Hot Dog Of The Week: Texas Tommy
"Philly is greatly underrepresented in the hot dog history books."
[Original art and photography: Hawk Krall]
This week we take a look at another Philadelphia hot dog—one that seems to have slipped through the cracks of hot dog history. Popular with 1950s housewives and on almost every greasy spoon menu in Philadelphia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and South Jersey, the Texas Tommy is a grilled and split hot dog loaded with bacon and lots of cheese. Other condiments are optional but not necessary.
The earliest Texas Tommys were wrapped in bacon before being cooked and grilled, or deep-fried like they used to make them at The Cup in Pottstown, Pennsylvania (now closed). This might seen familiar if you've ever seen Rick Sebak's fantastic 1999 Hot Dog Program on PBS. It's possible that the Texas Tommy even inspired the bacon-wrapped Tijuana Dogs, first spotted on the streets of Mexico in the 1950s. Or maybe great minds just think alike.
Popular with mid-century housewives, recipes for bacon-wrapped dogs (along with some really bizarre hot dog atrocities) appeared in ladies magazines, often cooked under the broiler with slices of American cheese or Velveeta. It's unclear if the popularity with home cooks led to them being on every menu in the Delaware Valley or vice versa.
Also mysterious is where the name "Texas Tommy" came from, although it's safe to assume it went along with the general branding of hot dogs as "Texan" on the East Coast.
Hot dog menu at Tony Luke's
In Philly, Texas Tommys are available at almost any neighborhood establishment with a grill. Usually split and cooked on a flat top—a common preparation in Philly and Pennsylvania, and probably my favorite way to cook a hot dog—and covered with dripping globs of delicious Cheez Whiz and strips of bacon. Well known cheesesteak and roast pork spots Tony Luke's and John's Roast Pork both have them.
At Nick's Charcoal Pit, also a great place for a char-grilled filet mignon sandwich on Italian bread with spinach and provolone, they grill their dogs over hot coals and serve them on kaiser rolls, drowned in Whiz and crumbled bacon. Delicious.
Old-school diners often have the Texas Tommy hidden on the bottom of the menu, alongside the liver special and sardine sandwiches. Little Pete's in Center City Philadelphia has a terrific Texas Tommy with American cheese, served with a pickle and a shiny silver bag of chips for $3.50. Kosher-style delis (with an emphasis on the word "style") also make them with all-beef kosher dogs, yet still covered in bacon and cheese.
Earlier this week Serious Eats put Philadelphia up against New York, and in the hot dog category Ed announced New York the clear winner. While I can't deny New York's status as the birthplace of hot dogs (and pretty much the hot dog capital of the world), Philly is greatly underrepresented in the hot dog history books.
From the Fish Cake Combo to the Texas Tommy, hot dogs topped with pepper hash, and other curious creations hidden away in ancient neighborhood luncheonettes, we've got our own thing going on, even some newfangled Philly dogs from Paesano's, a new sandwich shop in Northern Liberties.
The Tuscan Tony (not to be confused with the Texas Tommy). [Flickr: unbreaded]
They've got the Tuscan Tony, a split and grilled dog wrapped in soppressata, provolone, buried in bolognese sauce and served on seeded roll. They also have a brand-new, yet to be named Philly uber-dog loaded with scrapple and long-hot peppers.
Tony Luke's
39 E. Oregon Ave, Philadelphia PA 19148 (map)
Nick's Charcoal Pit
1242 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19148 (map)
Little Pete's
219 S. 17th Street, Philadelphia PA 19103 (map)
Paesano's
152 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19123 (map)
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6 Comments:
i love these illustrations--i don't suppose they're available as prints anywhere, eh? i have some wallspace that would be seriously enlivened by hot dog art.
meatscissors at 1:34PM on 10/30/09
Did you happen to ask where these places get their dogs from? To me the brand and how it's prepared is more important thn what's put on it. I would guess that they use local brands like Dietz & Watson, Hatfield, Berks, or Kunzler. There is a Thumann's sign at John's Roast Pork, but that may be the brand of coldcuts for the subs.
New York may or may not be the birthplace of hot dogs, but I would say New Jersey is the Hot Dog Capital of the World. Or should be. We have the widest varieties of styles of hot dogs as well as a great number of top notch brands and small places like Pork Stores and butcher shops that make hot dogs on the premises. Sabrett, widely considered a New York hot dog, originated in Jersey City, N.J. on Coles and Henderson Streets. Made there for years until the company was bought by Marathon Enterprises, also of New Jersey.
hotdoglover at 2:01PM on 10/30/09
meatscissors
http://www.hawkkrall.net/prints/
randyzip at 2:12PM on 10/30/09
There is a place in Delaware (I think it is a chain) called Johnny's Dog House and they serve all sorts of hot dogs named after regional cuisines. They have a great Texas Tommy there--the first place I ever heard of it! They also created a Delaware dog in honor of opening in the First State--it has macaroni and cheese and hot sauce and is insane....
inothernews at 6:13PM on 10/31/09
Oh the cheese plastered on the dog makes me drool and think of hot fat I could get eating them one after another.
I may just lick my computer screen after this and hope it tastes the same.
I linked this post to our site at dogsontheroad.blogspot.com
Check us out.
hot dog_guy at 9:24PM on 10/31/09
When I was in college, I waited tables at a fairly small restaurant in Jenkintown called "Peter Pan" and we had a fabulous Texas Tommy. Partially split and filled with american cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried! It was THE best and I tried to eat that or their cheeseburger every day for lunch. Luckily, in those days I could eat like that and not regret it.
I haven't seen one like that since the restaurant went out of business many, many years ago. Alas! Sister restaurant in Abington, called "Amy Joy", made fresh donuts every morning and delivered them to us. Oh, the memory of warm custard filled donuts......
duncan1205 at 3:05PM on 11/17/09