Alan Geisler, the genius behind the tasty red onion sauce many New Yorkers love on their hot dogs, has died.
The red onion sauce Geisler created is a New York City culinary icon, commonly used by street-side hot dog vendors in New York City.
Geisler was 78 when he died Tuesday at his winter home in Florida after a battle with a protein disorder.
He created his famous sauce 44 years ago at the request of one of his customers — hot dog and bun manufacturer Gregory Papalexis, whose Englewood-based Marathon Enterprises now owns the Sabrett brand.
Papalexis approached Geisler about making the onion sauce to sell to New York City's pushcart hot dog vendors, who were spending a lot of time making their own versions of the hot dog topping.
Geisler's sauce, which includes onions, tomato paste and olive oil, is still marketed nationwide as "Sabrett's Prepared Onions."
