In 1916, Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker started selling wieners for a nickel on the corner of Surf and Stillwell. Nowadays, Nathan's Famous is an international chain with a flagship eatery at Handwerker's original haunt. The beefy frank – snuggled in a toasted bun and smothered with ketchup and mustard – is a Coney cuisine classic.
The restaurant’s annual 4th of July hot-dog-eating contest is the stuff of legend. If you can't make it in person, you can catch the competitive gorging, replete with play-by-play announcing and cheerleaders, on TV. The record, if you're curious, is 74 dogs.
