WHO NEEDS DIRTY WATER? (Dominick’s Hot Dog Truck)

My search for the best hot dog in New York continues….

It’s tough to think about hot dogs in New York without thinking about food carts. At one time, the best hot dog in New York was probably the one you got from a food cart on the street corner. Not so anymore. The best street food nowadays ranges from gourmet food trucks serving up waffles or Korean tacos to immigrant-run food carts serving everything from Caribbean rotis to Middle Eastern falafel. I should know. I run Food Cart Tours every week for Turnstile Tours (a sister company to Urban Oyster) and we don’t visit a single hot dog cart!

But I tell you, if we were to give a food cart tour of Queens (my friend Jeff Orlick already does one), I would try to figure out a way to include Dominick’s Hot Dog Truck on the route.

It’s parked quite a bit out of the way in front of a lonely cemetery on the wide expanse of Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, quite a hike from the closest subway stop. Owner Angelina D’Angelo and her husband Gary have been selling these hot dogs from this truck and another parked nearby (called D’Angelo’s) for over 50 years.

So I think they know what they’re doing. The long wiener I tasted at Dominick’s was probably the best I’ve had on this journey so far. No joke.

The sausage was so large, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it (yes, snicker, snicker). The bun could  barely contain it. And with fresh sauteed onions, sauerkraut, and some mustard, it was quite a mess to eat.

But I couldn’t stop eating it. Oftentimes, it’s the first few bites of a frank that shows any pop, but this snapped again and again until I sadly took my last bite. The steamed dog was incredibly juicy with all the smoky, salty flavors you come to expect. But it didn’t taste full of junk or fillers like some other cheap versions. This was nothing too fancy, but a perfect example of a classic NY dog – fresh, warm, and delicious.

As I made my way back to the train, there was a sadness that fell over me. I was heading back to the exciting food island of Manhattan and I somehow don’t think I’ll find a NY hot dog this good, especially from one of those dirty water-filled Sabrett carts that all the tourists flock to.

Does Dominick’s Hot Dog Truck have the best hot dog in NY? Amazingly, it’s the perfect hot dog from a food vendor and maybe the perfect hot dog in NY. Its surprising snap and juicy flavors give it a 10 out of 10.