Coney dog, hold the … chili? Our reporter tries a Detroit classic (sort of).

I don’t like hot dogs. Something about the texture of this classic, all-American fare just doesn’t do it for me. Of course, they are a mainstay of holiday celebrations, from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July. People often comment in bewilderment when I reveal my distaste for them. Nevertheless, I’ve stood firm, almost always opting for a burger on any occasion involving a grill.

That sentiment, I learned during a recent reporting trip to Detroit, is not a popular one in the Motor City. Detroiters take great pride in their city’s claim to inventing the Coney dog, a style of hot dog popular in the Midwest and especially Michigan. Coney dogs distinguish themselves with their toppings, which include a soupy, all-meat chili; diced white onions; and a squiggle of yellow mustard. The sausage of a traditional Coney dog also comes in its natural casing, giving it a satisfying “snap” when you bite into it.

But perhaps more significant than the Coney dog itself is the rivalry it has created in its supposed hometown. (The authenticity of Detroit’s invention claim is disputed.) Two local joints, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island, say they make the best Coney dog around. The restaurants sit next to one another in the heart of downtown and have been embroiled in a (mostly) friendly rivalry for more than 100 years.

After hearing tales during our reporting, my colleagues and I started asking our sources which of the two restaurants they preferred. Everyone had an opinion – and sometimes a strong one. People will even specify “Lafayette” or “American” on dating profiles. I decided to put my dislike for hot dogs aside and give each restaurant an honest try. Anything for journalism.

One might assume the Coney dog comes from New York’s Coney Island, home to the amusement park in Brooklyn widely considered the birthplace of the hot dog. Not so. Though it’s difficult to definitively pin down the Coney dog’s place of origin, Detroit makes a strong case by sheer number of restaurants. Joe Grimm, co-author of “Coney Detroit,” once told NPR that Greater Detroit boasts about 500 Coney dog restaurants.

One popular origin story goes like this: As Greek immigrants flocked to Detroit’s burgeoning Greektown in the early 20th century, they often passed through New York, then the largest port of entry for those seeking a new life in the United States. There, they encountered Coney Island, where hot dogs had already become all the rage, and borrowed the name for their own sausage-hawking ventures.

That tale fits well with the story of Lafayette and American, the latter of which also sells Greek food. Constantine “Gust” Keros, a Greek immigrant, founded American Coney Island in 1917, according to the restaurant’s website. A few years later, he invited his brother William to the states to help, and William eventually opened his own restaurant, Lafayette, in 1924. The two establishments have been next-door neighbors ever since.