Hot Dog Of The Week Recap

Just a quick update on some recent Hot Dog of The Week posts.

NY state has a whole mess of old fashioned hot dog places. So many that it's hard to decide where to go. Stopped at a few on the way up North on Rt 87. First stop was Pete's Hot Dogs in the ghost town of Newburgh, NY about 60 miles north of New York City. A strange, tense mix of old school small-town America mixed with low-income projects, dollar stores and taco stands. I saw more than one pick-up truck with confederate flag bumper stickers.


Pete's was totally empty, and dead silent at 8 o'clock in the morning, across the street from a boarded up diner and an abandoned motel. But great hot dogs. Natural casings Boar's head dogs with a great snap. 2 different kinds of chili, and also a NY style dog with red onion sauce and kraut.

Read More on Serious Eats-
Hot Dog Of The Week - Pete's Hot Dogs



Next stop was Gus's Hot Dogs in Watervliet. Much more happening, also we got there around lunch time. This area is famous for it's mini 3 inch hot dogs - 65 cents each. Very unique spicy sauce that they cook in clay pots. Super nice folks, let me shoot some photos of the grill operation.

Read more on Serious Eats-
• Hot Dog Of The Week - Troy, NY Mini Dogs


Then drove way North to Plattsburgh to try the famous "Michigans" at Clare & Carl's but it was closed. Got some nice photos though. We did try some Michigans at a different establishment but I might have to go back up there and try the best before doing a full article.


We took the Ferry through the ice from Plattsburgh to Vermont where the grocery shelves were stocked with New England buns. Even after 4 or 5 hot dogs that day I had to pick some up to bring home. Anyway, while we didn't have any this trip the buns inspired me to finally give Maine's Red Snappers the HDOW treatment.

Read More on Serious Eats-
• Hot Dog Of The Week - Red Snapper

Pete's Hot Dogs
293 S William St
Newburgh, NY 12550

Gus's Hot Dogs
212 25th Street,
Watervliet, NY

Clare & Carl's (Open Sat. March 27th through September)
4729 NY-9
Plattsburgh, NY

Greekburger at Gus's Hot Dogs

Gus's burger with fresh rolls in the background
I wrote about Gus's 3 inch mini hot dogs on Serious Eats last week but failed to mention their awesome Greekburger and Sausage Sandwich. Gus's was probably my favorite joint of this whole trip as far as atmosphere goes. (We stopped at 6 hot dog places between New York, Vermont and Connecticut). Counter filled with locals, comfortable booths, crazy shit all over the walls including flyers for eating contests, friendly service and a big pile of food for 4 people for under 10 bucks.

grab a booth inside or order to-go from the front window
The Greekburger was your standard thin fast food patty cooked on the grill and smothered in Gus's signature meat sauce that they cook in big clay pots in the corner of the grill. Gus's sauce is really unique, in the general "texas greek sauce" family finely ground and really strong, with lots of paprika and something that I couldn't quite put my finger on, cloves maybe? Sausage sandwich was a patty with peppers and onions. The size is perfect, not a slider but a notch smaller than what most of us are used to, great if you want to order a couple of Gus's dogs on the side.

Gus's sausage sandwich
What really makes these burgers (and the dogs) are the fluffy white buns that come in fresh every day from nearby Bella Napoli bakery. Before white burger buns were just a crap product you bought at the grocery store because you're too lazy to cook; places like this got them in fresh from real bakeries.

For years everyone seemed to think a burger needed to have brioche or a hard roll to be "fancy" but the move seems to be towards high quality ingredients paired with the comfort of diner-fast food style.. like Village Whiskey and their sesame bun and thousand island dressing. I wish this trend would last forever but next year it will probably be Vietnamese-Colombian fusion burgers with crushed chips, pork pate, grilled pineapple, asian slaw and lemongrass-blueberry mayonnaise.

Gus's Hot Dogs
212 25th Street
Watervliet, NY 12189-1937

enjoy
•Troy Mini Hot Dogs on Serious Eats
•Texas Weiners / Greek Sauce
•In & Out Burger