Bark Hot Dogs

[John]

A new hot dog restaurant opened recently in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn called Bark Hot Dogs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/dining/12bark.html?_r=1

The dogs served are from Hartmann's in Canandaigua (formerly Rochester) New York. They are high quality and available in New York and New Jersey at certain Wegman's supermarkets. The beef dogs are well seasoned with a slightly tangy flavor. The beef and pork wieners are fantastic. One of my two favorites in this style along with Thumann's. This place seems worth checking out.

[rlibkind]

Thanks for the info, John. When I saw the brief article online last night I wondered who was the "Austrian" supplier.

[Bobster]

Darn, I'd love to go. Is going from Inwood to Brooklyn for wonderful hot dogs a good enough reason?

[John]

Yes, Absolutely.

[rlibkind]

The dogs served are from Hartmann's in Canandaigua (formerly Rochester) New York. They are high quality and available in New York and New Jersey at certain Wegman's supermarkets.

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I was at Wegman's Cherry Hill yesterday and saw the Hartmann's dogs. The only factors that stopped me from buying them were (1) a freezer full of brats from Usinger's and natural casing dogs from Best of Newrk, and (2) the fact that when my supply is depleted I can always go back to Wegman's.

Edited August 13, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[John]

The dogs served are from Hartmann's in Canandaigua (formerly Rochester) New York. They are high quality and available in New York and New Jersey at certain Wegman's supermarkets.

←

I was at Wegman's Cherry Hill yesterday and saw the Hartmann's dogs. The only factors that stopped me from buying them were (1) a freezer full of brats from Usinger's and natural casing dogs from Best of Newrk, and (2) the fact that when my supply is depleted I can always go back to Wegman's.

←

Yes, but they may not be available when you go back. Some of the better brands are only sold in the summer months. I would check with the deli manager. About 2 years ago I called one of the Wegman's that carried Sahlen's franks from Buffalo to make sure they had them before making the drive. It was the end of summer and they wouldn't be stocking them until the next year. They had one package left which was held for me.

[philadining]

I dropped by Bark dogs mid-evening on a saturday. Not very busy at that time. Sadly I was still pretty full from Ramen at Ippudo, so I didn't manage to sample as much as I wanted. I stuck with a basic Kraut Dog, didn't even get fries or onion rings, which was probably a stupid omission, but hey, all the more reason to go back...

I thought the flavor of the hot dog itself was a little on the mild side, good, but not especially distinctive. The texture, however, was really great. It was firm, with a satisfying snap. I'm not exactly sure what their term "griddle roasted" means, but whatever they're doing is working, I thought it was very nicely cooked. I generally like a little char on my dogs, but didn't miss that aspect in this case. The bun is very nice too: griddled to a deep brown on each side, a real advantage of the split-top design. So the whole package worked very well.

I've only got a couple of small complaints. I had a good beer in a really annoying plastic cup. Like, worse than a keg-party plastic cup. These are reusable thick plastic, and at least the one I got had a rough edge around the lip that was quite irritating, literally. Other than the metal trays, I'm not sure they have much else to wash, but hey, if you're going to wash the cups, why not go for glasses?

The only other problem was that the hot dog cost about $5. I'm not terribly offended by that, but it is just a normal-sized hot dog, served in a pretty minimal way in a minimal setting. If I hadn't just eaten, I would have gotten two, at least, and a side or two, and by then would have been spending something...

I felt like it took kind of a long time for me to get a basic hot dog, but wasn't too bothered by that, they seemed to be griddle roasting each one to order. I presume they get a bunch going during busier times.

It's a fairly minimal menu, but there are some more interesting toppings, and some good-looking sides. I'm not going to make a special trip up there from Philly, but if I find myself in the neighborhood, like I did this time, I look forward to trying some more of the menu.

barkhotdogs.com

Edited August 31, 2009 by philadining (log)

[John]

The standard dog is beef/pork which is milder than a spicy kosher style beef frank. To me the taste is distinctive with a good snap and smokey flavor. It's made from quality meat by an artisan. In my opinion these franks are better than any German frank I've had (including those from butcher shops) with the exception of Thumann's in the white and blue package.

I haven't been to Bark's so I don't know how well they prepare them there. But I agree that $5.00 is too expensive. Many believe that $4.00 is steep for a bigger (4 to a lb) dog. I paid $7.49 for a one pound package at Wegmans. They come 6 to a lb.

Here's a little information about the company that makes these franks: https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...10002&langId=-1

[philadining]

I grew up in Rochester, and probably ate Hartman's sausages without even paying attention, so maybe that's why they didn't seem all that distinctive to me! But I feel that even the basic white hot that one can get at most places around Rochester have a bolder flavor. Those might all be Zweigles, for all I know, I'm sure many of my favorite places use those.

But I should be clear, I thought Bark made a very tasty dog, it just wasn't quite as intensely flavored as I was expecting. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

[rlibkind]

Hartmann's can be ordered direct from the wurstgeshaft:

http://www.hartmannssausage.com

[philadining]

Went back to Bark.

Chili Cheddar Dog

It's good chili. The cheddar is tasty, but I wish it were just cheddar, not cheese sauce, it gets a little too drippy and sloppy. I think this particular style of hot dog works really well as a chili dog. And check the griddled sides of the bun. Awesome.

Kraut Dog with sweet and sour onions and dill pickles.

The onion rings are very oily. Also delicious. I might like less residual oil, but I hesitate to wish for any changes, they're pretty great.

They didn't need salt, but if they had, there are pretty swank salt and pepper grinders on the table.

I was wondering how they manage to keep those from walking out the door, when I noticed the label that explained it: shame.

[mcsping]

Ahahaha, that label is fantastic. This place looks pretty good. I'm excited to have a potential Brooklyn replacement for my hot dog craving when I don't feel like going to Crif Dogs.