The Coney Island Hot Dog
How many of us remember Coney Island and can still smell the hot dogs, cotton candy, candy apples and much more?

The story of the spread of the hot dog across the land starts at Ellis Island with waves of immigrants in the late 1800s and moves to Manhattan where European sausage makers, many of them Jews, brought their skills and recipes and started life on a shoestring selling Frankfurt and Vienna sausages on street corners and in butcher shops.

Waves of Greek and Macedonian immigrants also appeared on our shores. On rare days off they took their families on the trolley to Coney Island, the great seaside amusement park about 15 miles south of Midtown. There they tasted the Coney Island version of the hot dog and fell in love with it.

As they migrated west, many set up shop on street corners, developed their signature recipe, and with hard work and ingenuity opened a restaurant, then a small chain, and made a good living for themselves and their families. For them, Jews and Greeks especially, the American Hot Dog became The American Dream.   (Video) Nathans still stands today.

As immigrants from Germany, we lived in the Bowery for a few months before we moved to Brooklyn in 1958. I was almost 9 and a family friend took us around to show us the sights of New York City. I thought that I lived in a big city in Germany, but, it was not so big compared to New York City with its tall buildings. The friend whose name was Victor, took us all around the city, the Statue of Liberty and numerous other places. One place he took us to was Coney Island. WOW! for a child my age..this was awesome! So many rides and the beach, the Atlantic Ocean. I was never on a beach before, we only visited lakes back home. We would come to Coney Island every weekend and sometimes during the day in the summer. My mother got to know how the subway system works and took my brother and I to the beach a few times during the week while my father worked. She would not go without a huge basket of food. When you go that much, you bring food with you, but a whole basket full?  One of the rides that I remember going on with my brother was the Wonder Wheel. If you chose the basket on the outside of the wheel, then you can look down and see all the tiny people as the wheel turned, but if you were fortunate to get the inside basket (which was always crowded) then you get to experience the basket coming forward and it would feel like the basket was going to come off the tracts and fall down. It was really scary to me but I must admit it was fun!

After getting to know the city, my parents found new beaches through talking to friends so we started venturing out of our regular routine and we visited Rockaway Beach which was located in Queens, N.Y.,  Brighten Beach and then to top it off, we found Jones Beach. Now if anyone remembers Jones Beach, it seemed to be as far at the tip of Long Island, N.Y. and how you get there if you don’t have a car?….subway, yes with so many changing of lines. Then when we got to the last stop, you get off and stand on a long, long line to catch the bus to Jones Beach. Imagine, everyone going in the same direction and only a few buses. By the time you carry all your stuff and then bags of food that are draping over your shoulders and it is hot and sweaty, Jones Beach did not look so good anymore. Once you got to Jones Beach, all that was forgotten. It was nothing like Coney Island. Yes, they had rides and all, but it was NOT Coney Island. Coney Island was alive. Jones Beach had the huge tidle waves that you can actually jump in, nothing like Coney Island with its somewhat calmer water.

I dreaded going to the beach but my mother loved it.  It just took so long that it took the fun out of it.  Who wanted to sit in the subway cars with all those bags, I felt like we were leaving for a few days that’s how much stuff we took blankets, towels, sunscreen, magazines (incase you want to read), change of clothes, and ofcourse all that food.  When we were ready to leave for home, all that had to be packed up again and the feeling of sunburn pain and claminess you felt once you were exposed to salt water was just too much to bear. Two days later, after the sunburn went away, we headed back again with the same baggage (mom never learned) to have our fun time in the sun.

Lots of times I would take my transister radio with me and listen to the songs that were popular at that time.  You could not hear it in the subway but once we were on the bus or walking, my hand held transister radio was on.  It was the in thing to have a radio with Hi Fi sound, we didn’t have stereo, and sometimes I would have an earphone so I can listen to it without all the street noise.  The transister radio had a 9 volt battery that did not last long at all.  I had to have another battery as a spare. There were some special songs that meant a lot to me and they were special for the summertime at Coney Island.  I would hear them over and over, the sounds and smell of Coney Island was everywhere.  Two special songs that would bring me back to those days were from the Drifters.  I had my handheld transister, hi fi radio that I had gotten for my birthday….Just think 1963 and these songs came out.

Under the Boardwalk

Another song from the Drifters that reminds me of Coney Island – I’ll Take You Home

Coney Island – Forgotten?

Coney Island, once America’s summer playground, has become just a shadow of its former self, despite grand plans for a new subway terminal here, or a new minor league ballpark there. read on

Coney Island Today

Here is a video of Coney Island and their plans to restore this wonderful Landmark

If anyone has ever been to Coney Island and has fond memories of those days, we would like to hear from you. Please leave a comment and share your story with us.

BRIEF HISTORY OF GASPARILLA

The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida. Held each year in late January and hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa, it celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar (Gasparilla), supposedly a Spanish pirate captain who operated in Southwest Florida. The theme is an “invasion” by Gasparilla and his men, which begins when the “Krewe” (made up of residents of the city) arrives on a 165′ long pirate ship, the Jose Gaspar, in Tampa Bay and land near downtown Tampa. The mayor of Tampa then lends the key of the city to the pirate captain and a parade ensues down Bayshore Boulevard, one of Tampa’s major streets. The krewes throw beads, coins and other items while shooting blank pistols from floats during the parade.  More on Gasparilla

Sodie’s Inc has been involved with the Junior League of Tampa on Davis Island from 2004-2008 as the food vendor during the Gasparilla invasion. Our annual Gasparilla event starts the end of January and lasts a month through February. Tampa has several small events downtown during the week before the end of January.

On January 29th, 2011, this year is when the invasion begins. The water invasion begins at the south end of Hillsborough Bay and involves hundreds of boats that accompany a replica pirate ship into Tampa. The Jose Gaspar (Gasparilla), commissioned in 1954 by the Krewe, is the only fully-rigged pirate ship built in modern times. The ship is a replica of a Wet Indiaman used in the 18th century. She is constructed of steel and her three masts reach 100 feet into the air. At 165 feet in length, she makes an imposing sight as she sails the waters of Tampa Bay.

As the ship sails north to Seddon Channel (between Davis Island and Harbour Island) the cannons boom and boat horns bellow adding to the lively atmosphere. As the ship eventually docks at the Tampa Convention Center and the raucous hooligans disembark, it is clear that the city is no match, and the mayor presents the marauders with the key to the city.

Sodie’s is located behind the building of the Junior league, right by the bay facing Seddon Channel. We were prepared for hot dogs, hamburgers and Italian sausages, refreshments and treats for the kids (young and old). Many families have gathered here for the 1-2 hour wait for the ships to come through.  As the ships approached us, you can hear the loud cannons fire up and the yelling of excitement as the pirates were throwing the beads from the ship as everyone hurdled close to catch the beads.  Once they had passed us, everyone started gathering up their belongings and head for the parade and other food vendors. I have been very happy to be part of the event at Davis Island. It was over for me in a matter of a few hours but the enjoyment seeing more of a family atmosphere here was all worth it.

Here are pictures of Gasparilla Pirate Festival of 2006

If you are planning a trip to Tampa beginning of the year, check out some of these links about the parade.

Other Links

January 29, 2011 Gasparilla Festival
Tampa Attractions
Gasparilla Festival Winter Beach Weekend
Information on travel and hotels
Gasparilla Island State Park

Here is a video of the Gasparilla invasion and the ongoing parade of 2010 - It was a very rainy day and the parade was almost cancelled.

Here is a song that fits the video of Gasparilla Invasion – A Pirate Looks at 40

Now, how can I resist talking about this little wiener of a dog who came into my life 3 years ago in 2007 and brought joy into my life then and continues to bring joy everyday. Woody was my mascot for my hot dog stand. I would have a picture of him with me and displayed it on my cart. Talk about conversation, you bet there was!!..How can you not ask about Woody, the picture stared in their faces!. I would tell people that my love for hot dogs is true..I even have a little wiener of a dog at home!.

When Woody and I would go for a walk, I just get a kick out of the way he is walking. His behind would wiggle and his head would be bopping up and down real quick and his long ears would be flopping back and forth. I would laugh sometimes and just tell him how cute he is, but did Woody care?…Naaahhh!!..he was looking for that squirrel he could chase up a tree. Woody was just too busy to worry about what I was thinking or saying!

Why is his name Woody you ask?  Well, it is because of his brown wood color.  He was already named by his last owner..and after we all had our laugh, I decided that was a good name for him.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.   Now that I had a little dachsy in my life, I went looking for anything that had a dachsy figurine, picture, anything.  Then I found one that looked a bit like him and it was a hot dog in a bun and ofcourse, I just had to name him Woody 2. Why do we fall in love with our dachsy? The answer is simple…Woody is so funny and he makes me laugh all the time. He is loving and cuddly and when I sit on the couch or recliner, he jumps up and snuggles right next to me. He is my alarm clock. He knows when to bark to wake me up and he times it pretty well before my alarm clock goes off. He is always wagging his tail and wants his belly rubbed. We were quite happy we thought, until one day a friend of mine, her daughter needed a new home for her cat Scooby. Scooby was not welcomed by Woody. “How dare he come into my home!” Woody says. Scooby decided to stay and stay he did..away from Woody. Woody is not a jumper or dasher off of anything, but when he saw Scooby peeking in the doorway, he dashed right at him. That went on for quite a while until one day they made a truce and became great friends. If they are sniffing each other and touching with their noses..they are buddies. Now, I failed to mention that Woody joined Sebatian, the cockatail. Sebastian came to live with me when he was only 6 weeks old and that was in 2001 and he does not like what is going on around his world. Sebastian has already seen the inside of Woody’s mouth and he managed to escape (poor thing). Sometimes Sebatian would climb out of his cage and spread his wings. You can hear the little paws running to see what is going on with Sebastian. Woody is ready to take the dive if he has to..looking up at Sebastian and waiting patiently without even twitching his eyes, focused completely on the bird, waiting for him to drop.Oh!!..what a painful look in Woody’s eyes when he sees Sebastian climbing back in his cage..even then waiting for him to loose his balance. Scooby is sitting right next to Woody, salivating over a meal he can’t have.

So that’s how it goes in a day of a dachsy’s life, but wait, we are not done with this yet. We have a new member who joined Woody and the gang. Her name is Tiffany (Tiffy) and she is a beautiful beagle. Her owner needed a new home for Tiffy and she found her way into Woody’s home and into our hearts. It was not the same as it was with Scooby, infact, Woody and Tiffy smelled each other right away and fell in love. Yes, they fell in love. They are inseparable. Woody and Tiffy both sleep in the same cage and are snuggled next to each other. One will not walk without the other. Tiffy and Woody are both hunters and are very hungry..constantly and when Tiffy is done with her food, she sometimes steals Woody’s food and being a gentlemen as he is, Woody steps aside and watches her eat his food. Now, THAT is love!.

Tune in next time for more of Woody, the wiener and his adventures!

Here’s a little clip of a breakdancing dachsy..this is not Woody!!

May of 2003 and 2004

In 2003-2004 Tampa Downtown hosted the Elvis Presley Festival and the Antique Car Show which started from the Tampa Theatre on Polk to Jackson Street.  There were many antique cars whose owners traveled as far as Pennsylvania just to be part of the show.  I (Sodie’s Inc) was fortunate enough to be the only vendor invited to be there.  It was alot of fun and everyone had a good time.

These past few years, other areas in Tampa are now hosting the Elvis Presley Festival but not with the ambience that we experienced here.

One of the earliest and most widely seen performance photos of Elvis Presley was taken right here in Tampa, during a 1955 concert appearance at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory.  A tightly cropped version of the photo was used on the cover of Presley’s first album.  That much, at least, seems to be accepted as fact by most of the King’s archivists and biographers.

Connections To Tampa

Elvis Presley was just 20 years old when he hit the stage in Tampa on Sunday, July 31, 1955. Presley already had cut a handful of singles with producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tenn., but those original Sun Studio recordings had not received wide distribution. He was still primarily a regional act, although word of his wildly energetic shows was spreading through the South.

It was not the first time the future pop idol had performed for a Tampa audience. Presley had appeared at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory once before – on May 8, 1955, as the closing act in country singer Hank Snow’s All Star Jamboree tour.

Five days after his first Tampa appearance, Presley caused a minor riot in Jacksonville by closing his show with the announcement, “Girls, I’ll see you backstage.” In their 1999 book, “Elvis Day by Day,” Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen write that fans pursued Presley into his dressing room, where they tore off his clothes and shoes.

Col. Tom Parker, a music promoter with longstanding ties to Tampa, was impressed by Presley’s potential and had begun looking for ways to work more closely with the young singer. Steve Rinaldi Sr. of Tampa, whose parents were friendly with the Colonel, recalls hearing Parker talking enthusiastically about ‘the kid’ in early 1955, confidently predicting he would become ‘the biggest thing in show business’.

By the time Presley returned to Tampa in July, Parker had forged a deal to handle all his booking and long-term planning, according to Guralnick and Jorgensen. Parker also was working to move Presley from Sun Records and onto a major record label.

On The Road To Stardom

Presley performed two shows in Tampa on July 31, 1955, both of them at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory on North Howard Avenue.

The shows, fundraisers sponsored by the Sertoma Club of Tampa, featured folksy comic Andy Griffith as headliner, along with Ferlin Husky, Marty Robbins and other Grand Ole Opry stars. Presley’s name was listed near the bottom of the bill in an ad that appeared in The Tampa Tribune. Guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black shared the stage with Presley. General-admission tickets for the shows, a 2:30 matinee and an 8:15 evening performance, were $1.25 each. Children younger than 12 were admitted for 50 cents.

Below are pictures of the event of 2003 and 2004.  Since then downtown Tampa has gone through some changes. Streets have been paved and restaurants have closed and new restaurants took their place.

History of Florida Estates Winery

Following a twenty-five year history of involvement with the wine industry and the viticultural research activities of the University of Florida, Florida Estates Winery opened its doors to the public in December 2001. Florida Estates Winery is Florida’s premium winery, producing world class wines from the best of Florida’s fine bunch wine grapes, combined with wines from the world’s finest wine producing areas. The winery is open to the general public for conducted tastings and sales. Picnics are welcome.

I have been their vendor/caterer for 4 years on and off and have enjoyed meeting all the different crafters who come to show off their handmade designs. It is a great time of year to stop by and see all the crafts that are on display for purchase. You will also love their wine tasting demo which is pretty awesome. You do get to taste different wines and that can be alot of fun.  Join Florida Estates Winery’s Vineyardist, Cellar Master, and tasting expert, Ron Hunt as he shares his experiences and educational knowledge of wine in a detailed wine class.

Check out their website Florida Estate Winery for details on times for wine tasting and their calendar of events.  You can also join their newsletter to see what is going on at their events.

Established in 1989, America II Electronics, Inc. is one of the world’s largest independent semiconductor distributors of semiconductors and electronic components. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, America II has one of the largest inventories in the industry with over 3 billion parts in stock and is available for sale.  America II has offices in the UK, Germany, Asia and Mexico, America II stocks active, passive and electromechanical components from over 1,400 manufacturers. With over three billion components in stock and valued at $1 billion, America II has one of the largest inventories in the industry.

In addition,  they are also involved as the title sponsor for America II Corporate SportsFest for the past 15+ years
and we are proud and excited to have been taking part in these annual event.  We have served them from 2005 and looking forward to serving them in the future.  Here are some pictures that were taken by others in the American II Sportsfest of 2005 I will be posting more pictures of this event.

These events were held at Sandy Keys, Clearwater, FL.,  and I had the pleasure of being their private caterer from 2005-2009.  As of 2010, the event has been moved to Sirata Beach Resort, St. Petersburg, FL., and unfortunately, we cannot remain being their private caterer since the beach has their own and outside vendors are not allowed to enter.  But I was and am happy to serve them at any event in the future.

The next event for 2011 will be held again at Sirata Beach Resort.  America II Sportsfest 2011 event

History of the Hot Dog

There is a good deal of disagreement regarding the origin of the Hot Dog. People in Frankfurtum-Main, Germany claim they discovered the Hot Dog in 1487. Others argue, the Sausage sometimes called the Dachsund for it’s shape was created in the late 1600′s by Johann Georghehner, a butcher from Coburg who is said to have traveled to Frankfurt to promote his product. Others in Vienna, (Wien) Austria claim originating the Hot Dog as they point to the name Wiener as evidence of the Hot Dog’s true heritage. In any case it is known that Charles Feltman, a German Butcher opened up the first Coney Island Hot Dog stand in 1871. He sold 3,684 Dachsunds in his first year. In 1893 Chris Ahe, the owner of the St. Louis browns started selling Hot Dogs at the Ballpark.

In 1901 the phrase Hot Dog was coined. On a cold April day Concessionaire Harry Stevens was losing money, selling Ice Cream and soda. He ordered his salesmen to buy all the long skinny sausages they could find and sell them from portable Hot Water tanks while shouting get your Red Hot Dachsund sausages while they last. Sports Cartoonist Ted Dorgan could not spell Dachsund so he used the term Hot Dog instead in his strip. Hence the name stuck and is the term we still use today. In 1487 the idea of the Hot Dog bun was born. Anton Feuchtwanger would loan his patrons gloves to handle the Hot little items. When he realized that his customers were little inclined to return the gloves he got together with his Brother in Law, a baker, and hence the concept of the Hot Dog Bun was born. In 1936, Oscar Mayer rolled out the first portable Hot Dog cart, they called it the Wienermobile and the rest as they say is history.

1871 – In 1871, a German butcher named Charles Feltman was the first person in America to place a tubular piece of meat in a bun and call it a “hot dog.” Feltman’s Brooklyn hot-dog stand no longer exists, but Coney Island is still home to the mother ship of all things hot dog …

1904 – Many hot dog aficionados claim that today’s hot dog in a bun was introduced during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. The first American President to serve hot dogs at the White House was Franklin D. Roosevelt while he was entertaining …Many hot dog aficionados claim that today’s hot dog in a bun was introduced during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. The first American President to serve hot dogs at the White House was Franklin D. Roosevelt while he was entertaining King George VI of England. San Francisco/ Oakland ranks in the top ten among the nation’s the top sausage-eating American cities.

RUTT’S HUT

Home of the famous “Ripper”

Ok..now!… you know I will be talking about…what else???..hot dogs!!..my specialty!!. Now, I know of a famous place in Clifton, NJ, that made the famous hot dog called the “Ripper” and that is Rutt’s Hut.   One of the oldest establishment that has been around since 1928 that is known for its style of deep-fried hot dogs.  The process of frying causes the hot dog casings to crack and split, which has led to the nickname “Rippers”. The restaurant is also known for their mustard-based relish made with cabbage, onions and carrots.

The original roadside stand was opened in 1928 by Royal “Abe” Rutt and his wife, Anna. The family sold the restaurant to the current owner, Nicholas Karagiorgis, in late 1974. Today the building is split into three separate sections: a restaurant, a bar, and a take-out counter.

An Article in the “New York Times”, published: June 21, 1998 states:

Rutt’s Hut, the Man And His Hot Dogs

To the Editor:

As a transplanted north Jerseyan (Passaic High School, Class of ’45) I was immensely gratified to see your hot dog issue. I was especially joyful to note the review of Rutt’s Hut; it evoked happy teen-age recollections. The soul of Rutt’s was, of course, Royal (Abe) Rutt. Abe’s curmudgeonly and yet affectionate manner made Rutt’s Hut fun as well as tasty.

A minor clarification: while orange sodas were indeed called ”hodies,” the chocolate soda was called ”mavis,” not ”marvis.”

ARNIE ZUCKER

Vancouver, British Columbia

If anyone lives or comes from Clifton or Passaic, N.J. and remembers eating at Rutt’s Hut come share your love of the “Ripper”.  We would love to hear your stories.  Sodie

Welcome

If you stumbled here by accident or if you are looking for a food vendor for your next party or event whether large or small, look no further. I am an Event Coordinator and also a vendor.

I have been in business since 2003 and currently I am refocusing my efforts to concentrate on event coordinating. I have been involved with many corporate events and have enjoyed working with them directly. It is my honor and pleasure to serve as your host. We are excited about the potential for serving you, whether it is by planning and facilitating your upcoming event or assisting your staff in preparation of an upcoming event.

Sodie’s Inc. maintains a list of professionals who are talented, knowledgeable, resourceful, and experienced in providing quality event planning services.  We will be actively involved in the planning of your event to the extent that you deem necessary and appropriate, in order to maximize your investment.

Please consider Sodie’s, Inc. as coordinators of your next event.  We are here to serve you!

Senaf Pickhardt
Sodie’s Inc.

For more information on Sodie’s or if you would like to discuss an event you are planning, please contact us by filling out this form. Thank you!