TC SIdewalks Live!: The Saint Paul Coney at the History of Hip

[Keenan's coney is the middle one.]

Hey Twin Cities, coney dogs are catching on. I'm excited to be giving a short talk / interview / demonstration / song and dance / coney dog and pony show next Tuesday at the Bedlam Theater. After my wildly popular Saint Paul Coney Quest, the History Center invited me to help out with their History of Hip series, which explores the hidden history of everyday life in the Twin Cities. How perfect!

This is exciting to me because one of my goals in doing sidewalk tours is to trace new connections throughout our often overlooked urban landscape. Vernacular food -- things like Minneapolis' Jucy Lucy -- are one of the most delicious ways to do this, and in the Saint Paul coney, we have a gem. The Saint Paul coney, with its distinctive grilled bun, cannot be found anywhere else that I know of, and it's rare to be able to so clearly trace the evolution of food through space and time.

Come on down next Tuesday, and hear me chat with Bill Keenan (owner of Keenan's Bar) about the coney dog, running a bar, and the future of Saint Paul's working class culture.

Please note: There will be authentic Saint Paul coneys. Price of admission gets you a free Bedlam drink.

What: The Saint Paul Snack: A Brief History of Coney Dogs
Time: 7:40, Tuesday January 6th
Place: Bedlam Theater
Cost: $15 ($12 MNHS members) with drink included

Facebook event details follow:

Saint Paul’s ultimate vernacular bar food is like but not the same as its Michigan-based namesake, and its story is as cranky, weird and unique to the city as the bars and bartenders that carry it. Geographer and author Bill Lindeke shares the history and stories of Saint Paul coneys with Bill Keenan, whose legendary secret sauce keeps regulars returning to his namesake bar on West Seventh Street. Stop in for a beer and a bump and stay awhile. 

$15 ($12 MNHS members). Ages 21+ only.

[The Coney Tour outside the Original Coney Island on Saint Peter Street.]