The coney island hot dog is a curious concoction with no meaningful historical connection to the East Coast amusement park with the same name. Who woulda thunk? As a born-and-bred Midwesterner who has never been to New York, I assumed there was a connection, but it turns out I was wrong, and I went on a little side quest to figure out the history of the coney—where it came from, and how it got here. As with any notable or iconic food product, the precise history of the coney, and hot dogs in general, is argued among enthusiasts, but eventually we can be pretty sure of the coney’s home base and subsequent rise in popularity. But… in order to get to the coney island hot dog, we first have to start with the hot dog itself.
Historians cannot be certain who was the first person to stuff a casing with ground meat and spices, as we can only look at historical data to determine when something was referenced in literature, art, or advertisements. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council suggests that the frankfurter may have been developed as early as 1487 in Frankfurt, Germany. However, going by one of its colloquial names, “dachshund” or “little-dog” sausage, it also may have been the creation of butcher Johann Georghehner in the late 1600s in Coburg, Germany. No one knows for sure, but it does seem that we have the Germans to thank for what has become an American icon. In addition to the uncertainty on the origins of the wiener, hot dog historians have been unable to pinpoint the moment that this prestigious sausage was first placed in a bun. We do know that Charles Feltman, a Coney Island (New York) street vendor, was serving dachshund sausages in milk rolls as early as 1867. So, while theories abound, it is likely that the tradition of bread as a hot dog holder was brought to the United States with German immigrants, and became standard baseball fare by 1893.
Hog dog carts may find their origins in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, but the coney island hot dog finds its popularization in Detroit, Michigan. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Greece found itself in bankruptcy in 1893 following the crash of currant prices, which were its main export. This caused a migration of Greeks and Macedonians to the United States in the 1900s and 1910s. As Greek and Macedonian immigrants passed through Ellis Island (and likely Coney Island) and traveled west, they dressed their hot dogs in a beef sauce inspired by the spices of home.
So far, many of the facts presented here are disputable and difficult to prove, but one thing we know for sure is the proverbial “ground zero” for the coney dog is Detroit, Michigan. Brothers Bill and Gust Keros, sheepherders from Dara, Greece, opened a restaurant circa 1920 to serve coney dogs to auto workers. Two side-by-side restaurants, Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island, are thriving today as a part of the Keros brothers’ legacy (and controversy, as both vie for “top dog” status, the sibling rivalry continues!).
But what is a coney? Again, you’re asking for controversy here, but generally speaking, a coney sauce, or saltsa kima, is a beef- and tomato-based sauce. The dog is placed into a soft bun and topped with coney sauce, mustard, and onions. The tradition of sauce varies by region, and each coney restauranteur has its own recipe, leading to much debate over which coney reigns supreme.
We have the privilege of two established coney shops in the Northland, both with rich and long histories. In Duluth, you’ll find Deluxe Coney Island, and McKellar Confectionary proudly calls Thunder Bay home.
Deluxe Coney Island, Duluth
Deluxe Coney Island is one of Minnesota’s oldest restaurants, opening in 1928. Inside you’ll find an old-fashioned soda counter with stools, yellow melamine tables, and pristine green vinyl booths below framed photos of Duluth-bound freighters and exposed brick walls.
Deluxe Coney Island’s menu has not changed much since their opening. Their signature coney sauce is the same old-world recipe that patrons have come to know and love for decades. On their menu, you’ll, of course, find coneys—a hot dog in a bun served with coney sauce made from lean beef and tangy spices, mustard, and onions. You can order them with or without cheese. They also serve a coney burger, and keeping with the Greek roots of the coney, Deluxe Coney Island serves delicious traditional gyros. Their gyros are made from thin, hand-cut slices of lamb and beef on a pita with tomatoes, onions, and a homemade tzatziki sauce. They also serve a soup of the day, Greek salads, and for dessert…old-fashioned ice cream malts and shakes, or baklava. You can also order Deluxe Coney Island’s coney sauce to-go—in a pint or in a gallon.
McKellar Confectionary, Thunder Bay
McKellar Confectionary in Thunder Bay opened in 1926 and has been serving the same recipes since 1934. Burgers are hand-pattied every morning, and they have become a beloved destination for generations. The wood-paneled walls and vintage diner booths welcome you for a treat.
The McKellar Confectionary menu is simple, but reliable. There you will find both a coney burger and a coney dog, both loaded with mustard, freshly chopped onions, and their famous coney sauce, with or without cheese. On the side you might enjoy fries or the Canadian staple, poutine, and for dessert, what could be better than a good ol’ hand-spun ice cream shake?
We are lucky to have restaurants steeped in history and tradition like Duluth’s Deluxe Coney Island and Thunder Bay’s McKellar Confectionary. Both restaurants were opened in the 1920s, around the time that the coney dog was making a name for itself in the Midwest, and now, a hundred years later, their tradition has made its way into our hearts and our bellies. So the next time you’re looking for an old-fashioned coney that remains true to the history and flavor of Greece, I hope you’ll try Deluxe Coney Island or McKellar’s Confectionary.
