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| Vendor fired over ketchup |
It’s been one of those weeks. Those long, hard weeks where I’ve had too much to do, not enough sleep, and just a generally difficult time. So I’m going for some soft, fairly inconsequential food news here to end the week. I’ll give you something to think about, but nothing too serious. Deal?
Does ketchup belong on a hot dog?
A big news item today is the firing of Charley Marcuse, an iconic hot dog vendor at Detroit’s Comerica Park. For 15 years, he’s been singing as he sells hot dogs in the stands at Tigers baseball games. He’s kind of famous for it in the region.
Marcuse has been fired, and reports are saying it’s because he was combative with fans when they asked for ketchup for their hot dogs. Apparently, he’s a mustard-only type of guy.
Ketchup can be a divisive condiment. There are people who put it on everything, and there are those who sneer at the practice. I know people who would never put ketchup on anything, as if it’s a sign of refinement to eschew what the masses love.
Personally, I don’t understand why people put ketchup on their French fries, but I slather it on my cheeseburger. But I wouldn’t judge those who dip their fries in ketchup. It’s a personal taste preference, not a sign of refinement.
So as you go into the weekend, try to put any of the past week’s difficulties out of your mind, and if you must think about what’s going on in the world, think about ketchup. Does it belong on a hot dog? Does it belong on French fries? Does it belong on anything?
