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Vintage Americana



I can't remember the last time I saw one of these.

There were two Dog 'n' Suds in the general vicinity of where I grew up in suburban Chicago - but they disappeared long ago. In the nearly 20 years I've lived in New England, I don't recall ever running across one (maybe they were regional and never in the Northeast...my Dog 'n' Suds knowledge isn't exactly extensive!).

Yet as I was back in Illinois a few weeks ago and tooling around near the Wisconsin border with my sister one day, we spied the familiar red and yellow sign. It wasn't just a relic; this place was open for business!

I recall what a treat it was to go get the occasional (and I mean occasional...rare is probably the more appropriate word) meal at Dog 'n' Suds. How cool it was that they brought the food TO THE CAR on a tray that attached to the window! How cool that you actually got to eat your burger and drink your root beer IN THE CAR! Decadent!

Obviously, in today's America, where food is routinely consumed in the car and the idea of the family sitting down to dinner at the table each night is, to many, a foreign concept - the premise behind Dog 'n' Suds (i.e. the novelty of being served a meal in this way) is a relic of a much different time. Sigh.

As far as treats went, though, much as I liked Dog 'n' Suds, the winner hands down had to be the lunch counter at Woolworth's...where they served the best chocolate malts on the planet. Another rarity for us, so it was savored and appreciated.

Now that I know they still exist...anybody have a Dog 'n' Suds nearby?

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