Omnivore - Road Trip, Atlanta-Savannah: a dog, a tater, a gun, & some canned fruit

A few twists and turns on the road in Savannah

Canned fruit at Sisters of the New South

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Every road trip deserves a few strange twists and turns. I just got back from a trip to Savannah where my wife ran a marathon, and I somehow walked away in almost as much pain as the runner herself. I’m not sure how that happened, but the food and drink along the way probably contributed mightily. There was the dog. The tater. The gun. And some canned fruit floating in my lemonade. Not to mention a fine Rosemary IPA, some smothered pork chops, and some beef jerky from a Bass Pro Shop. But that’s another story.

The dog was the heralded chili-slaw dog at Macon’s Nu-Way Weiners. The downtown Macon location is the place to go, in business since 1916. It’s just a mile or so off the highway, and a perfect pit stop on the way from Atlanta to Savannah. The friendly folks behind the counter make you feel like family. And that chili-slaw dog? It is something magical, a classic example of the sum being greater than the parts. The dog itself is bright red industrial meat in a tube, not likely to win any beauty contests. The slaw is crisp and creamy, fairly standard stuff. The chili begins to bring a bit of magic, subtly spiced, intriguing even. And then a spoon of secret sauce adds a bit more mystery. Cumin? Cinnamon? Heck, I don’t know. But it’s when you put them all together that something special happens and you begin to see why this place has been around nearly 100 years.