Coney Island (restaurant)
Encyclopedia
A Coney Island is a type of restaurant popular in the northern United States
, particularly in Michigan
, as well as the name for the chili dog
after which the restaurant was named.
restaurant that originated at Todoroff's Original Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan
in 1914. Two Coney Island restaurants later opened in 1917, including American Coney Island in downtown Detroit, established by Greek immigrant Gust Keros in 1917. Keros and his brother got into an argument quite soon after and split their restaurant into two parts--the present day Lafayette and American Coney Islands, which are next door to each other. Both restaurants are still owned by the descendents of the two Keros brothers.
Two of the most popular items on the coney island menu are the Gyro and The Coney. Gyros or gyro (icon not ˈ ; Greek: γύρος "turn") is a Greek fast food. Sometimes the name is applied to the form of the sandwich (pita wrapped around filling) rather than to the filling itself, and sometimes the name "souvlaki" is applied to the sandwich.
The second main dish is a Coney Island hot dog
, a hot dog
with chili
, diced yellow onion
, and yellow mustard
.
Coney Islands have developed a distinctive dining style that has been repeated in hundreds of different restaurants throughout the metropolitan Detroit area. Coney Islands often serve breakfast all day.
the name or business plan, other restaurants began using the same name and formula. Most Coneys in the Detroit area are still owned by Macedonian, Greek
or Albanian immigrants (or their descendants) and other menu items include gyros and Greek salad
s, as well as corned beef
and Reuben sandwich
es. Other fare is usually typical of a "greasy spoon
." Depending on the restaurant, other Greek and Mediterranean dishes such as Shish Kebab, Souvlaki
, Spanakopita
, and Saganaki
can be found at a Coney Island. These restaurants also carry other regional items such as the Boston Cooler, which is a float made with vanilla ice cream and Vernors ginger ale.
The many Greek diners in Buffalo, New York
are similar in format to Detroit-style Coney Islands, even serving their own style of dogs, called a Texas Hot. Unlike the Coney Island restaurants in Detroit, though, the Texas Hot is not the dominant menu item in a Buffalo Greek diner.
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
, particularly in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, as well as the name for the chili dog
Chili dog
A chili dog is a hot dog that is served topped with chili con carne . Often, other toppings are also added, such as cheese, onions, and mustard. One popular variety of chili dog is the Coney dog, which despite its name originally came from Michigan and not Brooklyn...
after which the restaurant was named.
Genealogy of the name
Coney Islands are a unique type of Greek AmericanGreek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
restaurant that originated at Todoroff's Original Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
in 1914. Two Coney Island restaurants later opened in 1917, including American Coney Island in downtown Detroit, established by Greek immigrant Gust Keros in 1917. Keros and his brother got into an argument quite soon after and split their restaurant into two parts--the present day Lafayette and American Coney Islands, which are next door to each other. Both restaurants are still owned by the descendents of the two Keros brothers.
Typical menu
The second main dish is a Coney Island hot dog
Coney Island hot dog
Coney Island hot dog refers to a natural casing beef hot dog, topped with an all-meat beanless chili, and diced or chopped white onions with one or two strips of yellow mustard. The variety is a fixture in Jackson, Flint, Detroit, and southeastern Michigan...
, a hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
with chili
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
, diced yellow onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, and yellow mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
.
Coney Islands have developed a distinctive dining style that has been repeated in hundreds of different restaurants throughout the metropolitan Detroit area. Coney Islands often serve breakfast all day.
Growth of the Coney Island restaurant
Since the owner of the first restaurant did not trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
the name or business plan, other restaurants began using the same name and formula. Most Coneys in the Detroit area are still owned by Macedonian, Greek
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
or Albanian immigrants (or their descendants) and other menu items include gyros and Greek salad
Greek salad
Greek salad is a summer salad in Greek cuisine.Greek salad is made with pieces of tomatoes, sliced cucumber, green bell peppers, red onion, sliced or cubed feta cheese, and Kalamata olives, typically seasoned with salt and dried oregano, and dressed with olive oil...
s, as well as corned beef
Corned beef
Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures. The English term is used interchangeably in modernity to refer to three distinct types of cured beef:...
and Reuben sandwich
Reuben sandwich
The Reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of layered meat, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with a dressing. These are grilled between slices of rye bread. The meat is either corned beef or pastrami, and the dressing is either Russian or Thousand Island dressing...
es. Other fare is usually typical of a "greasy spoon
Greasy spoon
Greasy spoon is a colloquial or slang term originating in the United States to mean a small, especially cheap, archetypal working class restaurant or diner. The term is now used in many English speaking countries to mean the same thing...
." Depending on the restaurant, other Greek and Mediterranean dishes such as Shish Kebab, Souvlaki
Souvlaki
Souvlaki or souvlakia is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes...
, Spanakopita
Spanakopita
Spanakopita or spinach pie is a Greek savory pastry in the burek family with a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese , onions or scallions, egg, and seasoning...
, and Saganaki
Saganaki
Saganaki refers to various dishes prepared in Greek cuisine and is named after the single-serving frying pan in which it is cooked....
can be found at a Coney Island. These restaurants also carry other regional items such as the Boston Cooler, which is a float made with vanilla ice cream and Vernors ginger ale.
The many Greek diners in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
are similar in format to Detroit-style Coney Islands, even serving their own style of dogs, called a Texas Hot. Unlike the Coney Island restaurants in Detroit, though, the Texas Hot is not the dominant menu item in a Buffalo Greek diner.