www.mybaycity.com
June 5, 2005
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Corabelle's Draws Raves for Revival of Bay City's Famous Red Lion Coney Dog
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Polishing off the last of a batch of Coney Island hot dogs at Corabelle's is, from left, Angela Barlow, Lindsey Barlow, Pat dixon, Ivor Alcorn and Bethany Barlow.
Co-owner Bridget Kanicki waits on a customer at Corabelle's/
Bridget Kanicki and Cory LaPan didn't know what hit them when the idea came up to revive the Red Lion-type hot dog on Center Avenue in downtown Bay City.
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"I was here when they started serving the hot dogs and the people just kept coming in and ordering more," enthused Ivor Alcorn, a computer technician, retired Navy hospital corpsman and regular patron of the store.
It helped that a Bay Arts Council concert was going on in Wenonah Park so concert-goers could grab a quick bite on the way to the event.
"I didn't know there was such a thing as a Coney dog, but they're wonderful!" exclaimed Lindsey Barlow, 11, grand-daughter of Mr. Alcorn, who is from New Hampshire where her father, Brian Barlow, is a first class petty officer on a submarine.
"Basically, they're the same as the Red Lion hot dog," recalled Angela Barlow, mother of Lindsey and Bethany Barlow, 9. She enjoyed the delectable dogs as a child in Bay City. "It brought back so many memories. We would always grab a Coney dog before going to the Friendship Shell."
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The Barlow family is preparing to move to the State of Washington where Brian's sub will be stationed. He has been in the service 11 years.
It's been less than 10 years ago that the noted, tasty Coney dogs stopped jumping off the grill in the Red Lion, 201 Center Avenue. The place has been taken over by a very prestigious gourmet restaurant, Cafe Appariel.
Just up the street, at 207 Center Avenue, ironically one-time site of the Home Dairy Cafeteria, Corabelle's has bloomed. Besides ice cream in a variety of flavors, the new shop offers delectable pies, cookies and other goodies.
And now, Red Lion Coney Island style hot dogs. The special meat sauce is the secret, and neither Cory nor Bridget will reveal the recipe. Chopped onions and thin-sliced pickles are also a re-creation of the old Bay City style dog that held forth on Center and Saginaw for so manyyears.
William H. Caris conducted the Red Lion Lunch at 201 Center Avenue as early as our records go, 1929. Chances are he started there much earlier. In those halcyon days, just as the Depression was preparing to strike, the street boomed with the Hegenauer Cigar Co. next door at 203 Center, with photographer Jaymes L. Crocker upstairs; then there was Levy & Eichhorn shoes, the Home Dairy, L.E. Oppenheim & Co. clothing, and, on the corner, the Bay City Bank.
Across the street was the Sandwich Shop, Art Gwizdala Co., Edward E. Mack books and the Mary Lee Candy Shop, Ford & Simon clothiers, Wood's Drug Store the Phoenix Restasurant and the Dilas Hat Sop and Phoenix Billiard Parlor.
In my newspaper peddling day, a generation later, Lum's Chinese Restaurant was upstairs with entrance next to the Red Lion. Lum scared the pants off me waving a cleaver until I found out he just wanted the paper delivered all the way upstairs, not at the bottom of the stairs. Yes sir! Hold the cleaver.###
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