The $69 Hot Dog

I don't know if you saw this over the weekend or not, but an ice cream shop in New York City has created a $69 hot dog. The shop in question is named Serendipity III and is located midtown east in the city. It should be noted they also created a $25,000 sundae at one time. You may have heard of this place before.

Here's what I have to say about a $69 hot dog. ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!?!? For me, this speaks directly to the law of diminishing returns. I understand that the hot dog is made with truffle oil, duck foie gras and black truffles, but at the end of the day it is still just a hot dog. Don't get me wrong, gourmet food is an extravagance that should be enjoyed by everyone from time-to-time, but to do this to the most basic of American foods is pure blasphemy.

The beauty of the hot dog is its simplicity. When done right it starts with high quality beef, gets perfectly grilled and is served on a warm toasted, grilled or steamed bun. Adding just mustard at this point takes it to another level, which is still quite enjoyable. Most people like to take it to higher levels by adding onions, sauerkraut, chili and cheese, relish, bacon and even cole slaw. But again, all of these additions are simplistic in their nature, but add a wonderful flair of sophistication to the simple hot dog. The $69 Hot Dog makes it something it isn't even supposed to be and I would venture to guess the pretzel roll is far to dense and chewy to provide the typical hot dog eater with a dining experience they will enjoy.

If anybody that reads this finds themselves in New York City and is so inclined to try this hot dog, I would love to hear your thoughts on it. In the meantime, I'll continue to try some of the best hot dogs I can find in the $3.00-$5.00 range. You don't have to spend $69 to find the "best hot dog you ever ate."

Remember, you can dress a pig in a pretty pink dress, but its still a pig.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry