Midtown Lunch

I’ve always enjoyed Katz’s deli, and I’ve recently become a Shake Shack convert. So I was instantly sold when I heard about Shake Shack’s “Deli Dog” offering ($5.25), the progeny of a holy union of two iconic New York culinary staples – Katz’s world famous pastrami and a classic all beef New York hotdog. In keeping with the classic NY deli theme, Shake Shack is also offering an egg cream ($3.50).  Both specials are available for this week only.

I’ll admit, I had my doubts – is this creation simply a Danny Meyer gimmick? Or would this juxtaposition of smoked brisket and hot dog bring honor to both Midtown and classic New York flavors? And why is this egg cream so darn expensive? I case the encased meat offerings after the jump.

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It seems like we get days upon days of crappy economic news these days. I suppose this recession isn’t going anywhere fast. That’s why last week I was really excited to hear in the forums that the Gray’s Papaya on 8th ave and 37th started selling hot dogs for 50 cents. I walked by last week to check it out and had a hot dog because for 50 cents, how could I not? Hell, how could I not have two or three or four?

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Mr Pink in the study with the candlestick. Actually there was no Mr. Pink in the game of Clue, but there is a Mr. Pink’s hot dog in Beacon’s new Sidedoor that we brought to you yesterday. The Side Door has a burger and hot dog on the menu. You’ve already seen the burger (it’s one that’s been approved by Mamacita), so I went by to check out what this hot dog thing was all about.

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This Hot Dog Crawl by Jets Tight End Dustin Keller caught our eye recently. It started with a terrible snap-less wiener at a “hot dog stand on the corner of 39th and 8th called Sabrett” before moving on to Nathan’s and then Hallo Berlin (?) which is strange since they’ve been M.I.A. for months.  Excited by the report we rushed over to 54th and 5th today, but no Hallo Berlin.  Maybe this food tour was done last year?   Who knows… but we’re still holding out hope that the famous sausage cart is not gone forever.

Related:
Is the Hallo Berlin Cart Returning This Fall?

So it looks like Eliana, the $1 hot dog lady on the NW corner of 43rd and 6th, has survived the onslaught. You might remember that she was part of the crew of carts that got kicked out of that spot by the cops awhile back for parking on a sidewalk that was supposedly too narrow to be a legal vending spot for carts. She even had her cart confiscated, despite the fact that later measurements clearly showed that the sidewalk was the proper width. The other two carts (which included the 3rd El Rey del Sabor cart) decided to cut their losses and set up on the NE corner of 43rd and 6th. Eliana tried that for a bit but, after working the opposite corner for many years without issue, she was eager to return. Thankfully the Street Vendor Project (which hosts the Vendy Awards every year) stepped in and not only helped her get her cart back but also helped deflect any other obstacles to her returning to her original corner.

It looks like she’s there for good again (on the NW corner of 43rd and 6th), and last week I decided to swing by and actually try one of these $1 hot dogs.

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A quick update on Eliana, the hot dog lady who had her cart seized by police last month when they kicked all the vendors off the NW corner of 43rd St. and 6th Ave. With the help of the Street Vendor Project, she got her cart back and returned to her regular spot last Monday. Sadly, on Tuesday a building manager from the Bank of American Tower (on 6th Ave. btw. 42+43rd) called and complained to the cops- who forced Eliana to move. She is now parked across 6th Ave., on the NE Corner of 43rd St., along with the other vendors who were forced to move (El Rey del Sabor and the halal cart), but is hoping at some point to return to the regular spot that she vended from with no issues for 15 years.

Related:
Street Vendor Project Going to Court Today to Fight For The 43rd St. Hot Dog Lady
BREAKING: Cops Seize Two Carts on 43rd… El Rey Del Sabor is Next

Just got this email from Ali Issa, one of the organizers from the Street Vendor Project: “I thought I would inform you that Ms. Jaramillo, the hot dog vendor at 43rd and 6th, has gotten her cart back and will be returning to her spot today at noon (accompanied by one of our intern Josh, because she fears intimidation by building management.)” This could be the perfect day for a $1 hot dog…

Related:
BREAKING: Cops Seize Two Carts on 43rd… El Rey Del Sabor is Next
The Sad State of 43rd Street Between 6th and Broadway
Street Vendor Project Going to Court Today to Fight For The 43rd St. Hot Dog Lady

As promised, the new Korean cart on 50th btw. 6+7th began serving bulgogi topped hot dogs and Korean short rib tacos this week. I stopped by yesterday, not only to check out the two new items but also to ask if they had been getting the same “treatment” that chased the Happy Well Being House Cart from the same spot a few weeks ago. The Korean guy who runs the cart said that they ran into a bit of trouble earlier but that “everything is ok now.”  I don’t know whether to feel happy for them, or sorry for the Happy Well Being House Cart for not sticking it out in the spot longer.

So for now, it looks like these guys are going to be around.  The question is, how is their new bulgogi dog and short rib tacos!?! (The answer, plus photos of the craziness, is after the jump.)

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Crif Dogs isn’t the only hot dog place celebrating Tuesday’s election results. Yesterday, the Gray’s Papaya on 8th Ave. and 37th St. started selling “Obama Dogs” for 99 Cents. I guess the President-elect is already having a positive effect on the economy- it was less than a month ago that Gray’s announced that they were raising the price of their recession special.  No word on how long the $1 hot dog deal will last, but if they keep it up for as long as people are giddy about Obama’s victory, it may be awhile.