City to food vendors: Move over hot dogs

New York's famed hot dogs and pretzels are fast becoming the park menu of the past as the city shuts out scrappy hot dog vendors from its food criteria for 55 new vendor locations across the city.

The new criteria for this round of applications is asking for high end gourmet foods that tout premium coffees, teas and muffins to quality ethnic foods that are "inventive, interesting and healthy."

Upgrading from the standard Big Apple dirty dog and pretzel will be a welcome change even for frequent tourists such as Yvonne McManus and Joe May of Ireland, to city sanitation worker Israel Segarra of Manhattan, who works in Battery Park, where a new food vendor application is being offered.

"People want a choice, a variety," said McManus, 34, who just walked off a Statute of Liberty ferry in Battery Park Thursday.

"Something more substantive would be nice right now . . . but there's nothing wrong with a hot dog," said May, 31, who ordered one with the works - mustard, onions and sauerkraut.

For Segarra, 41, working at the park means hunting for a variety of breakfast and lunch menus.

"I eat my breakfast and lunch out here every day, and I am a very picky eater," said Segarra, who thinks a new gourmet food cart in Battery Park will get folks out of their food vendor slumps.

Currently, there are only eight hot dog and pretzel and roasted nut and cashew carts as well as a basic coffee and bagel cart next to the Statue of Liberty ferry landing.

"When is it going to open?" asked Segarra, hoping that it will be different from the seasonal kiosks that serve hamburgers, fries and wrap sandwiches. "I hope it adds variety. I like my rice and beans, pizza, beef stews."

The deadline for vendors to submit their applications - which are available at nycgovparks.org - is Feb. 25.

For Mike Fragioudalkis, owner of Soho Snacks, which owns the eight carts in Battery Park that sells churros, ice cream and drinks, heard the news with a little trepidation. "I know for sure that they will be selling drinks and water and that is bad for my business," he said, adding that hungry customers will still pine for the traditional New York hot dog and pretzel in the park.