BARK HOT DOGS

Unpretentious and delicious. That's how I'd describe this place. I've been hearing about BARK Hot Dogs for a while, but a general lack of hype around it, which is odd for anything in Park Slope, the area in which hype seems most prevalent. Instead, when people talk about Bark it's like they are referring to the solid neighborhood staple, an obvious place you would go for a classic and delicious dog without all the fancy trappings of a hipper establishment. And they're absolutely right. The first day I went into Bark I got two dogs, and I went right back the next day to get two more. Here's how they were:

The dog: 5/5

Nice and plumpy, just like mama used to make

The Bark dog is all about rustic quality. If Nathan's is your beach bum surfer cousin then Bark is that eccentric but lovable and wholesome uncle who moved out to the country with his beard and overalls to start a farm. I can only barely describe the pure beefy quality of these meat tubes. At first they look like a plumper version of your standard Coney Island fair, but once you take a bite, the combination of strong and subtle flavors, the delicate snap of the dog, and tasteful pinkish coloring, all come together in a marvelous experience. 

A good place to hang out a while

Value: 3/5

Here's the thing, they claim to be an updated and higher quality version of the fast-food model, but that can be a deception and lead one to believe they'll also deliver fast-food prices. It's not the case, but it's also not terribly expensive. The dogs are in the $4-$5 dollar range, and you can get a reasonable meal package for about $10. If this were a food cart, I'd be more upset, but this is a sit down establishment with plenty of seating, and a more extensive menu that In 'n' Out or Shake Shack (actually, it's sort of on par with Shake Shack, but is way better). This is more of a restaurant experience then your typical fast food.

A tray full of meaty happiness

Accouterment: 4/5

As a said before, this isn't one of those over the top trendy spots that offers cream cheese relish and crystalized beer sprinkles, it's just a solid hot dog joint. They've got all the condiments you want, plus a couple of great extras like their Habañero hot sauce, which burns oh so good. They also have some quality sauerkraut, bacon, and chili options, and a cucumber relish (their nod to trendiness) that looks pretty enticing.

Other: 5/5

BARK wouldn't be a Brooklyn establishment if it didn't specialize in local and sustainable foods. Nearly all their food (except a few condiments and drinks) is made locally or in house, and they will tell you exactly which farms they get their food from. Check out a full list here. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and they cultivate a welcoming atmosphere with big tables and free-wifi so you can hang out as long as you like.

Mmmm, just line up that goodness

Overall: 4/5

BARK is the kind of place that is better for getting a 4 out of 5 rating. It's not necessarily the spot I'd take my friends visiting from out of town to show off New York, and that's what I like most about it. It's the perfect example of what a hot dog stand should be like, and stands in contrast to the Papaya Dogs of the world. Instead, we see that you don't have to be high-end and fancy to have quality and sustainable food. This place is going to be one of my new go-to spots, and it should be yours too.

Mexican BLVD.

Some places you just love to love, and Mexico Blvd. is one of them. I won't say I wasn't skeptical, and when you walk by a pimped out black van claiming to sell authentic Mexican tacos in the middle of the Ultra-Hip Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn, a little skepticism is expected. I walked by a full four times, made a face at the $3 per taco menu, and eventually decided it's my god given duty to sample what they had to offer. I am humbled to say I was blown away.

Who can resist that face?  Who I ask?!  WHO?!

When you visit this truck, and you absolutely must, the first thing you'll see is a mop of curly hair above a good looking boyish face with a huge grin on it. If that doesn't lure you in, ask him about where he's from and the story behind the food and he'll tell you about his families journey from Mexico City, the hours they spend slow roasting the meat, and the take-to-your-grave secret sauce recipes. He convinced me to try just about one of each taco and threw some guacamole into the mix. Here's what you should try (I recommend a bit of everything).

The Taco: 5/5

Food Porn. Hmmmm.

Greasy taco truck this ain't. If you're looking for delectable and fried bits of mystery meat from parts of a cow you didn't know existed, this isn't the place for you. What you'll get instead is happiness all over your mouth. Warm, gooey, savory, salty, rich, delicious happiness. I forgot to ask which tacos were which, so I couldn't tell them apart all that well, and I have to say I didn't care. The marinated meats, with all the sauces were moist and full of kick. Their great-grandmother, who created the recipes, knew was she was talking about when it comes to marinades. They are absolutely nothing like the street tacos I've had in Mexico, and yet still feel fully from south of the border. Even with the overtones of Texas BBQ and smokey goodness, it doesn't lose its inherent Mexican-ness.

Acoutrement: 4/5

You see that? A whole pineapple slice. Truth.

Sure, there aren't certain things you'd expect like a choice of green or red or orange salsa to add on your own, or pickled carrots and jalapeños, but what they do offer makes up for it. They've got a spicy sauce you can toss onto any taco (yes yes yes) and the Al Pastor comes with a whole stick of fresh Pineapple. Amazing. Also, their guacamole tastes fresh and somehow green and.....well, it's just worth it. Buy a side of it and put it on everything. It's good by itself, on a taco, with chips, spread it on your little brother, wherever.

Value: 3/5

We are talking a $3 truck taco here, so when I say we've got a value of 3/5 that's because of what you get for $3. There's no weak Filling-to-Tortilla ratio here, it's balanced perfectly and three tacos will fill you up no problem. Two would likely do the trick, and while that's a bit steep for those accustomed to $1.50 street tacos, what you get is worth more than twice the value.

What is this?  I have no idea.  Was it delicious? You bet.

Other: 4/5

I wasn't sure what to put into this category until I visited their website. My thought was, if you don't even have a place to sit, your other category will probably get a low score.  (Also, there's a little grocery store across the street with tables and cheap drinks, go sit there if you need a spot.) But then, GENIUS!, they are a truck, and trucks deliver. But do they deliver? No, they cater. You know what sold me on this category? A taco birthday. That's what they advertise. So, if you're planning my birthday, let's get these guys together and have a killer house party. They also travel around to different areas of NYC instead of sticking to their usual spot in Dumbo. Anyone that believes in  spreading the taco love enough to head over t Queens gets a thumbs up from me.

OVERALL: 5/5

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NY knows food trucks. Mexico City knows taco. Put the two together and BAM, you get this place. It's even worth the trip to Dumbo. Don't want to wait in line for an hour at Grimaldi's?  No problem, just visit Mexican Blvd. Never venture outside Manhattan? Have them cater your next event. Either way, you gotta meat (get it, MEAT?) these guys and try their stellar taco.

Burrito Bar

Hippies and Burritos!  Burrito Bar is a fun and colorful place in the heart of park slope with sometimes painful 60's overtones, but it rides the line between artsy and tacky well.  It reminds me of the kind of burrito place I'd expect to find in San Francisco.

Observe the intense hippie overtones of the signage.

I've eaten here a couple of times and the menu has a lot of fun variety, though I'd, of course, recommend the burritos.  The food, in general, is high quality, lean and healthy(er).  They do a lot of natural and organic type stuff to go with their hippie roots, which I think is a nice bonus.  So, even though the name says 'burrito' my eternal search for a good taco place in NY demanded that I check it out, but there were some annoying restrictions.

First, they don't serve Carne Asada tacos as an entree, only appetizer (along with chicken, shrimp, and ground beef)  and you get a choice of either 4 hard shell ones or 3 soft shell.  I was hoping for a little variety so I could try all of them, but they said I could only pick one so I made two orders, one chicken and one steak.  Entree tacos are chicken (corn tortilla), ground beef (hard-shell), or fish (hard and soft shell together).  As a side note, they played Brazilian music during my entire visit to this 'mexican' restaurant.  I was amused.  Doesn't effect the important stuff though; let's get to it.

The Taco: 2/5

A lemon wedge?  Really?  REALLY?

Honestly, not my favorite.  It wasn't like they made me violently angry, just disappointed, like a parent would feel when they realize their kid is born with webbed toes.  Mostly it was the chicken that hurt my feelings, it was bland and silly in its whiteness.  And dry, always dry with the chicken breast!  I appreciate the effort to be healthy and all, but give me some damn flavor.  Sheesh.  The steak was actually pretty killer, juicy and tender and grilled just right, but that was mostly ruined by the crappy bland tortillas that tasted stale and had a mealy sort of texture.  They could've used some grilling or pan frying or...something.  Also, the addition of cheese/tomato/lettuce toppings is just silly, this isn't taco bell for goodness sake.  Just get the steak or a burrito with steak, those are damn good.


Acoutrement: 3/5
There were definitely some good things happening in this category.  The initial salsa with the chips was a nice, mild, lumpy red.  Not a weird mystery lumpiness, but the kind that has little bits of flavor lumps that burst happiness into your mouth.  I ate a lot of it with their homemade chips that come in 4 colors (red, blue, yellow, and ORANGE.  Though depending on when in the day you go they may be stale.)  So, that stuff is good, but they didn't have any homemade piquante salsas or anything, just standard El Yucateco (a brand I'm finding owns New York mexican food, bleh) and cholula, a solid classic.


Value: 4/5

Don't be fooled by the nice presentation!  Mealy Tortillas!

 An appetizer order of 3-4 tacos for $7, not so bad.  It probably makes an alright meal for most people, though I nearly finished two orders and the complimentary chips and salsa and muffins (Muffins! I think because I went during brunch time).  Maybe go for the hard shell ones and see if you can get steak, that makes it a little better I think.

Other: 4/5 
Everything else about this place is great, just not the tacos.  They've got an amazing full bar, fresh squeezed juices, complimentary muffins during brunch, a wild fresh guacamole, and it's all mostly hippied out in it's natural/organic-ness, and mostly made with lean options, not too greasy, things like that.  Also, there is a really friendly server there named Sebbes who looks like he'd cut you something fierce if you met him in a dark alley but is the most helpful and soft-spoken guy in the restaurant.  So, go hang out here, just don't get chicken tacos or corn-tortillas.

Overall: 3/5

Bright colors!  Lights!  Racial Diversity!

It's not so bad that I haven't gone back, I just won't get the tacos.  It's in a good location, they have nice outdoor seating, a cool atmosphere, and most everything else is good, just know what to avoid and what to have.  It's called Burrito Bar for a reason, go their for Burritos or the Bar.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs (1310 Surf Avenue Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island)

Definitely one of the most established and hyped hot-dog places in New York with branches all over the city.  Of course, to do a proper review I had see where it all started. 

I love the little hot dog man

 Half the appeal of Nathan's is the location. Coney Island feels about as far away from Manhattan as possible, with open space, a beach, boardwalk, carnival, freak sideshow, the whole shebang.  Actually, in many ways it reminded me of being Santa Cruz, CA, but without the hula-hoop twirling hippies.  

For the sake of tact, I cut out the ambulance to the left.

The clientele at Nathan's was remarkably broad; everyone seems to buy into the hype and just about all demographics are represented.  There were a fair number of tourists, both from in town and out of town.  I heard a bit of French and Italian being spoken, along with the more regular Spanish and a surprising smattering of what I thought was Russian.  There were also a good spread of crazies and derelicts without whom no seaside carnival would be complete. What came as a surprise to me, though, was the shear number of people at the place. Even more surprising, the presence of an ambulance and EMTs loading up a middle-aged Nathan's customer on a stretcher did nothing to stop the hoards from getting their share of tubular meat. My brother-in-law also has an emergency room story about eating a hot dog at Nathan's; apparently he is not alone.  

Despite the apparent health hazards the crowd wasn't deterred, and a small barrier like a trip to the ER wasn't going to stop me from trying the most famous hot dog in NY.  Besides, according to my television the nurses in emergency rooms are as spicy as andouille sausage.

The Item: 4/5

 Good! Surprisingly good! The dogs have a bold flavors and a great snap, quintessentially hotdog like. They slightly toast the buns on the same griddle as the dogs, which is a nice perk, but if you get toppings it will soak right through and make the bun soggy. The hotdogs are thin, and the toppings are thick, a ratio I'm not usually fond of, but the flavor cuts through well. I even detected a hint of spice, though it may be the onion/pepper combo of toppings. I also tried a corn dog which was....ordinary. Too much corn, not enough dog, which is too bad since the dogs are pretty tasty.

  

Acoutrement: 3/5

Observe the hot dog shaped grease stain on the lid.  Delicious.

This is sort of the thing at Nathan's, they have lots of topping options, though I wouldn't say they are anything particularly fancy.  You've got a standard ketchup/mustard/onions/kraut (no relish or mayo) or you can get a themed dog with chili, bacon & cheese, or peppers & onions. I tried the peppers & onions and the chili. The chili was tasty as well but has much more flavor to it than the dogs so you're basically just trading one for the other. I recommend getting it on the side and enjoying is separately. The onions and peppers were soggy, but the flavor was good and distinct.

Value: 2/5

Here lies the heart of most complaints about Nathan's, the price.  I agree, $3.50 is too damn much for a hotdog. It's not a sausage or organic or anything special, it's just a thin, but tasty, hotdog; what you're really paying for is the experience of being there and the hype.  I got three dogs and a drink, and dropped about $15. I'd recommend getting a kids meal, it comes with a dog, fries and a drink for $5.99, not bad.

Other: 4/5

So far the record is 68 hot dogs. Yum.

A couple things of note here: The location, for one.  Coney island is lovely and a great place to get away from the city.  I thoroughly enjoyed eating my meal with ocean views.   Also, their drinks are varied and original. They have the usual soda and beer, but they also have a homemade lemonade and orangeade that were awesome. Definitely try the orangeade, it's like homemade Slice.

What put the 'other' category into the 4 range instead of a 3, however, was the annual hot dog eating contest Nathan's sponsors. This level of street meat cultural contribution cannot go unrecognized. The next contest will be held at Nathan's flagship store in Coney Island on July 4th, 2011. I'm going. (update: I went, it was the kind of horror akin to watching a slow motion train hurtling towards a cliff and wondering if the brakes will work in time. Everyone should go once).

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Overall Score: 4/5
Despite the above-average price and all the hype, I completely enjoyed my experience at Nathan's.  The dogs were good, the atmosphere was nice, the drinks are plentiful, and the beach is lovely.  I'm sure I'll go back again, just be sure to chew thoroughly so you don't end up in the hospital too.