The smell of coney islands sizzling on the grill is often too much for local residents to pass up.
Some people may like them with extra onions; others prefer them with no onions at all. Just the same, you won’t have to look too far to uncover a coney place in this neck of the woods.
The Citizen uncovered no fewer than eight establishments in the Ortonville and Goodrich communities that serve the popular delicacy, which first came to the Detroit area almost 75 years ago.
According to the American Coney Island’s Web site, the history of the coney island in the Detroit area can be traced to the arrival of Gust Kevos, who came to Detroit from Greece in 1910.
When he arrived in Detroit, Kevos swept floors at the Kelsey-Hayes Co., pushed a popcorn concession stand around Belle Isle, and ran a hat-cleaning and shoeshine shop at the corner of Lafayette and Griswold before opening American Coney Island at that site in 1929.
Kevos found the coney island business to be profitable, so he brought his brother William to Detroit from Greece. Soon afterward, when a storefront next to American Coney Island became available, William purchased that property and started Lafayette Coney Island next door. Both restaurants remain in business today.
One local coney island place, Tom’s Coney Cafe, 8157 S. State Road, Goodrich, offers the type of coney island found at the popular Detroit locations, with more of a wet sauce.
However, since the restaurant is near Flint-area communities, it also offers a Flint-style coney island featuring a drier kind of sauce, such as the one offered at Angelo’s of Flint, according to Tom Gocjac, owner of the restaurant.
Gocjac said an increasing number of customers have trouble deciding which style of coney to order, so they opt for the best of both worlds ? ordering coneys with one type of sauce followed by the other.
Regardless of what type of coney customers at Tom’s prefer, they can order it throughout the month of July for 99 cents each. The type of hot dog has remained consistent from the time the restaurant opened 13 months ago ? Koegel’s.
‘In this area, that’s what most people want,? Gocjac said.
Another restaurant that uses Koegel’s for its hot dogs is Cranberries Cafe, 10250 Hegel Road, Goodrich. Owner Patty Plant said they have been using that particular brand ever since they first started offering coneys nine years ago. Plant would not divulge the secret behind their coney sauce.
However, Cranberries only offers coneys on Thursdays, at a cost of $1.25 each. Just the same, Plant said the hot dogs are a ‘very popular? item on that day.
If you’re especially hungry, Yong’s Coney Island, 2165 S. Ortonville, Ortonville has a special for you. Their billboard advertises two coneys, fries and a pop for $4.99.
Daniel Baldwin, son of Yong’s owner Yong Baldwin, said the restaurant uses hot dogs from the Dearborn Sausage Company, because they have had good experiences in the past with their other meats. Like Plant, Baldwin said the restaurant’s coney sauce recipe is top secret.
Although Frosty Boy, 955 M-15, Ortonville, is known more for their dairy and frozen treats, the coney island is a part of their menu. Owner Joanne King gets her hot dogs from Gordon Food Service, and her coney sauce from the Detroit Chili Co.
‘Someone recommended it to us and we tried it, and everyone seems to like it,? King said of their coney sauce.
Frosty Boy’s coneys, at $1.29 each, seem to be popular with surrounding businesses and patrons who frequent the dairy establishment on a regular basis, according to King.
‘People like them a lot,? she said. ‘We sell them mostly to the employees at Forster’s Car Wash across the street.?
Have a favorite coney island place in the area? Let us know at (248) 627-4332.