Every dog has its day — but for hot dogs, that day’s been a long time coming, as exotic burgers hogged the glory. At last, the lowly wiener is standing up for itself. No longer second banana, it’s popping up in myriad, merry mutations this summer.
There’s no “umami dog” yet, but the beloved ballpark and sidewalk-stand fave is scampering upmarket in eateries all around town.
Here’s what we found at eight places, ranked on a scale of one to four stars. All offered a different brand of fun, but I’d skip the truffles, fancy slaws and foie gras for a schmear of old-fashioned mustard — frankly speaking.
NOTE: Dogs may not be available at all times; call first.
Foie gras dog
The Dutch, 131 Sullivan St.,
212-677-6200, $9
Rating: ★★ 1/2
Inspiration: Definitely not Dutch.
The bark: Duck, pork and foie gras stuffed in a sheep casing in house-made brioche bun, crowned with cherry mostarda and pickled relish.
The bite: Chef Andrew Carmellini’s adorable little piggie is worth its $3 per inch. The sausage is sensuously mouth-melting and not overly unctuous despite foie gras. Toppings achieve ideal tart-and-sweet tension.
Hands or fork? Hands.
Inside nibble: Use your visit as an excuse to try the mind-blowing split chickpea, herb and chorizo soup.
Bratwurst hot dog
Recette, 328 W. 12th St.,
212-414-3000, $15
Rating: ★★★
Inspiration: British/Central European.
The bark: Beef and pork bratwurst hot dog “Wellington-style” in puff pastry crust with shredded cabbage and radishes.
The bite: Supple, buttery sausage, gently spiced with fennel seeds and coriander, was the sleeper hit of our tastings. The slightly sweet, sauerkraut-like julienne of pickled savoy cabbage lends a Mitteleuropa lilt.
Hands or fork? Fork and knife.
Inside nibble: If you’re thinking of teaming it with heirloom tomato salad, don’t: The stack of fried green tomatoes, crab, American caviar and tomato dashi is an unappetizing mess.
NoMad Bar hot dog
NoMad Bar, 10 W. 28th St.,
212-796-1500, $14
Rating: ★★★★
Inspiration: Sheer excess.
The bark: Four-star chef Daniel Humm takes the plebeian plunge with a 9-incher that’s 2 inches thick and 2½ inches tall with toppings. The kosher beef log on a brioche bun is bacon-wrapped and decked out with Gruyere, truffled mayo and celery relish.
The bite: This is the town’s new top dog. The moisture-rich beef anchors an armada of pleasures, from the rugged bacon to the piquant, pickled mustard seeds poking through the relish. All the flavors and textures bump and grind. Soybean oil-frying lends awesome mouth feel.
Hands or fork? An ax.
Inside nibble: Order Sbrinz Swiss cheese and use its beer mustard dip for the dog.
DBGB dog
DBGB Kitchen & Bar, 299 Bowery,
212-933-5300, $12
Rating: ★★★
Inspiration: Slightly French.
The bark: House-made beef dog is served on house-made brioche bun with sauteed onions, frisée, julienned radishes and “299 relish” of pickled vegetables.
The bite: Daniel Boulud’s “perfect American hot dog” is the one that started it all. The 9-incher has assertive, near-gamy flavor. Although cabbage-free, the relish sparked by jalapeño and red bell pepper delivers a kimchee-like kick.
Hands or fork? Hands.
Inside nibble: House-made lemonade completes the picnic fantasy.
Shakespeare dog
The Shakespeare, 24 E. 39th St.,
646-837-6779, $11 with pint of house-chosen beer, Fridays only;
sausage type varies weekly.
Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Inspiration: British pub.
The bark: House-made chicken-and-sage sausage baked in puff pastry, served with baby leaf salad dressed with honey mustard and horseradish vinaigrette.
The bite: Chef Jason Hicks elevates English country inn comfort to a celestial level. Flaky, buttery pastry crust flatters the moist, herb-tinted sausage. Mouth-feel is sensuous enough to drive third date to home plate.
Hands or fork? Hands, if they can take a little ooze.
Inside nibble: Sneak a peek at the pub’s beautiful sister restaurant, the Peacock, upstairs.
Foot-long Tijuana dog
A. G. Kitchen, 269 Columbus Ave.,
212-873-9400, $12
Rating: ★ 1/2
Inspiration: Mexican.
The bark: Traditional Latin American-style overload — in this case, pico de gallo and papaya-jalapeño relish.
The bite: Messy 12-incher conks out after first five. Bacon wrap overwhelms bland beef. Sweet bun eerily resembling giraffe skin tastes like supermarket product. But mildly spiced toppings help.
Hands or fork? Hands, if you’re careful not to dribble.
Inside nibble: Founders All-Day IPA’s balanced sweet, bitter and citrus notes help redeem the dog’s deficiencies.
Cheddar bratwurst dog
Blaue Gans, 139 Duane St.,
212-571-8880, $9
Rating: ★★★
Inspiration: German/Austrian.
The bark: Cheddar-filled pork sausages from German butcher in Ridgewood, Queens, on poppyseed bun with tomatoes, onions and peppers.
The bite: Skinny, 9-inch wiener emerges nicely blistered from panroasting after boiling. Spicy Dijon mustard adds to ballpark atmosphere.
Hands or fork? Hands.
Inside nibble: Nothing beats beer with bratwurst, so save the splendid Austrian wines for chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’s tops-in-town schnitzel.
Kurobuta pork dog
Mira Sushi & Izakaya, 46 W. 22nd St.,
212-989-7889, $7
Rating: ★★
Inspiration: Japanese.
The bark: Smoked kurobuta pork sausage on minibuns, topped with jicama-mango slaw and red onions.
The bite: Cute little pigs in blankets benefit from the heritage-breed pork’s inherent fatty quality. Flavor holds its own under onslaught of toppings — after you fight your way through chewy casing.
Hands or fork? Hands, easily.
Inside nibble: Pork dogs score reasonably well, but lame pork sliders sink after the first bite.