Old (hot) dog, new tricks...

I would estimate that I've eaten at least a couple of hundred dirty water hot dogs in NYC, given that I've lived here all my life. I'm not proud of that and wonder what the health consequences were/are/will be. I did lose my hair at an early age -- can I blame that on ordering one too many hot dogs from those street vendors?

I love hot dogs but I know they're no good for you so what to do? Sunday, I may have found the answer -- the politically correct hot dog. On a long walk along Park Slope's 5th Avenue, I turned up Bergen Street and found, along a little strip of cutesy-pie stores, one called Bark. It sells hot dogs for the locavore.

Bark makes hot dogs hip and, more importantly, okay to eat. The tables are made from recycled wood, the paper products are all from recycled stock, and the meat and nearly every ingredient is made locally. The hot dogs come from a sausage factory in Rochester, the beans are heirloom, and the pickles and sauerkraut are made in-house.

The place was packed with those of us who eschew traditional brunch in favor of something more naughty -- hot dogs. And Bark made us all feel good about our choice. Finally, I can feel virtuous about one of the city's great food choices and not worry about my hair falling out...too late for that anyway.

P.S. I am just beginning to transfer my established blog to this format. If you'd like to read my past posts, please click here.