Your Guide to Authentic Regional Eats
Perhaps someone, at some point in history, has ordered a Nu-Way plain, but "all the way" is the only way to go: a proprietary red link that is grilled and bedded in a soft bun, topped with mustard, onions, and a fine-grained chili with barbecue-sauce zing. While not absolutely essential, whole hog treatment demands creamy cole slaw on top to create a dramatic spectrum of sweet and hot. This delightful indulgence was first dished out in a shoebox-shaped restaurant with instantaneous service, now the flagship of a dozen-Nu-Ways in the Macon area. The original Nu-Way was established in 1916 by James Mallis and, being that old, just might be the birthplace of the Dixie slaw dog. Far from a gourmet sausage, the Nu-Way weiner (purposely spelled e-i rather than i-e) is slim and snappy and, with chili, a hot and spicy contrast to the slaw. An alternative way to enjoy it is on a scrambled dog platter, which tops the dog with chili sauce and beans. Also notable: extra-thick chocolate malts and soft drinks served over Nu-Way’s “flaky ice.”
