One Of The Best Sandwiches To Order In Rhode Island Is Like A Hot Dog, But Better

When you think of New England, you might think of seafood favorites like lobster bisque or clam chowder. Yes, those are quite popular in the Northeast, but if you make a pit stop anywhere in Rhode Island, you'll find that another food reigns supreme: the hot wiener. First invented by the Olneyville New York System restaurant in Providence in 1927, this handheld favorite has left a big mark on the smallest state for nearly 100 years. The hot wiener is also sometimes called a "New York system" because of where it originated.

It looks like a hot dog, and it acts like a hot dog, but do not confuse the two dishes. The biggest distinction is the way hot wieners are made. Hot wieners are thought to contain fewer processed ingredients; they're made of three types of meat (beef, pork, and veal), and while they do contain one preservative, everyone in Rhode Island would likely tell you that it's a bit different from what's in your hot dog. Plus, true hot wieners always have a natural casing, though you might be able to find a couple of spots that sell them without one.

Why was the hot wiener made famous in Rhode Island but invented at a restaurant called New York System? Well, the founders of that restaurant actually moved to Rhode Island from New York, so the wiener's true roots are based in the Big Apple.

Providence Monthly magazine spoke to Greg Stevens, whose relatives created the first Rhode Island hot wiener. The family originally came from Greece through Ellis Island and settled in New York, where they began making their hot wieners and topping them with Coney Island meat sauce, a chili-type sauce made from ground beef, tomato paste, and a blend of seasonings. When they left the city and settled down in Rhode Island, they brought their recipe with them and opened a restaurant to sell their wieners. Today, that's still how they're served. Although other spots around the state have started serving hot wieners, everyone keeps them pretty much the same style with a few added ingredients or small changes here and there. Order yours "all the way," for instance, and you'll be treated to a wiener squirted with mustard, doused in chili, topped with chopped white onions, and given a final dusting of celery salt — New York City could never.