Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Childhood Food Memories

Food tourism is one of my favorite pastimes.  And there is no better type of food tourism than that which evokes my childhood memories.

I had a chance yesterday to visit one of the places that I ate at a lot growing up.  It is the original Hot Dog on a Stick just south of the Santa Monica Pier.

There are many reasons to love this restaurant.  Can I call it a restaurant?  Sure, why not?  There's the awesome lemonade, the colorful hats that the workers wear, the cool sign on the red wood.  But one of the best reasons for you to love Hot Dog on a Stick is because the hot dogs are REALLY good.  And they don't put 'em in the oil until you order 'em.  Yeah, that means that you have to wait a few minutes for your food, but it is totally worth it!

See for yourself — I savored every bite of the two hot dogs that I ordered.  However, one of the best reasons for me to love Hot Dog on a Stick?  When I eat here, I remember my Dad.  We would often spend some time playing Skee-ball on the pier, ride on the historic merry-go-round, play on the rings at the original Muscle Beach, and of course, eat at Hot Dog on a Stick.  Thinking about it now, I wonder if he was indulging in a little nostalgic food tourism himself.  This cool shack has been in the same spot since 1946, so it was there when he visited California after WWII, and he must have eaten there a lot when he lived on the beach less than a half mile north.

So the next time you eat something, be careful, you may be making memories . . . 

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