Alas, poor Yann...

See below for an important update/correction from a reader:

From the beginning this blog has received more comments and emails regarding Yann's Hot Dog Stand in Fairmont than virtually any other single hot dog joint. People in northern West Virginia love Yann's hot dogs. They love the atmosphere. They love having their own little hot dog version of the Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" in Russell Yann, the owner/operator. They love the chili and boast of its spicy and great flavor. Well, I'm sad to report that all of the verbs in this paragraph should be changed to past tense: Yann's is no more.

On my northern trip this week I made a special trip across the bridge into downtown Fairmont to find signs in the windows of the famous hot dog stand that say "Closed for Repairs." The signs look like they've been there a long time and it didn't look like any repairs were being made. After making some inquiries I learned that Yann's is closed for good.

The big thing at Yann's was apparently the chili. Here is a link to a chili recipe that is supposed to taste exactly like Yann's. This sauce, along with onions and mustard is the only way Yann's served a hot dog. It is said that Russell Yann would tell you to leave if you ordered ketchup, therefore the "Soup Nazi" parallel. You can read more about this quirky behavior in posts on this site.

I also heard that Lupo's, another Fairmont fave is closed down. Bad times for hot dog fans in Fairmont.

UPDATE!

A reader who seems to be in the know wrote me with this scolding:

"Had you looked more carefully, the sign at Yann's states that he is closed for repairs ...on himself. Russell had a hip replacement. He is scheduled to reopen sometime in October but that will certainly be dependent upon his rehabilitation. "

I'm sorry if I reported the demise of Yann's prematurely. If anyone has any further information please drop me an email at "info at wvhotdogs dot com"