Nedick's

[John]

There is an article in today's Daily News reporting that Nedick's, after a more than 20 year abscence, is back. A hot dog joint similar to Nathan's that was known for its hot dog served on a butter-toasted split-top roll and orange drink.

The giant Riese Organization which owns Nathan's, opens its first Nedick's in Penn Station. According to the article, "the basic dog is a Shofar frank. Patrons can also order a corn dog from Texas, a brat from Wisconsin, a Cincinnati Coney with chili, a Georgia fire dog, or a New Jersey ripper, which is deep-fried."

[Suzanne F]

But what of the famous Nedick's orange drink???

[Stephanie]

But what of the famous Nedick's orange drink???

They have that too. They're also serving deep-fried Twinkies.

[Suzanne F]

Anything with a famous name that the Riese Organization "resurrects" bears no relationship to the original. Look at Lindy's (if you dare). While I thank you for the information, John and BklynEats, I fear it will do nothing to improve the desperately bad food situation at Penn Station -- quite the opposite, in fact.

[John]

Unless, of course, the New Jersey Ripper mentioned in the article is the same dog served at Rutt's Hut.

[Pan]

For years, there was a Nedick's on the corner of Broadway and 97 St. when I was growing up. After it closed, taking its orange and grape drinks and hotdogs with it, that corner was "cursed," with one place after another having a short life until the Texas chicken place that's there now showed up. For whatever reason, that seems to have succeeded. For the record, I always found the artificial colors of Nedick's' drinks to be interesting to look at when I was a child, but I didn't have hotdogs there all that often.

[ranitidine]

John, how can you compare even the classic Nedicks dog to the Nathan's original. People only ate at Nedicks because it was located in the Garden when it was on 50th & Eighth. But folks made trips to Coney Island just to eat a Nathan's dog. Each Nathan's dog had a membrane casing that made it really crunchy.

Edited January 15, 2003 by ranitidine (log)

[Sandra Levine]

Nedick's was one of the sponsors of Jean Shepherd's readio program in the late-50s into the early 60s:

"Nedick's, schmedicks,

Double bedicks

Pipkins all agree

Orans, frankens

Goodens eatens

Wholesome as can be."

Edited January 15, 2003 by Sandra Levine (log)

[jaybee]

Sandra, you win a brass figligee with bronze oak leaf palm.

[John]

I've never had a Nedick's dog, so I can't compare them to Nathan's. What I meant was, similar in that they were a fast food hot dog joint located in Manhatten like Nathans, Papaya King, and Gray's Papaya.

I've also never had a Nathan's dog at Coney Island. There are a million Nathan's around and 2 close to me. They serve a decent all beef dog, but I've found that they are undercooked usually. The franks are produced in Chicago by a company called SMG (Specialty Meat Group) under contract for Nathan's. Sometimes the A&P near me has the natural casing dogs which are the exact same that are served at all Nathan's locations. I've bought them to cook at home on my griddle, and they are good, especially when they are cooked right. But, when buying an all beef dog to cook at home, I prefer Sabrett's natural casing, or Best's 5 to a lb natural casing that I purchase directly from the factory. Or Usinger's from Milwaukee.

I've heard from many people that the original Nathan's is so much better than the others; most of which are in Home Depots or connected to TCBY Yogurt. They all use the same natural casing dog. The only differences are perhaps the original Nathan's cooks the dogs longer, plus a lot of people enjoy something more because of the atmosphere. While in New York, I would prefer Papaya King or Grays. Tastier, and cooked better.

[Suzanne F]

John, I always ask for -- and will only eat -- my hotdogs "well-done." I think it helps a lot where they are cooked on those roller-thingies. Just about every place I get them (the papaya places, Nathan's, the stands at The Garden) will have some nicely blistered ones at the back.

The hotdogs are Nathan's in Coney Island are probably nothing like they used to be, but the experience of eating there is fun, and the fries are tasty.

[reggie_212]

I vaguely remember the Nedicks down on 4th Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets by Union Square, a relatively new condo highrise and the Virgin store are there now. My grandmother used to live on 13th between 4th and 3rd and one of my fondest memories is walking over to Nedicks for a hotdog and orange soda.

Being the cynical old bastard I am now at my advanced age (29), while the memory might be dear to me, I can't say as much for the current hot dog. There's a reason why Nedicks went out of business in the first place!

[ranitidine]

Okay, fellow old farts--does anyone remember the Nedick's jingle from the late 40's and early 50's when the chain sponsored college basketball from the old Garden on WMGM (the once and future WHN)? All I remember is the first line which went, "Whaddya say Little Nick."

[Suzanne F]

See "The City" section in today's Times (Sunday, 1/19) for an article by Patricia Volk on this subject.

Quick précis: this is NOT the Nedick's we knew and loved.

[ranitidine]

  this is NOT the Nedick's we knew and loved.

Of course its not. The Riese family specializes in buying old names and running restaurants that have nothing to do with the places that originally had those names. By the way, the writer of the Times piece waxes nostalgic for something that never existed: A Chock Full O' Nuts cream cheese sandwich on date-nut bread. That sandwich was on raisin-nut bread.

[Suzanne F]

... something that never existed:  A Chock Full O' Nuts cream cheese sandwich on date-nut bread.  That sandwich was on raisin-nut bread.

Truly? I also thought it was date-nut. But then I didn't eat it out much -- mostly at home, open the can of Dromedary Date-Nut Bread, spread on some Daitch cream cheese, aaaaaah. Of course, it had to be cut into little wedges to be really elegant.

[John]

I bought the Times today and searched the whole paper top and bottom trying to find the article. By city section, do you mean metro? If so, it wasn't in there. Maybe N.J. gets a different paper than N.Y.?

[Suzanne F]

Yes, John. Sorry. In "the city" we get a section called "The City." Other editions don't have it. Woof here if you are registered with NY Times on the web.

[jaybee]

Okay, fellow old farts--does anyone remember the Nedick's jingle from the late 40's and early 50's when the chain sponsored college basketball from the old Garden on WMGM (the once and future WHN)? All I remember is the first line which went, "Whaddya say Little Nick."

"Good like Nedicks" said Marty Glickman as the CCNY player's shot went swish.

[ranitidine]

Sandy has corrected me. The bread was raisin, the nuts were mixed into the cheese.

[John]

Suzanne,

I found the article online. It seems that Nedicks uses Vienna Beef franks. This means that they are not the same as 20 years ago. The Daily News article claims that the brand was Shofar. Anyway, I found the menu for nedick's on the Riese restaurant website. They confirmed that the Vienna Frank is used for most of the dogs listed (except the bratwurst and maybe the New York dog). The Jersey Ripper is also a Vienna Frank which would bear no resemblance to the Rutt's Hut ripper.

[Suzanne F]

Well, as has been pointed out, it would be foolish to expect anything we old codgers fondly remember at the "new" Nedicks. Riese buys the rights to a beloved name from the past, and then remakes it according to their own, um, corner-cutting ways. It pains me more for the tourists who think they're eating the legendary food (Lindy's Cheesecake, etc.) when in truth they're getting crap, than it does for those of us who remember.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Did it ever occur to you that Lindy's cheesecake and the original Nedick's were really both crap but we just didn't know it?

[Suzanne F]

But of course! So what? Let's go back to the "Nostalgia" thread.

What galls the most is that now we understand what these phony places serve is crap, but it's not OUR crap.

[La Niña]

And, if I may be so bold - what's so special about Junior's cheesecake? I mean, I like eating it, but it's nothing unusual. And the ones with the fruit toppings - sickeningly sweet and syruppy and artificial.