Carm’s Coneys: small in size, big on N.Y. tradition

Carmen CIMINI’S destiny was charted in the basement of the family house, circa 1970, in Syracuse, N.Y. There, assorted paisans from his Italian American clan spent cacophonous weekends cooking, drinking vino, playing pool and socializing. Grandma Antoinette commanded the kitchen with an iron fist, barking orders to young Cimini and the other cooks. It was within that animated scene that Cimini’s attraction to cooking was cemented.

“My childhood was all about food and people,” says Cimini, who also developed a taste for Heidi’s hot dogs. “It was definitely training for what I do now.”

As a young adult, Cimini came west to visit a friend and never left. Settling in Newport Beach in the early 1980s, he found California’s hot dogs left him cold. So he opened Carm’s Coneys at the Newport Pier in 1985 with business partner Tom McFadden, wowing customers and the press with his exotic, imported East Coast street fare. Cimini closed up shop in 1991 to spend more time with his son, Carmen, and daughter, Michelle -- then ages 3 and 2.

But with the kids now grown, Cimini has finally released the sequel, converting a Chinese fast-food joint in Costa Mesa into the new Carm’s Coneys last December. Cimini’s hot dogs and sausages share the menu with partner Marc Craig’s burgers, sandwiches and salads. A hole in the wall in size only, the micro-resto is bright and modern, with New York sports pictures dotting the walls and a flat-panel TV showing the game. Sitting at a cherry red table, one can watch the cooks grilling dogs in the open kitchen.

If you came in the week before, Cimini will welcome you back with a smile as he coos over your kids and conducts an impromptu customer satisfaction survey. And the customer interaction at Carm’s Coneys even ventures into the realm of education.

Guests learn that coneys -- Cimini’s favorite, topped with homemade chili and Hoffman’s mustard -- are white and made from veal. They also learn that “coneys” doesn’t refer to Coney Island, but rather signifies a specific style of preparation, not a unique brand or blend.

And after one visit, you’ll acquire a new vocabulary -- Hoffman’s, Sabrett, Zwiegle’s -- and a new friend in Cimini. 488 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 515-7888

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