Nice, simple, and not cheap.
Tucked into a little corner in Culver City, right around the Helms Bakery, is a hot dog cart called Let’s Be Frank. I’d heard some great things about the place, so one day as I was wandering around Culver City, I decided to stop by and have a try.
According to their signs, they don’t mess around with their hot dogs. By that I mean they don’t do the things that most hot dogs do. They use all all-beef hot dogs from grass-fed cows, with no steroids, hormones, nitrates and nitrites (although they probably should start putting the latter two in since they are healthy by my standards). At five bucks a piece, I was ready to be shown an entirely new hot dog world.
Onions were an optional topping for the hot dog, and I politely declined. There was also a sauce available called Devil Sauce. It looked and smelled really good, so I decided to try some out.
The hot dog actually tasted pretty good. It had a really strong crunch, and the Devil Sauce added an extra element that I’ve never had on a hot dog. Rather than being some sort of a buffalo hot sauce, it was more of a spicy Indian-style sauce. My only issue was the price. I get that the hot dog is supposed to be healthier and better for the world, unfortunately, I can get a a hot dog that’s just good enough for me for a whole lot cheaper at Costco.
Ethical means ethical for everyone in the food chain. If you are going to eat Ethically, you need to make sure that everyone who grows, processes, delivers, cooks and serves your food gets a decent wage. That means paying a little more, there is just no way around that. Hence the price of a Let’s be Frank dog doesn’t reflect a high profit margin, it reflects an ethical, fair and healthy food system.
You’re right, eating better quality food does mean paying a little more. I didn’t feel like I was being ripped off by Let’s Be Frank, I just wanted more for my money.