GOSHEN -- Douglas and Jacqueline Murray figure just about everybody loves hot dogs, or at least eats them.
The couple bringing a hot dog cart to the streets of Goshen are making it easy to do so.
They bought a hot dog cart, along with an awning noting their bacon dogs, and started selling in Goshen on First Fridays when a couple thousand people are usually downtown.
They liked the city and its people asked them to come sell hot dogs more often, so a few weeks ago, they started setting up on the northeast corner of Main and Lincoln for lunch, becoming Goshen's first regular street food vendors in oh, I don't know about ever, but at least a very long time.
The cart has equipment to steam the dogs, then grill them. The buns are run-of-the-mill, but the dogs are Nathan's, which originated in New York before going nationwide. Nathan's are the ones in the annual competitive eating contest each summer in New York.
But these are worth savoring. And the Murrays have already figured out fascinating toppings.
The signature sandwich is a hot dog wrapped in bacon, grilled onions, jalapenos, mayonnaise and a Southwestern sauce ($3.50). It's a fabulous sandwich, though I liked it better with brown mustard instead of mayo.
The most lavish dog is the Mama Mia, which Jacqueline originated and they tweaked together. It has grilled onions, roasted red peppers, pesto, Parmesan cheese and red pepper ($3.50). Does all that work with one hot dog? Yep.
A traditional hot dog is $2.50. The New York style with sauerkraut and banana peppers and Hillbilly Hound with chili and coleslaw are both $3. My favorite hot dog of the six they have on the menu may be the chili cheese coney with chili, mustard, onions and freshly shredded cheese.
In the spring, after the Murrays take off at least January and February, he wants to create a new hot dog every week. I'd love to see them do a contest where customers use their toppings to create hot dogs others may enjoy.
The Murrays are selling hot dogs packed with flavor. Wrapping them in bacon, which could be crisper but still adds a lot, doesn't hurt. Topping them with grilled onions, which could be chopped finer but still add a lot, doesn't either.
And selling them alongside a busy street on October weekdays in a small Midwestern city is just cool. The Murrays are having fun. Their customers are too. Buying hot dogs from the Murrays next to Lake City Bank is plain fun.
Douglas said he doesn't want a restaurant, which would up overhead and tie him down. He and his wife are pretty happy taking their cart where they can and selling hot dogs. Next summer, they may add more than one cart.
But for now, they have their own business working for themselves. They plan to work outside as long as they can this fall and early winter. Most weekdays, they sell hot dogs at Main and Lincoln. And a lot of people walk away happy.
IF YOU GO
What: The Wiener Circle hot dog cart
Where: Most often at Main and Lincoln, Goshen, weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but also at other festivals and locations
Fare: Hot dogs
Details: Cash only; napkins provided and containers available; drinks and chips also sold.
QUICK BITES
* Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, located near the Indiana Toll Road and Cassopolis Street, Elkhart, will be closed today and Tuesday for remodeling and will reopen Wednesday, according to manager Sandi Crocker. The restaurant has been open 35 years and is employing its third generation, she said. An updated menu is planned with the reopening, she said.
* The Eddy Street Commons location of Chipotle is offering free burritos from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to a press release. The new Mexican restaurant did it in September and ran out of burritos, according to the South Bend Tribune. The restaurant is located at 1251 Eddy St., Suite 100.
* It's apple season and a great time to seek out the fresh fruit from local orchards, including Kercher's in Goshen and smaller operations in Elkhart County. I've seen a number of roadside stands selling apples. I haven't been there yet, but Corey Lake Orchards & Hubbard Brandy House, 12147 Corey Lake Road, Three Rivers, Mich., is doing brandy tastings from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. It's selling apple, cherry, grape and pear brandy for around $20 a bottle.
* Three Elkhart restaurants are helping the Elkhart County chapter of the American Red Cross by giving back 10 percent of sales from a day of business. DaVinci's Italian Restaurant, Elkhart, already did so. Heinnie's will do so from Wednesday's take, and Callahan's, on Oct. 26, according to a press release.
* Conde Nast announced last week it was closing "Gourmet" magazine after the November issue, ending a 69-year publication run. The announcement prompted the Twittersphere and blogosphere to erupt, as well as prompting a variety of newspaper articles about the closure, along with three other magazines. "Gourmet" had stunning articles at times and helped teach me about food writing, but in recent years the focus seemed to shift to travel rather than food I could prepare in Elkhart County. I dropped my subscription a while back, so I won't miss the magazine, but its loss points to changes in how we eat and how we get information about food.
* Last week, as the first round of Nobel prizes were announced, I asked people on Twitter and Facebook who should win if one were given for food. Suggestions included Rick Bayless, Alton Brown, Ghandi and Bobby Flay. I'm still mulling who should win an international award for food, but this year I'd go with Michael Pollan for his work to report and educate people about where our food comes from in books such as "The Omnivore's Dilemma."