Another celebrity took sides in Detroit’s most famous coney dog rivalry this weekend.
Dave Portnoy, founder of sports blog and digital media company Barstool Sports, posted a video to Twitter on Sunday breaking down his deliberation as he sampled the chili-topped hot dog dishes at Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island.
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“I didn’t know this was such a big thing in Detroit,” Portnoy said. “This is like the Red Sox and Yankees. I love this rivalry.”
Staffers at each restaurant fed him details on why they had the better dog, but in the end the “nod goes to American,” he said.
Portnoy said American’s hot dog delicacy was easier to eat and wasn’t as overpowering as Lafayette’s, although he admitted, “neither would be first thing I’d ever eat.”
Portnoy’s charity, The Barstool Fund, is currently seeking donations for American on its website.
The fund has raised more than $29 million for restaurants and other small businesses across the country that were hit hard by the pandemic. It has the support of Kid Rock.
The fund has raised $15,000 for American Coney Island, according to the website. It’s not clear whether Lafayette Coney Island will see any love next.
Reporter Christine MacDonald can be reached at cmacdonald@freepress.com
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