Freshman in the Kitchen » Coney Island http://www.freshmaninthekitchen.com 2 Brothers cooking adventures. And we wrote a cookbook. And it's awesome. This tagline needs work... Tue, 31 May 2011 18:36:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Detroit – where Middle Eastern, Greek and Polish food traditions reign (almost) supreme (and the coney Dog is still King) http://www.freshmaninthekitchen.com/detroit-where-middle-eastern-greek-and-polish-food-traditions-reign-almost-supreme-and-the-coney-dog-is-still-king http://www.freshmaninthekitchen.com/detroit-where-middle-eastern-greek-and-polish-food-traditions-reign-almost-supreme-and-the-coney-dog-is-still-king#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:15:54 +0000 Eli http://www.freshmaninthekitchen.com/?p=571 What's on our Fourth of July table? You won't find our collective menu anywhere else in America. It ranges from coneys to hummus and square pizzas to pierogi. What we eat says much about who we are, so on this most American of holidays, we went looking for the foods and flavors that define metro Detroit, the ones that best tell the story of our geography, our diverse backgrounds, our history and even our future. Some of our 50 picks were invented here; others are transplants. Some occur almost nowhere else; others are universal but so key to our identity, Detroit wouldn't be the same without them. This is not a "best of" list. It is not arranged as a ranking. And it is not about the whole mitten of Michigan. It's about metro Detroit, and of course, it's entirely subjective, which means everyone will have other ideas. We invite you to share yours! Shown: a hot dog at American Coney Island, Detroit.

Today the Detroit Free Press, or as adoring Michiganders refer to it – The Freep,  published a slide show that had my heartstrings a’ strumming and my belly a’ aching.

Faygo! Sliders! Greek Salads! Ray’s Ice Cream!

Can life’s moments (pre-LA) be so intrinsically tied to the cuisine of a city? You know when John Cusack arranges his records autobiographically in High Fidelity? I can do that with coney island meals. Most of all my amazing nights, high school shenanigans,drug and booze experimentation and sexual experiences…all come with an accompanying pita, greek salad or chili cheese fries.

A secret all Michiganders share (along with being able to point out on their  hand where they were born), is the secret of the Coney Island. We will gladly talk to blank faced ‘outsiders’ about the glory that is “The Coney Island”  until we get stopped by this statement “ok, I get it, coney islands are cheap, open late with greasy food. We have those too. They are called diners.”

But no my dear friend from out of state. No, you do not quite understand the coney island for the same reason you cant point out where you are from on your own hand.

Go to any Coney Island at 6am and you will see it packed with seniors eating early bird breakfasts, business men and woman grabbing a quick coffee and bite before heading to a generic office building downtown or along 696. Check in at a Coney at noon and you will see it packed to the brim with nurses, construction workers and teens on high school lunch breaks grabbing burgers, gyros and that classic beet filled Greek Salad. And peek into a Coney Island after 1am and you’ll surely see punks, goths, skaters, kids violating their curfew, club goers drunkenly pounding chicken finger pitas and everyone cheering each time an order of Saganaki flame tickles the ceiling.

Some of the best conversations, laughing fits and wild nights I’ve ever had occurred or culminated when packed 4-6 deep into a booth wolfing chicken finger pitas (with honey mustard), slurping enormous fountain pops (YES – pop) and ordering saganaki just because fire is even more cool when you’re wasted.

So what’s your favorite Coney Island moment and your favorite Coney Island food?

Entire FREEP Slide show here: http://bit.ly/aLK0X6

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