You've heard of ultraluxe burgers made with braised short ribs and foie gras selling for $100 a pop -- in fact, a similar burger made news when it debuted at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in the Boca Raton Resort & Club in 2006. But supped up hot dogs costing nearly as much? Now that's crazy talk.
Well, that's precisely what's going down at Serendipity in New York. The famous ice cream shop already owns the Guinness world records for Most Expensive and Largest Ice Cream Sundaes. But now it's setting its sights on hot dogs.
To be exact: A three-foot-long gourmet hot dog that, at $69, is supposed to be the
most expensive in the world. The dog itself is grilled with white
truffle oil, set in a bun toasted with truffle oil, topped with foie
gras and black truffles, and served with truffled Dijon mustard and
heirloom tomato ketchup. That $69 doesn't include tax and tip, and it
must be ordered 24 hours in advance. Yikes.
According to reports,
the "haute dog," as it's been dubbed, is actually pretty tasty. But it
does raise the question, "How much are you willing to pay for what is
basically a hot dog?" Are $1 or $2 dirty water dogs your limit? Or will you
pay $10 for some of the gourmet dogs you can get at local restaurants?
For example, a foot-long, half-pound hot dog served with stout mustard
and beer-braised sauerkraut from Big Bear Brewing Co. will set you back
$10. Meanwhile, a fully loaded Chicago dog at Hot Dog Heaven runs around $3.
How much are you willing to pay for a hot dog? Would you buy the $70
monster seen above?