Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Saturday's parting shot AKA... today in wedding parties at Crif Dogs... 

P.S.

Congratulations! 

Hot dog!? Crif Dogs reopens on St. Mark's Place

Crif Dogs reopened yesterday — for the first time since the PAUSE of March 2020 — here at 113 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The hot doggery is now in its 20th year, having debuted in 2001.

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. Find their Instagram here.

H/T Vinny & O. Old photo by EVG.

The changing of the bulb above the Eat Me sign

Outside Crif Dogs on St. Mark's Place late this afternoon…

Deal off to bring Crif Dogs to the former Billy's Antiques space

Crif Dogs will not be selling its wares from the former Billy's Antiques space on East Houston at Elizabeth Street, we learned this morning. Crif Dogs partner Brian Shebairo confirmed that the deal is dead. And he is mighty pissed about it. More on that in a moment.

Shehairo planned to park the Crifmobile at this lot and open a more-permanent space with outdoor tables and chairs, as Grub Street first reported on April 1. The space has sat empty since Billy Leroy put away the giant tent in March 2012. Plans for a new two-story building on the lot have never materialized.

Shebairo, who opened the flagship shop on St. Mark's Place in 2001, was working on a deal with landlord Goldman Properties. However, that deal died yesterday when Goldman reps said that they'd like Shebairo to turn the space back over to them in September and October for a Kenneth Cole-sponsored arts event where the homeless could receive free needles and condoms.

This revelation from Goldman came after Shebairo spent two months working on the proposal, incurring costly lawyer fees in the process.

"I'm so annoyed," Shebairo said on the phone this morning. "I jumped through hoops to make this happen with them leading me along the whole time. I think they wanted me to come in to clean the space for them then give it back in the prime season so they could work with Kenneth Cole."

The proposal inadvertently ended up on this month's Community Board 2 agenda — before Shebairo had time to do any neighborhood outreach. After the item appeared on the docket, he learned that NoHo power-broker Zella Jones was dead against the idea of someone peddling hot dogs with a full-liquor license on that corner.

Shebairo said that he sat down with Jones during a recent four-hour meeting at Saxon + Parole. By the end of the meal, he had agreed to a host of stipulations, including only serving beer and closing by 10 p.m. He said that he had her blessing, which goes a really long way in that neighborhood.

Apparently Shebairo could of had a much smaller presence during the two-month Cole event. As one Goldman rep apparently told him, "Brian, we're going to make you famous."

Said Shebairo: "It was a kick in the fucking face. I don't know how Kenneth Cole is going to make me famous."

He has all the proper permits for the year ready for the Crifmobile, and he could legally just park it by the empty lot if he wanted to.

"I thought it was kind of a cool idea," he said with a sigh, "a creative use of the space."

How about some Crif Dogs with your vintage Burgundy?

Patrick Cappiello, a former sommelier at Veritas Restaurant on East 20th Street, shared a story with Eater yesterday about a bar regular — a hedge fund manager — who loved Crif Dogs. And they'd order them in for this guest.

One night, over a few B.L.T. Dogs and a magnum of Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet 1986, he starts eyeing the vertical of Henri Jayer ... After a bit of discussion, he decides to go with Vosne Romnee Cros Parantoux 1985, a steal at $5,000. This was the first, and at this point in my life, the only time I've ever had this wine. To say the wine was magical would be an understatement, and Crif Dogs have never tasted the same...

Crif Dogs inflated a lot of balloons to celebrate 10 years of weiners

On St. Mark's Place, Crif Dogs celebrated its 10-year anniversary yesterday with $1 hot dogs...

Um, sorry to be telling you this the day after... But look at the balloons. We like balloons! Pretty pretty!

Photos by Bobby Williams...

Noted

From The Baltimore Sun nightlife reporter:

Yes, I know, Baltimore already has a spot called Speakeasy.

I'm talking about the real thing.

Speakeasies are all the rage in New York and a few other major cities.

I saw a TV show about one speakeasy in New York where you walk into a phonebooth in a hot dog shop, pick up the phone and a hostess from the speakeasy opens a secret door on the inside of the phone booth to let you in.

That. Is. Awesome. ...

Just another random photo of a woman who bet that she could eat 10 hot dogs in 20 minutes at Crif Dogs

On St. Mark's. Via dpstyles at Flickr.