Feltman’s is the original New York City hot dog, and die-hard fans say it’s also the best. To find out if that’s true, in this episode of Cult Following host Serena Dai stops by to test the classic fare.
Legend says it all started at the original Coney Island location, where owner Charles Feltman used his skill as a baker to invent a special bread that would complement a traditional German frankfurter: Just like that, the hot dog bun was born.
The original restaurant Feltman’s went away, but owner Michael Quinn is a Coney Island historian (and local) who decided to bring it back. The menu there is simple. Every item has been cooked on the grill and comes in a potato bun. Of course, the restaurant serves the true New York City-style hot dog — a sausage topped with sauerkraut, onions, and mustard. Never ketchup. It also cooks up a hot, melty chili cheese dog, and specials like one dog served topped with grilled onions cooked in Jack Daniels. But of all the options, it’s the original offering that Dai calls “the way to eat a hot dog.”
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