For today's main event. . . . .A FATAL FOUR-WAY IN BATTLE HOT DOG!!!!
IN THE FIRST CORNER. . . .
Not having known much about this particular dog before eating it seemed a bit unfair to the competition. It was fucking incredible. I decided to get a normal dog as well as a "Home Run" which included sauerkraut and "NY Onions", which were just onions in some sort of simple sauce.
The first bite was amazing. The snap was internally audible thanks to the natural casing and the ingredients tasted pretty fresh (the kraut wasn't too sour, which is usually the problem with it). Furthermore, this was the only place out of the four I went to who actually took care into heating up their buns as well, which is paramount for the perfect frankfurter. Personally, I like them toasted, but I've never found a place that practices this. The meat was juicy, it was all-beef, and combined with the ever-so-tasty mango drink I had with it for a total cost of about $4.75 it was the best deal out of all four.
Moving on. . .IN THE OPPOSITE CORNER
The first thing that was most noticeable about this particular establishment was the small size and typical St. Marks Place decor. With band stickers abound, cute indie ladies ready at the register, and prices to assure coverage of rent, their hot dogs were a clear dollar more their competitors. However, even though the chili was very good, I couldn't come up with a reason why they had the right to charge this much (almost $4 for a chili dog).
Due to dietary restrictions (kosher), I wasn't able to order the signature dog, which was a house dog made with beef, turkey, and pork (more of a frank), which in itself wasn't very impressive to me, as it seems pretty common knowledge that an all-beef dog always trumps the old-fashioned frank. I wasn't floored by any means. The hot dog casing was burnt, making the snap nice but too chewy, and the bun was cold, which made for an unhappy textural experience. However, bonus points go to them for classic video games, great music playing, a nice ambiance for the area, and kind service.
Moving on to the Lower East side. . .WE HAVE IN THIS CORNER!!!
Seriously Dash Dogs? Not open during lunch time? Really? Idiots. I'm not even going to note where you were, accept that you were next to an overpriced vintage guitar shop who didn't care about being your neighbor so much as to know when you were ever open. Embarrassing.
AND LASTLY. . . .THE HEEB FROM HOUSTON, THE MEAT TO BEAT, THE HEBREW (national) HAMMER!!
Ok, so I get it restaurant, I'm a fucking tourist. If you haven't been here during lunchtime it's ridiculous. You get a ticket, have to stand in one of many convoluted line structures and order your food, then the servers tally up your total cost before walking out the door. I imagine it's hilarious for locals to laugh at the people who can't figure out what the fuck they were supposed to do (such as myself, who admittedly had to ask the security guard wtf to do), but it seemed a bit much. I ordered the only hot dog that was on the menu (frankfurter with sauerkraut and house deli mustard), and just wow. According to Wikipedia, they sell 12,000 hot dogs a week, and I can tell why.
Earlier I was talking about how the snap from a dog was audible internally. . .this snap was audible externally. I had to put my hand over my mouth as to not spit out food when I exclaimed to myself "holy shit that was loud." This hot dog was damn near perfect, with the sauerkraut crisp and the mustard strong (although not strong enough for me), and the natural casing not too chewy. There's not much to say really, although while the price was reasonable for the hot dog itself ($2.95 plus tax), the fact that they charged me $2.80 plus tax for a can of Dr. Brown's came off just a bit too New York for me, especially with them trying to distance themselves from price gougers such as Carnegie Deli and the Roxy Delicatessen. Bonus points for the ambiance of being the oldest deli, but major demerits for price of accompaniments and a moderately confusing ordering structure for first-timers.
In the end. . .THE WINNER IS. . . .
Hope this helps you if you ever decide to go on a hot dog battle of your own, and if I missed a place or you felt I missed something at the places I went to, post it!!
Mmmm, hot dogs...actually, I wish I could say they look as delicious as I would normally think, but I'm feeling a bit nauseous at the moment, which I think is due to some over cooked chicken strips I ate earlier. I never even had a hot dog on my trip to NY way back when