All right, Dan, set the scene. Where are we?

Right now, we're right in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 82nd, and 50 Manhattan.

And what are we doing here? What are you doing here?

Well, I'm a hot dog vendor, and my carts are right here.

Now, it's my understanding, Dan, that this spot right here where you have your hot dog cart

in front of the Met is the best spot in New York City for a hot dog vendor.

It's the most recognized spot.

Okay.

This has got the notoriety because at one time, the gentleman who was here, he had cuts on both sides of the steps,

and it was like a $300,000 contract he went into.

So someone paid $300,000 for these locations. For these locations. What do you pay? Nothing.

This is the Sporkful. It's not for foodies, it's for eaters. I'm Dan Pashman. Each week on our show,

we obsess about food to learn more about people. Walk down almost any block in New York City,

and pretty soon you'll see a street food vendor of some kind, whether they're selling hot dogs

and pretzels, plastic cups of fresh fruit out of a cooler,

or falafel and kebabs out of a halal cart.

There are over 20,000 street food vendors in New York City, mostly in Manhattan and Queens.

And street vending has been a big part of the city's fabrics since before it was called New York.

It's long been a path to upward mobility for new immigrants.

Iconic foods like pizza and

bagels were commonly sold on the street 100 years ago. But for about as long as it's been going on,

street vending has also been a hot button political issue. All the fights over the years have led to

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