Fixing an icon

When cracks appeared in the 40-year-old hamburger griddle at Crestview’s landmark Coney Island hotdog restaurant, finding a replacement proved problematic. Owner Julia Phillips has hinged her hopes on Baker School’s welding instructor, hoping he can save the unit — and her burgers’ signature flavor.

The secret behind those renowned Coney Island burgers, Phillips said, is the “seasoning” in the grill they’re cooked on. Ever since the establishment's second owners, Mabel and Phillip Edge, installed the grill in 1970, the weighty Vulkan-Hart slab of cast iron has hosted countless sizzling burgers.

Somewhere along the way, a couple cracks developed in the surface. They were repaired, but not too tidily. Last week the cracks grew worse, leaving Phillips, who bought Coney Island from the Edges in 1989, in a quandary.

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