Nicky & Pete's Famous Hot Dogs

Apologies for the double post - this is also going up on Serious Eats today- but I just can't get enough of this place, and wanted to post more photos. I found it scanning the phone book for the words "hot dog" and honestly expected something ancient along the lines of APJ Texas Weiners.

Nicky & Pete's is deep in West Philly (actually Overbrook) in a tiny italian neighborhood that consists of maybe 4 blocks. Apparently everyone fled to New Jersey in the 80's. Down the street from an honest to god Italian Social club and next door to a cafe with guys screaming in Sicilian out front. When we pulled out the cameras we got a "you lookin for somebuddy?" and dirty looks. Awesome.


It's is also a full-on steak, hoagie and cutlet shop so I was expecting maybe 3 variations of hot dog on the menu, but there's 13. And 4 styles of fish cake sandwich: plain, the philly combo (with a hot dog) the "special" fish cake with chili and whiz (don't knock it til you've tried it) and "fish & chips" with fried potatoes. Amazing.


All the hot dogs were awesome. I didn't realize that they had pepper hash as a topping until I got home and read the menu. We tried a Philly Combo, Jersey Dog with fried potatoes, peppers and onions, Chili dog, Baltimore Dog with slaw and bacon, Nicky & Pete's special with whiz and special sauce.



All the signs of a serious philly hot dog joint are here- split & grilled dogs, fish cakes, lots of whiz, BOTH cole slaw and pepper hash (in case you thought they were the same thing, or even close). The steaks & hoagies and homemade meatball sandwiches look good too. Crab fries, pepper shooters, you can even buy fresh bread to take home.



Also if you go up here you might also want to check out the original location of Jim's Steaks right around the corner.

Nicky & Pete's Famous Hot Dogs
349 N. 64th St. (Near Callowhill)
Philadelphia

Signature Dogs

Citizens Bank Park is a beautiful stadium. No bad seats in the house. Even though a hotdog is 5 bucks and it's been sitting in its own steamy foil sock, it is still delicious.

So imagine these super split down the middle grilled dogs with 3 topping choices that DON'T come in the foil sock, how delicious they are in the middle of the 3rd inning. We went with the Old Philadelphia and the Summer Dog. Both hands down delicious. They are at the Signature dog Hatfield stand in the 120'something section of the stadium and they are 5.75 each or you can get the 3 dog sample for 15 bucks. You can still get the just grilled with no toppings dog for 3.75 and you may as well, even that beats the foil sock dog.

Oh but back to the dogs, the summer dog is on a pretzel style roll which soaks up the habenero sauce and is pretty damned awesome with the cucumber hiding underneath the dog all crunchy like and cooooool. The Old Philadelphia I think is my favorite, seeded roll, pepper hash and half sours, almost as good as Hawk's house. No ketchup or mustard needed here.

Since this is DRAWING for food, which we all know is what Hawk and I do for a living sort of living, I guess, here are some drawings from the game.



Signature Hot Dogs/ Hatfield stand
120'something of the Citizans Bank Park Stadium
GO PHILS!

Hot Dog Cookery

Picked up some natural casing NY state hot dogs at Wegman's in Collegeville, PA. Got a pack of Zwiegels 6 to a pound "Texas Hot Dogs" and a 3 pound pack of Sahlen's for the freezer. They also had Zwiegel's White Hots - a pork,beef and veal uncured dog unique to Rochester.

This is particularly exciting because these products are extremely hard to find in Philadelphia, if not impossible. Normally eating these dogs would mean a 6 hour car ride to Buffalo or Rochester.




The Zweigel's were the best. Pan fried in butter and topped with mustard. Also tried one with onions and a mound of real PA Dutch pepper cabbage from the Reading Terminal Market - which I realize is complete regional blasphemy but it was delicous.

The Amish pepper cabbage was more briney and sweet than the pepper hash you would find on a hot dog at Moe's or 25th & Passyunk. More of a pickled flavor, like cabbage relish, but still delicious on a hot dog.