Ready for some super local food news? Charleston’s own Super Weenie has made a national Yelp list of the top hot dog joints in the country.
A blog post on the national review website compiled a fun roundup of 25 hot dog restaurants every Chicagoan should try in their lifetime, including spots in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Hawaii and … West Virginia.
The recommendations were directed to residents of the Windy City, because it’s very well-known for unique Chicago-style dogs that are piled high with unusual toppings like sliced tomatoes, whole peppers, giant pickle spears, sweet green relish, onions, mustard and more on a fat split poppyseed bun.
“Whether you love a plain hot dog, just a squiggle of ketchup or the mountain of condiments that comes piled high on a classic Chicago-style hot dog, Chicagoans are not shy when it comes to toppings,” the Yelp article read. “In celebration of National Hot Dog Month (in July), we’ve gathered the top 25 hot dog spots in the U.S. that every Chicagoan should try in their lifetime.”
And lucky number 13 on the list is one that’s near and dear to my heart.
Boasting a 4.8 (out of 5) review score on Yelp, Super Weenie was praised for taking hot dogs to the next level with unique and elevated varieties like the Reuben with Thousand Island and kraut, the NYC with brown mustard and red onion sauce, the Jalapeno Popper with ranch and cayenne, a whole host of different coney-style dogs and the signature Super Weenie with curry mustard, chili, ranch and crispy fried onions.
Hot dogs?
More like “haute” dogs, if you ask me.
In my 2018 review of Super Weenie for the Charleston Gazette-Mail, I waxed poetic about the shop’s plethora of different types of mustards, savory sauces, relishes, spices and extra toppings ranging from bacon, crispy fried onions, horseradish and Fritos to tahini, kimchi and sambal oelek, which you can get atop beef franks, vegan dogs or sausages.
Or as reviewer “Dominique T” recently summed up on Yelp:
“Best hot dogs! We love Super Weenie. If you head in, be sure to try some of their more unique menu items! They don’t disappoint. The peanut butter hot dog is my favorite. Bacon, PB and some specialty jam they put on it. The service is always so friendly, too!”
Here, here.
Congrats to owner Jason Myers, who turned a successful hot dog cart into a permanent brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Charleston. Super work, indeed.
IF YOU GO: Super Weenie at 805 Quarrier St. in downtown Charleston is currently open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.
A Humphrey’s Pine Room recipe? I got it!
In last week’s column, reader Elaine Casto reached out looking for old recipes from Humphrey’s Pine Room, a longtime Charleston restaurant on Bigley Avenue that opened back in 1946 and remained a local favorite for decades before it closed and was eventually demolished.
I told her, and I quote: “If anyone could help, it would be Food Guy readers.”
And help, you did!
“Oh, how Ioved that place and miss it,” reader Sherry Hill told me. “Aside from being known for their homemade pies, it was their homemade rolls and baked steak and gravy that were the most loved! I only got one recipe from a family member of the owners and that was stewed tomatoes and dumplings. If you’ve never eaten that, you’ve missed something fab.”
Stewed tomatoes and dumplings? Not only have I never had it, but I’ve never even heard of such a thing.
Sherry went on to explain that the restaurant owner’s daughter was her phys-ed teacher at the old Lincoln Junior High School. When she retired there, she worked at Humphrey’s and later passed along that recipe. She offered to send it my way, so now I’m sharing it with all of you.
Some recipes online add extra flavor with a touch of herbs and spices, a bit of butter or milk, even bacon. You can Google the recipe name if you want to experiment with different add-ins, but this version is simple, short and sweet.
Stewed Tomatoes & Dumplings
2 large cans Hunt’s tomato sauce
2 large cans Hunt’s whole tomatoes
1 cup of sugar
1 box of Bisquick baking mix
salt, to taste
Put all of the tomatoes and sauce in a large pot, then add a pinch of Bisquick (to help thicken it) along with 1 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and then let it simmer.
While the tomatoes are simmering, make biscuit dough per package directions on the box of Bisquick. Form dough into small-to-medium balls and drop them into the tomato mixture. Cover and turn heat to low until the dough has cooked through into semi-firm dumplings.
Remove from heat, add salt to taste and enjoy!
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Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.