"Hot Dogs As America" will offer a selection of ten of the most tempting hot dogs from ballparks and cities around the country, in celebration of Baseball As America, the first major exhibition to examine the relationship between baseball and American culture, on view at the American Museum of Natural History from March 16 through August 18, 2002. Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the unprecedented Baseball As America exhibition marks the first time that Hall of Fame treasures will leave their legendary home in Cooperstown, New York.

Hot dogs are as much a fixture of baseball stadiums as the bleachers, pennants, scoreboards, and organ music. The Museum Food Court on the Museum's lower level will serve a lineup of classic, jumbo, and foot-long franks that includes ten different dogs, direct from the regional suppliers.

This New York classic is typically grilled flat on the griddle by delis and hot dog shops across the City. The Food Court version, a super natural-casing foot-long beef frank by Best's, is topped with sauerkraut and deli mustard.

The street cart-style hot dog is the venerable Hebrew National All-Beef Kosher Frank, boiled and served with onion sauce and deli mustard—or sauerkraut.

In the city that loves hot dogs, the Chicago Red Hot reigns supreme. Featuring a Vienna Beef frank, it is served at the Museum on a poppy seed roll, "dragged through the garden," as they say in the Windy City, with yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped onion, fresh tomato, pickle spear, sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt.

From Los Angeles comes the pork frankfurter by Farmer John, served on a steamed foot-long bun with mustard and relish.

The White Hot from Rochester's own Zweigle's Meats, made of pork, has a widespread following in western New York. It is neither cured nor smoked. The resulting dog is off-white in color with a spicy taste and smooth texture. Split and griddled, this dog is served on a toasted bun and topped with a hot sauce (a meat chili made from a secret Rochester recipe), chopped onions, and any one of a variety of mustards.

Boiled and grilled Fenway-style, the Fenway Frank is served on a New England-style bun and covered with mustard and relish.

Not a hot dog, but a bratwurst, the Milwaukee Brat represents this baseball town's favorite sausage. Made by Usinger's, one of the country's best sausage makers, the pork and beef brat is grilled and dipped in "Secret Stadium Sauce" and served on a crusty roll, topped with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.

Many American towns have their "Coney Island Dogs," even though Coney Island is part of New York City. Cincinnati was selected as the representative Coney Island Dog. It has a renowned chili topping—spiced with chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, chocolate, and cinnamon. This version is a Vienna Beef frank served with Cincinnati chili, mild cheddar cheese, diced onions, and Ohio's own Bertman Ball Park mustard, considered by many fans to be the finest stadium mustard in America.

Invented for the Texas State Fair in 1942, the Corn Dog is now a popular favorite throughout the south. This all-beef frank is dipped in a corn batter and fried crisp. Served with mustard (try it with Dundee honey mustard) and coleslaw, the Texas Corn Dog is a great kids' favorite.

The Natural, only available at the Museum Food Court, is the Museum's signature frank. It is made from a Usinger's natural casing certified Angus Beef frankfurter, which also was selected for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. The Natural is steamed and served in a pretzel roll made expressly for the Museum. The roll is toasted from the inside on heated spikes and brushed with Bertman Ball Park Mustard.

The selection of hot dogs, which will vary from day to day, will be offered during the run of the exhibition in the Museum Food Court, which is managed by Restaurant Associates (RA). RA serves the tapas at Starry Nights: Fridays Under the Sphere in the Rose Center for Earth and Space. RA also provides the complete food service and event catering at the American Museum of Natural History. A diversified food service company, Restaurant Associates owns and operates several high-profile restaurants in Manhattan such as the newly reopened Brasserie, Brasserie 8½, Cucina, Café Centro, Tropica, SeaGrill, and the Rock Center Café.