It had been a long time since I had been to Chelsea Market on a weekend afternoon. I could not believe how mobbed the place was. What once was a favorite of locals has been taken over by tourists. And I mean taken over. It was nearly impossible to make your way from one side of the market to another. It was actually easier to exit through one of the side doors and come in another door from outside.
I was here because I had a special tour that had requested a visit. And they were having lunch and craving a New York hot dog. So that meant I also got to eat a New York hot dog. I recommended Dickson’s Farmstand Meats since they have a great reputation and I had heard good things about their dog.
While I have never sampled the actual dog from Dickson’s, years ago I tried one that was curated by them for a now-closed restaurant in the East Village. And I have to say I was hugely disappointed. I don’t blame Dickson’s for that as it was specially made for the chef.
I was eager to see what they do on their own.
After a bit of a line full of tourists, I was able to grab my nicely charred dog and make my way to one of the tables in the market. Mustard had to be added and it took a bit to find where the accoutrements were. The default on these puppies was naked.
Flavorwise, this was a good dog. It had a deep meaty smoky quality with a fair amount of salt and garlic. It tasted clean and of quality ingredients. I could tell immediately this isn’t one of those dogs that will sit with me for way too long.
But the biggest flaw for me was that it had absolutely no snap. Sometimes the first bite snaps and then the natural casing gives way to the softer texture of the sausage. I can’t say that I got even one snap with this lunch.
Not sure what went wrong here as I’m sure Dickson’s knows the beauty of a good snap. Perhaps it was so busy that mine didn’t get grilled as long as it should have. But that would surprise me.
It’s still a much better (and healthier) option than most of the boiled dirty water dogs. So I’m glad all the tourists at Chelsea Market have this option, but I wish they could taste one level up and see how good a New York dog can be.
Does Dickson’s Farmstand Meats have the best hot dog in NY? 7out of10for its excellent flavor and high quality ingredients, but I can’t award higher because it’s missing that integral snap.
| DICKSON’S FARMSTAND MEATS |
| 75 Ninth Avenue (between West 15th and 16th Street), Inside Chelsea Market Meatpacking District (212) 242-2630 |
| dicksonsfarmstand.com |
