Profile

PDT is the hot-dog joint for grown-ups. Actually, it’s the cocktail-lounge annex to Crif Dogs, an East Village mainstay known for its deep-fried Jersey-style franks. Accessed through a vintage phone booth within Crif Dogs, PDT (short for Please Don’t Tell) is a snug, sexy speakeasy with a twist: Along with its high-quality classic cocktails and a well-chosen selection of beer and wine, patrons can order food from Crif’s kitchen next door. Oddly, it works: A paper boat of foil-wrapped waffle fries goes nicely with the Astoria Bianco, a refreshing martini derivative. PDT’s abbreviated menu offers a smallish, bowling-alley-style burger, and four kinds of deep-fried dogs—although you can put in special requests from the full Crif Dog menu next door, which includes our favorite, the New Yorker, Crif’s sole grilled all-beef frank. The idea is genius and a time-saver: food you eat when you’re drunk, served while you’re in the process of getting that way. — Rob Patronite and Robin Rainsfeld

Related Stories

Best of New York Awards

• Rob Patronite's Pick for Best Hot Dog (2009)

Featured In

• Cheap Eats 2008: The Cheap List (7/28/08)