong. Continue Reading»

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The Original Coney Dog at American Coney Island

September 16th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

The Original?

Just before my last visit to my Detroit homeland, I happened to watch a TV show called Food Wars.  This show goes all around the country and pits local restaurants against one another.  In this particular episode, Detroit’s Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island faced off.  The two Coneys were founded in the early 1900s by brothers from Greece and both claim to be the originator of the Coney Dog, a Detroit staple.  On the show, American (powered by their sweet Vidalia onions) edged out Lafayette by a vote of 3-2.  But how would they fare with the Unvegan?  Fortunately an impromptu tour of Detroit with a last-minute visitor brought me to the corner of Lafayette and Michigan Avenue.  Wondering which Coney Dog was the unvegan king, I stepped into American Coney Island. Continue Reading»

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The Original Coney Dog at Lafayette Coney Island

September 16th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

The Original?

Just before my last visit to my Detroit homeland, I happened to watch a TV show called Food Wars.  This show goes all around the country and pits local restaurants against one another.  In this particular episode, Detroit’s Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island faced off.  The two Coneys were founded in the early 1900s by brothers from Greece and both claim to be the originator of the Coney Dog, a Detroit staple.  On the show, American (powered by their sweet Vidalia onions) edged out Lafayette by a vote of 3-2.  But how would they fare with the Unvegan?  Fortunately an impromptu tour of Detroit with a last-minute visitor brought me to the corner of Lafayette and Michigan Avenue.  Wondering which Coney Dog was the unvegan king, I stepped into Lafayette Coney Island. Continue Reading»

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Getting Chili on Top at Lulu’s Coney Island

July 13th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Now that's loose.

With nearly every visit back to Michigan (time permitting), there is a requisite stop at a Coney Island.  You can’t drive more than a few miles in the metro Detroit area without hitting a Coney, and I’m pretty sure they are all awesome.  My go-to Coney growing up was Leo’s, but sometimes convenience outweighs loyalty.  So last time I was back in the homeland, we went to Lulu’s Coney Island in Walled Lake. Continue Reading»

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Getting Loose at Leo’s Coney Island

December 17th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Looks are deceiving.

Looks are deceiving.

The phenomenon of the Coney Island is one of the greatest aspects of eating out in the Detroit area in Michigan.  Completely unrelated to the actual Coney Island in New York, these restaurants are a result of the mixing of Greek and American foods, with the addition of the famous Coney Dog.  Everyone has their favorite Coney Island, and sometimes the favorite one is just around the corner.  I grew up with Farmington Coney Island half a mile away and would go at least once a week.  Continue Reading»

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Beer Me Some Breckenridge Agave Wheat

The taste of skiing?

Colorado is definitely a beer state, and not just because Coors comes from the Rocky Mountain State.  No, it is also home to New Belgium (of Fat Tire fame) and seemingly countless other micro and craft breweries.  While in Breckenridge for a ski weekend, I decided I had to at least try one of these, and because it turned out to be the only one available at dinner, my choice happened to come from the creatively named Breckenridge Brewery.  The brewery, by the way, is actually no longer in Breckenridge, having expanded and moved to Denver in 1992.

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Couldn't just bring the whole cow?

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Unvegan Friends