Hot Dog Battle

In the continuing spirit of having New York food face off in heated battle, FoodGasm is prepared to throw its hat in the hot dog ring. Hot dogs quite literally litter the streets of New York City, but unlike their burger counterpart, there is little effort to dress up the dog into some gourmet piece of art. Always affordable, hot dogs are a great "go to" in times like these, so I am here to make sure you don't wind up settling for the sidewalk cart. Because I think its kind of funny to imagine hot dogs fighting each other, FoodGasm will ultimately decide which hot dog reigns supreme by having New York hot dog joints compete for my praise and affection in a new segment here on FoodGasm called "Hot Dog Battle". Each battle will pin one hot dog giant against another, winner stays on. Got it? Good. 

The first round of Hot Dog Battle boasts two fierce competitors, each worthy of the title of Hot Dog Champion of New York City. In the blue corner, hailing from Coney Island, Brooklyn, wearing the green trunks with yellow trim, is Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. This is the original folks, on the corner of Stillwell and Surf, where it has stood since 1916, pleasing beach-goers and amusement park patrons for almost one hundred years. 

In the red corner, hailing from four locations in Manhattan, wearing yellow shorts with red trim, Gray's Papaya. Since 1973, Gray's has been part of the three store hot dog triple treat tag team that includes the equally fearsome Papaya King and Papaya Dog. Gray's is the go to place to drunkenly stumble into and see how many hot dogs you can fit in your mouth at once. Ok, somebody ring the bell, because these introductions have got me pretty hungry. 

Lets start with Nathan's. I've had Nathan's before going to the original. Consistently disappointed, I thought the original would surely be something better. How wrong I was. The dogs from Coney Island are exactly the same ones that you can buy in a mall food court. For some time, the Mets have sold these dogs at Shea Stadium (rest in peace) and they consistently sucked, but I always chalked that up to the Shea vendors. At least at the original Nathan's, the dogs are grilled, and don't sit in dirty hot dog water, but that doesn't make up for their sheer lack of flavor and rubbery texture. The bun is another weak point. It tastes like it has been sitting in cardboard box for months, waiting patiently to be unpacked from its long journey from some big factory some factory in the middle of nowhere. Stale, uninspiring, and poor. 

Still, it's not all bad for Nathan's. While the dog is meh, with a healthy topping of blah, its got great atmosphere and character. You can feel the history there. Being raised not far from the Jersey shore, I know the allure of this sort of place. You emerge from the ocean, your body dries in the hot summer sun. Barefoot, you walk across the warm sand, up to the boardwalk, and grab a Nathan's dog and an ice cream cone to return to your beach towel with. (Either I should have been in marketing, or I've been watching far too much Mad Men) A block away is the cyclone, and the rest of Astroland amusement park. While this place is oozing with New York City history, which is something I'm a sucker for, it certainly does not make up for the mediocre dogs. 

Now Gray's Papaya, that my friends, is a freakin' hot dog. On top of the list of things that I look for in a hot dog is something I like to call - "snappiness". Hot dogs should have a certain pop, a healthy snap to them. This is what separates the men from the boys. Gray's has this in spades. The dogs have a crispy outside that gives way to a tender juicy inside when you bit into it. You can get it plain, with kraut, or with onions in that tangy red mystery sauce. For me, the classic New York dog is with mustard and kraut, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Unless you are under ten, it is completely unacceptable to put ketchup on a hot dog. If you are with me, and I catch you, I swear I'll knock it right out of your hands. 

While this is a hot dog battle, I did give Nathan's props for non-hot dog related stuff, so I will do the same for Gray's. First, its namesake, the papaya drink. Honestly, I can't think of anything better to wash down a dog with. It's slightly creamy, sort of sweet, and conveys a unique tropical flavor. If you cant finish it, take it home and put some dark rum in there, and you are in business. But c'mon, seriously, finish it, its not that big. Another thing Gray's has going for it is that its so cheap. It boasts those two magic words that I always love to hear - recession special. For $4.75 you can get two dogs and a papaya drink, which, although having been raised from $3.50 about six months ago, is still a bargain. Lastly, during the election, they boasted a big sign that read, "We support Barack Obama." Because we here at FoodGasm are avid Obamamaniacs, we support that they support Barry "The Rock" Obama. 

So, the battle is over and its a clear victory. It's a first round knock out for Gray's Papaya, rendering Nathan's like the ninety three year old man left to die on the beaches of Coney Island that it is. I gotta say folks, Gray's is good, damn good. Someone is going to have to seriously step up, because Gray's has the stuff to tear through this contest like a young Mike Tyson, you know, before he like, abused all those women, and went totally nuts. 

Until next time, stay hungry folks. 

Jon

Report, err, I mean, Score Cards:

Nathan's Famous

Food: C+

Atmosphere: A

Service: B-

Price: B

Overall: B-

Gray's Papaya

Food: A

Atmosphere: B+

Service: A

Price: A

Overall: A