Ballgame On

In honor of his beloved heartbreaks--the New York Metropolitans--pitchers and catchers working out in the Florida (i.e. Flori-dumb) sunshine down in Port St. Lucie, Pete LaCock set out to eat some hot dogs and waffle fries from New York Hot Dog Company on Chambers and Church and then have a salty salute--and wash the nitrate taste away--to man's best friend at Nancy Whiskey on Lispenard and Church, where coincidentally Pete once had beers with 86 Mets star Ron Darling (really bad taste in music (Counting fucking Crowes?), but a nice guy). But New York Hot Dog Company has been economized, i.e. closed down. And with it, the ending of one of Pete's most embarrassing ordering experiences ever: They had a sign with "hamburger" above "hot dog." Pete was intrigued so he ordered one. The guy said, "Which one?" Pete said, "The hamburger hot dog." The guy angrily said, "It's either a hot dog or a hamburger." If they had a hamburger hot dog they'd probably still be in business. So Pete took off for the place where the recession (special) is always in effect--go get a late pass--Gray's Papaya on Sixth Avenue at 8th Street. One recession special--two dogs and drink for $4.75--later, Pete needed one more of their snappy dogs covered in scarecrow hair-like sauerkraut and not-found-in-a-Crayola-box colored onions which he washed down with the orange drink that tasted just like the orange drink McDonald's served in the 80s. They claim "Nobody but nobody serves a better frankfurter." Pete couldn't agree less. The lunch game was past the seventh-inning stretch so there was no time for beer so he headed to Grey Dog Coffee on Carmine Street for a little coffee. Bonus kudos for having Neutral Milk Hotel playing.