Dog Fight: Dawgs On Park vs. Crif Dogs

This is the kind of battle that Michael Vick should have preferred.

In a showdown of two East Village hot dog purveyors, EVP decides who has the best beefy treat between two buns. On the left, from 7th street between Avenues A and B in 10009, Dawgs on Park appears with “The Chili Dawg”. On the right, from its basement dwelling on 113 St. Marks Pl. – or 8th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A – Crif Dogs brings its “Chili Dog” proving that some product names are best left alone.

Let’s begin with price..

• Dawgs on Park’s chili hot dog – $5.25
• Crif Dogs chili hot dog – $4.06

After arriving home and unwrapping each NYC hot dog for the big photo shoot, I can see why there’s a $1 difference. There’s more stuff on the “Dawg” dog than the “Crif” dog. Still, both eateries have to be making some serious coin from their wiener wonderlands. At the Key Food grocery store nearby, I can buy an 8-pack of Hebrew National Hot Dogs, Reduced Fat (no kidding), for 4 bucks plus.

The Tasting

I tried the Dawgs on Park chili dog, first. The soft bun gave way to thick, gooey, cheddar cheese with flecks of freshly chopped, crunchy onion. There is an abundance of cheese on this baby. If you like cheese, you’re gonna like this dog. Hidden behind the cheese was Vegan Chili (according to the menu). It tasted like salsa to me. Behind the salsa was the final target, the juicy hot dog – salty and addictive. I had a couple bites of this hot dog before I put it down. Definitely enjoyed “the start.”

Next, I devoured the Crif Dogs chili dog. Less stuff on this dog… there’s no cheese, in fact. Just chili, onions, mustard and dog. I liked it. Simple in its design, it, too, went down quickly as I was able to stop at mid-hot dog. The bun equaled the soft texture of the Dawgs on Park dog… as did the hot dog, itself. I would not be surprised if each of the restaurants purchased from the same wholesaler.

As I paused to sip my Heineken light (no promotional fee accepted for this mention), I pondered who was best. I liked both. This was not going to be like last week’s “Meat-Off.”

I dove back in – Dawgs on Park chili dog, first. This time, after having eaten the simpler Crif Dog dog, I had a reaction. There’s too damn much on this Dawg dog. I like the ingredients, but the Vegan Chili is out of place. I should have been dipping chips in that chili – not eating hot dogs. And the cheese, there’s a lot, and that’s nice.. I mean at least they didn’t skimp. I appreciate it. But, in the final analysis, it was too much for this East Village Podcasts blogger. I had two more bites and put it down leaving just a ‘tail’ of the hot dog remaining.

Thereafter, the final half of the Crif Dog chili dog was gobbled quickly. Its tangy mustard and adequate chili provided an appropriate complement to the hot dog. Remarkably, I returned to the Dawgs on Park dog and finished it, too. Hey, I was hungry! They both were tasty.

The Weiner Winner

The Winner is… from the East Village of New York City… Crif Dogs “Chili Dog”!

Tonight, their simple chili dog hit the ’spot.’ Dawgs on Park was good -just a bit heavy on the toppings including some vegan chili weirdness.

 

 

August 16th, 2007

Entry Filed under: Food - Competitive