While Grey’s Papaya represents the bare-bones New York City hot dog tradition, providing minimalist condiments like mustard, kraut, and Greek onion relish, the Papaya King chain dolls up its dogs with all sorts of toppings. But it also sells a plain corn dog, with a sweet batter and good-quality frank. At $3, it’s a comparative bargain. Go to the original location, founded 1932.

A few years ago, a device became available that melds an envelope-shaped waffle onto a sausage, and several places now serve them on sticks. The drawback? The flavor is more waffle dog than corn dog, even though the means of eating it is the same. Kings of Kobe makes a good one out of a wagyu beef wiener dressed with spicy maple aioli for $5.75.

Corn dogs are wonderful enough as they are, so why make them smaller? That’s a question addressed by New York Beer Company, a monster sized bar with a sophisticated suds selection. Four mini-corn dogs ($14) coated with a beer batter are served on toothpicks accompanied by garlic aioli. They’re damn good, but the coating is the wrong texture if you’re a cornbread fan.

If you want an even better quality frank than Papaya King’s check out East Village mainstay Crif Dogs. There, a longer wiener is coated with a less-sweet batter and fried to a very dark brown, guaranteeing that the corn dog will be piping hot in the middle. But this attention to detail comes at a price: $6.

Perhaps the most fussed-over corn dog is the one at Empellon Al Pastor, where a dark and juicy premium frank is judiciously coated with a cornmeal batter not overly thick, then carefully fried ($7). A lime wedge is provided on the side, and so is a black huitlacoche mustard that you’ll either love or hate. The corn dog is plenty good without it.