Photos: $69 Hot Dog Debuts at Ice Cream Shop

In honor of National Hot Dog Day (and in honor of gimmicky publicity stunts), the midtown east ice cream parlor Serendipity III introduced a fancy new menu item today: the "Haute Dog." These are the same people who brought us the $25,000 sundae and the budget-priced $1,000 sundae, resulting in a hilarious Stephen Colbert segment, during which he ordered the sundae and wondered, "If I gave you another thousand dollars, could I make someone poor watch me eat it?"

According to the press release, "Every year Americans consume on average 60 hot dogs a year. Hot dogs have become synonymous with summertime fun and Serendipity plans to dish a designer version of this iconic American food." Ain't that America: Fueled by tubes of lips and assholes. But as Serendipity's owner puts it, here "the 'haute dog' is total glamour." And it now holds the record for the most expensive hot dog in the world.

This version is 12 inches long and pure beef. It's grilled in white truffle oil, placed in a salted pretzel bread bun toasted with white truffle butter, topped with medallions of duck foie gras with black truffles with side condiments of black truffle Dijon mustard, caramelized Vidalia onions and heirloom tomato Ketchup. All that can be yours for just $69, but you have to place your order 24 hours in advance to allow time for the "special ingredients" to be flown in fresh. Since we're talking about hot dogs here, we're not going to bother asking about those "special ingredients."

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By John Del Signore in Food on July 23, 2010 3:52 PM

Comments [rss]

RevWaldo

"Of course it's cruelty-free fioe gras, right fellas? Right? Guys?"

Kelles

Maybe they can get Kobayashi to eat 10 of these in 10 minutes?

(wow...I wonder what it would be like to bring Kobayashi to an All-You Can-Eat Buffet....)

John L

"12 inches long and pure beef. It's grilled in white truffle oil, placed in a salted pretzel bread bun toasted with white truffle butter, topped with medallions of duck foie gras with black truffles with side condiments of black truffle Dijon mustard, caramelized Vidalia onions and heirloom tomato Ketchup. All that can be yours for just $69" and when it'll still come out brown when you got to the bathroom.

But this is a great marketing ploy. Look at all the free advertising and they're so sure that no one is actually going to order it that they don't even have the ingredients handy. Note to all restaurant owners, if you want thousands in free ads just take some common generic food, oversize it and garnish it with the most expensive, disgusting stuff you can find and make the price as ridiculous as possible. Then make one prototype for pictures and hire a PR firm to send out a press release and you'll get thousands in free publicity! Guerilla Marketing 101

Dick Nickel

Every year Americans consume on average 60 hot dogs a year.

Thanks to whomever eats the 50 or so of my annual quota.

Rocknrope

I was just thinking, I hate to see the person who has to eat 120 to make up for my 1-2/year.

lamb

Got a problem? Just truffle it.

Cannibal

+1,000,000,000 I truffle the shit out of ALL my problems. Speaking of which, i need more to shave over my corner store bacon egg and cheeses in the AM....

Jen S

The foie gras looks like cat food.

asane

Or you can get a duck dog covered in fois gras for only $7 in Chicago at Hot Dougs.

Cannibal

but then you would have to go to Chicago, and that's enough to ruin anyone's appetite!

paulie

+1 to Hot Dougs

rdayk

Well, that looks just as disgusting as any other NYC dirty-water dog. It is a $1 hot dog topped with $68 worth of foie gras and truffles and other frou-frou, but it's essential base is still a cheap hot dog.

Cannibal

dirty water dogs are delicious. Go back to Portland.

rdayk

I happen to be a native New Yorker, and a vegetarian. News flash: tourists buy just as many dirty-water dogs, stale pretzels, and knishes as do the natives.