Hot wiener


The hot wiener, or New York System wiener is a staple of the food culture of Rhode Island where it is primarily sold at "New York System" restaurants.

Preparation

The traditional wiener is made with a small, thin hot dog made of beef, veal and pork, giving it a different taste from a traditional beef hot dog, served in a steamed bun, and topped with celery salt, yellow mustard, chopped onions, and a seasoned meat sauce.

New York System restaurants

The name New York System appeared in Rhode Island in the early 1900s as a marketing strategy when hot dogs were closely associated with New York's Coney Island. By the early 1940s, a distinctly Rhode Island product and preparation had evolved among Providence's Greek community, popularized within the state such that the "wieners" served by New York Systems today bear little resemblance to the traditional Coney Island hot dog. Restaurateurs continue to use the name as a way to advertise this particular local cuisine.
The question of the oldest New York System is a matter of some debate, with multiple parties making the claim. One of the most widely known is the Olneyville New York System, opened in 1946 and named for Providence's Olneyville neighborhood, but it was the original owner's extended family who operated the Original New York System from 1927 in the Smith Hill neighborhood. Another institution, Sparky's Coney Island System of East Providence, claims an earlier, albeit contested date of 1915.