Hot Dogs Here! My Day as a Ballpark Hot Dog Vendor

There are those who make it possible to consume 4,000 calories while watching other people exercise—none other than the humble stadium vendor. How many dogs do they sell in a day? How can they carry that metal box up and down the stairs for most of a game? And is there any money in it?

So You Wanna Be a Private Chef?

I lasted almost a decade as a restaurant line cook before becoming a private chef. It wasn't just the creaky knees or low pay that prompted the shift: I was tired of being stuck in a restaurant kitchen every night. I wanted to connect with the people I was feeding on a more intimate level.

Ode to a Dive Bar: Jimmy's Corner, the Reigning Champ of Times Square

For better or worse, Jimmy's reminds me of the time before Rudy Giuliani and Disney transformed the Great White Way into a virtual theme park; when turning a dark corner on 44th Street meant risking your wallet—or worse.