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.
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.
posted by Lefty at 7:39 AM
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