Hotdog!
The other day, The Wall Street Journal ran an essay by columnist Adam Chandler: “The Rise of the $100 Hot Dog.”
Egad!
The hot dog, says Chandler, “has been dogged” (!) by a lowbrow reputation: zero nutrition, hardly any quality, not at all unaffordable. But the edible canine is growing and glowing. Premium toppings, extravagant presentations and supersize varieties are pushing hot dogs into the realm of fine-dining, haute cuisine. (With prices to match.)
Chandler described a few …
The Caviar Dog. $100. “Golden Glizzy” they call it, because it has … gold on it, yup 24-karat, too (in the form of edible flakes). And crème fraîche, mascarpone, and 30 grams of Ossetra caviar (one of the world’s most prized and versatile luxury caviars, harvested from the Russian sturgeon, that yields a clean, satisfying pop on the palate before releasing a smooth, creamy center; a tin of this stuff is $120). Oh, and there is a hot dog in there somewhere!
Said Chandler:
The gilded grub became something of a sensation at this year’s Formula One Miami Grand Prix and Miami Open tennis tournament, starring in countless social media videos and selling out at both events.”
Then there is The Museum of Modern Art Mini-Hot Dog. Also with caviar (it’s a trend!) and pickled shallots. Comes in twos. $39 a pair.
Or, if you please, The Hot Dog Tower, at the Breckenridge Ski Resort’s restaurant. It used to be seafood towers. No longer. 6 hot dogs (beef). Buns. Wieners. 6 sauces. And Waffle fries. $60.
A few mountains away from Breckenridge, in Aspen-Snowmass, a ski-in/ski-out operation called the Hot Dogger recently started serving its namesake item, The Hot Dogger, with toppings like furikake (a dry Japanese condiment designed to add immediate umami, crunch, and saltiness to plain cooked rice), nori (edible seaweed), and wasabi relish. Clearly a Far East inspiration. But only $12.
(For reference, Costco’s vaunted hot-dog-and-soda combo has cost $1.50 since the mid-1980s.)
Of course, it’s not just fancy and esoteric toppings that make these dogs groovy.
The Glizzy is a 2-foot-long hot dog in a 19-inch bun that was selling for $45 recently at Coors Field in Denver. Other establishments are taking notice.
Said the famous Joey Chestnut, the 42-year-old competitive eater, who has won the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest a record 18 times:
Glizzies are everywhere you look. The appeal of these things—at any price—might partly come down to nostalgia. It’s hard to not have a good memory of eating a hot dog. Hot dogs are like a safety blanket of fun.”
Yes, but, there is more to life than hot dogs, or even food (or drink)!
God, You are my God; I earnestly long for You;
my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
in an earth dry and desolate, without water.
Thus in the holy place I have beheld You,
to see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips laud You.
So I bless You for [all] my life;
in Your name I lift up my hands.
As with fat and richness [of food] my soul is satisfied,
and with lips joyfully shouting my mouth offers praise.
When I remember You on my bed,
in the night watches I meditate on You.
For You have been a help to me,
and in the shadow of Your wings I shout with joy.
My soul cleaves unto You; Your right hand holds me.
Psalm 63:1–7
SOURCE (of ideas, numbers, and words): The Wall Street Journal
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.