The Hot Dog: Nathan's Famous, Coney Island, New York
When it comes to the hot dog, the origins get a bit dicey -- the reason they're called "frankfurters" in the first place is that hot dog-esque pork sausages were originally created in Frankfurt, Germany in the 13th century. That said, they weren't served on rolls until 1870, when Charles Feltman began selling them as such from his Coney Island stand. Once Feltman's stand was long gone, his former employee, Nathan Handwerker, opened up shop and launched an empire.
When you go: See if you can beat Joey “Jaws” Chestnut's 2013 world record mark by eating 70 dogs in ten minutes or less (that weenie stopped at 69).