The Business of Food: A Local Perspective with the Hamilton Restaurant by Helen Van, Class of 2026

Walking into The Hamilton Restaurant is like getting a warm hug from Carlisle’s history—except this hug comes with chili, mustard, and a lot of diced onions. As the self-proclaimed “Home of the Hot-Chee Dog,” The Hamilton has its status far beyond your one-stop place to grab lunch, it’s a local legend with a side of fries.

Our class visit felt like a backstage pass to the soul of Carlisle. We sat down with Thomas Mazias, the 81-year-old owner who took us on a verbal stroll down memory lane. Starting as a dishwasher at 11 years old after fleeing war-torn Greece, Thomas now runs Carlisle’s oldest restaurant with the passion of someone who knows that what they’re serving is tradition and a sense of comfort from the laid-back approach to cooking signature to small-town diner.

The Immigrant Narrative and Resilience

Thomas Mazias’s personal story intertwines with The Hamilton’s success. Arriving in the United States as an orphan in 1952, Mazias worked his way up from washing dishes to owning and running the business. His narrative reflects broader themes of immigrant resilience and the American Dream, where food becomes both a livelihood and a means of cultural preservation. The Greek roots of The Hamilton are evident in its long-standing family-oriented ethos, as Thomas emphasized: “It’s like paradise. It’s a small town, and I am friends with everyone like a family” (T. Mazias, personal communication, November 26, 2024). As Thomas and his family manage the restaurant, their labor reflects values of hard work and familial unity—qualities that sustain small businesses across generations. “We don’t change,” he said (T. Mazias, personal communication, November 26, 2024). And thank goodness for that, because Carlisle just wouldn’t be the same without its Hot-Chee Dogs dropping on New Year’s Eve.

The Hot-Chee Dog as a Cultural Artifact

The enduring popularity of the Hot-Chee Dog demonstrates how food can become a localized symbol of identity. Holtzman, among many food studies scholars have pointed out how food acts as a cultural mediator, embodying community values and shared experiences (Holtzman, 2006). For Carlisle residents, the Hot-Chee Dog is a ritual that links them to the town’s history and each other. Whether it’s lawyers on lunch breaks or college students nursing a case of the late-night munchies, everyone who visits The Hamilton partakes in a collective tradition.

Zoe Stopak-Behr’s assertion in an interview with Dickinson College that “Hamilton is the beating heart of Carlisle” resonates deeply (Dickinson College, n.d.). By offering a consistent and nostalgic dining experience, The Hamilton creates a sense of belonging. The “Hot-Chee combo”—a Hot-Chee Dog, burger, and milkshake—embodies the idea of place-based foodways, where cuisine and locality are inseparably intertwined.

 

Reflecting on the Role of Local Restaurants in Food Studies

Visiting Hamilton provided a vivid example of how food studies intersect with themes of identity, community, and migration. The restaurant embodies a deep sense of tradition while grappling with the challenges of remaining relevant in an ever-changing culinary landscape.

One of the ways Hamilton has adapted is by working with Warrington Farms, a local butcher, to maintain a short food supply chain (T. Mazias, personal communication, November 26, 2024). This partnership not only ensures the quality of their ingredients but also aligns with the rising emphasis on environmental sustainability in the food system. By sourcing locally, Hamilton reduces its carbon footprint while supporting another small business in the community—a reflection of the interconnectedness of local economies and sustainable practices.

However, the balancing act between nostalgia and innovation is ongoing. On one hand, Hamilton’s charm lies in its old-school simplicity, with its no-frills menu and consistent offerings. On the other hand, adapting to modern consumer habits is essential for survival. For example, the restaurant still operates as cash-only, a relic of a bygone era. But change is on the horizon: Thomas’s nephew is planning to install card payment systems, a nod to the increasing reliance on digital transactions.

 

References:

Holtzman, J. D. (2006). Food and Memory. Annual Review of Anthropology, 35, 361–378. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25064929

Dickinson College. (n.d.). Where did all the Greeks go? The Hamilton Restaurant: Home of the Hot-Chee Dog. Retrieved November 26, 2024, from https://blogs.dickinson.edu/carlislehistory/where-did-all-the-greeks-go-the-hamilton-restaurant-home-of-the-hot-chee-dog/