Wayne Nish to Bring Gourmet Comfort Food to Mason Dixon

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Earlier today we briefly speculated on the future of Mason Dixon while owner Rob Shamlian denied the bar's demise. We've got the update: Shamlian's still in charge, but changes are indeed afloat. Namely, Wayne Nish is taking over the menu, bringing "gourmet comfort food" to the Essex Street bar.

Nish has spent the past two years working in Singapore, but is back in partnership with Shamlian (Nish designed the menu at Spitzer's Corner). This time he's created a rather un-Southern menu that features smaller bites like batter-fried catfish served with "fat fries," deep fried mac n' cheese bars with tomato fondue, and crispy pork dogs (made from deep fried barbecue pork shoulder) while entrees include grilled salmon with Chinese mustard and spinach and steak frites.

But have no fear; despite a menu revamp, one thing still remains the same. That mechanical bull isn't going anywhere.

Have a tip or restaurant-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.

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NYC's Strangest Burger? A Visit to Gourmet Dog in Staten Island

?You wouldn't notice Gourmet Dog's small presence on the waterfront if it weren't for the bright signs and the cute dog.

Sometimes, the wildest gastronomic experimentation takes places in the most unexpected places -- witness Staten Island's Gourmet Dog (40 Richmond Terrace, 718-727-1234).

?Patience is a virtue while waiting for your Warrior.

It stands two blocks west of the St. George Ferry Terminal, right on Richmond Terrace as it makes its scenic way along the Arthur Kill, the body of water that barely separates the island from Jersey. The building is squat and made of light-colored brick, and sits among apartment buildings -- you wouldn't notice it if it weren't for a garish sign featuring a needy-looking dog.

But around lunchtime, the day laborers, MTA employees, ditch diggers, and others wearing the uniforms of their trades line up in front of the place, and often wait as long as 30 minutes for a hot dog or a burger. I lingered just that long on a recent weekday, reassured by a sign inside the narrow and spare place (with zero seating) by a hand-lettered sign that said, "IF YOUR NOT PATIENT YOUR IN THE WRONG PLACE."

The voluminous menu is printed on the wall inside. Hot dogs and hamburgers are the focus, but you almost can't get conventional versions of these familiar staples. On the hot dog front, your choices run to the Reuben (topped with pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese), the Judge (two franks split, put on a hero, and smothered in baked beans and cheddar cheese), the Hawaii 5-O (teriyaki sauce, turkey bacon, and pineapple on a conventional bun) and the Bus Driver (sautéed onions and bell peppers, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, and A-1 sauce).

The burger list was just as creative, and, since most of the fellas in line seemed to be ordering burgers, I asked for one, too. But not any burger. I'd seen bannered on another sign outside, "Home of the Warrior," and I had to find out what it was.

?Tah-dah! The Warrior.

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