Daily Pampering: World’s most expensive hot dog and sundae make a $1,069 meal

by Melanie Nayer on

When it comes to food and luxury the options are simply endless. There’s the diamond-encrusted sushi and the $20,000 bottle of scotch and now, there’s the world’s most expensive hot dog, found in none other than New York City.

That’s right food lovers — feast your eyes (and mouth) on the most expensive wiener in the world, found at New York’s Serendipity 3. Cashing it a cool $69, the haute hot dog is prepared by head chef Joe Calderone, and is topped with truffle oil, truffle butter, duck foie gras, Dijon mustard, Vidalia onions and ketchup and is wrapped in a salted pretzel bun.

This isn’t the first ‘most expensive’ title held by the New York favorite delicacies joint. The restaurant also holds the record for the most expensive ice-cream sundae, called the Golden Opulence Sundae checking out at a $1,000. You’ll have to make a reservation at least 48 hours in advance if you want this chocolaty treat.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

[via New York Daily News]

$2,500 sundae (or less? or more?) in New York City–or go for a cheaper version

by Jamie Rhein on

Yes, there is a sundae that costs $2,500 in New York City–maybe. I think that’s what Kathie Lee Gifford said this morning on the Today Show. I was half-listening, but when she said Serendipity 3, I perked up.

I’m almost sure that’s the dollar amount she quoted. If your wallet is fat enough, you can order one of these whopping treats at the restaurant located on East 60th Street in Manhattan.

Serendipity’s menu says that the Golden Opulence Sundae costs $1,000. At $1,000 it’s still touted as the Guinness World Record holder as the most expensive. Maybe Gifford was eating a version of this and it’s an unpublished secret? Maybe she said it was $25,000. She did say it’s never been ordered. I have searched and searched for this story to no avail. I’ve become obsessed.

I’ve been to Serendipity 3 for ice-cream. No Golden Opulence for us, but I do remember that my husband ordered the Forbidden Broadway Sunday for $13.50.

It was an enormous dessert of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and ice-cream, big enough for a few of us to chow down. For other sundae choices cheaper than that, check out the menu.

My recommendation is to not try going here on a hot summer day on a Sunday. We tried that once and couldn’t wait that long. We were hungry enough to start chewing on furniture. Our sundae success came on a week night after dark–also in the summer–perhaps on a Wednesday.

As Kathie Lee Gifford was eating bites of opulence, letting the flecks of gold slide down her throat, she did mention that it seems frivolous to show off a sundae of such a cost when many folks are having problems putting gas in their cars. Even the $13.50 sundae can buy 3 gallons or more.

The photo, from an article review I came across, is of the $1,000 version. It does not look like the dish Kathie Lee was eating. Oh, well.

Is that chocolate, or a $25,000 mouse dropping?

by Catherine Bodry on

It’s going to be difficult for New York’s Serendipity 3 to recover from a health inspector-mandated closing, which was due to rodents and roaches. The restaurant has already seen a lot of positive media attention, most recently from its Guinness-record breaking $25,000 dessert. If it were just any restaurant that had to close due to some infestations, we probably wouldn’t hear about it. But if you charge what amounts to many people’s yearly salary for a dessert, well, it’s going to be hard to live that whole rodent-and-cockroach-infestation thing down.

Naturally, owner Steve Bruce is scurrying to fix the problem as quickly as possible. But how do you feel about dropping several thou for a dessert in a restaurant that can’t keep its pests in check?