Back in 2016 when Luscher’s Red Hots in Deep Ellum closed, people were sad. I was sad. Online editorial director Matt Goodman was sad. Digital design director Jessica Chen was not sad. I shot her a stink eye across the room for this comment and she swiftly added that she had never been to Luscher’s Red Hots before and that she’s “sad she never got to.” Nice save.
I think the saddest of all was Alex Macon. Alex sat next to me at D for three, maybe four, years. The days and months and years blend together. (What season is it even?) I recall him eating a fair amount of hot dogs, specifically Red Hots, for lunch. He digs them so much that Matt Goodman personally met Brian Luscher at The Grape to pick a pack of weenies up for Alex’s going away present after he abandoned us to work at Southwest: The Magazine.
Well, this is not a sad story. No way. This is a story filled with joy.
Today I learned that Izkina in Deep Ellum has resurrected the glorious tubed weenies. Executive chef Joel Orsini says the dogs will be a permanent menu item.
“It’s [Luscher’s] Chicago dog,” says Orsini. “I got a few of the recipes from him and asked him first if I could bring it back to the neighborhood. He was more than happy to have it happen.”
The dogs cost $7.
“It’s kinda cute,” says Brian Luscher. “I don’t know, might mess around and hit up a couple Red Hots later! Seriously, Joel totally gets what we are doing with our sausages at Luscher’s Quality Meats. I always say ‘The best compliment you can give me is coming back for more’ and in a sense, that is what Deep Ellum is doing. When anyone features our sausages on their menu the reaction is always nothing but love. Red hot sausage love.”
As for Alex Macon:
“No news is good news, except for this news, which could be described with no word other than ‘good.’ Maybe ‘great.’ I love Luscher’s, specifically the Post Oak Red Hot, as much as I love the abstract idea of hot dogs, which is a lot. The most American and most working class of dishes, hot dogs represent the pinnacle of street food, as well as everything I love about this diverse, crazy country we live in, and Luscher’s dogs are among the best of the form. I don’t know what Izkina is but I’m sure as hell gonna be there to eat a hot dog in the near future. Stoked. Shorter version: it makes me feel real good.”
Me too, Alex. Me, too.
