Hot dogs are ubiquitous throughout the United States, but Rochester has a hot dog culture all its own.
For one thing, it’s likely the only city where you don’t order a hot dog, but rather a “red hot” or “white hot.”
And drive a few miles in the Rochester area and you’ll likely run into a restaurant with “Hots” in the name. They are not chains, and few have the same owners, but Rochesterians can make a pretty good guess of what’s on the menu: hots (red and white), burgers, plates, fries and various fried items.
Hot dogs are truly the all-American food. They were “invented” in the U.S. after German sausages were served in buns. They’re a staple of baseball games, the all-American pastime. And they are truly a democratic food: nearly anyone can afford to enjoy them.
But even more, hot dogs are American because of their adaptability, reflecting the ingenuity and diversity that gives our country such a rich culinary tapestry.
“[Hot dogs] came over with European immigrants,” said Eric Mittenthall, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, part of The Meat Institute in Arlington, Virginia. “Americans like to make things their own and as hot dogs came in from New York and spread around the country, they became their own in different communities around the country and truly an all-American food.”
Regional hot dogs and hot dog toppings, from chili in Cincinnati to celery salt in Chicago to jalapeños in the Southwest, tell distinct stories of place. Here in Rochester, our contribution to the United States of Hot Dogs is the white hot.
“The funny thing about white hots is that red hots are vastly more popular, even in Rochester,” said Julie Camardo, the fifth generation of the family to run Zweigle’s, which has made sausages in Rochester since 1880. “Red hots outsell white hots by a factor of seven to one.”
Most Rochesterians eat red hots most of the time, she said, opting for a white hot every now and then.
But if you’re visiting the area or new to the area, she encourages people to give a white hot a try. “You need to try a white hot dog,” she said. “It’s unique and special and yummy and delicious.”
What is a white hot?
The white hot — some locals call them “porkers” — is made from pork, beef and veal, all of which are uncured and unsmoked, giving the sausage a distinctive white color. Zweigle’s offers two versions: a skinless hot, which is straight and similar in texture to most hot dogs, and a curved “Pop-open” hot with a natural casing. The latter is best when cooked until it until it pops open and the casing browns.
A popular way to order a white hot is topped with Rochester’s unique meat-based hot sauce, along with mustard and white onions, but there aren’t hard-and-fast rules around white hots. George Haddad, who owns the Haddad’s Best hot dog cart in downtown Rochester, said many of his customers like them topped with peppers and onions. The better hot dog joints will serve hots in a heartier-than-average hot dog roll baked by a local Italian bakery such as Di Paolo Baking Company.
Another iconic way to enjoy a white hot is perched on top of a Garbage Plate, invented (and trademarked) by Nick Tahou Hots. It’s a mound of home fries, mac salad and two hots, smothered with a meat-based hot sauce, topped with raw onions and mustard and served with slices of Italian bread. Other versions are served around town with monikers like trash plate, rubbish plate and so on.
Where did the white hot come from?
Zweigle’s, which was originally named Zweigle Brothers, claims to have created white hots in 1925, although there’s more than one origin story that’s been told over the years.
In any case, white hots are based on Weisswurst, a traditional German sausage. (“Weiss,” pronounced “vice,” is German for “white.”) It’s traditionally a coarsely ground sausage that was served in the morning.
The sausage maker emulsifies the meats, giving it the softer texture of a hot dog. Its popularity grew when, in 1929, Zweigle Brothers sold its hot dogs at baseball games at the new Red Wing Stadium (renamed Silver Stadium in 1968).
While Rochester is the epicenter for white hots, you can find them in a large swath of the eastern United States. Wegmans, the Rochester-based grocery store chain, carries Zweigle’s products in 10 states, reaching as far south as North Carolina.
Further away, Rochester area expats get their fix of Zweigle’s hots by ordering them through the website nystyledeli.com. Among the Rochesterians who have availed themselves of this service is professional soccer player Abby Wambach, who had them shipped to Hawaii for a hot dog party at the end of her wedding festivities.
Best places to order a white hot in Rochester
A hot dog cart. Hot dog vendors such as Haddad’s Best grill white hots to perfection. Details: Exchange Boulevard and East Main Street, Rochester, N.Y.
ESL ballpark. The combination of Rochester Red Wings baseball and hot dogs goes back roughly 100 years. Details: One Morrie Silver Way, Rochester, N.Y.
Nick Tahou Hots. Rochester’s iconic restaurant dates back to 1918, when Alexander G. Tahou started what was then called West Main Texas Hots. Since then, the restaurant has been serving the Garbage Plate, although the dish didn’t get its memorable moniker until around the 1970s. Nick Tahou’s has had exclusive rights to the name “Garbage Plate” since 1991, thanks to a trademark filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. You’ll find similarly delicious dishes at many area eateries, but if you’re new to a “plate,” you’re well advised to start with the original. Details: 320 W. Main St., Rochester, N.Y.; (585) 436-0184, garbageplate.com.
Dogtown. This cozy counter-service restaurant offers 18 unique hot dog creations named after dog breeds, served with your choice of hot and nestled in sturdy French bread. For vegetarians, there are vegetable dogs, along with 10 toppings that don’t contain meat. Details: 691 Monroe Ave., Rochester, N.Y. (585) 271-6620, dogtownhots.com.
Schaller’s Drive-In. This unpretentious spot near Lake Ontario has a red-shingle-topped brick building topped by a neon sign that spells out “Schaller’s Dairy Town” as well as a winking mustachioed man in a chef’s hat. It has been an institution since it opened in 1956. “Texas or pork” hots are halved lengthwise and griddled on the flat top until crispy and brown on the outside. Details: 965 Edgemere Drive, Greece, N.Y. (585) 865-3319. schallers.com. It also has a location at 559 E. Ridge Road in Irondequoit.
Don’s Original. This iconic hot dog and burger joint, just north of Seabreeze Amusement Park near Lake Ontario, opened under the name Don and Bob’s in 1945. Enjoy your classic red or white hot in a booth, on a stool at the counter or at picnic tables outside. Details: 4900 Culver Road, Irondequoit, N.Y. (585) 323-1177, donsoriginal.com.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the past 11 years. Email her at tracys@gannett.com.
Jennifer Borresen contributed the interactive graphic to this story. She is a graphic journalist at USA TODAY, specializing in explanatory graphics and illustrations in various fields, including politics, science, weather and entertainment.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: In Rochester red hots rule but white hots put us on the hot dog map
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher and Jennifer Borresen, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tracy Schuhmacher and Jennifer Borresen, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
