Worlds Most Expensive Hotdog?

I hate being the investigative reporter here.  I mean, it’s 4:30AM (up for a work call) and I see this story – only to think Bullshit.

First, the title of World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog is not the “Haute Dog”, but instead the $80+ “McMullen” in Atlantic City.  A hot dog that is -

“A half-pound, all-beef hot dog rolled in truffle oil. It’s coated with porcini dust – pulverized mushrooms – and sprinkled with white truffle shavings, then topped with dollops of crème fraiche, fresh roe and caviar shipped from California. Keeping with baseball tradition, the dog will be deep-fried.

The dog will be served in a blini roll, a high-end bread specially made by the Cape Cod-based Underground Bakery.”

As you can see – the ingredients here are truly top quality and unusual.

The second challenge here is to justify the $100 Price.  With the “McMullen” above, everything is opulent across the board.  Meanwhile, the only thing that really sets the Dragon Dog apart is the Kobe Beef and Lobster.  The reporter (probably at the suggestion of the dogs creator) focuses on Cognac, at that is where everything (IMO) falls apart.

Stated to be “Infused” with Louis XIII Cognac has multiple issues -

Infused?  Instead, when you read the article, you learn that there is a minimal amount of cognac used -

• “seasoned with droplets of hundred-year-old Louis XIII cognac”
• “squeezing a droplet of cognac into a split, steaming bratwurst.”

Therefore, a single standard bottle would last you approximately 750 Hotdogs. 

The stated $2000 per bottle is also overstated.  Granted, prices can fluctuate depending on the buyer, availability and age – as you can see, the most common price (at 36 stores) is $1699US, or $1721.33CAD. 

So, even if we went with the most expensive option as stated in the article – $2000/750ml (an eyedropper = 1ml) = $2.66 worth of cognac per hotdog.

While I defer to my chef friends out there, I don’t see how this price justifies the $100 cost.  I recently had a Kobe Beef Hamburger (with a lot of Kobe Beef) and it was nowhere near this price, especially when you think if you buy in bulk – the price goes down further.

I hate to see what the margin of profit is here.

In closing, I just don’t see this justifying the price.  Anyone can say “This Hot Dog is worth $X”, but it all depends on how it qualifies.  This seems like a publicity/money grab due to their being on “Dragon’s Den” (here in the US its called Shark Tank).  In the US, at some point in the show, they usually ask how much it costs to make something – which I think is the crux here.  Do they BS (or exaggerate for TV) or tell the true cost?  I guarantee there is not $100 worth of ingredients….and to me (and hopefully the Guinness Foundation) this is what defines a World Record.

What is everyone else's thought?

 

$100 cognac-infused hot dog for sale on streets of Vancouver

VANCOUVER - The average price of a hotdog in Vancouver has spiked dramatically thanks to a new cognac-infused foot-long selling for $100.

DougieDog restaurant on Granville Street will sell the hefty bratwurst, known as the Dragon Dog, on 12-hour notice only. It's seasoned with droplets of hundred-year-old Louis XIII cognac, worth more than $2,000 a bottle.

"It's the most expensive hotdog in the world," said DougieDog owner, dougieluv, during an interview in his restaurant's kitchen. "It's like fine dining in the hotdog world."

The Dragon Dog is the first hotdog in the world to sell for "three figures," he said, adding that the company is challenging the current Guinness World Record holder, the "haute dog," which sells for $69 at Serendipity restaurant in New York.

"In designing this hotdog I wanted to come up with something super tasty and high-end that stays true to the traditional identity of the hotdog," said dougieluv, squeezing a droplet of cognac into a split, steaming bratwurst.

His gold bracelets jingled as he smothered the dog with toppings of beer-fed Kobe beef, olive and truffle oil, and fresh lobster. A picante sauce ties the "flavours together for 12 inches of culinary decadence," he said.

The hotdog's namesake is two-fold.

"First, the launch of this hotdog coincides with the beginning of Chinese year of the dragon," Dougie Luv said. "It also coincides with our appearance on [CBC reality TV program] Dragons' Den, the most popular show on Canadian television."

According to CBC's website, DougieDog will make a pitch on tonight's episode of Dragons' Den, asking the investors for $200,000 for a 25-per-cent stake in the business.

Meanwhile, buzz around the Dragon Dog kept the phone ringing on Tuesday.

"I have a lot of reservations [for the new dog] already," said Dougie Luv.

"Vancouver is the greatest city in the world, and now we have the greatest hotdog in the world."