I caught sight of it from a block away. Busy streets, slow moving traffic and sister in tow, were not obstacles that were going to keep me away from getting my teeth into a real .........hot dog. Right there in the most happening part of New York - Times Square. The quintessential NY Hot Dog!
Its a special feeling, 
may I add, to be munching down a scrumptious hot dog, slathered with grilled/sauteed onions and mustard. Firstly, for me, this is a NY icon - a la vada pav of the Big Apple. I kid you not when I make this comparison. Its the staple of any New Yorker worth his salt. I would not savour a dog (they don't say the whole name here) quite as much if I wasn't devouring it in the middle of NY.
may I add, to be munching down a scrumptious hot dog, slathered with grilled/sauteed onions and mustard. Firstly, for me, this is a NY icon - a la vada pav of the Big Apple. I kid you not when I make this comparison. Its the staple of any New Yorker worth his salt. I would not savour a dog (they don't say the whole name here) quite as much if I wasn't devouring it in the middle of NY. Push-carts selling dogs are found on every street corner in and around Manhattan. They make a killing during busy periods (read all through the day - this is NY). Its easy on the pocket too. I bought mine for $1.30 and was worth every penny.
As I bit in through the mustard, onions, firm sausage with the perfect degree of 'snap' and sof
t bread, the rest of the city was a blur. I devoted all my energies to savouring this NY snack, oblivious to the disgusted look on my sister's face. She wasn't a big fan at all. But little did she know what she was missing out on. Yet another wonder of the gastronomic world which began as a quick snack for the working class to be had between breaks and then went on to become an integral part of that great city.
t bread, the rest of the city was a blur. I devoted all my energies to savouring this NY snack, oblivious to the disgusted look on my sister's face. She wasn't a big fan at all. But little did she know what she was missing out on. Yet another wonder of the gastronomic world which began as a quick snack for the working class to be had between breaks and then went on to become an integral part of that great city. Apart from the push-carts, there are proper outlets dedicated to the hot dog. The most popular among these is Gra
y's Papaya. It sure was on my list of 'Must-Visit' places but I just couldn't get around to going there, given my tight schedule (Lol). Instead I sauntered into Papaya Dog, another multi-branch vendor of some mean dogs. The hot dogs were great and really cheap ($2.50 for 2) although I preferred the dog without sauerkraut (fermented diced cabbage that's put on the dogs instead of sauteed onions). Ideally one is supposed to wash down the dogs with papaya juice, but I gave that a miss and had a soda instead.
y's Papaya. It sure was on my list of 'Must-Visit' places but I just couldn't get around to going there, given my tight schedule (Lol). Instead I sauntered into Papaya Dog, another multi-branch vendor of some mean dogs. The hot dogs were great and really cheap ($2.50 for 2) although I preferred the dog without sauerkraut (fermented diced cabbage that's put on the dogs instead of sauteed onions). Ideally one is supposed to wash down the dogs with papaya juice, but I gave that a miss and had a soda instead. On a national scale 
the variety is mind-boggling. Apart from preparation techniques the basic dog itself varies across the board. Skinless, natural casing, collagen casing, kosher, all beef, pork, veal, mixed, etc. Every variety one can think of, is available on the supermarket shelves everywhere. But nowhere is the dog so seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the city, other than in New York.
the variety is mind-boggling. Apart from preparation techniques the basic dog itself varies across the board. Skinless, natural casing, collagen casing, kosher, all beef, pork, veal, mixed, etc. Every variety one can think of, is available on the supermarket shelves everywhere. But nowhere is the dog so seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the city, other than in New York. With a legacy that's over a 100 years old, the New York hot dog still represents a city that's got a lot of character and one heck of a bite !!!
