PrintStaten Island: Skippy's Hot Dog Truck
Nostalgia goes a long way. This vintage 1956 Harvester International Metro van, home to Skippy's Hot Dogs, all but begs you to stop—even if you're full of pizza, as we were when we visited recently.
"First time here," said Skippy's proprietor Dawn Bellach, issuing not a question but a statement.
"Yeah," I said. "Do we look like that much like flustered newbies?"
"I've been here 30 years," Bellach said. "I know who's new and who's a regular."
So we did as any newcomer would do and asked for the most popular thing on the menu: the chili cheese dog. For good measure, we also ordered a hot dog with mustard only.
"You want that chili dog with hot or mild sauce?" Bellach asked.
Click photo for larger view of Skippy's menu. A helpin' of "Have a Nice Day" is free.
After some debate, we went with mild (what most folks order, Bellach said) with a touch of hot sauce on one end for comparison. The mild barely registered with me; if you like spicy, go for the hot sauce. The cheese is melted Velveeta, ladeled on before Bellach spoons a generous helping of homemade chili on top. The chili is made according to Bellach's grandmother's recipe, as is the spicy onion topping.
Dawn Bellach's grandparents are depicted on the side of the truck opposite the serving window.
Bellach's grandmother was one of the hot dog truck's founders, along with her grandfather—who was, yes, the Skippy for whom the operation is named. They started the business in 1962 after buying the van for $100 from a junkyard and rebuilding it. Despite its half century of service, it still runs just fine—good enough, Bellach says, to make it the ten blocks to and from her creekside location on Hylan Boulevard between Seaver and Stobe avenues.
"So that's the story?" I asked. "You took over from your grandparents?"
"This truck is nothin' but stories," Bellach said. "Did you see the mural on the back? And the heart? That's from a couple who met here and got married. Devin and Vinny. They just visited on their anniversary."
Just some of the hot sauces available at Skippy's.
Bellach tells us a few more stories—and then we ask her what's up with the hot sauce bottles perched in racks on the truckside shelf. We counted 36 different varieties.
Turns out that a longtime customer thought the onions had gotten a little milder after Skippy's day and brought a bottle to jack it up a notch. After that, other regulars started giving Bellach their favorite hot sauces and eventually started bringing them back from vacations; she's got one sauce from St. Thomas and says her hottest is Scorned Woman, from North Carolina. I even spotted a Kansas City sauce made by some guys I met last time I was there. One customer even donated the plastic racks that hold the small bottles.
When it comes down to it, at least for me, a hot dog is a hot dog. There are, of course, differences among them, but in New York City, you're pretty much going to find one of only a couple types of tubesteaks—usually either Hebrew National skinless or some type of Sabrett's product. That said, Skippy's uses a Sabrett red dog with natural casing, which I prefer, since it has some snap to it, most evident when you get it close to plain, although the snap was still evident in the chili dog.
And because business is brisk at the truck—even well past lunchtime—you'll always get a fresh dog.
Bellach said she's had longtime customers tell her the hot dogs served from the truck are close to those at Utica Joe's hot dog stand at Farragut and Utica avenues in Brooklyn. I've never been to Utica Joe's (and neither has Bellach—she's only been to Brooklyn five times in her life), but if it's anything like Skippy's, I'm sure it's worth a visit.
If you live on the eastern shore of Staten Island, you probably already know Skippy's, but if not, it's worth a visit. It's a quick shot from I-278. Just get off on Hylan Boulevard and head a few minutes south. If the weather's nice, eat your dogs at the shaded picnic table behind the truck—or take them to the nearby South Beach Boardwalk, which has great views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and lower New York Bay.
Skippy's Hot Dog Truck
Hylan Boulevard between Seaver and Stobe avenues (map)
All Photos and Bonus Outtakes from Skippy's Visit
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11 Comments:
It shows up on Google Maps streetview, as soon as I saw where it was, I knew I had seen it:
http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hylan+Boulevard+and+Seaver+Avenue,+Staten+Island+NY&sll=40.576103,-74.088686&sspn=0.013055,0.032423&ie=UTF8&ll=40.582312,-74.097161&spn=0.025031,0.040812&z=15&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.582232,-74.097261&panoid=XQkaUDX0f8Tb-w0WcP9C8w&cbp=12,138.5,,1,10.73
Drove by this for years, never though to stop. Wish I had known it was worth a stop back then.
peekpoke at 3:04PM on 06/10/09
I've been looking for a hot dog cart for next summer. Man, does this ever give ideas ... ;-)
LunaPierCook at 8:05PM on 06/10/09
Many vendors in New York and New Jersey serve the Sabrett all beef dog. This is what Adam describes as their red dog. They make a beef/pork dog which is pink in color. This one is served at the Windmill and the Hot Grill in New Jersey. Although all places that serve the boiled or "dirty water" dog use the same recipe Sabrett beef dog, there are certain things that distinguish one from another. I don't agree that a hot dog is a hot dog.
I look for: 1) a natural casing. The dogs pictured here have it. I'll always prefer casing to skinless. 2) If the dog is hot enough. Some are served hot, some lukewarm, others barely warm. Of course it's hard to tell by the pictures here. 3) Freshness. Some dogs are left in the water too long. When this happens, they lose snap and flavor. Three years ago I sampled hot dogs from 87 different establishments for a newspaper. Many were Sabretts heated in water like Skippy's. The better places served dogs that were hot, fresh, and with a good snap. Those that were sitting too long lost flavor, snap, and turned a grayish green. There are actually people who add vinegar to the water to prevent old dogs from turning color. 4) A decent size. I like an 8 to a lb dog. But for some reason the Sabrett 8's don't have a tight enough casing. So I prefer a 10 to a lb for this brand. In my opinion, anything smaller is too small. Some vendors serve 11, 12, or 13 to a lb and charge what others charge for a 10.
My favorite dirty water Sabrett comes from a truck in Roselle Park, N.J. called Dee's. She serves a 10 to a lb natural casing dog that is hot, fresh, and tasty. She discards dogs that have been in the water longer than a few minutes. Out of 6 stops on the last New Jersey Hot Dog Tour, Dees was the favorite.
hotdoglover at 8:19PM on 06/10/09
Ah ha. There you are, hotdoglover. I sort of felt bad when I wrote "a hot dog is a hot dog," because I figured you'd happen upon this post eventually and then be disappointed in that statement.
I guess what I was trying to express was that most vendors are getting the same hot dogs, so you're not going to find much variety from one place to another.
That said, your points here about what distinguishes a good dog from a mediocre or bad dog are well taken. Even though the beginning product may be the same, you're absolutely correct that there are ideal ways of cooking it that can make the difference.
One thing that was interesting, and I wonder if you would know about this, was that Bellach mentioned that Skippy's has been compared to Utica Joe's in Brooklyn. She said that Utica Joe was famous at one point for making something called the double, which was/is two hot dogs on one bun.
Adam Kuban at 8:30PM on 06/10/09
I'm not familiar with Utica Joe's or what they call a double, but at most of the places I've gone to a double is 2 dogs on one bun. Sometimes the bun is a little bigger. People get it because they may like the meat to bun ratio better. At the Galloping Hill Inn in Union they use a bigger, harder football shaped bun that many feel is too big for the dog. So they order a double dog. Also, a double dog gives you 2 dogs for less than what you would pay for two separate hot dogs.
hotdoglover at 5:56AM on 06/11/09
Actually, just a typical NY story. I grew up 10 blocks from Utica Joe's and never went, and I drive by Skippy's quite often, same story; just like never visited the top of the Empire State building. What I do remember quite vividly, though, from Brooklyn is Coney Island Joe's, on Linden Boulveard across from the Brownsville Boys Club (name pre-PC) that had two grilled dogs on an italian bread with whatever you wnated. Perfect. It does seem to me that the Katz's dog is pretty darn perfect in the 21st century.
barney1234 at 9:32AM on 06/13/09
WOW, Skippy's hot dog's are the best. Anytime I've stopped there, which is quite frequently, Dawn is very friendly and outgoing. She treats everyone like a friend and knows all her customers by what they eat. Her truck is immaculate and I would not call them dirty hot dogs since she is such a finatic about cleanliness. I've tasted hot dogs from other stands and no one can compare.
sushi904 at 6:55PM on 06/25/09
anyone that doesnt think skippys is the best should finish overdosing on crack and die!!!
Jesta217 at 9:25PM on 06/25/09
There is nothing typical about Dawn or her dogs, they are both a pleasure to visit(often). Dawn always has a smile for her customers, and her dogs make her customers smile back. Visit on a Saturday at lunch time and see for yourself!
Daddy at 9:39PM on 06/25/09
Ive been eating there for 23 years . They are the best around town . Ive been to pinks in LA they dont even compare to SKIPPYS !!!
dartgt4speed at 10:03PM on 06/25/09
Don't know where all you folks showed up from, but nobody called Skippy's "dirty hot dogs."
Adam Kuban at 10:46PM on 06/25/09