FOOD

FOODIE

Atomic Dawg 11. 1"ww"--

By Esther Allweiss Ingber
Contributing Writer

he coolest hot dog joint in
Metro Detroit is a dream come
true for Joel Bacow, owner of
Atomic Dawg Sausage Emporium
in Berkley.
Bacow of Huntington Woods
has been a successful record pro-
ducer for close to 30 years but always
hoped to start a restaurant built
around the ever-popular"tube steak"
"Ever since I was a kid, I've loved
hot dogs;' said Bacow with obvious
relish (bad pun).
His parents took him to Hot Diggi-
ty Dog on Eight Mile and Greenfield,
which he later learned belonged to
his father's cousin, Al Hacker. Is lov-
ing hot dogs genetic?
The theme for Bacow's restau-
rant dates to 1982, when George
Clinton's "Atomic Dog" became one
of Bacow's favorite songs.
"I mentioned to a person who was
involved in making the record that I
could probably make more money
opening a hot dog restaurant called
'Atomic Dawg."'
When Bacow felt financially ready
to move on his idea, he found
potential in an unlikely 1921 build-
ing. The two-story brick house on
Coolidge, north of Catalpa, was
"slated to be torn down because of
a water leak;' he said.
An attached office on the ground
floor became the Berkley Creamery in
the 1950s. Looking at a photo of the
defunct building, Bacow said,"It was
exactly what we were looking for"
He and his cousin Bobby
Schnitzer, visiting from San Diego,
rehabbed the building and brought
it back to what it was in 1956.
It's fun inside Atomic Dawg.The
polka-dotted hanging lights, chrome
stools and other items are originals
from the 1940s and '50s. Bacow
worked with Vogue Vintage in Fern-
dale to reclaim atomic-era items from
old restaurants. West Bloomfield artist
Celia Block did interior design and
finishes. The scratched wooden floors
and old brick walls show the house's
age, especially in the two colorful
rooms upstairs seating 36; and 14 din-
ers can sit in the grill area downstairs.
Gary Brunner, an old friend, turned
out to be the perfect chef-manager
so Bacow could keep running his
Ferndale-based 54 Sound recording
studio. Brunner, who once owned
Cafe 317 in Royal Oak, was immedi-
ately excited about the restaurant's
hot dog concept, telling Bacow,

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"That's something I've wanted to do
for a long time
"Gary and I are music nuts;' Bacow
said,"and the playlist of retro music
you'll hear at Atomic Dawg is our
own private jukebox"
A chef at Coach Insignia in Detroit
and the former Golden Mushroom
in Southfield, Brunner applied his
"fine dining"mind to devising Atomic
Dawg's menu. It includes regional hot
dogs Bacow and Schnitzer enjoyed on
their research road trips. Hot Doug's
in Chicago and similar places on both
coasts were visited. Detroit's favorite
at the Atomic Dawg,"The D,"features
Cousin Al's Famous Chili recipe.
Atomic Dawg imports Hoffy
("Taste the Snap") natural casing,
all-beef hot dogs from California
—"the same ones you can get at
Pink's, my favorite hot dog joint in
LA;' Bacow said. They're grilled on an
open flame. Most popular, he said, is
the "Atomic Dawg;' a "jumbo version
that's split, grilled and filled with the
customer's favorite topping"
Atomic Dawg purchases custom-
made sausages from Corridor Sau-
sage Co., a Detroit vendor specializ-
ing in charcuterie, because"we are a
gourmet hot dog a la sausage joint,"
Bacow said.
Brunner ups his artistry for these
"Special Sausages of the Week"
For the "Laikon," he tops a great-
tasting Iamb and fig sausage with
red onion, cucumber and tzatziki
sauce. It's gyros with a sausage.
"Kingston Dawg" includes pine-
apple mango salad and a flavorful,
hot-enough jalapeno sauce."Hula
Dawg" is great — teriyaki sauce,
grilled pineapple and onions, lettuce
and cherry mayo squiggled over all.
Don't miss 100 percent beef or
vegetarian mini-burgers, patties
made from scratch and super-gooey
"Gary's Grilled Cheese:' I've also
fallen for his crispy, homemade
"Chicago Slips" potato chips.
Bacow plans to offer an Atomic
Dawg food truck this summer.

Atomic Dawg
2705 Coolidge Hwy
Berkley, MI 48072
(248) 398-3294
$ 1/2 out of $$$$$

177568C

36 January 2013

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