Original Mediocrity (a.k.a. Sand in the Chili)
This is a chili dog from the Original Nathan’s, a mammoth hot dog stand / beefy mecca at Coney Island, a beach at the very tip of Brooklyn. You see this place every year during the hot dog eating championship, with several crazies in the foreground dipping dogs into water and scarfing them down.
The question: Is it worth a trip here to eat one of the original Originals? The answer, no. While the vaguely industrialized beach amusement is a great atmosphere for eating, the fact is the hot dogs are no better than ones you buy in the package at the grocery store and heat up yourself. The chili was disappointing and the fries were nothing special. I recommend that you go down the shore to Brighton Beach instead, to one of the Russian supper clubs. There you can have an ungodly amount of meat while drinking more vodka and listening to more bad cover songs than you ever thought possible.
April 23, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I completely agree about the hot dogs. They are just hot dogs. They probably by them at the local supermarket. And I could make a better chili dog with a generic chili mix.
Now I’d like to speak a bit about the atrocious roller coaster that stands proudly a stone’s throw from the aforementioned dining establishment. If you’ve ever had the desire to be beaten mercilessly while simultaneously being flung around at various odd angles, this is the ride for you. Sadists, recommend it to your friends. Masochists, hop on for multiple rides–they’re free after the first one!