FROM SCRATCH (Mile End Sandwich)

My search for the best hot dogs in New York continues….

Every year at Thanksgiving, I go crazy and make a big dinner for my friends. And I like to make everything from scratch – down to the pie crusts, the cranberry sauce, and the beer. I do this once a year. Noah Bernamoff and crew do it every day!

I’ve been fans of Noah and his wife Rae Cohen, for a few years now since I first discovered their transcendent smoked meat (the Montreal version of pastrami) at their small, lively Brooklyn spot.

Noah and Rae don’t cut corners and they don’t stock their restaurant with store-bought ingredients when they could just make it themselves. Case in point: they make their own hot dogs! That’s rather unlikely in New York. Very few restaurants actually make the wieners themselves. You know the names Sabrett, Hebrew National, and Nathan’s for a reason.

Considering the many times I’ve dined at Mile End, it’s sort of amazing that I’ve never tried their hot dog (named Hoyt Dog for the street in Brooklyn). I’m always so focused on the smoked meat and the salmon and the poutine.

They recently expanded to a roomy take-out spot in Manhattan and since I had yet to visit and I was craving a hot dog, this was my shot. I had to resist my usuals, which are available here in all their glory (along with plenty of breakfast sandwiches and other deli-esque fare). I ordered the hoyt dog and just the hoyt dog, as difficult as that was.

It’s an expensive dog at $7, but they pulled out all the stops. First off, the roll it was served on was like a buttery, crusty poppy-seed bagel. It added to the culinary experience instead of merely sitting there and being a vessel (like so many buns these days).

There wasn’t a whole lot of snap to the all-beef dog, but it had a darkish brown skin that gave it a nice sweet hickory maple flavor which worked well with the salty meatiness. Topping it off was a peppery  and tangy homemade (of course) relish and sauerkraut. They were sort of mixed together and seemed more like an onion, radish, pickle salsa. Nothing wrong with that!

Noah and Rae are truly an inspiration and are my saviors when it comes to updated Jewish food. Perhaps I’ll make a hot dog from scratch for this Thanksgiving. Turkey hot dog, anyone?

Does Mile End Sandwich have the best hot dog in NY? It’s on the pricey side, but at a 9 out of 10 it’s well-worth it considering the effort the owners have put into developing this mighty tasty, well-rounded version.