Last week, I mentioned that the South Carolina Upstate has a pair of quasi-chains local to the area, the various diners or drive-ins called Clock or Pete’s. A truer comparison point with Macon’s Nu-Way or Fincher’s, however, would certainly be Skins Hot Dogs. This is a chain in the proper sense of the word. All twelve of the stores, located in a triangle from Seneca to Greenville and stretching south to Greenwood, are owned under the same corporate umbrella, using the same chili and slaw recipes that the original proprietor, a man with the frankly awesome name of Skin Thrasher, developed in the 1940s. Continue reading “Skins Hot Dogs, Anderson SC”
Tag: hot dogs
Pallookaville Fine Foods, Avondale Estates GA
In December of 1989 or possibly 1990, I was told that there was this band that I had to see playing a free show one night on the steps of City Hall in Athens. It was the Labrea Stompers, led by Jim Stacy, and it was unbelievably cold. I saw them a couple of times after that, in more traditional settings, but I’ll always remember that very long, below-freezing walk back to my dorm against a harsh, knock-you-down wind, and also their terrific performance of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” When Dr. Seuss died in 1991, Stacy wrote an obituary for one of the local papers. Class act. Continue reading “Pallookaville Fine Foods, Avondale Estates GA”
Familiar Flavors in Different Locations, Macon GA
Late last month, Marie and I took another short trip to Macon to meet her mother and let Marie drive her the rest of the way into the traffic and sprawl of Atlanta. This gave us another chance to quickly visit a couple of places before those two went home, leaving me the chance to mosey on home at my own darn speed. Continue reading “Familiar Flavors in Different Locations, Macon GA”
Brandi’s World Famous Hot Dogs, Marietta GA (take two)
A few weeks ago, I looked back at some of our earliest posts and was depressed by the really, really poor photography across the board. One of the most depressing moments was seeing the awful pictures that accompanied our 2010 chapter about Brandi’s, the little hot dog stand that’s only open 25 hours a week. Continue reading “Brandi’s World Famous Hot Dogs, Marietta GA (take two)”
Shakey’s Pizza, Warner Robins GA (CLOSED)
Shakey’s Pizza was not part of my childhood, but it was a part of a whole mess of other people’s. Every so often, it sparks a happy memory or ten among some of the regulars at forums where I visit. If you’re in California, you’re never too far from a Shakey’s, as there are still about fifty stores in that state, but only ten others in the country. In the southeast, there is one in Auburn, and one in Warner Robins. Every week, a delivery truck comes east, bringing food for both of these stores. Perhaps they still have local-market TV ads for Shakey’s in California. Here’s one from the early 1970s, starring Kathy Coleman, who’d later play Holly in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost. The ad shows what Shakey’s used to be: a bizarre mix of Tudor design and Dixieland jazz with styrofoam boaters. Continue reading “Shakey’s Pizza, Warner Robins GA (CLOSED)”
I Dream of Weenie, Nashville TN
As always, we enjoyed some terrific conversation, shopping, and eating in the Music City, but we saved the best meal for last this time. Over in the East Nashville neighborhood, where half the folk are kicking back and having fun and the other half are grumbling “blankety-blank hipsters” under their breath, there’s a beat-up old VW bus parked in a grass lot, and the good folk there are serving up some of the tastiest hot dogs that we’ve ever had. Continue reading “I Dream of Weenie, Nashville TN”
Windy City Grill, Marietta GA
For the first time since starting the blog, Marie and I were waylaid one weekend by a plague. It was not the fault of any restaurant; rather, the toddler brought it home from daycare. So it was that, after a pretty good Friday lunch at Pho Dai Loi, and, after Marie’s brother Karl arrived for a weekend stay, a downright excellent supper at Moxie Burger, we spent Saturday in bed being awful hosts, asking the girlchild to step up and watch the baby, and left Karl to the TV and books. I was too miserable to even try to watch the Dawgs get five yards from beating Bama. Continue reading “Windy City Grill, Marietta GA”
Marie, Let's Eat! 