Street Meats
By Amy Fisher |
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Hot dogs are nothing new to the food cart scene, and while many food carts are trying to individualize themselves, some are more successful than others.
Rad Dog
The hot dogs from Rad Dog, often located downtown at High and Broad Streets, are all vegetarian, but even the semi-meatless masquerader will enjoy them.
Photo: Eric Pacella
All of the usual suspects are present - mustard, ketchup, kraut, even a veggie Coney sauce. I really enjoy the Rad Dog ($4.50), which is a veggie beer brat with sauerkraut, onions, peppers, and mustard. It's satisfying and the vegetarian "meat," lighter in flavor and salt, left me feeling full - but not full of chemicals. A perfect meal for an on-the-go summer day, or a great way to fill up before you hit the Pearl Alley market so you don't end up coming home with a trunk full of sweets.
Lui's
When I approached Lui's cart on Broad Street west of Third Avenue, he smiled slightly; this quickly faded into an all-business attitude as he asked, "What do you want?"
Photo: Eric Pacella
"What do I want?" I challenged him. I've been to sit-down restaurants that had smaller menus. I was interested in the gyro salad ($6.50), which was essentially a gyro without the pita. The gyro meat was piled on top of iceberg lettuce with pickled jalapenos (though I could have chosen mild peppers), cheddar, and some nice tomatoes. Then, a generous portion of his mayo-based white sauce followed. It was a filling and tasty meal, but salad it was not. For my money, however, I would stick with the Hot Sausage ($5.50), which is, incidentally, almost as large as the menu. Served with all the right fixin's, it's a monstrosity of spicy sausage with cheese, mustard, homemade kraut, caramelized onions, and jalapenos. This is the old-school kind of street meat that will forever be in style.
Rather sit indoors? See our other lunch suggestions: Too-cool Sandwiches
Originally Published: September 1, 2009
