Gray’s Papaya

Gray’s Papaya makes sense as a short, specific New York food experience: a hot dog, toppings chosen at the counter and one of the shop’s fruit drinks. The Broadway and West 72nd Street corner gives it a place in an Upper West Side day, with its bright shopfront doing much of the welcoming.

Keep the order focused on what brought you here. A frank and drink make an easy snack; a larger combination can become lunch. This is the guide’s straightforward hot-dog counter choice, useful when you want that particular city ritual without arranging a restaurant meal around it.

The counter format suits a quick stop during neighbourhood sightseeing. It offers a different experience from the loaded dogs at Crif Dogs or the hot dogs accompanying drinks at Rudy’s. Choose Gray’s for the hot dog and fruit-drink pairing itself, and let the rest of the Upper West Side outing determine whether this is a snack or the principal meal.