Picture This: White Manna and Rutt’s Hut in New Jersey

Inside White Manna

Hamburger or hot dog? How about both? That’s what I did when faced with that decision while racing down to Newark Airport to catch a flight this fall.

First stop was White Manna in Hackensack. It’s an “adorable” old-style restaurant with curved seating around the grill area. I’m not a fan of using a spatula to press down the beef patty (don’t you lose juices this way?), but the burgers were pretty good. Nostalgic of something, as they say.

Burger-cooking at White Manna, step one

Step 2: add onions, if desired

Step 3: press the meat

My burgers at White Manna

Outside White Manna

I left stomach space (and just enough time, though cutting it close) for a ripper (check out the cracked skin of the hot dog casing) at Rutt’s Hut, which is rather warehouse-looking. A slather of mustard and some relish would do the trick here.

Outside Rutt’s Hut

Ripper, undressed

Ripper, dressed

I was glad to get to both of these much-discussed places for the first time…