Hot Dog Drama

The annual Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest was held today in Coney Island - and was again mired in controversy. As if we didn't already have enough Wiener Drama here in NYC.

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut won his fifth straight Mustard Belt by chowing down 62 dogs in 10 minutes - while Sonia "Black Widow" Thomas won the first ever Women's Division "Pepto Bismol Belt" by eating 40 dogs.

But back in Manhattan, former champ and competitive eating renegade Takeru Kobayashi (below) allegedly consumed 69 hot dogs at an unsanctioned even on some rooftoop. Kobayashi was ineligible to compete in the official contest because he refuses to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating.

And YES, this does sound like a post from The Onion but it's actually the real thing. We take our wieners (and our winners) very seriously here in NYC.

Source

.

It's White Meat Monday!

Betcha can't eat just one!!



Source: The Slab


.

Did They REALLY Have To Make The Price $69 ?!?

Fancy East Side ice cream parlor Serendipity III has created the world's most expensive hot dog - priced at a suggestive 69 dollars.  Get it?  Big 12-inch beef wiener ... 69 ...???

According to Gothamist, the "Haute Dog" ...

is 12 inches long and pure beef. It's grilled in white truffle oil, placed in a salted pretzel bread bun toasted with white truffle butter, topped with medallions of duck foie gras with black truffles with side condiments of black truffle Dijon mustard, caramelized Vidalia onions and heirloom tomato Ketchup. All that can be yours for just $69, but you have to place your order 24 hours in advance to allow time for the "special ingredients" to be flown in fresh.

I work in the restaurant business, and that whole "flown in fresh" thing is bull.  The fact is, this is just a publicity stunt and they don't actually plan on selling any of these overpriced wienies - so they're not going to keep the duck foie gras (etc.) in stock (it would eventually go bad).  But if someone actually happens to be stupid enough to want a Haute Dog, Serendipity needs some time for one of the kitchen workers to run to Whole Foods and pick up the ingredients.

Wiener Drama!

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is VERY New York - loud, brash, self-important, and more than a little bit insane.  Every July 4th at "high noon", a group of gluttons for punishment professional eaters compete to see who can stuff the most hot dogs down their gullet in 10 minutes.  Local guy Joey Chestnut (below), won again this year - consuming 54 delicious Nathan's hot dogs.

This year there was a bit of an Escándalo de la Wieners, when six-time champ Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi (below) was arrested after trying to bumrush the stage.  Kobayashi - who was wearing a "Free Kobi" shirt - did not compete this year due to a contract dispute.

WHO KNEW there could be so much drama and intrigue surrounding a bunch of guys shoving wieners in their mouths?!?

SOURCE.

Christopher Walken Doesn't Like Internet Hot Dog Talk

According to Gothamist, actor Christopher Walken is freaked out by the internet. Especially troubling to Mr. Walken is a recurring story regarding him and his relationship with Hot Dogs.

“The Internet is strange,” he said. “There’s stuff on the Internet about me. I’ve tried to find out who puts it there. Something about how I go around to hot-dog festivals, that I’m a champion hot-dog eater.” He's probably referring to an Onion article, which makes it even funnier, especially because it's been re-printed on the Internet by people who really think Walken wrote it, and includes lines such as, "I carry a bag of hot dogs with me wherever I go. I eat them from the bag whenever I get the urge, regardless of the circumstances. When I make a movie, my hot dogs are my co-stars."