Paul's Place

The rain and wind continued today. I decided to drive over to Rocky Point for lunch of world famous hot dogs at Paul’s Place. As a kid, whenever we drove north of town, Paul’s Place was the first stop. Hot dogs were 25 cent each or 5 for a dollar and the meal was rounded out with a bottle of Coke or Sundrop. Paul’s is located at the junction of US 117 and Highway 210, just a few miles north of the Northeast Cape Fear River. They’ve been selling hot dogs there for 77 years. Back in the 20s, Paul’s boasted not only hot dogs, but was also a gas station and a dance hall. About the time the automobile became standard, Paul positioned himself to capitalize on a more mobile society. Originally the dogs were smothered with chili, but during the Second World War, with meat scarce and rationed, Paul developed a cucumber relish as a substitute for chili. This relish, and a steamed old style hot dog bun that’s cut along the top, continues to be the hallmark of a Paul’s Place hot dog. As you may remember in a previous post on making green tomato relish, I consider relish to be a key component to a good dog!

Today, Paul’s is off the beaten path. Interstate 40 has surpassed US 117 as the primary road heading north. But Paul’s grandsons are still there, serving the same dogs as their father did when I was a kid. Of course, they’ve gone up in price a bit. Even though the through traffic bypasses Rocky Point at 70 mph, Paul’s Place is still busy. This area has changed greatly since I was a kid (last summer I wrote about how odd it was to see that the old Adventist Church in Myrtle Grove Sound now serve as an Islamic Center). It’s good to know that some things never change. Tonight, I’ll head back to one of the beach bars. Many of them are still in business, although their clientele seems to have gotten younger. I wonder if the bouncer still asks for ID cards?