A couple of doors down from the Apple Store at Knox Street & McKinney is a place that falls somewhere between being a small restaurant and an overgrown hot dog stand. It’s called Wild About Harry’s. I’ve had occasion to stop at the Apple Store a half dozen times since then, buying my MacBook and some accessories. Until today, I had noticed Harry’s but passed it by.
I don’t dislike hot dogs, but they are not a favorite of mine. Given a choice standing at the grill I’d pick a hamburger every time, but given no choice I’d gladly take the hot dog. Today, however, I was on my way to the Apple Store and very hungry at the same time. I remembered Harry’s and decided I’d make it a lunch.
Despite the fact that it was 2:00 in the afternoon when I walked up, the line reached out the front door. Harry’s is obviously a popular place. The large majority of the menu is hot dogs in some form or other and today I decided I would have a “Junkyard Dog”, which was loaded up with mustard, onion, chili, cheese and jalapeños. It was also served on a hot dog bun with poppy seeds, something I’ve never seen before. I got the last table in the place, barely two feet square with no stool. Somebody had taken the lonely table’s stool elsewhere I guess.
I liked it. The hot dog, the place and Harry Conley’s personality. He was milling around his restaurant the whole time I was there, greeting old friends, strangers and me with the same warmth and enthusiasm. Harry reminded me immediately of the only other person I’ve ever known to be that happy serving people food, a guy named Tommy Klemmis at Junior’s on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta. Without even having to address you directly Tommy always made you feel like he was glad that you had come to his restaurant. Harry and Tommy are clearly the same sort. If everybody liked their job as much as they like theirs world peace would be a given.
Anyway, I’ll be going back to Harry’s. I have a good excuse too. I think his frozen custard has a lot to do with why people like to go, and I didn’t try any today. I must make amends.
