I am thoroughly convinced that places like Coney Island Lunch exist in every town, except the ones I have lived in. It is some sort of bizarre Murphy’s Law hybrid that (mercifully) keeps me from eating like this every day of my life (which would no doubt be shortened by easier access to food like this).  Stereotypically retro, with bustling counter service, a handful of booths, limited menu options and friendly staff, luncheonettes like Coney were a dime a dozen just a few decades ago but are sadly a dying breed in the continued “chaining” of our country.

One of my favorite artists and food bloggers, Hawk Krall, just posted a story about another Coney Island in PA, and a quick Google search reveals a “Coney Island Lunch” spot in just about every nook and cranny of the Keystone State, including the bustling hubs of Erie, Shamokin and Johnstown (where I have personally enjoyed their legendary “Sundowner” – a cheeseburger with chopped onions, “Coney Island” chili sauce, mustard and a fried egg). The Scranton version has been around since 1923 when Steve Karampalis, newly arrived from Greece, started serving hot dogs and burgers to the factory workers and railroad men in this bustling industrial hub.

Truth be told (and man it seems to get murky), this Coney Island Lunch isn’t the same one that Scrantonites would have visited back in the 20’s. The joint we popped into on a recent sunny Sunday opened in 1988. This location, across from the “Mall At Steamtown,” claims direct lineage to the original owner (their grandfather was Steve Karampalis) and the original location a few blocks away – where, coincidentally, you will find a similar restaurant named Coney Island Texas Lunch, which recently reopened after a devastating fire (arson suspected). There seems to be a bit of a turf war in the Electric City over the true “original” and at the risk of adding fuel to that fire, I’m gonna have to side with the folks at the new location (Lackawana Ave) as I’d consider the direct family link the lynchpin in making a decision on who can rightfully claim to be the original.

The first thing that arrived at our table was this heaping serving of gravy fries. They could not have been cooked any better, perfectly crisp on the outside and airy inside, these slightly smaller than steak-fry sized spuds were made all the more incredible by the addition of brown (beef) gravy. Toss on some cheese curds and we’d have poutine, but this is Scranton so none of that French stuff here. To me, gravy fries are the classic diner food staple. I can remember many a post little league game meal with my dad at the now dismantled Vale-Rio Diner in Phoenixville, PA where ordering a bowl of gravy fries was de riguer (there’s that French stuff again, note to self: limit the amount of Fancy Nancy books I read to our 3 year old daughter). Back to the program, the gravy fries were a great start and were quickly joined at the table by the above pictured Texas hot dog and Texas hamburger (left to right in your picture, though you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference before biting in).

When the place is called Coney Island Lunch you can expect an emphasis on “Coney Island Chili,” a traditional no-bean chili (not spicy hot either) made with ground beef, onions, tomato paste and the most popular items from your spice rack. A cauldron endlessly simmers in the storefront kitchen waiting to be heaped on top of a hot dog (Berks brand beef dogs sliced in half if you are keeping score at home) or burger (pretty good beefy patty, though to be honest it really is just a delivery vehicle for the toppings) along with a mound of diced onions and a slathering of Dusseldorf mustard (applied almost artistically, paint brush style during the lightning fast construction phase). Both dogs and burgers are served on the same fresh, pillowy rolls, made by Scranton’s own National Bakery.  Slightly hard on the outside, these buns are sturdy enough to help avoid a complete toppings blowout disaster and ensure that you get every bite of the delicious chili.

As good as our sandwiches were, consensus at the table was that dessert stole the show. A last second gut decision (we were already late to meet some friends, what harm would a few more minutes do) to ask whether the pie was made in-house (they are not, but keep reading for details on where their pies are made) started a discussion which introduced us to the first place on our must visit list the next time we are in NEPA, the Minooka Pastry Shop. We ordered a slice of Pecan Pie and were completely blown away (though we could have probably thrown a dart at the pie list and found another flavor that was just as good). Served ice cold with a healthy dollop of whipped cream, this slice never stood a chance as we tore into it repeatedly exclaiming “can you believe how good this is?” The molasses (and butter and sugar) had melted through the crust before being chilled back to solid creating an almost candy bar like texture to the bottom of the pie. Overarchingly sweet without tasting even mildly syrupy, this was hands down the best pecan pie any of us had eaten and was the perfect end to a great experience at Coney Island Lunch.

A couple of additional random thoughts…”Texas” hot dogs and hamburgers are so named because of the preparation style (grilled then topped with chili, onions and mustard), not because of where they are from…the restaurant is a baseball junkies dream with every available bit of wall space crammed with memorabilia from the local AAA team (formerly the more interestingly named Red Barons, now simply called the Yankees) and various major league teams (oddly no distinct allegiance to any one team as much as a clear love for the game and its icons over the past few decades)…they serve Mr. Pibb (Pibb Xtra), earlier noted in my review of Elevation Burger as a childhood favorite that is all-too-rarely found in restaurants these days…the Steamtown National Historic Site is a stone’s throw from here and is a great take…they have a facebook fan page…I don’t think they’ve been mentioned on “The Office” yet, but no trip to Scranton is complete without some Dunder-Mifflin related sightseeing…there is a Gene Schall model baseball bat in the front window (yes, I am a complete Phillies geek)…they make a really good tuna salad sandwich, too (seriously).

Maybe next time through town we’ll test out the other Coney-spot at the original location (and then come back over here for more pie).

1725 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-4777

Had a meeting with one of our customers the other day that went particularly well and during the walk back to the car we passed goodburger (is it always lower-case?) and their strategically placed placard touting their contribution to the recession busting craze – the $4.99 burger and soda special.  Agreement on going in was almost non-verbal (scary) and as usual, goodburger delivered.

The special is for the small version of their regular 7 oz burger, but at 5.5 oz it is considerably larger than many competitors and comparable to the offerings at Five Guys in the same neighborhood (price-wise).  The burger-to-bun ratio was way off though and really the only downer.  The stock art they chose for the ad shows your typical white squishy bun that might have been sized better, but the kaiser roll that this came on was too wide leaving a few too many hollow bites.  Minor hiccups though.

The toppings were stellar.  Surprising to see such a deep red tomato this early in the year (most likely not a NJ grown fruit, but that’s ok) with such great flavor.  Great crispy raw onions and a nice flap of iceberg lettuce rounded out the healthy bits.

I ordered mine medium and it was done to a “t.”  My co-worker ordered one medium-rare and after a minimal attempt to talk her out of it (might be standard operating procedure) they delivered her burger exactly as requested.

All told complete happiness.  $4.99 is more than fair for the quality (including soda w/refills – basically the soda is free if you use their normal menu as a guide since they do offer a 5.5 oz burger at that price point – so more packaging then huge savings, but heck I’m a sucker for a good marketing ploy).  It was listed as a limited time special, but they actually had some printed materials which leads me to believe this one may last a while.  Here’s to hoping we have more clients downtown eager to discuss the wonders of cash management and remote deposit capture technologies.

ps:  This special was offered at the goodburger in Philadelphia.  Not certain if they are offering a similar special in NYC.

pss:  Just saw that the next “meating” of the Phila. Burger Club (organized by Fries With That Shake) is taking place at goodburger this Saturday 5/16.  Click through to their site for more details.

(UPDATE: Commercial via YOUTUBE)

Interesting missive from MediaWeek today about an ad buy for this Sunday’s Academy Awards. The Midwest (and slightly beyond) chain Culver’s has bought national TV time during the February 22nd ABC broadcast.

So here’s the big question – is the nation ready for ButterBurgers (or at least ButterBurger envy since most of us don’t live anywhere near a Culver’s – East Coast Cardiologists rejoice!)?

What is a ButterBurger?

Urban Dictionary Definition: the best food in the world. … a hamburger smothered in butter… then covered with a thick slice of cheese.

Our signature ButterBurger^® is made from fresh, never frozen, 100% U.S. raised beef and seared on a hot grill to seal in that juicy flavor.

ButterBurger stats (amazingly below 500 calories and “healthier” than a McD’s Quarter Pounder w/Cheese)

Oh my.

In a hopeful sign for the economy:

Chris Contino, vp, marketing for the chain, said in a statement: “Culver’s roots are in the Midwest, but we’re spreading across the country. We’re proof that good companies grow even in challenging times.”

And I hope they do grow.  George Motz featured the infamous ButterBurger at Solly’s in his film Hamburger America and I’ve been too scared to even try and recreate this at home.  Here’s a recipe courtesy of roadfood.com.  Proceed with caution.

I’ll be tuning in to see the spot on Sunday night.

Culver’s “I Am A Pickle” TV spot (Note: this is not the spot that will run during the Oscars)

Culver’s vs. In-N-Out Burger?

via the Marketing Daily blog (click)

From the article “Carl’s Jr. Tackles Texas” comes the distressing news that planned expansion for the west coast burger chain includes 121 more locations in Texas plus plans to open

…Carl Jr.’s first units in China, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

In what seems like a past life (but which was only a past career) I spent the bulk of my time on the west coast, and my personal burger take is that the east coast’s best burgers are of the greasy spoon and diner variety while the west coast excels at fast-food type burgers.  Need convincing?  That’s an easy one: In-N-Out Burger.  And while I am in the majority that fawns over INO, I have to admit I always loved eating at Carl’s Jr. and to this day admire how they run and market their business (in an evil-genius sort of way).  They are 100% unashamed of how nutritionally poor their burgers are and have in fact opted to exploit the “negatives.”   In doing so they have culled a tremendous following.

Great article on Carl’s Jr. from Conde Naste’s Portfolio magazine 2/08

So I’m loading up on travel info about Kazahkstan (I promise this is the only time I will ever link to the CIA on my blog – click) in hopes of enjoying a Six Dollar Burger (or would that be a 768 Tenge Burger?) on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

And for those that might say I can just go to a Hardees (both owned by CKE Restaurants, Inc.) I would argue – it just isn’t the same.  Maybe it’s just California Dreamin’, but fast food burgers just taste better on the left coast.

Advertising Age (via stockhouse.com) brings news of the $1.09 double cheeseburger at 50 McDonalds stores in Georgia and Mississippi…and apparently all is not well in franchise land. For a marketing geek, the clinical nature in which the McDonald’s folks “speak” in this article is eye-opening. Burgers are really just widgets (albeit better tasting)…

‘The value menu as an everyday-value proposition is probably not a bad thing,’ said Ed Bailey, a franchisee with 63 restaurants in the Dallas area. ‘But when you begin to advertise it and make it your marketing campaign, encouraging franchisees to do it because transactions are slipping and comp sales are slipping,’ there are problems, he said.

And the saga continues. Look out Dollar Stores, you’re next!

Via the Chicago Tribune comes the mildly exciting news that McDonalds’ Dollar Menu will not be a casualty of the recent spike in food (and commodity) prices.

From this article comes a pretty stunning fact, 14% of total sales at the fast food giant come for the Double Cheeseburger – an item on the Dollar Menu.

Some semi-depressing news on the Trans Fat front though…you tell me what warm and fuzzy feeling you get from McCEO James Skinner when you read this quote about removing TF from their menu’

“The commitment we made on trans fat was really around the french fry, and we have lived up to our commitment and achieved it in the U.S.,” Skinner said. “In fact, we have been done for a couple of months.”

So suffice to say, McD’s isn’t too concerned about TF in non-french fry items (like the above mentioned Double Cheeseburger which has 1.5g and the 32 oz. chocolate shake which has 2g).

As the economy continues to sputter, making the right choice and removing Trans Fats no doubt gets tougher and tougher for McD’s as they try and commit to the “value” inherent in the dollar menu and fast food dining in general.