When most non-New Yorkers hear "Upper West Side", I doubt a hot dog stand springs to mind as one of the neighborhood's prime dining destinations. But as I waited for J outside Gray's Papaya this evening, I discovered that this home of wieners has a following among grannies with walkers, lithe model types, young families, teenage boys and everyone in between. Frank Bruni's confessed his love for Gray's, as have Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. The location at 72nd and Broadway is one of three outposts of Gray's on the west side of Manhattan and shouldn't be confused with rival Papaya King. On offer--hot dogs with your choice of mustard, onions or sauerkraut (you add the ketchup yourself) and various tropical drinks including banana daiquari, orange, grape, pina colada, and of course, papaya.
The recession special (or as I like to think of it, grad student special) gets you two hot dogs and small drink and sets you back a mere $3.50. The skinny dogs are nicely grilled with a slight smoky flavor, with a perfect bun to meat ratio. I highly recommend the onions and the mustard, with a smattering of ketchup on top. As for the papaya drink--it's nothing special--a gussied up kool-aid. At the 72nd Street branch, you can wander over to the benches outside the subway stop to enjoy your meal, or just gobble your frank in a few bites outside the restaurant's door.
Gray's Papaya
2090 Broadway (at 72nd)
212-799-0243
15 comments:
I luv a good hot dog!
yesterday I found a great Philly Cheese steak in Florida made on fresh flown in from Philly Amorosa rolls...heaven.
That looks like a great hot dog! Gotta try that when I visit NY.
suzie--nothing like finding a favorite far from its origin! that's great.
east meets west--they were delicious (and cheap!)
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Awww... I was hoping for papaya in with the hot dogs.
Hi Erin-- I really like your blog! I used to live in NYC and miss it dearly. Please keep me updated on all the cool spots so when I come back I know where to go!
Looks like a good hotdog but, a real hotdog -- like you find in Chciago, never has ketchup on it. Only mustard, onions, relish, a pickle spear, cucumber slices, sport peppers and a sprinkle of celery salt. Give it a try if you ever get to Chicago.
3 HDs for a buck at Kwik Trip. They are kinda skinny, but limitless fixin's.
i was in nyc like 1 week ago and i really feel the need for another dosis... just like everyday i was having it, now i got nothing...
OMG!! I'm gonna dieee!!!
i was in NYC for a week and got totally hooked on Grays Papaya's pina colada drink - craving it today, but no such luck! I highly recommend it. I ordered it late at night and there was much coconut at the bottom, but earlier in the day there wasn't.
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This is the place I gotta go because the prices are so cheap, actually I didn't expect it, I'll go there as soon as possible because I love eating hot dogs.
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