by Marsha Temlock

Created on: March 31, 2009   Last Updated: April 01, 2009

You Can Tell the Best Hot Dog by Its Bun

There is no question that, to my mind, it is not a question of the best hot dog that is important when judging the quality of Man's best meal, but the quality of the bun. The bun is more than a snuggly. It is the foundation, the bedrock of the hot dog. It must go beyond curb appeal to attract the consumer.

A quality bun has dignity. It can stand the test of time; it does not out of shape when the heat's on. A quality bun does not wilt, sag or dissemble under pressure. It actually relishes the challenge of being smothered with condiments be it chili, mustard, onions or cheddar cheese.

In short, a hot dog is only as good as its bun. With that in mind, I award Gray's Papaya first prize when it comes to producing the best hot dog.

Gray's Papaya is a popular fast food hot dog joint on 86th com:off and Third Avenue in Manhattan. According to legenc Gray's was established by Nicholas Gray in 1972. The owner was married to a German woman who knew all about frankfurters.

There are a chain of Papaya's and I'm not sure how they are related, if they are. I've sampled the Papaya King on the West Side, which I read was once closed down by the Board of Health so you can strike that one down, as far as I'm concerned, but I assume it has since mended its ways.

There are no tables at Gray's Papaya. After getting your order (in record time) you stand at a counter facing the street and watch the world go by. But you are not expected to linger. Most customers consume theirs in a New York minute.

Gray's uses Sabrett hot dogs. Like its competitior, it sells a variety of papaya drinks. These are supposedly healthy and should assuage any guilt wolfing your dogs. It's more likely the papaya is meant to put out the fire by neutralizing the stomach acids.

I have to admit that I probably passed by Gray's hundreds of times before stopping in. I live on the Upper East Side, a stone's throw from Gray's Papaya, and for years I've snubbed my nose at the place, side-stepping the line of people that flock to Gray's starting at nine in the morning.

Gray's Papaya is like a beacon to tourists. What is the attraction? Could be it's cheap. It's certainly the best deal in town. For a little more than two bucks you can get two hot dogs loaded with kraut, and if you're willing to go the distance, their famous papaya drink that comes is made fresh and comes in various flavors.

I admit I was skeptical. Papaya and dogs? Sounds like a bad marriage, but the truth is, the partnership is sublime.

What finally convinced me to give Gray's a try was a trip to Japan to visit my son and grandsons. On the flight home, I was too jet-lagged to fall asleep or concentrate on my book.

Instead I watched two movies and the documentary that was all about hot dogs. Not a topic I'm especially interested in, but what else was there to do? Turned out some guy had canvassed the U.S. looking for the best hot dog, and what got the blue ribbon? You guessed it! Gray's Papaya!

A New York landmark. Not to be missed. For the dog? That's half the story. Gray's Papaya gets high marks for the stamina, the resiliency, the fortitude, the crispness, the ubiquitous bun.

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