Lucky Dogs
© Thomas Wilson Shawcross 23 May 2005
Lucky Dogs vendor and cart, New Orleans
Once upon a time (1977), I visited two young women who had recently moved to New Orleans. In their enthusiasm to show me all of the interesting sights in the French Quarter, they gleefully pointed out the Lucky Dogs hotdog carts that roamed the Quarter day and night.
In those days, I sketched frequently, and as a thank you to them for being my “native” guides, I made a fanciful drawing of “Lucky Dogs Through the Years.” In this sketch, I included a pen-and-ink drawing of the current model of the Lucky Dogs cart plus many earlier versions (which I invented).
I wish now that I had made a copy of that drawing. I would like to refresh my memory of it. As I recall, it included about six different “historical” versions of the Lucky Dogs carts. One of the imagined versions included a Lucky Dogs cart with a 1960’s Cadillac tail fin and bumper bullets. I think the oldest version looked a bit liked Henry Ford’s first horseless carriage, but I might have gone back all the way to the stone age and made a Flintstone-like cart with stone wheels. I just don’t remember. I do remember that the girls liked the drawing, a lot, and that I was surprised at their reaction (and flattered).
As I recall, the first time we saw a Lucky Dogs cart, we were standing on Bourbon Street, near the giant poster of the famous stripper Chris Owens. Suddenly, a Lucky Dogs vendor and cart rounded the corner, and it just seemed so incongruous. This neighborhood of New Orleans has been described as housing “every vice that man has ever conceived in his wildest aberrations, including several modern variants made possible through the wonders of science.” This quotation is from John Kennedy Toole’s Confederacy of Dunces, in which the quirky main character Ignatius Reilly sells hot dogs in New Orleans for Paradise Vendors, Inc. (an obvious pseudonym for Lucky Dogs). My daughter Lauren suggested that I read this Pulitzer-prize winning book, and I thank her for that.
As I recall, the salesmanship of the fictional misfit Ignatius Reilly was no match for his girth, and he ate his hotdogs instead of vending them. If so, he did something I haven’t. My two companions and I never did eat any Lucky Dogs. We just looked at the carts.
My understanding is that some New Orleans natives look down their noses at Lucky Dogs. A New Orleans newspaper ran a contest titled “You Know You’re A New Orleans Native If.” Here is one of the entries:
You know better than to drink hurricanes or eat Lucky Dogs.
Murray Tate
However, I have read many online comments (made by tourists, I guess) that rhapsodize about Lucky Dogs. The next time I am in New Orleans, I will try one and decide for myself.
The “New Orleans Native” contest had some interesting entries. Here are two more of them:
You can pronounce "Chop-a-tool-is" but can't spell it.
Larry Barattini
You can pronounce and spell Tchoupitoulas.
Dana Harrison
So, not even New Orleans natives can agree about Tchoupitoulas Street. A New Orleans friend of mine, Tom Woods, once told me that years ago, in the days of horse-drawn street trolleys, a horse had expired while working on Tchoupitoulas, and the reporting police officer had it dragged around the corner to Canal Street so he could avoid having to spell Tchoupitoulas.
But getting back to Lucky Dogs, I suppose that in regard to dining, the New Orleans Native is a bit spoiled. I believe it is not possible to purchase a bad meal in New Orleans. I think even the vending machines in New Orleans are good! In my case, I would rather have one Tenderloin Marchand du Vin at Galatoire’s than a year’s supply of hotdogs (even if they were Lucky). But that is because the Marchand du Vin sauce at Galatoire’s is so good, I could eat a towel if it was dipped in it.
New Orleans Natives are very passionate about their food. On one visit, I listened for two hours to a radio call-in show in which listeners debated where to buy the best po-boys and ralphs and muffalettas, and how these sandwiches should be dressed. Come to think of it, I don’t think they talked about Lucky Dogs . . . maybe that was the topic for another day.
Come the day that I DO sample a Lucky Dog, I know where I will go afterward for dessert: Café du Monde. Laissez les bon temps roulez!
The white stuff on your face is powdered sugar.
J. Hopkins
A plate of beignets, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and a steaming mug of café au lait with chicory – it doesn’t get any better than this!
Beignets and café au lait
Café du Monde, New Orleans
Lucky Dogs vendor and cart, New Orleans
Once upon a time (1977), I visited two young women who had recently moved to New Orleans. In their enthusiasm to show me all of the interesting sights in the French Quarter, they gleefully pointed out the Lucky Dogs hotdog carts that roamed the Quarter day and night.
In those days, I sketched frequently, and as a thank you to them for being my “native” guides, I made a fanciful drawing of “Lucky Dogs Through the Years.” In this sketch, I included a pen-and-ink drawing of the current model of the Lucky Dogs cart plus many earlier versions (which I invented).
I wish now that I had made a copy of that drawing. I would like to refresh my memory of it. As I recall, it included about six different “historical” versions of the Lucky Dogs carts. One of the imagined versions included a Lucky Dogs cart with a 1960’s Cadillac tail fin and bumper bullets. I think the oldest version looked a bit liked Henry Ford’s first horseless carriage, but I might have gone back all the way to the stone age and made a Flintstone-like cart with stone wheels. I just don’t remember. I do remember that the girls liked the drawing, a lot, and that I was surprised at their reaction (and flattered).
As I recall, the first time we saw a Lucky Dogs cart, we were standing on Bourbon Street, near the giant poster of the famous stripper Chris Owens. Suddenly, a Lucky Dogs vendor and cart rounded the corner, and it just seemed so incongruous. This neighborhood of New Orleans has been described as housing “every vice that man has ever conceived in his wildest aberrations, including several modern variants made possible through the wonders of science.” This quotation is from John Kennedy Toole’s Confederacy of Dunces, in which the quirky main character Ignatius Reilly sells hot dogs in New Orleans for Paradise Vendors, Inc. (an obvious pseudonym for Lucky Dogs). My daughter Lauren suggested that I read this Pulitzer-prize winning book, and I thank her for that.
As I recall, the salesmanship of the fictional misfit Ignatius Reilly was no match for his girth, and he ate his hotdogs instead of vending them. If so, he did something I haven’t. My two companions and I never did eat any Lucky Dogs. We just looked at the carts.
My understanding is that some New Orleans natives look down their noses at Lucky Dogs. A New Orleans newspaper ran a contest titled “You Know You’re A New Orleans Native If.” Here is one of the entries:
You know better than to drink hurricanes or eat Lucky Dogs.
Murray Tate
However, I have read many online comments (made by tourists, I guess) that rhapsodize about Lucky Dogs. The next time I am in New Orleans, I will try one and decide for myself.
The “New Orleans Native” contest had some interesting entries. Here are two more of them:
You can pronounce "Chop-a-tool-is" but can't spell it.
Larry Barattini
You can pronounce and spell Tchoupitoulas.
Dana Harrison
So, not even New Orleans natives can agree about Tchoupitoulas Street. A New Orleans friend of mine, Tom Woods, once told me that years ago, in the days of horse-drawn street trolleys, a horse had expired while working on Tchoupitoulas, and the reporting police officer had it dragged around the corner to Canal Street so he could avoid having to spell Tchoupitoulas.
But getting back to Lucky Dogs, I suppose that in regard to dining, the New Orleans Native is a bit spoiled. I believe it is not possible to purchase a bad meal in New Orleans. I think even the vending machines in New Orleans are good! In my case, I would rather have one Tenderloin Marchand du Vin at Galatoire’s than a year’s supply of hotdogs (even if they were Lucky). But that is because the Marchand du Vin sauce at Galatoire’s is so good, I could eat a towel if it was dipped in it.
New Orleans Natives are very passionate about their food. On one visit, I listened for two hours to a radio call-in show in which listeners debated where to buy the best po-boys and ralphs and muffalettas, and how these sandwiches should be dressed. Come to think of it, I don’t think they talked about Lucky Dogs . . . maybe that was the topic for another day.
Come the day that I DO sample a Lucky Dog, I know where I will go afterward for dessert: Café du Monde. Laissez les bon temps roulez!
The white stuff on your face is powdered sugar.
J. Hopkins
A plate of beignets, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and a steaming mug of café au lait with chicory – it doesn’t get any better than this!
Beignets and café au lait
Café du Monde, New Orleans
posted by Tom Shawcross | 10:55 AM
1 Comments:
You did it! Or, more accurately, the muse pulled it off again. One thing after another thing and then another... until we arrive at that beautiful plate of beignets... whodathunkitcouldbedone!
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