New York may be the greatest food city in the world. Yet, no matter how many high-end steakhouses, sushi bars and tony trattorias move in, the Big Apple is still a hot dog town at heart. The love affair started in the mid-19th century, when German immigrants began proffering sausages on Bowery street corners. Now the official food of baseball games and summer cookouts, the hot dog has become a national obsession. Though street carts abound, enterprising chefs and entrepreneurs are also in on the hot dog game, selling everything from fancy Kobe beef franks to old reliable ballpark dogs with mustard and onions. Here’s where to sink your teeth into the city’s best frankfurters.

Taking cues from drinking establishments of yore, this place is warm and clubby, with intricate wood paneling, a long bar and two levels of leather seating. It’s elegant and casual at the same time, with a perfect menu of pub-inspired dishes. Chicken pot pie uses meat from the NoMad Restaurant’s famous roast birds, and a dry-aged burger is bolstered with bone marrow. The hot dog, though, is one of the classiest and most decadent tubes of meat to be found in Gotham. Blending New York, Chicago and sheerly gluttonous styles, the kosher beef dog is wrapped in bacon, then garnished in truffled aioli and celery root relish, with a blanket of melted Gruyère on top. 

 

Photo by Michael Matisse

It takes a lot to stand out in a city packed with hot dogs. But old-school storefront Gray’s Papaya may take top billing, not just in numerous best-of lists, but also in cameos in movies like You’ve Got Mail and classic NYC shows like Sex and the City and How I Met Your Mother. The selection here is simple: crisp, griddled Sabrett dogs on classic buns in traditional paper wrappers. For just $2.50, each one comes with sauerkraut and onions. Relish, chili and cheese can be added for an additional 10 cents each. 

New Jersey natives and lifelong ripper lovers Brian Shebairo and Chris Antista started slinging dogs in the back of a now-defunct speakeasy back in 1999. They opened their first standalone shop a few years later, and they’ve been setting the standard ever since: Their St. Marks location houses one of the world’s best cocktail bars, PDT, behind a vintage-style phone booth in the back. To start, choose from the three kinds of wieners: the smoked beef-and-pork Crif Dog, which is deep-fried to order; the classic, snappy grilled all-beef New Yorker; and a grilled veggie dog. Toppings can get wildly creative, like the Morning Jersey, a Taylor ham-wrapped fried dog covered with melted cheese and a fried egg. It’s good at noon or 4 a.m.

Probably the most-famous hot dogs in the world, Nathan’s products can be found around the world. They’re ubiquitous for a reason: These weenies are the gold standard. Open since 1916, the Coney Island stand has been an outer-borough destination since long before Brooklyn became synonymous with "artisanal." Legendary characters like Al Capone and Cary Grant have graced the stools, and Franklin Roosevelt served Nathan’s to the king and queen of England at his home upstate in Hyde Park. Though you can find them practically anywhere, you won’t get the full experience unless you visit the original institution. Choose from a variety of sizes of all-beef franks and standard toppings like sauerkraut, red onions, cheese and chili.

Quebec native Noah Bernamoff opened Mile End to bring his beloved Montreal-style smoked meat to New Yorkers. The resulting Brooklyn restaurant has inspired a modern deli renaissance of updated classic Jewish fare. The Hoyt Dog (named after the Boerum Hill deli’s street) uses beef brisket from elite purveyor Creekstone Farms. Whole cuts are ground in-house, emulsified and stuffed in sheep casings, then hung to dry for 24 hours. They are then smoked for several hours with just a bit of humidity so they remain tender and springy. The process is labor-intensive, but the results are worth it, especially once packed into a housemade split-top potato roll with sauerkraut.

As the name implies, these grandstanders come with an Asian twist. Organic beef, chicken or veggie dogs are upgraded with flavors and ingredients from throughout the continent, including China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The Vinh is a weenie-filled adaptation of the banh mi, topped with aioli, pate, cucumbers, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro and jalapeno. Other dogs include mango relish, Chinese-style barbecued pork belly, kimchee and seaweed flakes. Available at two Brooklyn food markets and Berg’n food hall, the dogs are creative, fun and equally enticing. What could possibly be more representative of New York than that?