Which Glizzy has the most crack?

Hot dogs are currently making a big appearance in the Big Apple, finding their way onto exclusive menus and into chic cocktail bars. To the amazement of the tourist crowds, there is even a 15-meter-high statue of this summer classic in Times Square.

With all that's on the grill, there's still room for a sizzling rivalry between New York and neighboring New Jersey, with aficionados in both states grappling with the burning question: Whose sausage is the best?

The open discussion began after the food blog Eater.com published a list of the best wieners in New York City – a list that, incidentally, included not one but three entries from the Garden State, and thus provided much food for thought among wiener lovers west of the Hudson.

The mere thought that their neighbors might perform unscrupulous acts of heroism infuriated Jersey residents, to say the least—and local media immediately jumped on the controversy.

Pete Genovese is NJ.com's celebrated food writer—he assured the Post that his home state is at least a foot ahead when it comes to hot dog bun-a-fides.

“New Jersey is the center of the hot dog universe. New York City and Chicago follow a distant second,” Genovese declared confidently, pointing out that Union, Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties – all near Manhattan – have more hot dog stands and trucks than “any other area of ​​comparable size in the country.”

But it's not just quantity that makes Jersey the Coney conqueror – New York may produce and eat a lot of tube steaks, but next door, say Genovese and other experts, there's this incredible variety, with hot dog varieties sometimes changing as frequently as city limits.

Plainfield, for example, is said to be the inventor of the chili dog, while just a stone's throw away, locals devour something called the “Italian hot dog” – served with potatoes, peppers and onions in a Kaiser-like bun and first invented in Newark in 1932, Genovese says.

If you look at the New York City establishments on the original list that sparked the controversy, the dog expert said, you'll find just a lot of diners, delis and fast food joints – and very few dedicated legends.

“That's not a strong argument that New York City is a hot dog breeding ground,” Genovese said.

George Shea, the Major League Eating Commissioner who runs the legendary Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th at Coney Island, isn't having it.

“I don't want to badmouth New Jersey, but I've never heard anyone say to me, 'Oh, you have to try this New Jersey hot dog,' or anything like that,” Shea told The Post.

“I don't think you'll find hot dogs anywhere else that can compete with New York hot dogs,” says the diehard Nathan's fan from Ocean Avenue, who is also a huge fan of Gray's Papaya, the Upper West Side icon.

Eater's list of the best restaurants in New York, compiled by veteran critic Robert Sietsema, disagrees: Rutt's Hutt in Clifton, known for its deep-fried “rippers” with house-made relish, received particular praise, as did chili dog haven Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City and Hiram's, a street stand with an Americana flair beloved by the late Anthony Bourdain and located south of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee.

And enthusiasts would argue there could have been more – for example, places like The Hot Grill in Clifton, which makes fried “Texas Wiener”-style chili dogs, or Tommy's in Elizabeth or Dickie Dee's or Jimmy Buff's in Newark, all of which make a fine Italian dog with fried potatoes as a topping.

But some New Yorkers shrug at the generously topped creations being consumed next door, comparing them to Chicago-style hot dogs buried in a maze of vegetables and fixings.

“Once you start putting potatoes on a hot dog, it’s no longer a hot dog,” hot dog driver Dan Rossi – known as the “Hot Dog King of NY” – told the Post.

For nearly twenty years, Rossi practiced his craft in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sleeping in his van to maintain his prime location.

He said that besides straightness, there is another element that sets our dogs apart from the others.

“The New York hot dog is something spontaneous,” said Rossi, 74. “It's not a meal, it's never like you say, 'Let's go get a hot dog.' It's something you eat between meals because you ran into a shopping cart at the end of the block.”

New Yorker Ralph Perrazzo has to be a little more diplomatic—the maker of Snap-O-Razzo hot dogs supplies big names on both sides of the river, like Sarge's Delicatessen in Murray Hill and Cruz-Missile Dogs in Passaic, NJ, the latter of which was recently named the best hot dog in New Jersey by Barstool Sports.

“The fight for New Jersey and New York is tough,” he told the Post.

“Years ago, New York probably had a little more confidence, but I think New Jersey has really caught up recently. I think New Jersey has created a culture that's a little different than New York,” he said.

One observer calls this an understatement.

“These are two completely different cultures,” New Jersey food influencer Jennifer Nangano told the Post.

Nangano, who goes by FoodaholicNJ online, also noted that the scene is neither static nor dependent on vintage greats—new places are opening all the time, not just in North Jersey but also near her hometown of Monmouth.

“The death toll is on the way down, new places are opening everywhere – even in health-conscious Asbury Park,” she said.

One place Nangano is keen to try is Destination Dogs, a designer dog gourmet restaurant in New Brunswick that celebrates styles from around the world.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” said Val Dekel, owner of Liebman's Deli, a classic Jewish diner in the Bronx.

“New York Dogs tend to be a little simpler. The focus is much more on the actual frankfurter than anything else lying around on it,” he told the Post.

“New York is unbeatable. No, not just the hot dogs, but everything compared to Jersey.”