Chicago Is Hot Dog City

No city loves its hot dogs as much as Chicago, “hog butcher for the world” as Carl Sandburg wrote in his poem “Chicago.” Though the go-to frank there is the Vienna Beef wiener.
On a recent trip back to Chicago, I visited two famous hot dog joints in the northern neighborhoods of Chicago: Superdawg Chicago in Norwood Park East and Wolfy’s in West Ridge.
In August, I stopped by another famous Chicagoland hot dog restaurant, Gene & June’s in River Grove, Ill.
The experience for each was unique but all of them offered delicious meals with their own twist on the Chicago-style hot dog.
The traditional Chicago-style hot dog features an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.
One of the quintessential downtown Chicago hot dog joints is The Weiners Circle in Lincoln Park. It’s known more for its sass and satirical promotions than its food. The late night crowd can get pretty rowdy, according to locals.
Chicago is known for other meaty fast-food delicacies as well including the Italian beef sandwich, Maxwell Street Polish sausage and the gyro sandwich.

Lunch today at the famous Gene & Jude’s hot dog stand in River Grove, Illinois. Delicious Vienna Beef franks and fresh-made fries. I got the double dog with fries and a Coke. pic.twitter.com/TRKUStn4l2

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) August 22, 2025

Yummy lunch today at @Superdawg in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Wz5xl9KhaT

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 3, 2025

Made a stop at popular Chicago-style hotdog restaurant Wolfy’s on the North Side. I wolfed down two Vienna Beef franks with all the fixings plus fries. pic.twitter.com/2sZwkwbQP4

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 5, 2025

Related article:

Ode to Chicago-style hot dogs (Aug. 31, 2025)

Ode to Chicago-style hot dogs

Thanks to the expansion of the Portillo’s restaurant chain outside of Chicago, people across the country can now enjoy Chicago-style hot dogs without having to venture to the Windy City. I love those “dragged through the garden” franks.
When I was living in Wilmette, Ill., my go-to hot dog joint was Irving’s For Red Hot Lovers. It’s got the traditional Chicago-style beef hot dog topped with yellow mustard, bright green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt on a steamed poppy seed bun.
On my regular visits to Chicagoland, I like to stop for a dog and fries at Superdawg in Wheeling, Ill.
On my most recent visit this month, I decided to go to one of the most storied hot dog stands in all of Chicago – Gene & June’s in River Grove, Ill. I was not disappointed.
I ordered the double-dog with fries. Gene & June’s tops its franks with mustard, relish, onion and sport peppers. It’s a good hot dog, but the fresh cut and made French fries are the true standout here.

Halls of fame for hot dog eating, salami and character actors

Here are a few more unusual halls of fame that exist only online.

Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame

Nathan’s Famous has an online hall of fame for winners of its annual hot dog eating contest held on July 4 in Coney Island, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame has only seven inductees because of repeat champions. Joey Chestnut has won the male competition 16 times. Miki Sudo has won the female competition 11 times.

Salami Hall of Fame

Oceanside, Calif.-based Olli Salumeria, a maker of authentic Italian-style salami, announced the Salami Hall of Fame in September 2023.
The salami maker described the hall of fame as “a digital celebration of iconic restaurants, delicatessens and specialty grocers around the country that are elevating the status of salami through creative menu items and retail offerings.”

Character Actor Hall of Fame

The Carney Awards honor those actors who disappear into their characters. Carney Award recipients are entered into the Character Actor Hall of Fame.
The most recent inductees included Jessica Walter, Joe Pantoliano, James Cromwell, Joe Morton and Bruce Greenwood.

Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame

The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame is a website that celebrates our favorite athletes from the world of movies and television, but only those who do not exist in the “real world.”
Inductees include Rocky Balboa, Crash Davis and Happy Gilmore. (See also Wikipedia article.)
Podcaster Kirk Buchner created the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame in 2013.

Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a sister site to the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame, also created by Kirk Buchner.
Inductees include Spinal Tap, the Blues Brothers and the Monkees.

Photo: Nathan’s Famous hot dog display (Nathan’s Famous)

Who is behind the ‘Macaroni & Beef in Sauce Standard’?

I recently purchased a Stouffer’s Macaroni & Beef frozen meal. The box cover advertises “30% More Meat” with an asterisk. The asterisk leads to small print that says “Required by the Macaroni & Beef in Sauce Standard.” The what?
A standard that requires more protein in a dish sounds like a good thing. But what entity is behind this “standard.” Well, the box doesn’t say.
So, first, I searched the internet, of course. The only thing I could find that was even close to relevant was a March 14, 2023, commercial item description (CID) of “macaroni and beef in tomato sauce” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The fact that we have CIDs for food items seems like an overreach by the administrative state. Requiring a detailed list of ingredients on the packaging is one thing. Banning certain unhealthy chemicals and ingredients in food also is good. And having general requirements about freshness of food items and things like that also are fine. But having to describe noodle types and other aspects of macaroni and beef in tomato sauce doesn’t sound necessary.
However, one thing that the CID for “macaroni and beef in tomato sauce” doesn’t have is a “sauce standard.”
All the document says is: “The sauce shall contain tomato puree or tomato paste. The sauce may contain diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, sweeteners, thickeners, salt, and spices, including garlic and other spices common to tomato-based sauce.”
It doesn’t say how much meat it needs.
So, next I contacted Stouffer’s, a unit of conglomerate Nestle. They never responded. So, the mystery continues.

2019 will be big year for plant-based meat, beer-brewing machines and ‘Harry Potter’ mobile game

The new year has begun and most industry pundits are out with their year-ahead predictions for 2019.
What follows is a summary of some interesting trends and forecasts I have seen. They cover food, consumer electronics, video games and other fields.

Plant-based meat catches on

Grocery-store chains Kroger and Whole Foods Market listed plant-based foods among their top food trend predictions for 2019.
“Consumers are finding it is easier than ever before to incorporate more plant-based fare into their daily diets,” Kroger said. “By electing to go meat or dairy free, whether for a meal, a Meatless Monday, Flexitarian Friday, or every day of the week, there will be more plant-based options available to power through the day. Last year, 31% of consumers participated in meat-free days once per week.”
Kroger’s store brand Simple Truth sells meatless patties, tofu, coconut milk, lentils, hummus and other items.
Whole Foods predicted that faux meat and plant-based foods, such as mushroom jerky, meatless patties and cauliflower-based foods, will continue to grow in popularity.
Forbes magazine highlighted the growing number of faux meat snacks.
“Eating more plants doesn’t mean you have to forgo beloved meaty flavors and textures,” the magazine said. “Mushrooms like king trumpet will play a key role here, flexing their flavor and texture powers in tasty jerky, ‘pork’ rinds and ‘bacon’ snacks (used in both PigOut Pigless Bacon Chips and Snacklins Cracklins Without the Pork) to offer up a satisfying crunch. Beyond these reinvented veggies and plant-based products, vegetarians can indulge in Quevos Egg White Chips for even more snacking.”
Impossible Foods will introduce its Impossible Burger 2.0 next week at CES 2019 in Las Vegas.

Home beer-brewing machines take off

Forbes also predicted the rise of home beer-brewing systems.
LG Electronics will debut a capsule-based craft beer-making machine, LG HomeBrew, at CES 2019 next week.
Industry leader PicoBrew sells six do-it-yourself brewing and distilling machines. PicoBrew also will be at this year’s CES consumer electronics show.
Anheuser-Busch InBev and Keurig Green Mountain formed a joint venture in January 2017 to develop an in-home alcohol drink system.

IPOs could include Beyond Meat, MZ and Peloton

This year is expected to be a big one for initial public offerings on the stock market.
Notable tech companies expected to field IPOs in 2019 include ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft, picture-sharing social network Pinterest, workplace-messaging platform Slack, big-data analytics firm Palantir Technologies and food-delivery service Postmates.
Consumer-focused IPOs could include Beyond Meat, which sells plant-based meat products, and Peloton Interactive, maker of stationary exercise bikes with spin class subscriptions.
MZ, the mobile video game developer behind “Game of War: Fire Age” and “Mobile Strike” also is considering going public this year, Renaissance Capital said.

Harry Potter mobile game will be the next ‘Pokemon Go’

Niantic’s new mobile video game “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” will draw comparisons to the company’s “Pokemon Go,” App Annie predicted. “Pokemon Go” popularized location-based augmented-reality gameplay in 2016.
App Annie expects the Harry Potter game to be a chart-topper in terms of downloads, usage and consumer spending when it comes out sometime this year.
“Pokemon Go shattered mobile gaming records, clearing $100 million in its first two weeks and becoming the fastest game to reach $1 billion in consumer spend,” said Lexi Sydow, senior market insights analyst at App Annie. “While we don’t expect it to surpass Pokemon Go’s launch, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is set to clear $100 million in its first 30 days — which is no small feat.”

Governments will crack down on video game loot boxes

Juniper Research predicts that loot boxes in video games will be banned across Europe and North America in 2019. Regulators will treat in-game purchases of mystery items as a form of gambling.
Countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands will lead the move to ban loot boxes, which mostly target minors. Game publishers will remove the feature through game updates this year, Juniper said.

Amazon will introduce a pet tracker

CCS Insight predicts that e-commerce giant Amazon.com will launch a pet tracker in 2019. The small tracking device, which can be attached to a dog or cat collar, will sell for little more than cost, the research firm said.
CCS predicts that by 2020, more pet trackers will be activated on mobile networks than Apple smartwatches. Wireless carriers will push the devices as part of their Internet of Things strategy.

Connected home devices see fast growth

As the smartphone market stagnates, the connected home market will drive consumer electronics sales in 2019, Dealerscope predicted.
“The Connected Home segment is experiencing impressive growth both from the sheer mass of product available, to the innovation in the space,” said Rob Stott, editorial director for CT Lab at NAPCO Media. “It’s getting easier and cheaper to make one’s home connected. And as such, retailers will find greater benefits from this space than any other available to them.”

Robots will take 10% of U.S. jobs in 2019

Research firm Forrester predicts that 10% of U.S. jobs will be lost to automation in 2019. At the same time, these technologies will be responsible for creating the equivalent of 3% of today’s jobs, VentureBeat reported.
Robotic process automation and artificial intelligence will create digital workers for more than 40% of companies next year, Forrester said. Software will automate tasks traditionally performed by humans.

App-enabled rental scooters will fizzle out

Washington Post technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler predicted that app-enabled electric scooters (such as those from Bird and Lime) will “fizzle out” in the year ahead.
“Riding an electric scooter around town is fun — at first,” he said. “But as cities across the United States have learned this year, they’re also vandalism targets, a sidewalk nuisance and an injury risk.”

Trump Hair Cotton Candy and other unusual items at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

The annual Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago this week had its share of unusual products. Here are a few of them.

Chocolate Storybrook of West Des Moines, Iowa, has made Trump Hair Cotton Candy. The butterscotch-flavored candy was inspired by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

Treat Street has made Lolli-Poops Lollipops, which are fruity lollipops shaped like the poop emoji character. Treat Street is a brand owned by My Favorite Company of Los Angeles.

Jelly Belly Candy Company of Fairfield, Calif., showed off the latest weird flavors in its Bean Boozled line of jelly beans. The candy challenges users to eat such jelly bean flavors as stinky socks, lawn clippings, canned dog food, booger and barf.

Bebeto of Turkey has made Crayola Gummies, which hopefully won’t encourage kids to eat crayons. What’s next? Tide Pod gummies?

HotLix of Grover Beach, Calif., showed off its latest line of edible insects, including crickets and earthworms. The company’s crispy crickets come flavored with bacon and cheese, salt and vinegar, and sour cream and onion.

Thanks, but I’ll stick with chocolate.

Hershey, Hostess Brands make a splash at Sweets & Snacks Expo

Keeping up with changing consumer tastes can be a daunting challenge for food companies. That was evident this week at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago.
Candy giant Hershey and sweet baked goods maker Hostess Brands were among the many companies at the show discussing how they are evolving their product lineups for today’s picky consumers.

Hershey a snacking powerhouse

Hershey is diversifying its product lineup and becoming more focused on snacks as opposed to just sweets.
“Hershey’s vision is to be an innovative snacking powerhouse,” Laura Renaud, Hershey corporate spokesperson said.
Hershey CEO Michele Buck oversaw the acquisitions of jerky maker Krave Pure Foods in 2015 and Amplify Snack Brands, maker of SkinnyPop popcorn, in January.
Hershey also has blurred the lines between candy and snacks with such products as Hershey’s and Reese’s Popped Snack Mix and Dipped Pretzels.
Its products are being found increasingly in the same grocery store aisle as nuts, chips and other snacks instead of just the candy aisle, Renaud said.
Hershey also is focused on filling consumer needs for energy boosts throughout the day with protein snacks, she said.
It is repositioning its Payday candy bar as a snacking product because it is salty and sweet and packed with peanuts for protein.
“They’re really great for energy, that afternoon pick-me-up,” Renaud said. “People traditionally don’t think of a candy bar that way.”
At this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, Hershey’s touted products launched earlier in the year. They include Hershey’s Gold and Reese’s Outrageous.
Launched with the Winter Olympics, Hershey’s Gold is a proprietary blend of caramelized creme with peanuts and pretzels.
Reese’s Outrageous features caramel and crunchy Reese’s Pieces candy surrounded by creamy peanut butter and covered in smooth milk chocolate.

Hostess success story

Hostess Brands is writing its turnaround story thanks to product innovation in the sweet bakery goods market.
After the original Hostess was liquidated in bankruptcy proceedings in 2013, a private equity firm purchased the company’s snack cake business. It restarted the business with a clean slate five years ago. It went from no sales to $1.2 billion in sales since then.
“It really is a great comeback story,” said Andy Jacobs, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Hostess Brands.
Hostess simplified the company’s manufacturing and distribution structure and began developing new products, he said.
“The category was sleepy,” he said. “We’re going to drive innovation. We are going to shake up the category.”
Take the company’s well-known Twinkie snack cake, which is traditionally a golden sponge cake filled with white creme. Last year, for the first time, the company offered a chocolate sponge cake Twinkie, based on feedback from consumers.
At the Sweets & Snacks Expo, it showed off a chocolate cake Twinkie with peanut butter creme filling.
“If you walk around the show, particularly over to the confection guys, the No. 1 flavor in snacking is chocolate and peanut butter,” he said.
Hostess also makes seasonal Twinkies such as a red peppermint Twinkie for Christmas and this summer a cotton candy-flavored Twinkie.
“The success of the Hostess comeback is rooted in a foundation of extended shelf life,” Jacobs said. “We have this extended shelf life technology that’s a natural enzyme that helps extend the shelf life to 65 days. Because of that we have the opportunity to sell sweet baked goods on Amazon.”
Other iconic Hostess brands include Ho Hos, Ding Dongs and Zingers.
In February, Hostess purchased certain breakfast snack assets from Aryzta, including the Big Texas and Cloverhill brands and a Chicago area bakery facility. The deal will add honeybuns, Danish pastries and cinnamon rolls to its product lineup.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2018: hot and spicy, sweet and sour, and everything in between

The annual Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago provided a comprehensive look at the state of snacking and treating today.
The three-day show wrapped up Thursday at the McCormick Place convention center. Candy and snack makers from 90 countries converged at the expo to entice retailers with their latest tasty creations. The expo drew about 900 exhibitors and some 18,000 attendees.
Flavor and ingredient trends at the show included new uses for coconut and caramel, alternative types chips (beans, quinoa, seaweed, cauliflower, etc.), and the extremes of spicy hot and super sour.
The percentage breakdown of products at the show is about 60-40, with sweets still dominating.
Ruby chocolate had its U.S. coming-out party at the show. Cocoa and chocolate producer Barry Callebaut introduced the new chocolate last September. Made from the ruby cocoa bean, the pink chocolate is the fourth type of chocolate after milk, dark and white.
The product named “best in show” by a panel of experts was Hostess Bakery Petites, “poppable” cake and brownie treats, from Hostess Brands. Poppable is an industry term for a small bite-sized snack that can be popped into your mouth.
You pick up a lot of trade lingo at a conference like Sweets & Snacks. Not many places do you hear conversations about “flavor technology” and “taste science.”
Other award-winning products at the show included:

• Hershey’s Gold candy bar with caramelized creme, peanuts and pretzels
• Justin’s Mini White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
• Warheads Dippin’ Ring, a candy ring with sour candy dipping powder, from Impact Confections
• Crispy Trail Mix Crackers, made with mung beans, cashew nuts, raisins, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, from In Season Snacks
• Tangerine Vanilla Cashew-Macadamia Glazed Mix from Sahale Snacks, a unit of J.M. Smucker
• Tic Tac Cool Tropical sugar-free gum from Italian confectioner Ferrero
• Big Chewy Nerds crunchy and chewy candy from Nestle
• ParmCrisps Trios with three types of crisps: cheese, almonds and pumpkin seeds, and apricots and cranberries from That’s How We Roll

Larry Levin, executive vice president, consumer and shopper marketing, for marketing consulting firm IRI identified four products at the show as “rising stars”: Hershey’s Gold, M&M Caramel, Lay’s Poppables, and Kinder Joy.
Popular in Europe, Kinder Joy has only been available in the U.S. since January. It comes in a plastic egg-shaped package that splits in two, with one half containing layers of cocoa and milk cream and the other half containing a toy. Kinder Joy is made by Ferrero.
Just Born Quality Confections of Bethlehem, Pa., was at the Sweets & Snacks Expo showing off its latest candies. They included Mike and Ike Mega Mix Sour and Hot Tamales Fire & Ice.
Mike and Ike Mega Mix Sour features 10 flavors of sour fruit candies. Hot Tamales Fire & Ice pairs the No. 1 cinnamon candy with a cool mint flavored candy.
“It’s about the trend of extremes,” said Koren Ivie, brand manager for Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales brand candies for Just Born.
Both are expected to be popular with young people who like extreme candies, especially ones that are highly sharable, she said.
Quite a few companies at the show played into the healthy food trend.
Lotus Natural Foods of Charlotte, N.C., was promoting its Bear Nibbles fruit rollups at the expo. Its products feature healthy extras added to the fruit.
For instance, the Bear Nibbles apple fruit rollup contains seaweed and the raspberry rollup also has apple, pear and carrot.
Alexandra Braverman, key account manager for Bear Nibbles, said the products have resonated with parents who want healthy snacks that taste great to feed their kids.
“Kids don’t even know they’re eating healthy,” she said.
Product innovation was a key theme of this year’s Sweets and Snacks Expo as food manufacturers try to compete with more commodity-like store-brand products.
Hello Delicious Brands of Northbrook, Ill., presented its latest snacks, including oven-baked pizza chips, fruit-filled snacks and popcorn crackers.
“We’re a snack innovation company,” Melissa Everitt, director of sales for Hello Delicious Brands, said. “We want to bring unique and different snacks to stores, no me-too products.”

Related articles:

Sweets And Snacks Stocks Snap, Crackle And Drop (Investor’s Business Daily; May 24, 2018)

Amazon Widens Its Influence Even More And Takes A Bite Out Of Snacks (Investor’s Business Daily; May 24, 2018)

Artwork: Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Is Elon Musk serious about getting into the candy business?

Earlier this month, business magnate, inventor and engineer Elon Musk got into a tiff with billionaire investor Warren Buffett. It started with a difference of opinion about the business concept of moats and ended with Musk vowing to take on Buffett in the candy industry.
Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns See’s Candies. Based in South San Francisco, Calif., See’s Candies is 47th largest candy company in the world with annual sales of about $430 million, according to Candy Industry magazine.
Buffett said Musk wouldn’t want to come after him in the candy business. But Musk accepted the challenge. He took to Twitter and wrote, “I’m starting a candy company & it’s going to be amazing.”
He added, “I am super super serious.”
Musk then solicited advice from his Twitter followers about what they’d wish for in his candy venture. Some suggested that Musk be like fictional Willy Wonka and give out golden tickets for rides on his SpaceX rocket.
The National Confectioners Association joined in the fun and invited Musk to the annual Sweets and Snacks Expo, which runs May 22 through 24 in Chicago. The trade group even registered him for the event, hoping he’ll show up.
Is Musk just pulling everybody’s leg? Or is he really truly interested in getting into the candy business?
Musk has been involved in a host of businesses including PayPal, SolarCity and Tesla. So we’ll see.

I am super super serious

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2018

Ok ok, just for sake of argument, what do u wish for in candy? 🍭

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2018

Hey @elonmusk – Since you’re interested in the candy biz, we’ve registered you for the industry’s most important B2B event: @CandyUSA’s Sweets & Snacks Expo. Hope to see you in Chicago, 5/22-24. Find out why you should be there - https://t.co/9RN225Zbaa. #SSE18 pic.twitter.com/RhmYQYgtLP

— Sweets & Snacks Expo (@SWEETSandSNACKS) May 8, 2018

Related articles:

Musk Is ‘Super Super Serious’ About Attacking Buffett's Candy Moat (Bloomberg; May 5, 2018)

Warren Buffett Vs. Elon Musk: Who’s Better at Selling Candy? (Wall Street Journal; May 5, 2018)

Why Elon Musk and Warren Buffett Are Suddenly Trolling Each Other Over See's Candies (Fortune; May 5, 2018)

Photo: Elon Musk at a SpaceX facility in Texas in September 2012. (Photo by Steve Jurvetson on Flickr.)

For a taste of prison, try Whole Shabang potato chips

There’s a brand of potato chips that’s earned a cult following not just for great taste but for where they got their reputation.
I’m talking about the Whole Shabang brand chips, which used to be available only in prisons. Inmates loved them and their reputation grew.
But you don’t have to do hard time anymore to try them. You can order them online like I did recently.
The verdict on the chips: Guilty … of being delicious. But they’re really spicy, kind of mix between salt-and-vinegar chips and barbecue-flavor chips.
The Whole Shabang Original Chips are billed as a “taste experience you can’t get anywhere else,” according to the website. “An over-the-top combination of seasonings gives The Whole Shabang chips a zest and tang that will keep you coming back for more.”
Whole Shabang chips are a product of the Keefe Group, which is the nation’s leading supplier of food products, personal care products, clothing, technology and other solutions to the correctional market. That’s right, their customers are prisons and jails. Keefe Group is a unit of TKC Holdings of St. Louis.
Will the Whole Shabang be Donald Trump’s favorite potato chips soon? We’ll see.

Related reading:

We tried the potato chips that prisoners are obsessed with — here’s the verdict (Business Insider; Dec. 9, 2016)

Lou Malnati’s Pizza shipped to displaced Chicagoans

Having grown up in the Chicago area, I occasionally long for things from home that I can’t get where I currently live in the Washington, D.C., area.
One of those things is Lou Malnati’s deep-dish pizza. It’s my favorite pizza by far. Just thinking about their pepperoni pizza makes me salivate.
Fortunately they ship nationwide. The pizzas come cold-packed with dry ice in foam coolers.
I ordered some Lou Malnati’s pizzas in time for the Super Bowl. And I was a happy camper.
Lou Malnati’s Tastes of Chicago website also sells other Chicago delicacies, such as Vienna Beef hot dogs, Portillo’s Italian Beef, Eli’s cheesecake and Nuts on Clark popcorn.
That’s an uncompensated, personal plug, meant as a public service.

Photo: Lou Malnati's deep-dish pizza.

Halls of fame for barbecue, advertising and immigrant entrepreneurs

For every physical hall of fame, there are multiple virtual halls of fame, which exist only online, if that.
I’ve written about some unusual ones in previous articles. (See related articles below.) Today I’d like to spotlight a few more.

Barbecue Hall of Fame

Each year the American Royal Association in Kansas City, Mo., inducts new members into the Barbecue Hall of Fame. The ceremony takes place at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue at the Kansas Speedway. Individuals are awarded the honor “for their significant contributions to the barbecue community and demonstration of achievement in barbecue excellence.”
(See Barbecue Hall of Fame website.)

Arkansas Food Hall of Fame

In March, the Department of Arkansas Heritage announced the inaugural class of inductees in the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. The honorees are notable restaurants in the state of Arkansas. (See Arkansas Food Hall of Fame website.)

Meat Industry Hall of Fame

Created in 2008, the Meat Industry Hall of Fame honors the leaders and legends in the business whose skills and dedication shaped the industry into a leading sector of North American food production.
(See Meat Industry Hall of Fame website.)

Immigrant Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

The U.S. is world-renowned for its entrepreneurial business spirit, and that spirit is fueled in large part by immigrants. The Immigrant Entrepreneur Hall of Fame honors those foreign-born business leaders in the U.S. It was created by the Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, Mass.
(See website.)

Irish American Hall of Fame

The Irish American Hall of Fame recognizes the contributions to the U.S. of outstanding Irish Americans. This year’s class of inductees included actors Bill Murray and Martin Sheen.
(See Irish American Hall of Fame website.)

Advertising Hall of Fame

The Advertising Hall of Fame celebrates and honors the people and companies that have made extraordinary contributions to the advertising industry. The award is given by the American Advertising Federation.
(See Advertising Hall of Fame website.)

Texas Film Hall of Fame

Founded in 2001, the Texas Film Hall of Fame honors those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Texas film industry. The honor is given by the Austin Film Society.
(See website.)

STAT Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame

Sports Travel and Tours established a program for baseball fans to attend games at all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks on STAT Baseball Road Trips. Those who complete the tour are inducted into the Sports Travel and Tours Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame.
(See website.)

Kiosk Hall of Fame

The Kiosk Industry Association has been selecting industry professionals for its Kiosk Hall of Fame since 2003.
(See website.)

Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, N.Y., is best known of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So it’s ironic that when the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce announced the first inductees into its hall of fame in February, it didn’t include the Baseball Hall of Fame. That museum put Cooperstown on the map for Chrissake. Instead the eight inaugural inductees included Fly Creek Cider Mill, the Otesaga Resort Hotel and the Inn at Cooperstown.
(See article.)

Related articles:

12 unusual virtual halls of fame (Feb. 20, 2016)

10 more unusual virtual halls of fame (Feb. 26, 2016)

Remembering Romantica Pizzeria

About a month ago, one of my favorite local pizzerias closed shop.
Romantica Pizzeria in Great Falls, Va., was a hole-in-the-wall restaurant located in a retail strip along with a 7-Eleven convenience store.
Romantica and the kabob restaurant next store lost their leases and were forced to leave.
Romantica was popular with the blue-collar crowd of construction workers, landscapers and the like. It didn’t have much decor, but the food was really good. It opened in 1998.
For now the historical record on Romantica consists of inactive Facebook and Yelp pages.
To that, I’ll add to that a few photos and a menu.

10 more unusual virtual halls of fame, including pizza, hamburgers and die-cast cars

After posting my article on 12 unusual virtual halls of fame, I came across many more interesting examples.
What follows are 12 additional virtual halls of fame worth noting.

Pizza Hall of Fame

PMQ Pizza Magazine, the pizza industry’s business publication, established the Pizza Hall of Fame in 2005. The virtual hall showcases legendary pizzerias and pizza makers who have helped build America’s pizza culture. Members of the Pizza Hall of Fame have been in business for at least 50 years and earned a reputation as landmark restaurants in their communities.

International Hamburger Hall of Fame

The International Hamburger Hall of Fame is a private collection of hamburger memorabilia. The collection, owned by Harry Sperl in Daytona Beach, Fla., is available for viewing by invitation only.

Toy Industry Hall of Fame

The Toy Industry Hall of Fame recognizes men and women who have had a major impact on the toy industry, from inventors to retailers.

Model Car Hall of Fame

Founded in 2008, the Model Car Hall of Fame, formerly the Diecast Hall of Fame, honors people who have contributed to the model car collecting community.

Final Draft Hall of Fame

For the past decade, Final Draft, maker of word-processing software for screenwriters, has been inducting one legendary screenwriter each year for its hall of fame. The Final Draft Hall of Fame includes such greats as Sydney Pollack, Robert Towne, Aaron Sorkin, Lawrence Kasdan and Paul Schrader.

Fangoria Hall of Fame

Horror movie magazine Fangoria lets its readers pick inductees into the Fangoria Hall of Fame.

The Accounting Hall of Fame

The Ohio State University established the Accounting Hall of Fame in 1950 to honor accountants who are making or have made significant contributions to the advancement of accounting since the beginning of the 20th century. Through 2015, 93 leading accountants from the U.S. and other countries have been elected to the hall of fame.

International Gladiolus Hall of Fame

Since 1981, the North American Gladiolus Council has inducted growers and cultivars into the International Gladiolus Hall of Fame. Gladiolus is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family.

American Border Collie Association Hall of Fame

The American Border Collie Association has been inducting Border Collie breeders and handlers and their dogs into its hall of fame since 1998.
(Photo: Border Collie in action by Alessandro Musicorio of f/orme Pet Photography.)

NAFA Hall of Fame

The North American Flyball Association has been inducting acrobatic pooches into its Clyde Moore Memorial Hall of Fame since 1986.
(Photo: 2015 NAFA Hall of Fame inductee Rukus.)

12 unusual virtual halls of fame, including Hooters girls, White Castle cravers and porn

There’s a hall of fame for virtually every interest and many of those halls are virtual. They exist only online or in publications.
What follows are some of the more unusual ones I’ve come across.

Hooters Girl Hall of Fame

The Hooters restaurant chain is well known for its attractive waitresses and bar maids. So Hooters decided to create a hall of fame to honor its hottest Hooters Girls.
“Since the first Hooters opened in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983 literally hundreds of thousands of woman have become Hooters Girls,” the website says. “This Hall of Fame was created in 2008 during the celebration of Hooters 25th Anniversary to recognize the elite of that sorority.”
The Huffington Post put together a photo gallery of celebrities who have worked at Hooters.

White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame

The White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates super fans of its restaurants and trademark hamburgers (aka sliders). Notable hall-of-famers include rocker Alice Cooper and the creators of “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” White Castle is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame

The Krystal Company hamburger chain has a similar honor for devoted customers, called the Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame. Inductees get their illustrated likeness placed on more than one million Krystal Hamburger and Cheese Krystal Hamburger boxes and used in restaurants across the Southeast. Krystal is based in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame

The Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame recognizes hot dog stands and deli operators that have been great customers for Chicago-based Vienna Beef. Other criteria include the vendor’s contribution to their community, philanthropic leadership, and restaurant quality.
(Photo: Mustard’s Last Stand in Evanston, Ill.)

Idaho Potato Hall of Fame

The Idaho Potato Hall of Fame honors people and businesses who have contributed to the success of Idaho potatoes as a food and a product. They are inducted by the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho.

Candy Hall of Fame

The National Confectionery Sales Association honors industry leaders with its Candy Hall of Fame. Inductees include candy brokers, sales personnel, manufacturers, retail buyers, wholesalers, industry suppliers, retail confectioners and others.

Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to honor the most successful Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour players. Magic: The Gathering is a trading card strategy game.

Mustache Hall of Fame

The International Mustache Hall of Fame honors famous mustaches throughout history.
The hall is an endeavor of the American Mustache Institute, in partnership with Wahl Grooming.
The goal of the hall is “to canonize the superior attractiveness of people of facial hair and celebrate the long-standing rugged attractiveness of the global people of mustache, while working to combat the discrimination of those who adopt and embrace the lifestyle of facial hair.”

Combat Robot Hall of Fame

The Combat Robot Hall of Fame honors fighting robots from competitions such as Robot Wars and BattleBots.

Personal Managers Hall of Fame

The Personal Managers Hall of Fame celebrates the illustrious careers of talent managers in the entertainment and sports markets.
The hall was established by the National Conference of Personal Managers.

Porn halls of fame

There are two virtual halls of fame devoted to the pornographic movie industry.
They include the AVN Hall of Fame and XRCO Hall of Fame. AVN is the trade journal Adult Video News. XRCO is the X-Rated Critics Organization.