Crif Dogs

Andrew Steinthal — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:34:44 +0000

Refrigerator staples of the downtown twenty-something: a Brita pitcher, beer, string cheese, ketchup and a Crif Dog’s “Eat Me” weiner magnet featuring a babe in a bikini riding a hot dog. That’s some Infatuation friendly marketing right there. When I think about Crif Dogs, I’m brought back to the blackout of 2003. How amazing was that? NYC turned into one big block party. The night it all went down, Crif Dogs was the only place in the East Village that had power because they were smart enough to have a backup generator for exactly such occasion. So while everyone else was sweating it out while food spoiled, Crif’s happily cooked up dogs and topped off beers (on the house!) for the whole neighborhood. A classic NYC moment for sure, and a fond memory I’ll never forget.

Since the East Village started the gentrification process, Crif Dogs has been there to support the lifestyle of the young, drunk, cash-strapped and hungry. Open until 4am on the weekends and 2am during the week, C-Dogs is an all hours Neighborhood Hang, ideal for Late Night Eats, cheap beers and a game of Ms. Pacman. There is one downside though. At night, big crowds of dude-bros gather, trying to impress their dates by being granted access into PDT, the not-so-secret cocktail lounge next door that you enter through a not-so-secret phone booth in the restaurant. We’re over that hidden door, walk through a secret tunnel nonsense. Get in and get out with your dogs while the Jersey Shore plays the name drop game with the bouncer.

Food Rundown:

Dogs While Bark Hot Dogs are crisp and crunchy, Crif Dogs of the softer variety. The buttered buns cling to the dogs, absorbing all the juicy goodness of the meat and toppings. With so many good options, picking which dog to ride isn’t easy. We suggest ordering at least one wrapped weiner – the pork and beef dogs taste even better inside a layer of bacon or ham. We like customizing our own Crif Dogs, but some of our favorite menu dogs include: Tsunami (bacon wrapped house dog with teriyaki, pineapple and green onions), The B.L.T. (bacon wrapped dog with lettuce, tomato and mayo), Morning Jersey (taylor ham wrapped dog with melted cheese and a fried egg) and the Spicy Redneck (bacon wrapped house dog with chili, cole slaw and jalapenos).

Waffle FriesCrispy, relatively plain (you need to dump on the salt), and really f’in good. They even deliver well, a sign that a restaurant pays close attention to detail. It’s rare delivery fries taste equally as good as the ones fresh out of the kitchen, and these do.

Tater Tots These crunchy potato blimps are reason enough to visit C-Dogs and impossible not to pound two at a time.

RC ColaWhen was the last time you saw a restaurant carry RC Cola? I didn’t even know that still existed. I think I was playing Turbo Grafx the last time I drank one of these. Points for nostalgia.

Bark Hot Dogs

Andrew Steinthal — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:17:57 +0000

When you think about it, Bark is a genius concept. Kids freak out over hot dogs, so why not set up shop in the most fertile section of Brooklyn? We counted an equal ratio of strollers to oversized headphones, a telling sign of a successful Park Slope operation. I don’t know that I’ve ever wolfed down multiple hot dogs, fries, half a burger and a malt shake and felt so good afterwards.

The key to Bark being the best new dog in show is their attention to detail. Josh Sharkey and co. are crafting wieners with a serious fire and desire. They grind their meat fresh every morning and slow cook each dog on a griddle to maximize flavor. They brew their own beer, pickle their own cucumbers, concoct all kinds of special sauces and only use recycled products in their restaurant. Bark is taking “fast food” to a whole other level. Speaking of pickles, Snooki where you at? We’re ready for you on an Immaculate Infatuation Pickles Across the City tour. First stop, Bark.

Food Rundown:

Hot Dogs
Every dog on the menu comes in a buttered, toasted bun and is worth sinking your teeth into, but our favorites include the NYC Classic with sweet & sour onions and mustard, the Bark Dog with sweet pepper relish, mustard and chopped raw onions the Chili Cheese Dog with chili, cheddar and raw onions, and my personal favorite, the Pickle Dog with house pickles, mustard and mayo. The dogs are a mixture of pork shoulder, pork jowel and beef shoulder. After slowly cooking on the griddle, the dogs are finished with a basting of Bark Seasoning Butter (AKA heart attack butter) – pork fat that’s smoked and rendered into lard, then whipped with butter and sea salt. If pork isn’t for you, they also serve an All Beef Dog (beef shoulder and beef shank) and a Veggie Dog (roasted mushroom with chickpea topping and pickled garlic mayo).

Burger
Although hot dogs are Bark’s namesake, their burger gives the dogs a run for their money. It tastes like a BK Whopper, only way better. Once again, Bark’s attention to detail is on full display. They mix together organic beef short ribs, beef top round and pork jowel and serve their burger on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, chopped Bark dill pickles, Bark bread and butter pickles, red onion and a secret special sauce.

Fries
Dark and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, you’ll be eating these thin fried potatoes by the fistful. The gravy and cheese smothered disco fries are ridiculous as well.

Onion Rings
These more closely resemble small funnel cakes than they do onion rings. That doesn’t suck.

Immaculate Infatuation » Hot Dogs

Crif Dogs

Food Rundown:

Bark Hot Dogs

Food Rundown: