Introduction to Papaya Dogs, Part I

Most lovers of great, cheap eats in New York are big fans of two chains: Papaya King and Gray’s Papaya. Both sell hot dogs and tropical fruit juices. Sounds gross, tastes divine.

Papaya King is the original. It’s been around since 1923 and was founded by a young Greek immigrant named Gus Poulos. Gus owned a deli, and after a vacation in Florida he returned with the bright idea to sell fruit juices at his deli. The idea went off well, and Gus opened a few other fruit juice shops. Gus added hot dogs a number of years later to draw in Polish and German immigrants. And that’s how hot dogs met papaya juice.

Papaya Kings are fairly clean inside, with lots of garish signs and decorations in tropical colors. The hot dogs have a great snap and are assembled quickly, but with grace and care. I prefer them with kraut, onion sauce, and spicy mustard. Papaya King—like most other NYC hot dog purveyors—grills their dogs, though they are more accurately griddles, as they sizzle on flat top griddles, not grills. This griddling gives them even more snap. Papaya King franks are supposed to have a special secret spice that no other franks in the country have. I’m not sure what that spice is, but I do know the dogs have natural casing (as do all decent and respectable NYC franks).

Though it may sound goofy at best and repulsive at worst, the papaya/hot dog combo is a marvel of flavor and texture. There’s the salty, greasy frank, with its pungent toppings of kraut and mustard. Then there’s the silky, sweet-tart papaya juice, which helps to cut the grease and salt. It’s a perfect match. Other tropical fruit juices are available at Papaya King, but I ask: why bother, when papaya and frankfurter are so well-suited for each other and work so well as a team? One must alternate bits of hot dog with sips of papaya juice in order to get the full effect.

The papaya juice at Papaya King is supposed to be 100% juice, freshly squeezed. I’m not so sure—it seems to lack the umph of fresh-squeezed juice, but I’ve never had papaya juice otherwise, so what do I know? What is odd is my usual dislike of papaya in its solid form: I think it stinks like baby poo. But if it’s in liquid form with a hot dog, I’m a fan.

Next post, we will examine Papaya King’s cheaper knockoff and rival, Gray’s Papaya.

New York Hot Dogs: An Introduction

Since there won't be any hot hot dog cart action for a bit, I'm going to use the next week or so to give a general overview of all things hot dog in the Big Apple.

I'm also going to add a disclaimer/mission statement for this new version of Sneezy & Tacky. Longtime S&T readers (including my husband and a few friends, most of whom hear this stuff firsthand anyway) know all too well that S&T is basically my bitching ground for job woes: I work silly jobs and interact with the peoples of America, and I complain about them. I also air nasty thoughts about my employers.

But sorry, I'm going to do my best to keep S&T Mach "Hot Dog" free of cynicism. I'll start by not mentioning the name of the gourmet hot dog cart concept I'm working for--this is not some fake blog that's actually an advertisement, as evidenced perhaps by the sorry state of design and grammar here on this page. Also, I believe in the thing these people are trying to do, and I don't want my occasional gripe to muck it up. This is something I'm doing because I thought it would be fun, that's all.

Okay, so on with the show. Today will be a NYC hot dog overview. For tourists, hot dog carts are probably the most familiar NYC hot dog sight/concept. A street hot dog can satisfy emergency cravings, but they have two drawbacks: a) they are overpriced, at $2 a pop and up, and b) they are not nearly as good as the hot dogs available from stationary, bricks-and-mortar places.

I've noticed that hot dog carts are most present in areas where tourists are thickest: the borders of Central Park, around Times Square, in front of museums.

From what I can tell, Sabrett wieners have a monopoly on hot dog carts here. You can't find a cart that is not graced with one of their yellow and blue logo-crested umbrellas. The wieners themselves are okay--it's the preparation that can disappoint. First off, it's all too often possible to have a stale, un-toasted bun from a street cart. Sometimes the dogs have been sitting around cooked for a while, too, and they lack that grease-slicked newness of a freshly griddled wiener.

Plus the carts fleece you--they are at places where people are often tired, hungry, and desperate, so they can sell substandardly assembled hot dogs for $3 or so. Also, bottled water at these carts is, like, $2! Water should have gold flecks in it for that price.

My gourmet hot dog cart associates tell me that there is a citywide hot dog Mafia. This I can believe. The everpresent Sabrett is, to me, evidence. Perhaps in the future I will learn more about this mysterious hot dog Mafia as it present challenges to the progress of the gourmet hot dog cat.

The skinny on hot dog carts--the "Mafia" ones, that is--is to avoid them unless absolutely necessary. I've had satisfactory hot dogs from them before, but considering the options, there's no need...unless it's a truly desperate situation, and we all have those every now and then. Tomorrow will begin a 3-part overview of the non-cart places to go to instead: purveyors of papaya dogs.

Hot Dog Progress: Day 1

I'm back. For now, at least. Many months ago I stopped updating this blog because I no longer found it rewarding or fun--plus I didn't have any interesting things to say. I had the brilliant idea to write an essay about why I stopped writing my blog, reasons like how I was not in a position to make any money, or gain wide literary renown, from it, etc. Well, the very next day, lo and behold: someone on Slate.com beat me to the punch. See, people everywhere are joining in the blog-dropping fun!

The reason I'm firing up Sneezy & Tacky again is to chart the progress of the hot dog cart enterprise that has kindly offered me employment. Mr. Bir Toujour and I moved to New York City to offer me better access to the publishing industry, and I get a part-time job at a hot dog cart. Let the fun begin.

I found out about the job through Craigslist. The posting--which was under either "Etc." or "Retail, Food & Hospitality" was a call for gourmet sausage engineers. I clicked on it because I wondered what the heck a gourmet sausage engineer was. They were having drop-in interviews at the Bleecker Playground the next day, and I needed to get out of the house, so I went.

Two very articulate and organized but easy-going girls were there. No one else was. We talked, and I learned that they were launching a gourmet hot dog cart concept. Sounded good to me, and I was charmed with this romantic idea of being the friendliest, most cheerful hot dog cart person in the city. Regulars would come by and we'd chat; the New York Times would do an article in the Wednesday food section. I'd eat great-tasting hot dogs on a very, very regular basis.

They offered me a position for quite a reasonable wage, considering it's an outdoor food-vending job. I accepted, to my simultaneous delight and dismay. I love hot dogs, and it's been a while since I've dipped my toes in the churning waters of the foodservice industry. But I also want a full-time job in a nice, air-conditioned office...a job with benefits and a salary that's a visible improvement from what I've had in the past. Still, the hot dog cart...it's impossible to resist!

This blog affords you kind readers a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a hot dog cart tick. To operate a hot dog cart in Manhattan, first you need a mobile food vendor license. To get that, you need to go downtown to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with a check or money order to enroll in a food handling class.

The only available class isn't until a few weeks from now, so the only thing I'll be able to do at the cart is handle non-food transactions (i.e. cash). Sort of disappointing, but that's the way it is. New York is strict about those laws.

The hot dog cart is not up and running yet, mind you. A tasting is set for next Friday. Until then, I'll just bide my time and wait for the grand opening...details as they emerge.