the new breed of NYC hot dogs: are they really better? (link)
06.23.09 - serious eats: new york - by ed levine

we're less than two weeks away from nathan's annual hot dog eating contest, held every july 4th down at coney island. last year, american joey chestnut (the reigning champion) successfully defended his title, but was only able to do so after an eat-off against japan's kobayashi (a former champion himself). as of right now, the record for most hot dogs eaten in the competition's ten-minute time frame is 66...by chestnut in 07. basically, he ate more hot dogs in ten minutes than i've eaten in the last ten years.

it looks like that could change though! here in nyc, the hot dog's been making a bit of a comeback recently...a deliciously trendy comeback! as ed levine reports, nyc chefs are starting to turn hot dogs into "haut dogs," as "fancypants chefs" have introduced a wide array of hot dog options to their menus. for starters, at PDT (please don't tell), a slightly secret locale in the village, there's the "david chang dog," a hot dog "bacon-wrapped and covered with very dark, very salty kimchi." they also have one that's a deep-fried hot dog with "a deep-fried mayo baton that's been breaded with hot-dog-bun crumbs."

as far as haut dogs go, those are relatively tame. the two crazier ones that levine mentions are from new york hot dog & coffee, who offers a korean hot dog topped with bulgogi & kimchi and from fatty crab, who has a hot dog "made from pork shoulder, fatback, thai chilies, pickled ginger and garlic, and belacan, or fermented shrimp paste." as if that wasn't enough, they also top it with "aioli, pickled thai chilies and radishes, cilantro leaves, and in a nod to chicago hot dogs, cucumber."

despite all these gourmet haut dog choices, levine knows where it's at when it comes to getting a nyc hot dog--papaya king or gray's papaya king.  here, you can always get their recession special--two dogs & a medium papaya juice for $4.45.  sure it's just your average hot dog with a topping or two, but as an eater of a few handfuls of their hot dogs over the years, sometimes a basic hot dog is the only kind you really need.