Hungry Travels

Food ponderings and observations while mourning the loss of Tom Brady for the season. Devastating.  Just devastating.

1.  What happened to The Lighthouse Coffee Company in Sleepy Hollow?  I thought they were renovating, but now it looks like they might have packed up and closed shop?   I really hope not, because after peeking in through the window, I fell in love with the coziness and planned on spending lots of time there this winter. 

2.  Next door to the Boston Market in Mamaroneck, there’s a “Coming Soon” sign for a new store called Harvest Market on the Sound.  

3.  Also in Mamaroneck, Jolly Trolley Bar & Grill has closed its doors.  Taking its place will be Barnacle BBQ Seafood Shack. Sounds intriguing (if it’s anything like the old Crab Shanty in Mamaroneck, my dad will be thrilled.  I felt bad telling him Crab Shanty’s now a bank).  

4.  Need something to do this Sunday?  “A Taste of White Plains” looks like a good bet.

5. I’m looking for restaurant suggestions in the Bronxville/Tuckahoe area.  Any ideas?  Also, what do you think about Ripe Kitchen & Bar in Mt. Vernon?  And where’s a good place for fish and chips?

6.  When my parents were in town I took them to Walter’s Hot Dog Stand.  I waxed poetic about Walter’s earlier in the summer, but hmm, disappointing this time around.  There was a long line so I think they were rushing to serve the food quickly.  The hot dogs didn’t have the normal crispy crust and the bun was mushy; I think the prices went up too.  The dogs seemed very ordinary and I know mom was longing for sauerkraut— maybe I spoke too soon about Walter’s being better than Super Duper Weenie.

7.  Only a few more weeks until apple picking season gets into full gear — yeah!  That means a trip to Wilkens Farm for apples, cider and donuts.  Nothing will ever top my childhood memories of Schultz’s cider donuts in Armonk, but if you can stand waiting on the long line, Wilkens’s donuts are excellent, especially if you get ‘em while they’re hot.  If it were socially acceptable I would go apple picking every weekend.  

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Have you ever ordered something, bit into it, and thought, “Whoa, not was I expecting!”?  Whether you love a new food or hate it, the element of surprise is part of what makes eating fun. Which is why I wasn’t all that disappointed when I bought a gordita de chicharrón today and came to the realization:

“Not diggin’ it.”   

I’ve driven past the unassuming Lupita’s Deli a million times and never knew it was there— the Marlboro sign in the window gives it the look of a convenience store.  Wade to the back though and you’ll discover a kitchen that’s serving authentic Mexican food to those in the know.  The corn and flour tortillas are filled with traditional favorites (carnitas, chicken, chorizo, steak, lamb); I went for a carnitas taco and a chicken taco.  

The shredded chicken was great and so were the cubed bits of pork—salty and marinated and lined with a thin layer of fat. And I loved the spicy salsa verde that came on the side. Perfect for pouring right over the tacos.

But something else had caught my eye in the display case: it was some kind of homemade fried tortilIa stuffed with meat (you can see it on the right side of the pic). “What’s in it?” I asked the friendly server.   “Pork,” she said.  I asked her what it was called, and I thought she said “Gordita de charron.”  

I bit into it expecting a bite of meat and hmm… unusual.  I was taken aback by the chewy, gelatinous texture of the filling. Like eating a fried gummy bear.  

It wasn’t until I got home later and googled “gordita de charron” that I realized I’d misheard the server— what she actually said was “gordita de chicharrón.”  It turns out a gordita de chicharrón is a tortilla stuffed with… pork rinds. 

I didn’t get very far on the gordita; it just wasn’t my cup of tea. But I’m sure it was expertly prepared, and I’m glad I tried it. That’s what eating’s about sometimes— rolling the dice and going for the unfamiliar.   And now when you visit Lupita’s yourself, you’ll know what’s inside that display case.

Lupita’s Deli
122 Mamaroneck Ave.
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
914-381-5003

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I was driving on I-95 in Connecticut a few weeks ago and saw a sign for the hot dog joint, Super Duper Weenie.  Now there’s a name you don’t forget.  It’s been stuck in my head ever since I first watched the 1999 PBS documentary, A Hot Dog Program.  I’m sure you’ve seen it; PBS trots the show out every summer during pledge drives.   

We all know Walter’s Hot Dog Stand is the king of hot dogs in Westchester (and according to devotees, the world), but I was curious: How would a Super Duper Weenie dog compare? For the sake of the blog, I threw calorie concerns aside and did a taste test.  Let’s break it down:

SUPER DUPER WEENIE

A little back story: Super Duper Weenie (let’s call it SDW) used to be operated out of a truck parked off I-95, until owner Gary Zemola ditched the truck in 2000 and moved the digs into a small house in Fairfield.  Gary trained at the Culinary Institute of America and is known for his homemade condiments like hot relish, onion sauce and chili.  

SDW names its dogs after regions of the country.  I’m ashamed to report that as a former Bostonian, I ordered a “New Yorker” over a “New Englander” (but you better believe that had the hot dogs been called “Red Sox” and “Yankees”, I would have ordered a “Red Sox” on principle alone). The New Yorker comes loaded with sauerkraut, mustard, onion sauce and hot relish. My friend Jose ordered the same and then told me he’d never had sauerkraut before. (That bit of information blew my mind… a born and bred New York guy with no sauerkraut experience?)

Here’s my New Yorker.

I love that the hot dog is split before being grilled.  It also has a casing with a nice snap to it (some people hate the snap, but I like it).   The hot relish is fantastic — sweet and spicy and clearly homemade. The onion sauce is tasty, but maybe unnecessary; I would have been happy with fresh chopped onion.  And as good as the condiments are, they make the top of the bun soggy.  But it’s a perfect combination of flavors and a seriously top-notch dog.

Oh, and the fries were excellent— hand cut and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

WALTER’S HOT DOG STAND

What’s left to say about Walter’s?  This venerable hot dog landmark has been serving up weenies in Mamaroneck since 1919.  Clearly they’re doing something right.   The dogs are split down the middle, grilled in a “secret sauce” (butter?), placed in a toasted bun and topped with a homemade mustard relish mix.  That’s it.  Hot dog simplicity.

And what a beautiful hot dog it is.  It’s perfectly grilled until golden brown and crusty; I’ve never had one anywhere else with a crisp crust like that.  And the dog (skinless and made of beef, pork and veal) is light as air— I actually wrote “fluffy” in my notes.   Paired with a toasted bun, slightly sweet mustard relish and a cost of $1.90, and you can’t do much better.  You really can’t.  It does bum me out that Walter’s doesn’t serve sauerkraut, but I know they’re all about hot dog purity.  More a minor quibble than a complaint, really.  

Super Duper Weenie and Walter’s are both so good and so completely different in style, that trying to decide which hot dog is better is like trying to choose a favorite child.  So it comes down to this… Given the choice of one hot dog at this very moment, which one pops into my head first?

THE WINNER: Walter’s (by a hair)

But you know what?  There are no losers here.  They’re both great, and you better believe I’m doing another taste test.  For the purposes of the blog of course.   

Super Duper Weenie
306 Black Rock Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06825
203-334-DOGS

Walter’s Hot Dog Stand
937 Palmer Ave.
Mamaroneck, NY 10543

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When I lived in Boston, a good bagel was hard to find.  I love Boston to death, but jeez, we just can’t hack it when it comes to bagels.  New York rules.  Now that I’ve lived in Westchester for a few years, I’m starting to feel the same way about pizza.  I’ve read about the “best pizza” in Westchester, but to me, “best” is relative.  I’ve yet to find a slice that compares to the best Manhattan or Brooklyn has to offer.

For example, I love the coal-oven pies you get at a place in the city like Patsy’s: thin, crispy crust that’s blistered and blackened on the bottom, a layer of tasty sauce, fresh mozzarella and a sprinkling of basil leaves.  Simple and light.  So light you could eat a whole pie all by yourself. Umm, not that I’ve tried.

Sal’s in Mamaroneck gets a lot of press as one of the best pizza joints in Westchester.  I’d eaten there a few years ago, and to be honest it didn’t make much of an impression.  But since so many people rave about it, I figured I’d give it another shot.  

Don’t expect much atmosphere at Sal’s.  It’s a casual place with a bunch of gruff guys working the counter.  Not that atmosphere matters if the pizza is good.  I ordered two slices: a slice of mushroom and a plain Sicilian slice.

The verdict?  Ehh (shrug).  Decent, but I don’t see what the fuss is about.  The crust on the mushroom slice was nicely crisp and thin, and it wasn’t overloaded with cheese.  But the sauce was bland — could have used more salt.  Also, the mushrooms were thrown on at the last minute before the slice was re-heated. Since they weren’t baked into the pizza they didn’t add or absorb any flavor.   An okay slice, but nothing to write home about.

The Sicilian?  I guess I’m just not a huge fan of Sicilian pizza. Sal’s is thinner than others I’ve had, and that’s a good thing. But it’s still too doughy for my taste — and without flavorful sauce, well, that’s a whole lot of dough. 

Then again, the line at Sal’s is consistently long, so what do I know.  You could do far worse than Sal’s, but give me Patsy’s any day.

GRADE: B-

Sal’s Pizzeria
316 Mamaroneck Ave.
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
914-381-2022 

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