Category Archives: Random tidbits

Judge not the ketchup eaters

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Yesterday’s hot-dog condiment poll is getting bumped off the front page by this post about yesterday’s hot-dog condiment poll. Here’s what the results look like as of right now:

As you can see from the bold, italicized choices there, I put mustard, ketchup and relish on my hot dogs.

That’s right, ketchup. Come at me. 50% of readers surveyed will back me up.

You know what’s funny? I never even knew people judged others for eating ketchup on hot dogs until Gary Cohen said something about it to Keith Hernandez during the SNY broadcast from the right-field deck a couple weeks ago. I knew it happened in Chicago, but I figured that for an isolated regional peculiarity.

For all I know, all these years my friends and family have been silently looking down upon me as I spread ketchup on my hot dogs.

And you know what? If that’s the case, f@#$ ’em.

It’s mustard, ketchup and relish. The Lithuanian flag, right there atop my hot dog. Like I said in the post that inspired the post that inspired this post, the hot dog is a condiment conduit. Load that bastard up with what you like and don’t take any guff from anyone for it. Yeah, I might think gooping a hot dog with mayo seems pretty gross, but when you get right down to it so are hot dogs, and if you like your hot dog in the Chilean Completo style, it’s a free country, brother.

Also, while we’re on the topic of things people eat on hot dogs that they might be judged for: Doritos. It sounds crazy but it’s delicious. Next time you’re at a barbecue and there’s a bowl of Doritos out, grab a couple, crunch them up and spread ’em out over your hot dog. Trust me on this one. Cool Ranch if possible.

 

 

What goes on your hot dog?

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There was some debate in the comments section yesterday, so I figured I’d survey a larger group. I only included the toppings that come for free at Nathan’s, since that seemed like a good general barometer. Obviously there’s no limit to the things people can and do put on hot dogs, but you can’t find cream cheese and Sriracha at your standard street-corner hot-dog cart, no matter how delicious that sounds. I left off chili and cheese because they cost extra, and because when you get chili and cheese on your hot dog it alters which other condiments you choose. Check all that apply.

[poll id=”31″]

Sandwiches of Citi Field: Shack-ago Dog

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I was sort of aimlessly roaming Citi Field’s concourses looking for an as-yet-unreviewed sandwich to eat when a friend pulled me on to the front of the line at Shake Shack. Obviously that’s not an opportunity I’m willing to pass up, but since I’ve already had the burger, I went for the Shack-ago Dog.

This brings up an important point: A hot dog is a sandwich.

Several readers and friends have insisted otherwise in the last couple of weeks. But if you believe that’s the case, define “sandwich” for me. I’ll amount that I operate under a particularly liberal definition of the term, but a hot dog should be an obvious sandwich to even the most conservative sandwich stalwarts. I guess if you’re really picky you could argue that a hot-dog bun is only one piece of bread, but so is the roll they use for cheesesteaks. And everyone agrees a cheesesteak is a sandwich, right?

The only reason anyone has given me that even makes a tiny scrap of sense is that we have a name for a hot dog — several, actually — and it doesn’t include the word “sandwich.” So, they say, a hot dog is its own thing, distinct from a sandwich. But that doesn’t make sense. No one calls it a BLT sandwich, but there’s no doubt a BLT is a sandwich.

Look: a hot dog is a piece of meat — or in some cases “meat” — shoved in bread. It’s about as sandwichy as sandwiches get, no matter what we call it. Here’s the Shack-ago Dog:

First off, note that the green thing coming off the end of the bun there looking for all the world like a green hot dog is not a hot dog. That’s a pepper. The actual hot-dog part of the hot dog is buried underneath there somewhere.

The Shack-ago Dog is a split-grilled hot dog with relish, mustard, peppers, tomatoes, onions, celery salt and two different types of pickle. I ordered mine with no onions.

For whatever reason, the people of Chicago strongly prefer that you not add ketchup to your hot dog. I resent that, as I do not like to be told which condiments I’m allowed to use on my sandwiches. But in deference to that city’s rich tubed-meat tradition, I ate the Shack-ago dog as it came.

It’s delicious. I thought I would regret snagging a spot on the front of the Shake Shack line and not using it for a wait-free burger, but this dog is a worthy alternative. The pickles give it crunch, the peppers give it spice, the mustard makes it tangy, and the tomatoes and relish make it sweet.

The hot dog itself is secondary to the condiments, but I think that’s the way it should be. At best, a hot dog is a meaty conduit for toppings, there to add some snap and a hint of salty hot dog flavor.

Also, split-grilling hot dogs needs to catch on beyond Westchester and (apparently) Chicago. More surface area. It’s a no brainer.

Sandwich of the Week

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This one came recommended by Ryan. I’m still looking for your sandwich recommendations. I misplaced a pad I had with a list going on it, so if you’ve sent them in the past, feel free to pass ’em along again, especially if you happen to know of a good sandwich that’s reasonably accessible from Midtown.

The sandwich: Chicken Parm hero from Manganaro’s Hero Boy, 38th and 9th in Manhattan.

The construction: Chicken cutlet with melted fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce on a hero.

Important background information: Every time I’ve seen Manganaro’s Hero Boy mentioned in any media, it is noted that the place is not affiliated with Manganaro’s Market next door. I suppose this is to avoid confusion. Now you know. Apparently there was some family spat in the past that doesn’t much affect my sandwich today.

Second, it’s worth mentioning that I eat some form of chicken parm sandwich more often than I eat any other sandwich besides peanut butter and jelly. Most of the best take-out places near my home are pizzerias, so whenever I want a change of pace from pizza I wind up with chicken parm. Plus the best of the crappy lunch places near my office makes a decent chicken roll, basically chicken parm wrapped in pizza dough.

At Hero Boy, the chicken cutlets sit in chafing dishes already topped with melted mozzarella but not swimming in sauce as you see elsewhere. They ladle the sauce onto the sandwich last, presumably to prevent sogginess.

What it looks like:

How it tastes: Good. Very good, even, but I feel like chicken-parm heroes have a pretty high floor. They are fried chicken covered in cheese and tomato sauce.

Let’s think on this: How would you craft the ideal chicken parm hero? I’d start by fresh-frying my chicken cutlet. Hero Boy’s were sitting out in the chafing dish, but there was enough traffic in the place that I imagine they don’t sit there long.

The chicken cutlet tasted reasonably fresh, and keeping it out of the sauce until the moment of sandwich completion meant the breading stayed crispy. That’s a nice touch. On my perfect-world chicken parm, I might season the breading a bit more than they did here, but that’s nitpicking. It was tasty.

The mozzarella was good: melty, stringy, a touch chewy, and delicious. I think on that exemplary version of the sandwich I wouldn’t put much effort into melting the cheese, but that’s a personal preference. The way it worked out at Hero Boy, the cheese was evenly distributed over the chicken.

The bread fit the sandwich perfectly. It was soft and fresh, and strong enough to hold up despite the tomato sauce and without rendering the whole thing too dry or bready. Did its job but stayed out of the way. A great role player in this sandwich.

The sauce — at Hero Boy and at basically everyplace I’ve eaten a chicken-parm hero in the last year — calls to mind a problem that has tortured me since my life-changing experience at Ricobene’s. In isolation, the sauce is fine; it adds moisture and a bit of tangyness and sweetness to the sandwich.

But I fear that though the chicken parm hero has a very high floor, it might also have a limited ceiling due to the narrow range of flavors involved. Marinara sauce is great; I grew up on it. But there’s nothing on a standard chicken-parm hero to give it that extra bit of oomph I enjoyed at Ricobene’s thanks to the spicy giardiniera. So I wonder if someone should experiment with a spicier sauce, bolder flavors.

Except when I think about it, there are plenty of delicious sandwiches out there that aren’t spicy. Is it possible that the breaded steak sandwich at Ricobene’s has set my standards for parmigiana heroes inordinately high? Because the chicken-parm hero at Hero Boy, like most chicken parm heroes I’ve had since September, left me wanting. I might have to move to Chicago.

What it’s worth: $8, and it comes with chips.

How it rates: 80 out of 100.

Good news about Zack Wheeler

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So this guy’s on board.

Sure seems like Chipotle is the fast-food chain of choice for Minor Leaguers, and I guess that makes a lot of sense. Presumably you work up a pretty huge appetite being a professional baseball player, and Chipotle serves a ton of food at reasonable rates — important when you’re living on a $25 a day per diem or whatever it is. Plus, compared to most of the other quick options in a lot of Minor League towns, it’s probably reasonably healthy. Also, it’s delicious.

Hat tip to Andrew Vazzano.

Sandwiches of Citi Field: Beef empanada

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I use a very liberal definition of the term “sandwich,” which makes the quest to eat and review every sandwich available at Citi Field a massively ambitious, multi-season project. Also, because I was on vacation for the Mets’ last long homestand and was sick for the Phillies series, this is my first time at the park in a month. So I have been remiss in my Citi Field sandwich-eating duties.

Anyway, an empanada is a protein wrapped in a starch and it’s portable, so it’s a sandwich in my book. The beef empanada is available at multiple concessions around Citi Field. This particular one was purchased from a stand along the third-base line on the Excelsior level.

The pastry on the outside is good; flaky and warm, and just a touch chewy on the inside. But the beef filling tastes mostly like salt, and there are unidentifiable bits of foodstuff in there that, though not unpleasant tasting, don’t make the product more appetizing.

It’s only $4.75 — reasonable by ballpark standards, if not by empanada standards — so I suppose I should not complain, but there’s not much food here. There’s only a thin layer of beef inside, and I am left considering my next ballpark sandwich. The empanada might make a nice choice for someone not hungry enough for a full meal at the park, but honestly, if I were looking for some not-huge portion of salty-meat-wrapped-in-bread at Citi Field, I’d probably just go for a hot dog next time.

Actually, I might go for a hot dog this time.

Steakhouses: Overrated

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Over at SNY Why Guys, Rob Steingall lists his five favorite steakhouses.

Look: Steak is delicious and I’ve enjoyed my few experiences at high-end steakhouses. But as far as I’m concerned, they’re overrated.

I can prepare really tasty steak at home. It’s pretty easy, actually. Plenty of supermarkets have great butcher sections, and if you pick out a good piece of meat there are about a dozen different ways to get it hot and delicious on your plate without too much hassle. You don’t even have to season it much, if at all.

I’ll amount that they treat you way better at an upscale steakhouse than I treat myself in my kitchen, and all the fixins and steak accouterments make for a luxurious dining experience. But on a humble web editor’s salary, if for whatever reason I’m going to go out and drop that type of cash on a single dinner, I want it to be spent on ingredients and culinary expertise way beyond my scope.

I suspect at least some of the appeal, price and cachet associated with steakhouses are relics of a time when it was more difficult to ship and store high-grade beef, but don’t quote me on that. And again, I don’t eat at steakhouses very often, so maybe I’m missing out. But unless someone soon convinces me it’s worth dropping $200 for the wife and I to eat something we can have for a fraction of that (plus a little elbow grease) at home, I’ll be manning the barbecue to satisfy my ample steak-eating needs.

More evidence of the British Sandwich Association

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Remember the British Sandwich Association? Reader and Twitterer @EricBien was in London last week and spotted this packaged tuna sandwich boasting its creator’s recognition as 2006 award winner for “Tuna Sandwich Designer of the Year.” Here’s hoping only the sandwich design is from 2006, and not the sandwich itself:

Also, the British Sandwich Association’s seal is at least vaguely Masonic. I’m for it.

Sandwich of the Week

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The dude who recommended this sandwich, my man Dave from baseball, promised “a fried-chicken sandwich you will think about for the rest of your life.” And he did so without even knowing about this blog or its commitment to life-altering sandwiches.

The sandwich: Fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty’s in Oakland, California.

The construction: Breaded fried chicken breast and slaw on a “torpedo” roll.

Important background information: My trip to California a couple weeks ago was, I might have mentioned, my first. And for whatever reason I just assumed that as soon as I stepped into Oakland I’d be accosted by Hell’s Angels, completely terrifying Raiders fans and chair-throwing SABR-nerds coveting my manboobs. Not the case. I didn’t see much of the city, but the long, quick-moving line outside of Bakesale Betty’s wouldn’t have looked out of place in Brooklyn. Turns out hipsters queue up for sandwiches on both coasts. Very comforting, really.

Bakesale Betty’s menu is extremely limited. They serve fried-chicken sandwiches, a fried-tofu vegetarian option, and a bunch of (delicious) baked goods.

What it looks like:

How it tastes: Oh, lord. Like Dave said. Like a fried chicken sandwich I will think about for the rest of my life.

The most prominent flavor is the slaw. It’s vinegar-based — no mayo — and it’s made with cabbage, red onions and jalapeno, so it’s got spice to go with the tang from the vinegar. There’s tons of it, spilling out all sides of the sandwich, and there must be some sort of oil in there, serving both to keep the entire sandwich duly moist and to make it glisten in the California sun, a nice cosmetic bonus.

Don’t sleep on the fried chicken, either. The breading is delicious, and strong enough to maintain its crispiness throughout the sandwich-eating experience, even slathered with slaw. And there’s no shortage of meat.

My lone quibble with the sandwich is that at the thickest parts of the breast, the chicken might have been a touch dry. But I think that’s more a function of white-meat chicken breast in general and not necessarily the way it was prepared here. Plus, you’re talking maybe half a bite’s worth in the whole sandwich.

Oh and the bread is great. Soft, doughy, a touch sweet, and hearty enough to shoulder the weight of the sandwich’s contents without overpowering their flavors.

Just a really awesome sandwich.

What it’s worth: This ran me $7.25, plus, you know, the airfare to California, the rental car, hotel room and the toll on the Bay Bridge. Worth it.

How it rates: 94 out of 100. A Hall of Famer.

Twitter Q&A-type thing

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Obviously it depends on who you’re getting back — no need to trade a guy who can help the team win games this year for Single-A roster filler. But yeah, I’d say if the Mets could get anybody that might contribute to a future club, they should be willing to deal Jason Isringhausen or Tim Byrdak — even given the current state of their bullpen.

Right now they’re still an extreme longshot to make the playoffs, even as good as they’ve looked lately. If they can get something of value in return for a reliever in his late 30s (who hasn’t even been exceptional), they might as well. If the Mets were sitting in the Wild Card spot and Isringhausen were dominating opponents every night, I might be less certain.

But as it is, they’re still 6.5 games out with a ton of other teams in the mix, and neither pitcher has been irreplaceable. Justin Hampson has dominated lefties in Triple-A and could probably effectively fill Byrdak’s role. Isringhausen would be tougher to replace, but he can’t pitch every day and presents a perpetual injury risk.

I’m not willing to assume that, for a variety of reasons. More on “buyers” and “sellers” here.

I think it would be incredibly foolish for the Mets to mortgage any part of their future in an attempt to make a run in 2011. They’re too far from contention. If they want to hold onto their cards and keep playing for the Wild Card hoping that David Wright and maybe Ike Davis or Johan Santana come back and make an impact, or make a couple of deals that better the club in the short- and long-term, that’s one thing. But if you’re talking about going all in on behalf of this season, trading prospects to try to make a run — no way.

As for the question: I’d still say the Mets need starting pitching most of all. The guys in the rotation have done a fine job, but one more strong arm could push a starter into the bullpen, strengthening the whole staff. But any of the rumored-available starting pitchers better than the ones they have are going to cost a lot, and the last thing the Mets need to do right now is gut the farm system.

I’d like to have my own TV show. I haven’t really figured out the format, but probably a variety show of sorts. I know you might not think it’d be that awesome based on the goofy web videos we do here, but trust me, it would be. Just waiting for the right sucker to hand me the reins. Speaking of: If you’re a big-time TV studio exec, email me. We can make this happen.

Oh, and if that doesn’t sound like “realistically speaking,” consider that I currently have a job that pays me a living wage to — among other things — cover the baseball team I grew up loving, troll newspaper columnists, review sandwiches and weigh in on just about any topic I want. Hard to imagine anything much better than this.