Photos from the Hot Dog Hootenanny!

Yesterday, a great group of Serious Eaters came out to the Astor Center for the Hot Dog Hootenanny. The whole afternoon was devoted to tubular meats in many shapes and forms, from all different regions. Thanks to everyone who came out, including hotdoglover himself! He's already put together an awesome, expert recap.
Tables were set up to try four dogs: the Chihuahua from Crif Dogs in the East Village, the Bulgogi Dog from New York Hotdog & Coffee in the West Village, an authentic Chicago dog flown in from Vienna Beef, and our good pal, the Papaya King.


The Chihuahua is pretty intense, but definitely a crowd favorite. First the wiener is bacon-wrapped, then deep-fried, then covered in avocado hunks and a sour cream swirly.

Tray after tray of Chihuahuas kept coming out.

Upon entering, everyone got a strip of paper with images of each of the four dogs to be checked off at each table.

The gang from New York Hotdog & Coffee cooked up vats of bulgogi to layer on top of the franks.


Meat on meat! With a couple flecks of green (lettuce and pickles).

Faked ya. Those aren't real. Just plastic toy versions of the wild combos at New York Hotdog & Coffee.

Papaya King remains a classic.

Not too fussied-up. Just the dog, the ketchupy onion goop, kraut, and mustard.

Ed chatted it up with many Serious Eaters and made sure they were all tagged with our signature pink pig sticker.
There was a keg of Nut Brown Lager from Kelso of Brooklyn. Mmm, malty and refreshing—a great pairing with the dogs. Prosecco was also available, which surprisingly wasn't that bad with the Chihuahua.

Lots of poppy seed buns.

The Chicago Dogs are great and all, but does that huge pickle spear really need to be there? I like pickles, but it's a mouthful.

Jon Orren of Wheelhouse Pickles manned the condiment table. Lots of great briny options, in addition to the iconic Chicago toppings—fluorescent green relish and celery salt from Vienna Beef.

In the kitchen, wooden boards were plated with meat slices for a tasting led by Bruce Kraig, a hot dog historian and author of Hot Dog: A Global History.



All three tastings were packed! Everyone got a sampling of seven different dogs: Thumann's beef and pork natural casing, Hofmann's German franks (beef and pork), Hofmann's natural casing "Snappy" (spicy white dog—sort of like a bratwurst), Usinger's wieners (beef and pork—a classroom favorite), Oscar Mayer Wieners (beef, pork, and poultry—tasted like a salt lick), Carolina Packers skinless red hots (whoa, that's red), and Koegel's Pickled Red Hots (very vinegary and tangy).
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8 Comments:
great pics!! wish I was there!
tontek at 11:25AM on 05/04/09
Those are some sorry "Chicago Dogs." This is what it's supposed to look like: http://www.chicagosbooks.com/ketchup.aspx
MajorLance at 11:28AM on 05/04/09
I love hot dogs. I really do. Only the beef ones, really. Carolina reds are quite popular around here, but all of that red dye makes me weep. I'll take a whole kosher pickle on a hot dog any day. The more the merrier. I prefer a crisp, fresh good ol' cole slaw & some hot, spicy chili but I'm digging those variations, for sure. Bulgogi is totally on my to-do list now.
Trikki427 at 12:28PM on 05/04/09
why didn't they add a hebrew national, nathans or sabrett dog to the list?
dozertx at 3:28PM on 05/04/09
That looks incredible. Seems like everyone had a blast....not too many turned off by the "Swine Flu:, huh? What a load of crap. I bet the Pork industry will have to do a bunch of PR about it now...they should have just called it H1N1 from the beginning.
bearsilber at 3:32PM on 05/04/09
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/616989 My take on the day.
--------------- Guttergourmet
guttergour at 3:49PM on 05/04/09
@major lance. Thank God for you. Chicago dogs are sacred and have no resemblance to what's pictured above.
maered at 11:37PM on 05/04/09
Okay, what hooligan chopped up the tomatoes for the Chicago dog? And stole the sport peppers? I cry foul!
lyricanjl at 2:35PM on 05/05/09