Remember a little while back when I wrote a column about that culinary vision of delight, the hamdog? And remember how I told y’all what a hamdog was (a hot dog with a burger patty wrapped around it, deep fried, and then served in a hoagie roll along with bacon, cheese, chili, onions, and topped off with a fried egg)? And remember how I asked one of y’all to please get in contact with Chandler Goff, the man who created the hamdog? Well, guess what? One of y’all did!
That’s right, someone (who’s asked to remain anonymous) contacted Chandler, he emailed me, and this past weekend I went up to Mulligan’s, Chandler’s bar, to enjoy my first ever hamdog! And believe me, folks, it won’t be my last!
Mulligan’s is a great little neighborhood bar, it’s part of a small shopping center over in Decatur and is a very low keyed place. I arrived there around twelve thirty pm, walked in, and saw some booths, tables, and chairs. It almost reminded me of a small diner, but then I walked up on a platform and entered the main bar area. I saw a long bar with plenty of chairs and a couple of pool tables nearby. I could tell that I was gonna like the place, and then I noticed someone behind the bar, so I walked over and discovered it was Chandler. We shook hands and immediately started talking, and I discovered that Chandler is a really bright, good natured guy. He and the bar sort of run each other, if that makes any sense at all.
After a few minutes spent gabbing, Chandler went in the back and brought out my hamdog. My mouth gaped open when I saw it - it had to be almost a foot long and six or seven inches high. What really set it off was that fried egg sitting up on top of it. Chandler included a lot of fries with it, and I was glad that I had picked water to drink as it was obvious that I was going to need every bit of room my stomach possessed to conquer it. And conquer it I did - I ate every single bite and did so using just my hands, I didn’t have to resort to cutting it up with a knife or anything. It was pure heaven, the fries were great, and for desert Chandler served up a fried Twinkie - I kid y’all not, a fried Twinkie (a regular Twinkie rolled into crushed up Captain Crunch crumbs, fried, and then topped off with chocolate and cherry sauce). It was so good that it made my tongue wiggle around like a fishing lure about to be dropped into a dark part of a pond.
Know what I like best about Chandler and Mulligan’s? They don’t wimp out and give in to all these health food nuts, they go 100% flat out for taste, and their food shows it. I left feeling very satisfied, except for the fact that the fried Twinkie got me in the mood for more sugar, so on the way back I stopped off at a Dairy Queen and quaffed down a large Butterfinger Blizzard. After eating that I was totally satisfied, and when I arrived back home I felt like a king.
Let me go ahead and answer a few questions that I‘m guessing y‘all might have:
1. I didn’t get sick at all, in fact, I felt mongo satisfied after eating my hamdog, fried Twinkie, and large Butterfinger Blizzard. Slept like a Foskey infant all night long.
2. A hamdog alone is worth the trip up to Mulligan’s. What’s better is that you’ll enjoy the sandwich, Chandler, and the bar. Believe me, that hamdog wouldn’t have been near as good had not the establishment and the owner been so cool.
3. Proof that I ate the hamdog will soon be up on my website (URL is at the bottom of this column). Yes, that’s right, pictures were made of this momentous occasion. There’s one of Chandler and I and the hamdog, and then one of my plate after I‘d eaten it. I don’t want anyone challenging the validity of my accomplishment or anything.
And there you have it, the complete account of my first ever hamdog. It’s one of the greatest food items imaginable, and thank God Chandler has the, ummm, character to make them. It’s a wonderful sandwich served in a wonderful bar, and that’s me being really low keyed about it. Hamdogs are yet another tasty reason that I’m really, really proud to be a Georgian...
About the Author
Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,“ can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com.