Haute Dogs
Updated: April 29, 2009
The hamburger's ascension to iconic status is taken for granted. But what of the humble frankfurter? Where is its Black Label version? Where are the books and articles celebrating its universal greatness? Fear not: the Haute Dog has arrived, and if the fanfare isn't there yet, these dogs will surely inspire it soon.
(Photo: Elettaria)
From Wurst to Best
-
Brooklyn Diner Of Times Square
Read Reviews1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 (map)
Though not, strictly speaking, a gourmet dog, the sheer size of the Brooklyn Diner dog lifts it up into haute territory. This sucker is big. I mean, BIG--as in the size of a billy club. It's just an old-time hot dog, blown up to mammoth proportions, and sold to tourists at a heady cost. But sometimes bigger really is better, and this frankfurter registers on a palate like a massive knockwurst, with infinitely more flavor than its dirty-water cousins.
-
Crif Dogs
Read Reviews113 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009 (map)
It's probably best known as the hot dog shop you pass through to get to the speakeasy PDT, but Crif Dogs has got some culinary creations of its own--most notably the Chang Dog, named for the Momofuku man. The dog is deep-fried, wrapped in bacon and topped with kimchee from Ssam Bar. Even more ambitious is the Wylie Dog, with wd-50's deep-fried mayo and a breading of hot dog buns. Pure genius.
Dogmatic Dogs
Write a review26 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)
The haute dog has no bigger friend than Dogmatic, a small, dedicated gourmet-frank operation off Union Square. The joint's dogs are made from Violet Hills farm meat and plugged into specially-wrought buns that are kept on warm spikes to toast them from the inside out. As good as the standard Dogmatic Dog is, the lamb sausage is even better, especially with its vivid, piquant yogurt sauce.
Elettaria--CLOSED
Read Reviews33 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011 (map)
Akhtar Nawab's fusion cookery was bound to result in a hot dog like no other, but what's remarkable about Elettaria's version is how restrained it is. No crazy Indian flavors here, just a perfect traditional hot dog, reinvented from the ground up, with Hampshire pork shoulder, Creekstone 100 percent Angus brisket, coriander, mustard, garlic puree, paprika, sugar and salt, all finely ground, crammed into a sheep casing and served on a soft Parker House roll that's been enriched with butter. It's small and simple and only costs $2.50.
Fatty Crab UWS
Read Reviews2170 Broadway, New York, NY 10024 (map)
New York food writer Joe DiStefano summed up Fatty Crab chef Zak Pelaccio's hot dog simply: "Pork, fishy and spicy as hell." The XO sausage is packed with the fat of special pigs raised on small upstate farms, and dressed with hot Thai chiles, pickled garlic and Malaysian fish paste. Then--and here's the brilliant part--it's served on the most conventional setting imaginable: a toasted Martin's potato bun.
Smoke Joint
Read Reviews87 S Elliott Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217 (map)
My favorite of the new dogs, if only because it's the snappiest, is at this Ft. Greene barbecue joint, which produces a hot dog whose first bite creates a beef-juice explosion in the mouth. It's not smoked, and while some diners get it covered with barbecue meats, that's just gross and misguided. What you ought to do is ask for a "joint dog," which is a deep-fried version on a grilled bun. Then you're talking about some serious concussive power.
Advertisement
Join Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter